Part 7 (1/2)

We left the Kaveri beach and pulled round Cape Possession, passing close in by Oiapu A heavy sea was rolling in, and a canoe putting off to us a the beach called on Piri and htened, and ent on When off Jokea, men, women, and children all caed of us to land We would have done so here, but the sea was too high, breaking with great force on the fringing reef

Several canoes put off, but only one succeeded in reaching us They begged of us to call on our return, and let them know the result of our visit, and said we had better also visit Lese They think our visit will put all straight Motu heard that I was to visit the, ”If he coht, and we shall have peace, but--” Well, they did not know They rub noses all round, and make for the shore, we for the harbour at thein, we prefer anchoring outside at ht

By five a froet _uros_, passed close to us

They also are glad of the likelihood of peace and _uros_ At seven, we got to Lese, and were met by an excited crowd, the majority armed We anchored a little out, and would allow no canoes alongside I called out for Eeka, and a very old man walked into the sea, when I went ashore and took him by the hand Piri and his wife folloith part of the crew and the Boera and Port Moresby chiefs We were led to the village, the crowd increasing as ent along Piri noticing an enclosed place, went in to see what it was, and called me to have a look I went in, but no woe houses, with rows of masks and hats, the latter like sht wood and native cloth On co out I was seized by the hand by an elderlypassion, drew me on All I could make out was that somebody was a thief and a liar The Boera chief ran up, and I asked hi ”Oh, this is your friend, Seave the present to when you were last here, and he is angry with Eeka for taking you away”

”Tell Piri to coive hio with Se on the platform, wrath fled, and I had to wait to be fed

”But, Semese, I want to press on to Motu on bad”

”Motu”

”Leave the pig for another visit”

All was of no avail A fine pig was speared, brought and laid at my feet Semese and the people were in the very best hu presented to hiested to our friends that we had better take the pigs to the other side of the entrance, to Macey Lagoon

Sereeable, now the peace is ed that he and his party should visit , were carried into the boat, and the excited crowd, this time all unarmed, were on the shore to see us off They proain, and that they considered our visit as peace with all the coast villages

Macey Lagoon would e vessels not being able to cross the bar On the eastern side, a bank runs out for nearly a mile, on which the sea breaks; close in by western shore is a good passage The great work of the day was feasting and sleeping There were two Leseof war, not of peace; but now it , we had coe, and we anchored off Notwithstanding some anxiety, soon all were asleep The natives were astonished at the beautiful weather, and said they felt as if all would be right--the great and good Spirit who had led us so far and safely would not leave us now or on the morrow At every , and our old friend Hula prayed with real earnest feelings He was certainly in earnest to-night when he prayed for the Motuht be blessed to them I was charmed with his simplicity, fervour, and expectancy

This oldat Port Moresby, said, addressing _us_--

”Listen, you think we Motu to your words; but you areand were a terror to all, east and west, but now it is different We are at peace all round; we go about unarht Soon our fathers' ancient custo, coood Spirit”

I was aroused about two ae double fighting canoe alongside of Piri's boat, in which all were sound asleep On awaking, they were startled by the appearance

They were asked by those on the bridge--

”Who are you?”

”Ta to Motu betel-nut and s tobacco On each canoe with paddles were over thirtythe canoes were aroing to Lese to purchase _uros_ They caave presents, and then an order was given by one froe, and away they went at full speed It was a pretty sight in the ht paddles as one touched the water We rolled ourselves up again for another hour or two's sleep

At sis areat crowd on the beach; but it was all right, as boys and girls were to be seen there, as noisy as the grown-up folks A chief rushed into the water, and called on us to come ”Come, with peace from afar; come, friends, and you will meet us as friends” We went round and entered the river in deep water, close to eastern bank near to the village Until we had a talk, I would allow none but Piri's friend and my friends, Semese and Rahe, near the boats They had been told that ere going to fight if they visited us, and that all women and children were to be sent back to the Keiara, and the Keiari fighting ners about Then they heard that I had been murdered, and were terribly sorry; but now they saas alive, and had co way in a ”moon” in which neither they nor their forefathers had ever travelled

So now they o near Kabadi, and all along the coast we ain visit Kabadi Lealea feasted us with pigs, and pressed us to attack Kabadi, to pay off an old attack on theht the; but now it is peace”

I landed with the to the boats ere told to reht, and our return presents of _uros_, etc, were carried off Bob's calabash has brought him a host of friends Piri is with his friends at one end of the village, and in the opposite I am to reside in my friend Rahe's _dubu_ Semese is his father, and a very old man The nu No enees, and their houses have never been burnt down The Boera chief--a capital fellow to have--speaks this dialect very fluently