on, and would not let them have a bag.  We took no notice of those we met, and to their solicitations asking to carry bags we turned a deaf ear.  The chief’s eldest son came along and begged to have my bag.  No, on no condition.  The poor old chief was in a sad state; but as we are likely to require their services some future day, it is necessary to teach them that for work or service they will be paid, but for skulking, and hoping to get tobacco and salt, their hopes are futile.  We reached the village, and Oriope did all he possibly could to keep us.  No, on we will go; his sleepy boys may sleep on.  We gave him and his little grandchild who accompanied him presents, bade him good-bye, and away.

6_th_.—­Here, and in all the villages we have been, we have seen very few women and girls, and very few of the young men seem to be married.  Do they kill the girls when born?

7_th_.—­Left this morning for a mountain close by, hoping to see the windings of the Laroki from it.  We had to descend 1000 feet, and then ascend 1800.  From the droppings about, I should say the cassowary and pig abound in the gullies about this mountain.  We found on the top a deserted village and five cocoanut-trees.  We could make nothing of the Laroki, because of thick bush on top.  We saw that the Munikahila creek flows west and south, until, due north of this, it turns sharp and flows north-by-east and falls into the Goldie.  We reached camp with thoroughly whetted appetites, and enjoyed breakfast and dinner of pigeons and taro.  We call the mountain Mount Elsie.  It is north of Vetura, and west and south of Keninumu.  We have seen four new villages close to one another where a teacher could work well.  We have now five positions for teachers, and I hope before we have finished with this inland trip to have thirty, giving four and five villages to each teacher.  In crossing one of the spurs, a native and his son brought us bananas, and water in a bamboo.  It is difficult to drink out of a bamboo.  Place the open end to the mouth, raise gradually, look out, here it comes—­steady.  Ah, too much raised; it is a deluge streaming over you and nearly choking you.  Try again—­well, a little better, yet far from perfect.  Choking, are you?  Never mind, practise, and you will soon be an expert—­a native in drinking, truly.  The natives have been having a feast.  They began with boiled bananas and finished with a large snake cooked in pots.  It was cut up and divided out amongst all—­sixteen eggs were found in her, a little larger than a good-sized fowl’s egg.  They seemed to relish it much, and the gravy was much thought of.  They say pig is nothing compared to snake.  Ah, well, tastes differ.