to our old friend’s place near the landing, when we were told that the house taken was a very bad one.  In the first place, the position was unhealthy; in the second, that was the point where their enemies from Basilaki (Moresby Island) always landed when they came to fight, and the people could not protect the teachers if so far off when their foes came.  All agreed in this, and a fine new house which had never been occupied

was offered and taken, the same price being paid for it as for the other one.  This house is close to the landing-place, and in the midst of the people.  The owner of the first house offered to return the things, but we thought it would not be ruinous to let him keep them, their English value being about ten shillings.

We passed a tabooed place, or rather would have done so had we not been forced to take a circuitous path to the bush.  None of the natives spoke as we passed the place, nor till we were clear of it; they made signs also to us to be silent.  A woman had died there lately, and the friends were still mourning.  There had been no dancing in the settlement since the death, nor would there be any for some days to come.

I think women are more respected here than they are in some other heathen lands.  They seem to keep fast hold of their own possessions.  A man stole an ornament belonging to his wife, and sold it for hoop-iron on board the Bertha.  When he went ashore he was met on the beach by his spouse, who had in the meantime missed her trinket; she assailed him with tongue, stick, and stone, and demanded the hoop-iron.

The teachers were landed in the afternoon, and were well received.  The natives all promised to care for them, and treat them kindly.  There are about two hundred and fifty natives on the island.  No Ellengowan appearing, we determined to leave this on

Wednesday, the 21st, and to proceed to Moresby Island.  Next morning we left, but, owing to light winds, we did not anchor in Hoop-Iron Bay, off Moresby Island, till the morning of the 22nd.  The anchorage here is in an open roadstead.  It is a very fine island—the vegetation from the water’s edge right up to the mountain tops.  Plantations are to be seen all round.  The people live in small detached companies, and are not so pleasant and friendly-looking a people as are the Teste islanders.  This is the great Basilaki, and the natives are apparently the deadly foes of all the islanders round.  Before we anchored, we were surrounded by catamarans (three small logs lashed together) and canoes—spears in them all.

Mr. McFarlane decided, as soon as we came to the island, that he would not land his teachers here; and I did not consider it a suitable place as a head station for New Guinea.  We left Moresby Island at six a.m. on the 23rd inst., and beat through Fortescue Straits, between Moresby and Basilisk Islands.  The scenery was grand—everything looked so fresh and green, very different from the deathlike appearance of Port Moresby and vicinity.  The four teachers were close behind us, in their large whale-boat, with part of their things.  On getting out of the Straits, we saw East Cape; but, as there was no anchorage there, we made for Killerton Island, about ten miles from the Cape.  The wind being very light, it was eight p.m. before we anchored: the boat got up an hour after

us.  There was apparently great excitement ashore; lights were moving about in all directions, but none came to us.  In the morning, a catamaran with two boys ventured alongside of us; they got a present, and went away shouting.  Soon we were surrounded with catamarans and canoes, with three or four natives in each.  They had no spears with them, nor did they kill a dog on our quarter-deck, as they did on that of the Basilisk.  They appeared quite friendly, and free from shyness.  They brought their curios to barter for beads, red cloth, and the much-valued hoop-iron.  The whole country looked productive and beautiful.  After breakfast, we went ashore, and were led through swampy ground to see the water.  On our return to the shore, we went in search of a position for the mission settlement, but could not get one far enough away from the swamp, so we took the boat and sailed a mile or two nearer the Cape, where we found an excellent position near a river.  Mr. McFarlane obtained a fine new house for the teachers, in which they are to remain till they get a house built.  We took all the teachers’ goods ashore, which the natives helped to carry to the house.  One man, who considered himself well dressed, kept near us all day.  He had a pair of trousers, minus a leg: he fastened the body of the trousers round his head, and let the leg fall gracefully down his back.

On the following morning, two large canoes—twenty

paddles in each—came in from somewhere about Milne Bay.  They remained for some time near the shore, getting all the news they could about us from the shore-folk; then the leader amongst them stood up and caught his nose, and pointed to his stomach—we doing the same.  The large canoes went ashore, and the chief came off to us in a small one.  We gave him a present, which greatly pleased him.  After breakfast, we went ashore to hold a service with the teachers.  We met under a large tree, near their house.  About six hundred natives were about us, and all round outside of the crowd were men armed with spears and clubs.  Mr. McFarlane preached.  When the first hymn was being sung, a number of women and children got up and ran into the bush.  The service was short; at its close we sat down and sang hymns, which seemed to amuse them greatly.  The painted and armed men were not at all pleasant-looking fellows.

At two in the morning (Monday), we weighed anchor and returned to Moresby Island.  The wind was very light, and we had to anchor at the entrance to Fortescue Straits.  Next morning, we sailed through the Straits, and, on coming out on the opposite side, we were glad to see the Bertha beating about there.  By noon we were on board the Bertha, and off for South Cape, the Mayri going to Teste Island with a letter, telling the captain of the Ellengowan to follow us, and also to see if the teachers were all right.

By evening we were well up to South Cape.  The captain did not care to get too near that night, and stood away till morning.  About ten next morning I accompanied the captain in the boat, to sound and look for anchorage, which we found in twenty-two fathoms, near South-West Point.  By half-past fire that evening we anchored.  The excitement ashore was great, and before the anchor was really down we were surrounded by canoes.  As a people, they are small and puny, and much darker than the Eastern Polynesians.  They were greatly excited over Pi’s baby, a fine plump little fellow, seven months old, who, beside them, seemed a white child.  Indeed, all they saw greatly astonished them.  Canoes came off to us very early in the morning.  About half-past seven, when we were ready to go ashore, there arose great consternation amongst the natives.  Three large war canoes, with conch-shells blowing, appeared off the mainland and paddled across the Mayri Straits.  Soon a large war canoe appeared near the vessel.  A great many small canoes from various parts of the mainland were ordered off by those on whose side we were anchored.  They had to leave.  On their departure a great shout was raised by the victorious party, and in a short time all returned quietly to their bartering.  It seemed that the Stacy Islanders