we soon were friends, and he called out to the others, and they returned.  We told him where we were going, and he said he and his wife would accompany us, as we were the first foreigners who had ever been to his village, and he would not leave us.  At other villages they also cleared out, screaming terribly.  Gimenumu, 1900 feet above sea-level, and two miles east from Chokinumu, will make a fine mission station—­a large village, fine plantations, and plenty of water.  We crossed several streams from the Astrolabe Range, all flowing into the Laroki.  The whole drainage of the Astrolabe Range and of this country falls into the Laroki.  We are now in Vaiako, Makipili district, 2250 feet, in a really lovely spot.

There are a great many natives in this district.  About four miles from here we passed a deserted village on a table-rock, at one time the home of this people; but the Sogeri natives came over and killed eleven of them, and the others thought it time to settle somewhere else.  We have now a splendid view of Mount Owen Stanley, due north of us, and rising far away, clear and distinct above a thick mass of cloud.  Mount Bellamy stands alone, with a bare south-east side, and Mount Nisbet just across from here, behind which is Sogeri, so much dreaded by this people.  On all the ridges stretching away to the eastward from here behind Kapakapa are natives.  A woman, coming to have a look at us, spied our black dog, Misi Dake, and off she went, climbing a tree, kit and all, quicker than I ever saw a native climb before.  We met a fine old patriarch in a stream about two miles from here, and the meeting with our friend from Chokinumu was most affecting, touching chins and falling into one another’s arms weeping.  He sat down beside me with grave dignity, and the woman from Chokinumu sat in front of him, chanting and weeping.  We had strawberries coming along, with little or none of the flavour of the home strawberry.  The raspberry bush is very abundant.

2_nd_.—­Just after sunrise we had a great crowd up at the tent to have a peep at us.  At eight o’clock, we started for the summit of the Astrolabe, to have a look at the sea.  It is very broken on the summit, and we had a good deal of ascending and descending before we got over Kaili, to be disappointed in not seeing the sea, the fog hanging thick under our feet.  We returned by a very circuitous path, passing several villages built on rocks and trees.  On one large table-rock was a snug village, and to the east of the rock four large posts beautifully carved.  On feast days, the food is collected close to these, and a platform is fixed to the posts, on which dancing takes place.  We returned at three p.m.  The old chief soon followed us up to the camp with a large present of food, and saying he hoped we would soon return.  I hope the same.  After some delay, so that it might not appear as payment for the present, we gave our present to the old chief; when he got the tomahawk, he wept for joy, looked at his friends, then at us, pressed it to his bosom, and then kissed it.  The chiefs name is Kunia.