中文(繁体)通用niggerheadoraninchofribboninreturn?I’dthinkthey’dbetooproud—butthen,I’mnotatouristtrottingroundtheglobe,I’monlyamanwhoworksforhisliving.“Asforyourself,youtakemyadvice,andsayrightoutyoudon’twantthedinners,whentheybringthem.Yes,it’lloffendthem,butyoumusteitherdothat,orpayforstuffyoudon’twantthreedaysoutofseven,orsixdays,morelikely,iftheythinkyou’reliberal-minded.You’llgetnoendofpresentswhenyou’regoingaway,prettythingsenough,andthosewillhavetobepaidforinpresents,too.Bettermakeitascheapasyoucan,meantime.“Butthosepeoplewhogotravellinglikeprinces,andloadtheircabinsupwithspearsandclubsandtappa-clothsandshellsthenativeshavegiventhemeverywheretheywent—andnotafarthing,orafarthing’sworth,dotheyletitcostthemfromendtoend—Itellyou,they’readisgracetoEngland,”concludedmyinformanthotly.“Iamquitesureitissimplybecausetheydonotknow—howshouldthey?”Iasked,tryingtodefendtheabsentglobe-trotters.“Decentfeelingoughttoteachthem!”declaredthecriticofmanners,whowasevidentlynottobepacified.Ihadmydinnertocook,soIwentaway,andlefthimstillrevolvingtheiniquitiesoftravellingmilordsinhismemory.ButIdidnotforgettheconversation,foritseemedtomethatthefactsaboutthismatterofpresent-givingandtakingoughttobeknownaswidelyaspossible.Innearlytwoyearsofislandtravelthatfollowedafterthosedays,IhadfullopportunityofprovingthetruthofthestatementsmadebymyNiuéacquaintance,andeveryexperienceonlyservedtoconfirmthem.Travellerswhovisittheislandsshouldnotethisfact,andlayinastockofsuitablegoodsatSydney,whichisthestartingpointformostPacifictravel.Therearevariousfirmswhomakeaspecialityofislandtrade,andthesewillusuallysellanyreasonablequantityatwholesaleprices.ThenativesofthePacific,ingeneral,arenottobeputoffwithworthlesstriflesaspresents,nordotheycareforbeads,unlessinthefewgroupsstillremaininguncivilised.Theylikebestthesortofgoodswithwhichtheyarealreadyfamiliar,anddonotcarefor“imported”novelties.Silkhandkerchiefsarelikedeverywhere,andtheyareeasytocarry.Cottonorsilkstuffismuchvalued.Imitationjewellery—brooches,pins,etc.—isvaluedquiteasmuchasreal,exceptinNiué,wherethenativesseemtohaveanaturalcravingandlikingforpreciousmetals.Tinnedfoodsofallkinds,andsweets,areperhapsbetterappreciatedthananythingelse.Tinnedsalmoninespecial,isthesafestkindof“tip”thancanbegiventoanynative,fromalordlySamoanchief,downtoawild“bushie”fromtheSolomons.Withal,onemustnottakeawaythecharacteroftheislandworldforhospitality,becauseofitschildlikefancyforpresents.Manyandmanyadestitutewhitemancantellofthetruegenerosityandungrudgingkindnesshehasmetwithatthehandsofthegentlebrownmenandwomen,whenluckwashardandthewhiteswouldhavenoneofhim.Theyarenotfair-weatherfriends,intheEuropeansenseoftheword.True,whentheweatherissunnywithyou,theywill
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