18_th_.—­We have a great crowd of natives in from Kupele, the nearest district to Mount Owen Stanley.  They are the same race of people as at Meroka—­some very dark, others very light-coloured.  Their weapons are the same as the Koiari, as also is their dress.  Two men are in mourning, and are wearing netted vests.  The chief is rather a fine-looking fellow, and dressed profusely with cassowary feathers.  They all have a wisp of grass bound tight at one end, and hanging from a girdle behind, to be used as a seat when they sit down.  It is a stretch of imagination to say it looks like a tail.  They are very anxious we should accompany them on their return, and say they will show us plenty of villages and people.  Yesterday we had great feasting in the villages on yams and taro.  To an Eastern Polynesian it would be ridiculous to call it a feast, seeing there was no pig.  In the evening we had a good deal of palavering with spears and shields, fighting an imaginary foe, and at times retreating.  Their movements are swift and graceful:  advance, retreat, advance, pursue, ward off to the right, to the left, shield up, down, aside, struck on knee, a shout, all gone through, with the greatest alacrity, and I am not at all astonished at so few being killed or wounded in a fight.  They value shields that bear the marks of spears.

19_th_.—­Our old friend Oriope came in to-day, and handed us the tomahawk, stolen by the deserter on our last trip.  He says when he heard how Someri had served us he sent at once to Sogeri, and got the tomahawk, telling them it was very wrong to steal from such dear friends of his.  One of the Kupele natives stole a knife, but he had to give it up to the Keninumu friends, who returned it to us.  I should have liked to have started a station at Chokinumu, so as to try the climate of both sides of the district this wet season.

23_rd_.—­We find it impossible to get the men to help us with the house whilst so many of us are here, so we return to the port, hoping to get into Chokinumu soon.  The people, seeing that we are really going, have begged hard for Jakoba to be left, and they promise faithfully to assist him in finishing the house.  Jakoba being anxious to remain with them, I consented.

24_th_.—­Arrived at Moumiri about two p.m.  We heard there that Tabori and Makipili have been murdering.  A number of people from Marivaenumu were here wallaby-hunting, and on returning were met; three women and two men were killed.  They report here, also, that Kupele proper (a small village) no longer exists; the Koiari to the west of us having gone over and killed all but five, who have gone to another village.

26_th_.—­Returned to Port Moresby to-day, and found all well, and good news from all the stations.  The services have gone on here in Rua’s absence with great success.  On two Sundays the chief Poi conducted the services, addressing those present, and telling them he thought that now it was time for them all to receive the Gospel which had been so faithfully taught them during these years; in prayer he remembered us who were inland, and asked our Father in heaven to watch over us and bring us back safely, and to enlighten all of them at the seaside.