the other was dull and grey, and
the top mingled with the evening clouds. It was a wildly beautiful
sight, gone too soon. A hawk circled afar in the green sky, night
crept across the plain, and soon the moon poured her silver over the
tranquil scene. I hoped in vain to see an eruption equal to that of
the last nights. Everything was quiet, the volcano seemed extinct,
the fog thickened, covering the mountains and the moon. It became
disagreeably cool, and there was a heavy dew. The natives shivered in
their blankets, and I was most uncomfortable under a light canvas. We
were all up long before daylight, when the volcano sent out a large
cloud. The sun and the fog had a long struggle, when suddenly the
clouds tore apart, and the welcome sunbeams came to warm us.

I went to the spot chosen the day before and dug my camera into the
lava and waited. My impatience was quieted by the splendid view I
enjoyed, embracing nearly all the islands of the group: Epi, Malekula,
Aoba, Pentecoste, and higher than all, the cone of Lopevi. All these
floated in a soft, blue haze, and even the two craters shone in a
violet hue.

We waited for several hours, freezing in spite of the bright sun,
between the damp, mossy walls of the gully where we sat, and the
volcano remained quiet, merely hissing and roaring and emitting steam,
but a real eruption did not occur then, nor for several weeks later. We
returned to camp, packed up our things, and hurried down the slippery
gullies and lava banks, diving back into the thick, heavy atmosphere
of the sea-level; and at nightfall I washed off the heat and dust of
the day in the warm waves of the ocean.

CHAPTER XII

PENTECOSTE

The term of service of my Ambrym boys being over, I tried to replace
them in Paama, but failed; but Mr. G. kindly took me to Epi, where
I engaged four new boys. However, they proved as sulky as they were
dirty, and I was disgusted with them, and quite glad they had refused
to sign for more than a month. As they were all troubled with many
sores, they were of very little service to me, and I gladly sent them
home by steamer when their month was up.

I returned to Dip Point, and a few days later Dr. B. escorted me to
Olal, where I took up my quarters with Mr. D., a young Australian
who was trying to make a living by the coprah trade. In Olal, at
the northern point of Ambrym, the alcohol trade is particularly
flourishing, and numerous settlers along the coast earn