Part 6 (1/2)

27_th_--Maka poised a stick twelve feet long on his finger; the natives tried it and failed; again Maka did it, and all ere looking on came to the conclusion it was very easy for him to do, as a spirit held it for him In each place we have been, when at prayers, all the natives aretheir heads We had a fine tra bath in the Laroki after it

We have paid our carriers, and they are rejoicing greatly We were glad to find our old friend and his ell, and the things we left just as we hung them up They are very anxious to have teachers here We were telling theht in great crowds, saying, ”No people! what are these?” I cut up tobacco and spread it out on a leaf in the centre of the crowd, and called out, ”For Sogeri” One of their nu quietly round I got some salt in a paper, and did as with the tobacco All rose, and in order approached, took so the reave to the woht to have had theeri--it is good, it is large, it is peaceful, and there is plenty of food” So say the Sogerians I was sitting on the ladder of the house, the crowd sitting round Rua was in the bush with his gun; he fired at a bird, and it was a to see the simultaneous jerk of the crohen they heard the shot

28_th_--Last night, a chief, Biaiori, of Eribagu, slept in the house with us, to be ready to lead us to his village and other villages about in theWe started about half-past seven; but it was evident at the start he had been talked over during the night in quiet whisperings, so as not to take us anywhere but his own village We walked about a e, in a fine dry position, ood houses, one house floored with cedar slabs, and having a fine verandah all round I wished to see a chief I had e, so we up with our bundles and away for about half a e I at once asked Jaroga to lead us to the places he na in the various directions, and nans and words froo to Epakari; a young man very much attached to Maka, and who has been with us for ten days, having pros--not a very agreeable job We had great excite back to Uakinumu; but we had discarded him, and were determined to find our oay should Soood look-out on Soiven into Maka's care Our young friend was very quiet, and tried skulking behind and e about three , e heard Maka calling for Someri Rua at once returned, and found the bird had flown, leaving the bundle, but carrying with him the camp tomahahich Maka had foolishly let hiet the tomahawk, so we kept south and west for soe; then we turned west We crossed the Laroki several ti we met a company of natives, all armed, on watch for Makapili natives, ere expected to attack thee, where we met soe and to our old house A young child called Maka was presented for presents, the father telling Maka he called the child after him, because he was his friend ere here last We have now the open country before us, and expect no trouble in getting along The natives are all unsettled at present, and every man we meet is armed I can see the country better to- day than when here last week Marivaeanumu is on a rise near the hills of Eikiri and north-north-west froeri The latter district is in a valley between the Owen Stanley Range and Mount Nisbet, to the south-west of it Eribagu would eri district This place would be a suitable station being at the head of the plain that reaches away to the Astrolabe on the one side, and up to Vetura and Uakinu east by Mount Nisbet, and away east and south, by the country at the back of Mapakapa The Laroki rises in the Owen Stanley Range, and is the drain for the Sogeri district and all the plain; it is very circuitous, and near here very deep and slow, floest

29_th_--For nearly six hours we have been travelling with our bags, and I can honestly say I feel tired We are now at a new village--the houses just going up--on the top of the high green hill in front of Munikahila, overlooking the Kupa Moue is named Keninuh trees and two on high rocks We have pitched our tent close by, and intend resting until Monday, e hope to start for the plain--a very fine country, but no natives This part of the plain is dry and barren, with stunted gue, and a woI looked at the child, and wondered how she was going to ed; sheher by the hair; then she tookmen have come in from one of the districts ish to visit, and I hope to keep thereat value as an introduction at this time of trouble We are 1440 feet above sea-level

A fortnight ago there was a great wallaby hunt down at Moumiri, and natives from all the districts round were present A native of Munikahila speared a man from Tabori, who died soon after, so now Makipili, Epakari, and Efari are said to have joined on with Tabori, and unitedly mean to attack Munikahila All the natives condemn the murder of the man, because of the ti Munikahila to be attacked

Every evening the s, and pigs to the bush I am sorry our Keninumu friends should consider it their duty to assist the murderers The natives of the district to which thewallaby close by us The kind woman who assistedat Keninu afraid to co yesterday, and felt sure her son would accompany him When some distance fro, to which we responded, assuring hi the shot, the poor woot up and got us firewood, sat down again, telling Kena to get the taro cooked for Maka, rose again and fetchedsteadily and anxiously for the travellers Poor body! they caht, but her son was not one of them She seemed to feel it very ain until thisthe heavenly host sang, ”Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will toward men,” shall be known and enjoyed here!

