ce of half-a-dozen men; and having selected a spot near the path
and the stream, and close to a fine fig-tree, which stood just within
the forest, we cleared the ground and set to building a house. As I did
not expect to stay here so long as I had done at Dorey, I built a long,
low, narrow shed, about seven feet high on one side and four on the
other, which required but little wood, and was put up very rapidly. Our
sails, with a few old attaps from a deserted but in the village, formed
the walls, and a quantity of "cadjans," or palm-leaf mats, covered in
the roof. On the third day my house was finished, and all my things put
in and comfortably arranged to begin work, and I was quite pleased at
having got established so quickly and in such a nice situation.

It had been so far fine weather, but in the night it rained hard, and we
found our mat roof would not keep out water. It first began to drop,
and then to stream over everything. I had to get up in the middle of the
night to secure my insect-boxes, rice, and other perishable articles,
and to find a dry place to sleep in, for my bed was soaked. Fresh leaks
kept forming as the rain continued, and w e all passed a very miserable
and sleepless night. In the morning the sun shone brightly, and
everything was put out to dry. We tried to find out why the mats leaked,
and thought we had discovered that they had been laid on upside down.
Having shifted there all, and got everything dry and comfortable by the
evening, we again went to bed, and before midnight were again awaked by
torrent of rain and leaks streaming in upon us as bad as ever. There
was no more sleep for us that night, and the next day our roof was again
taken to pieces, and we came to the conclusion that the fault was a want
of slope enough in the roof for mats, although it would be sufficient
for the usual attap thatch. I therefore purchased a few new and some old
attaps, and in the parts these would not cover we put the mats double,
and then at last had the satisfaction of finding our roof tolerably
water-tight.

I was now able to begin working at the natural history of the island.
When I first arrived I was surprised at being told that there were no
Paradise Birds at Muka, although there were plenty at Bessir, a place
where the natives caught them and prepared the skins. I assured the
people I had heard the cry of these birds close to the village, but they
world not believe that I could know their cry. Howeve