ives can afford to
have them made. The patterns for dyeing are cut out of banana-sheath,
which is then tied tightly on the mat, and the whole rolled round a
thick stick. The dyeing takes almost an entire day. These mats are
used, for example, to buy the valuable tusked pigs.

The only form of wood-carving in this region are clubs, and those made
here are the most elegant of the whole group, and so much in demand in
all the islands that they are quite largely exported. At present they
are mostly used as ceremonial clubs at dances. All those of modern
make are inferior to the old ones in regard to hardness, elegance of
shape, polish and strength. Here, in Pentecoste, I found the first
basket-plates I had ever seen. They are frequent farther north, in
the Banks Islands, but do not exist in the south. These plates had
no centre, and had to be lined with leaves to make them serviceable,
being mere rings. They are used to carry cooked food about. In the
Banks Islands the natives have learned to braid the centre too.

Up in these northern mountains I spent a most unpleasant week in wet,
cold weather, in a wretched house; but I had the satisfaction of
finding two boys to take the place of Lingban, who had, by this time,
become semi-idiotic with home-sickness.

I returned to the coast and waited for an opportunity to cross to Aoba,
but the weather was so bad that even Mr. G., an old sea-dog, would not
risk the voyage; so we tried to get to Ambrym instead, where I could
meet the steamer for Aoba. We waited for a calm day, and started out
in the tiny whale-boat. Soon we were caught by one after another of
the ill-famed Pentecoste squalls, and though my skipper was known
as one of the best sailors in the islands, one squall struck us so
suddenly that the boat heeled over, and only a very quick turn of
the wheel saved us from capsizing. The escape was such a narrow one
that even Mr. G. turned pale, and decided to go back, especially as
the boys sat on deck, quite useless, green with fear and incapable
of helping us in any way.

It took us a long time to beat back, and we were all glad to feel
solid ground under our feet once more. After a few days we started
again, but luck was against me on this occasion, and inside of twelve
hours I missed the steamer no less than three times, which, in the
New Hebrides, implies a delay of four weeks.

So, in a heavy whale-boat, I rowed along the coast toward Olal with
some natives. A dull r