22_nd_.—­I was eating a banana this morning, when I was told not to throw the skin away, but hand it to them, which I did, when it was passed round and kissed by all with short ejaculations.  I asked what it meant, and was told it was their manner of thanking the spirits for ripe bananas.  We started at eight a.m. with eight carriers and our old friend, and twenty inland natives returning home with wallaby; one poor woman had two large kits on her back, and an infant in another, hanging in front of her.  We were seven hours on the tramp, along a good path, on which horses could get along well.  The most difficult ascent was shortly after we left Uakinumu; but the path was good.  The last hour of travelling was in a thunderstorm, with a regular tropical pour of rain.  When we neared the village Marivaeanumu, the men came rushing out with their spears and shields, thinking it was an attacking party; but on seeing Maka, who was just behind the first native, and I following up, they shouted out, Nao, nao! (foreigners), and ran back with their spears.  The village is small, and the houses very dilapidated; it is 1800 feet above sea-level.  Maka was buying taro with salt, and having finished, some natives noticed damp salt adhering to his hand; they seized the hand, and in turn licked it until quite clean.  Grains of salt falling were sought for and picked up.  The shields here are the same as at Hood Bay, beautifully made.  They are going to fight soon with another district, and are making great preparations in spears, clubs, and shields.

23rd.—­Our spiritist gave us a very short and indistinct seance last night.  A man speared the other day in a wallaby hunt, near the Laroki, he told us, was dead.  He seemed to be raving a great deal, and wound up the first part with, Nao kuku daure (Foreign tobacco is bad).  Continuing to rave and disturb sleep, I told Oriope that, if that spirit did not at once go back where it came from, I should certainly have to make it; he reported what I said, and the spirit thought it advisable to leave.  We started this morning after a good breakfast, and had good travelling across a fine level country E.S.E. for about four hours, crossing several times the head of the Laroki:  it is a magnificent country for horses.  In somewhat thick scrub, a youth met the first of our party, and was fraternizing very feelingly with them:  I appeared, and he took to his heels, and no calling of friends or foreigners could bring him back.  We came suddenly upon a woman and two children, and, poor things! they went into a terrible state; nothing would comfort them; beads, tobacco, and salt lost their charm on them.  The family pig was with them; it danced, grunted, advanced, retired, and finally made at me.  In the morning I took a piece of plaster from my heel, and threw it into the fireplace; instant search was made for it by about a dozen natives; it was found, and handed back to me, they making signs that I should throw it somewhere else.  Yesterday morning I unthinkingly put the loose hair from my comb into the fire, and great was the outcry.