9_th_.—­We had a few noisy strangers in the village, and they seemed to be anxious that all they had to say should be heard in every house.  The conversation is kept up by the inmates of the various houses, and at times all are speaking and trying to drown one another.  A lull comes, and you fancy the turmoil is ended, and so roll on your side for a sleep; but, alas, it was only drawing breath, the noise being perhaps worse than before.  Our chief and his wife had a quarrel over something or other last evening.  Of course the woman had the best of it.  Strange, she said very little, but that little seemed to be to the point.  Every now and again he would shout, Pirikava! pirikava! pirikava! (Dear me! dear me! dear me!), and then scream and rage.  The wife would then laugh at him, which made him worse, screaming and dancing more than ever.  She would then say something, which he would answer, and so quieted him down a little.  All have gone hunting to-day—­men, women, and children, pigs and dogs.  Before leaving, they told us if we saw any one sneaking about, we were to be sure to shoot them; but if they came up openly to us, and pointed to the nose and stomach, they were friends, and had come for salt and tobacco.  We get our water in canvas bags, and teachers or missionaries coming inland will require a set of water-bags made from the very best canvas.

11_th_.—­A number of natives have gone to Port Moresby, to help Rua and Maka with tomahawks, salt, &c.  After they left, we went to the bush, and cut down a number of trees for posts for a house.  The chief, Poroko, has given us land, at an elevation of 1260 feet; splendid view all round; and if not healthy, I know not where to go, unless it be to the top of Mount Owen Stanley.  There will be plenty of room for taro, sugar-cane, and coffee plantations.  A woman often passes us with a frightful load of taro and sugar-cane on her back, and on the top of all an infant in a net basket.  She goes to the next house, swings the infant kit off first, placing it on the ground, where the infant in it kicks and rolls, but cannot get out until the kits of taro and sugar-cane are safely housed.

14_th_.—­This morning, after an early breakfast, we started with the Port Moresby natives for Munikahila, they being anxious to secure a supply of betel-nuts to return with.  Have promised our old friend Oriope of Uakinumu, before we started on the Eikiri trip, that if he led us across and gave us bearers, all should have tomahawks, knives, etc.  He did not carry out his part, and the bearers from him returned, leaving us inland.  I was anxious to pay them for what they did, so we went on there with tomahawks, tobacco, and salt.  We were about two miles from the village, when we shouted, and were replied to, and soon four young fellows came rushing along, in a great state of perspiration and very excited, rubbing our chins and throwing their arms around us,