I didn't seem to take much interest
in parties in St. Louis, but it set me arguing again whether he was a
lunatic, or had a point of view. And so, though I thought it might be
they were going to be surprised when they came to Lua, I said nothing
about that, but fitted up a bit in Honolulu, taking my time, and set
sail once more for Lua. We came there in a high wind on a rainy
morning, about six weeks since I'd left it.
No one was in sight on the beach at first, but the sky clearing, I
went ashore with Breen and Jessamine, and several natives ran out of
the huts and across the beach to meet us. I says, "Man, Ship," and
pointed inland, at which they seemed to be pleased and set off; and
we followed them by a long trail that came at last in the cleared
valley, where were long-strung-out villages, leading inland to the
open country this side of the wooded hills. By this time we were a
procession. We knew when we had arrived, for there appeared a long
range of roofs through the stems of a palm grove, and a broad path
led to it through bushes covered with red thick-scented flowers. It
was King Julius's palace. The front of it was all one piazza, maybe
two-hundred feet long and forty deep, with slim bamboo pillars; and
men seemed to be still shingling one end of it with layers of
plantain leaves.
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