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