ere. It is fertile,
and appears healthy, is two and a half miles long, and half a mile broad.
A ridge of hills runs right through its centre from east-north-east to
west-south-west. The natives have some fine plantations on the north
side, and on the south and east sides they have yam plantations to the
very tops of the hills. There are plantations and fruit-trees all round
the island.

On Monday, I accompanied Mr. McFarlane when he went ashore to make
arrangements to land his teachers and secure a house for them. The
people seemed pleased that some of our party would remain with them. Mr.
McFarlane at once chose a house on a point of land a good way from our
landing-place, and at the end of the most distant village. The owner was
willing to give up the house until the teachers could build one for
themselves, so it was at once taken and paid for. We came along to our
old friend's place near the landing, when we were told that the house
taken was a very bad one. In the first place, the position was
unhealthy; in the second, that was the point where their enemies from
Basilaki (Moresby Island) always landed when they came to fight, and the
people could not protect the teachers if so far off when their foes came.
All agreed in this, and a fine new house which had never been occupied
was offered and taken, the same price being paid for it as for the other
one. This house is close to the landing-place, and in the midst of the
people. The owner of the first house offered to return the things, but
we thought it would not be ruinous to let him keep them, their English
value being about ten shillings.

We passed a tabooed place, or rather would have done so had we not been
forced to take a circuitous path to the bush. None of the natives spoke
as we passed the place, nor till we were clear of it; they made signs
also to us to be silent. A woman had died there lately, and the friends
were still mourning. There had been no dancing in the settlement since
the death, nor would there be any for some days to come.

I think women are more respected here than they are in some other heathen
lands. They seem to keep fast hold of their own possessions. A man
stole an ornament belonging to his wife, and sold it for hoop-iron on
board the _Bertha_. When he went ashore he was met on the beach by his
spouse, who had in the meantime missed her trinket; she assailed him with
tongue, stick, and stone, and demanded the hoop-iron.