But it is not executed yet; and let not him that putteth on his armour, vaunt himself. At least, nobody has had such stuff; such wild stories, such beautiful scenes, such singular intimacies, such manners and traditions, so incredible a mixture of the beautiful and horrible, the savage and civilised. I will give you here some idea of the table of contents, which ought to make your mouth water. I propose to call the book _The South Seas_: it is rather a large title, but not many people have seen more of them than I, perhaps no one--certainly no one capable of using the material. _Part I. General. "Of schooners, islands, and maroons"_ CHAPTER I. Marine. " II. Contraband (smuggling, barratry, labour traffic). " III. The Beachcomber. " IV. Beachcomber stories, i. The Murder of the Chinaman, ii. Death of a Beachcomber. iii. A Character, iv. The Apia Blacksmith. _Part II. The Marquesas_ " V. Anaho. i. Arrival, ii. Death, iii. The Tapu. iv. Morals, v. Hoka. " VI. Tai-o-hae. i. Arrival. ii. The French. iii. The Royal Family. iv. Chiefless Folk. v. The Catholics. vi. Hawaiian Missionaries " VII. Observations of a Long Pig. i. Cannibalism, ii. Hatiheu. iii. Frere Michel, iv. Taa-hauku and Atuona. v. The Vale of Atuona. vi. Moipu. vii. Captain Hati. _Part III. The Dangerous Archipelago_ " VIII. The Group. " IX. A House to let in a Low Island. " X. A Paumotuan Funeral, i. The Funeral, ii. Tales of the Dead. _Part IV. Tahiti_ " XI. Tautira. " XII. Village Government in Tahiti. " XIII. A Journey in Quest of Legends. " XIV. Legends and Songs. " XV. Life in Eden. " XVI. Note on the French Regimen. _Part V. The Eight Islands_ " XVII. A Note on Missions. " XVIII. The Kona Coast of Hawaii. i. Hookena. ii. A Ride in the Forest. iii. A Law Case. iv. The City of Refuge. v. The Lepers. " XIX. Molokai. i. A Week in the Precinct. ii. History of the Leper Settlement, iii. The Mokolii. iv. The Free Island. _Part VI. The Gilberts_ " XX. The Group, ii. Position of Woman, iii. The Missions. iv. Devilwork. v. Republics. " XXI. Rule and Misrule on Makin. i. Butaritari, its King and Court. ii. History of Three Kings. iii. The Drink Question. " XXII. A Butaritarian Festival. " XXIII. The King of Apemama. i. First Impressions. ii. Equator Town and the Palace. iii. The Three Corselets. _Part VII. Samoa_ which I have not yet reached.