or that, and the wood can
remain for my return." I gave him tobacco for the young men and a
present to himself, and all was right.

A few mornings later, I found the natives sitting round rice; one said,
"Come, we are waiting for you to bless the food." They have seen our
boats' crews of Botu and Boera natives always asking a blessing. I said
to them, "Cannot one of you ask a blessing?"

"No; wait until we learn, and you will see." A good story is told by the
captain of the _Mayri_. Oa their going to Aroma to relieve the teachers
after the Kalo massacre, in the early morning they were pulling along the
reef, and just as the sun appeared over the mountains, one of the Motu
crew called on all to be quiet, rowers to lean on their oars, and then
engaged in prayer, thanking God for watching over them during the night,
and praying that He would care for them during the day, and that no
unpleasantness might occur with the Aroma natives. All along this coast,
and right away down to Elema as far as Bald Head, the Motu tribe has a
wonderful influence, and in a few years excellent pioneers may be had
from it. They must have been a terrible lot in the past. I have heard
much from themselves of piracy, murder, and robbery, and all along here
they tell terrible tales. A Motu chief in one of our meetings, speaking
of the past and the present, concluded by saying: "Since the arrival of
the foreigners (teachers), we have changed and will continue to change."

An old chief, Aiio, from the Mekeo district, came in to see me, and
brought me as a present a splendid head-dress, which is hung up by Kone
in front of the tent for all to see. On giving him a present of salt, it
was pleasant to see the old fellow's expression of pleasure. He is
anxious I should go inland as soon as possible; I tell him I must wait
for tomahawks.

At seven o'clock on the morning of the 13th of June, I started to visit
Madu, the chief of the Motu Lavao. We went up from the bight, a large
saltwater creek, with dense mangrove on both banks,--a veritable bed of
fever,--and anchoring our boats, we walked through the deserted village
of Paitana and on for about a mile and a half to Motu Lavao. The path
leads along a narrow tract of good country, with dense swamps on both
sides. The village is large, with good houses kept nice and clean; but I
can conceive of no more unhealthy locality--swamp all around. A number
of people were down with fever, some in t