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