_Septe at seven o'clock and drew up at Makapili at four p by the way For salt, tobacco, and beads, we had help all the way What appears a fine level plain in the distance turns out to be a fine country, full of ridges and luxuriant valleys, abounding in every kind of native vegetable Fro-up we could have ridden horses at a fine canter along the ridges from one to another This is the best country I have yet seen in New Guinea, and the natives seem very kind and friendly

At the Laroki we had to strip, and, just above s line fastened to poles on each side, we crossed over The natives have the line to help thees on the ridges, passed others, soe table-rocks

Fancy a table-rock with twenty or thirty houses on it At Chokinue 1600 feet above the sea, SE from Marivaenumu sevenus the village

Shortly abetel- nut; we soon were friends, and he called out to the others, and they returned We told hi, and he said he and his ould acconers who had ever been to his village, and he would not leave us At other villages they also cleared out, screa terribly Gimenumu, 1900 feet above sea-level, and two miles east froe, fine plantations, and plenty of water We crossed several strea 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 e on a table-rock, at one tieri natives caht 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 froeri, soaway to the eastward fro to have a look at us, spied our black dog, Misi Dake, and off she went, cli a tree, kit and all, quicker than I ever saw a native climb before We met a fine old patriarch in a strea with our friend fro into one another's arnity, and the wo We had strawberries co, 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 su 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 platfor takes place We returned at three pe present of food, and saying he hoped ould soon return I hope the saht not appear as payave 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 na at eight o'clock, and ca at Chokinumu at half-past ten The chief and his ho accoe, and, seeing it would displease theh downpour of rain in the afternoon, after a very hot sun, the thunder rolling all round us The chief Lohialy kind and attentive; they have kept close by us since we left here on Monday I aeri, that they have left their houses, and are living in the bush and under the shelter of rocks Sogeri, Makipili says, will listen to no conditions of peace Several overtures have been made, but all are useless We were told at several places that if we ventured to Makipili we should never return; but we have been there, were treated kindly, and pressed to return

4_th_--Using our blankets yesterday as a flag for our tent, they got so wet that it required a day to dry them, so we decided to reo, we found from the natives that they were near here The native nae fore On each side of the gorge the mountains run sharp down, in many places precipitous rocks The falls are E from Port Moresby, ESE

frorand, and orth seeing I e had seen the distance up there are s on, and then takes a fearful leap ofcauldron below The noise is deafening Where we stood, nearly level with the water, it was 1340 feet above sea-level, and I do not think that from there to the cauldron could be less than 900 feet I think it ara, and then we can rightly tell the height of the falls

5_th_--Left Chokinuht, and had a pleasant walk for three hours, ascending gradually the Astrolabe until we reached the su before descending, when a native party appeared and approached us, so up they heard the noise as of chopping wood (ere h the bush a whiteas if natives ith hi in Koiari, they returned and deter a present of salt We descended on the west side of the Astrolabe; the descent, being steep and difficult, took us some time

In the afternoon we arrived at Janara, near to Efari, at the back of Pyra north Our friend Lohiamalaka, the chief of Geminumu Monito, and three youths are with us I have never met a kinder and e district, and seee we are in is 600 feet above sea-level Tupuselei is the nearest mission station, and a teacher placed here or at Efari would have constant communication with that place I was the first to enter the village

They had heard us cooeying to one another; so only saw one man, and he tried to look very unconcerned, with a baht it, but too excited to succeed The women had shut theone into the bush close by with their weapons

6_th_--Froo up and down, and the last ascent is truly steep It took us three good steady hours' walking and clies in this district Dawes and Stone were at a village, I believe, on a ridge nearer to Port Moresby The chief, Nikanivaipua, received us graciously, and insisted on our taking his house We paid off our friends, and they departed well pleased We received presents of cooked food and s been shouted to an hour before we arrived at the village by our friend Lohiae looks to be in a fine healthy position, close to the west end of the Astrolabe, the high bluff bearing NE They have plenty of all kinds of food We crossed fro SW to Bootless Inlet We are 700 feet high High bluff of Astrolabe, NE; Bootless Inlet, SSW; peak of Astrolabe above Kaili, ESE

7_th_--Our friend Lohia us Thisto visit us at Port Moresby in October; that is, not this moon, nor the next, but the one that follows I asked for a little ginger to eat, and they have brought it e number of natives attended our service, and were truly orderly--not a whisper, and during prayer every head bent On the Astrolabe, the other day, Lohia Janara

Rua, through Kena, told hi on our account, as the Great Spirit ith us, and no har the people here of his fears, and what Rua said, ”and how true it was the Great Spirit or soes Lohiamalaka repeated all he could re and praying Every evening he would sit at the tent door and get us to sing for the benefit of a crowd of natives outside, who, having heard froo to their ho until after _noko_ (singing) When the Koiari visit the coast they go in for begging largely, and they generally get what they ask, as the Motu people are very ht to hold power over the sun, wind, and rain, andthe latter at will When the Motu people hear that Koiarians are co swells here have head-dresses of dogs' teeth, got froot theirs by killing and stealing We can truly say we are under arms in this house--sixty-two spears overhead, four shi+elds on walls, and two stone clubs keeping watch at the door A Makipili wo Kena how she happens to be here Forht peace, but had no pig She was selected to supply want of pig, and taken with food When she grew up, the oldwith hi, and are now encamped under the shade of Vetura The country froes of Epakari, very barren Coe party offrohtened e called out, _Naimo_! that they set off, kits, spears, and dru them back We have seven natives with us; the old chief says he e--Ue west of Karikatana; the chiefs nah ridge at the back of Epakari, along which we cah, and from itFisherman's Island, Redscar Bay, Bootless Inlet, and the whole coast east to Round Head

9_th_--Arrived at Keninumu at half-past ten am Found all well The natives are constantly on the look-out for the Tabori attack on Munikahila We hear the Munikahila natives have been stealing from Goldie