21_st_.—­The village is built on the ridge, the chief’s house right on the high end and looking east, our small house close by on the side of the others, on each side, leaving a pathway in the centre.  At the very end of the ridge is a house on a very high tree, used as a look-out house and a refuge for women and children in case of attack.  There are quite a number of tree houses in the various villages on the ridges seen from here.  The people are anxious to get Maka, a light-coloured and very fine-looking native lad, married to one of their girls and settled down amongst them.  I said to our African, “They want Maka to marry one of their girls.”  Joe, I suppose, felt slighted that he too had not an offer, and he replied, “Well, sir, in Madagascar, a very big chief was real anxious I marry his daughter; fine-looking girl; he make me chief, and give me plenty land; far cleaner people than them be.”

I find the people have the same sign of friendship as in the east end of New Guinea—­nose and stomach pointed to.  They speak of a land, Daui, with which they are friendly, a very long way off.  Daunai, of Orangerie Bay, is called Daui in some places.  To their tree houses they have ladders with long vines on each side to assist ascent.  Our delay here will help us to know the people.  I have just been showing them the likenesses of two young friends, and the excitement has been great, men, women, and children crowding round, thumb in mouth, scratching and shaking heads, and leaping and screaming, coming again and again to have a look.

22_nd_.—­A number of strangers slept, or rather made a noise all night in houses close by, and amongst them a spiritist, whose hideous singing and chanting of revelations was enough to drive one frantic.  We tried to quiet him, but it was of no use—­silenced he would not be.  A man sitting by us when having morning tea asked for some of the salt we were using.  We told him it was not salt, but sugar.  He insisted it was salt, and we gave him some on his taro.  He began eating, and the look of disgust on his face was worth seeing; he rose up, went out, spat out what he had in his mouth, and threw the remainder away.

23_rd_.—­Cannot get the natives to move; they say they are tired, and will have to rest until to-morrow morning, and they are also afraid of their enemies.  The excitement is great, but what it all means is difficult for us to say.  Noon:  all have cleared out with spears, clubs, and shields, two men having been killed in a village near, and they have gone to get hold of the murderers if they can.  Dressed in their feathers and fighting gear, with faces streaked, they do certainly look ugly.  After being some time gone, they returned, saying the enemy, who were from Eikiri, had gone off to the back mountains.