’Two or three of the men took off little ornaments and gave them to me; one bright pretty boy especially I remember, who took off his shell necklace and put it round my neck, making me understand, partly by words, but more by signs, that he was afraid to come now, but would do so if I returned, as I said, in eight or ten moons.

’Large baskets of almonds were given me, and other food also thrown into the boat.  I made a poor return by giving some fish-hooks and a tomahawk to the man whom I took to be the person of most consequence.  On shore the women came freely up to me among the crowd, but they were afraid to venture down to the beach.  Now this is the island about which we have long felt a great difficulty as to the right way of obtaining any communication with the natives.  This year, why and how I cannot tell, the way was opened beyond all expectation.  I tried hard to get back from the Solomon Islands so as to revisit it again during the voyage, but we could not get to the eastward, as the trade-wind blew constantly from that quarter.

’At Leper’s Island I had just such another day—­or rather two days were spent in making an almost complete visitation of the northern part of the island—­the people were everywhere most friendly, and I am hoping to see them all again join us soon, when some may be induced to.

’It would be the work of days to tell you all our adventures.  How at Malanta I picked two lads out of a party of thirty-six in a grand war canoe going on a fighting expedition—­and very good fellows they are; how we filled up our water-casks at Aurora, standing up to our necks in the clear cool stream rushing down from a cataract above, with the natives assisting us in the most friendly manner; how at Santa Maria, which till this year we never visited without being shot at, I walked for four or five hours far inland wherever I pleased, meeting great crowds of men all armed and suspicious of each other—­indeed actually fighting with each other—­but all friendly to me; how at Espiritu Santo, when I had just thrown off my coat and tightened my belt to swim ashore through something of a surf, a canoe was launched, and without more ado a nice lad got into our boat and came away with us, without giving me the trouble of taking a swim at all; how at Florida Island, never before reached by us, one out of some eighty men, young and old, standing all round me on the reef, to my astonishment returned with me to the boat, and without any opposition from the people quietly seated himself by my side and came away to the schooner; how at Pentecost Island, Taroniara (a lad whom the Primate in old days had picked up in his canoe paddling against a strong head wind, and kept him on board all night, and sent him home with presents in the morning) now came away with me, but not without his bow and poisoned arrows, of which I have taken safe possession; how Misial felt sea-sick and home-sick for a day or two, but upon being