CHAPTER XXVII. (Continiued.) the laz.->.tu*tto. It was in tho reigm of Bagsdale that Father Damien arrived, May, '73. He draws no very favourable picture of the society that paid homage to King Billy ; but the reign was .efficient, and save for the episode of Prince Peter, quiet. So much could not be said for that of his critic and

successor, Datnien himself, whose term of office served only to publish the weakness of a noble man. I-e was rough in his ways, and he had no control ; authority was relaxed, the lunas life was threatened, and he was soon eager to resign. Two more conclude the list, Mr Sbrahan, who was still alive ab the time of my visit, and Mr Ambrose Hutchinson, who still held bhe reins of office. Mr Strahan, born of Scottish parents in Philadelphia, ran away to sea in a whaler and deserted in Tahici. He learned car pentering, coopering, and seamanship ; sailed mate in ships, made copra in the Palmyra?, worked on tho guano islands, and led in all ways the career of the South Sea adventurer. For two year 3bo lived in Easter Island, the is'ie of nameless gods and forgotten pieties. A mysterious sick ness, brought irom the mainland by labour slaves, struck and prostrated tho population. Mr Strahan was sometimes alone to go oub fishing, and h.e made with his own bands a barrow to convey the corpses to the grave, and crutches on which bhe native clergyman might accompany the funerals. *' That was my best time," said fche old gentleman, regretfully. At last, when ho was mate of a schooner, he chanced one day to be shaving, as I have received th 6 story, in the cabin. " Good God, Strahan," cried the captain, '- You have cub olf a piece of your ear." He had cub off a piece of his ear, and did not; know ib ; the plague, long latent in his blood, v/as now declared, and the wanderer found 1 , a home in Kalawao. As a luna, he did -well, reducing ab once the previous discontents. He claims to have introduced eofiea shops, sewing ma chines, musical instruments. "I wanted to put 3ome life in the thing," says he, and the system of medals by which the drawing of double rations was at length prevented. 