On Sunday, the 4th, we were beating down through innumerable reefs, and at eight p.m. we anchored about three miles from Hula.  The following morning we went up to the village, the Mayri anchoring close by the houses.  The country about here looks fine and green, a very striking contrast to that around Port Moresby.  The further east we get from Port Moresby, the finer the country looks.  The people are also superior—­finer-made men and women, and really pretty boys and girls—­more, altogether, like our eastern South Sea Islanders.  The married women spoil their looks by keeping their heads shaved.  They seem fond of their children:  men and women nurse them.  They were busy preparing their large canoes to visit Port Moresby, on the return of the Port Moresby canoes from the west with sago.

About three in the afternoon, an old woman made her appearance at the door of the mission house, bawling out, “Well, what liars these Hula people are; some of them were inland this morning, and the chief asked them if Misi Lao had come, and they said no.”  The chief, who saw the vessel from the hill top where his village is, thought it strange the vessel should be there without Misi Lao, so sent this woman to learn the truth.  She received a present for herself and the chief, and went away quite happy.

Next morning, November 6th, we left Hula with a fair wind, and were anchored close to Kerepunu by nine o’clock.  The Bertha was anchored fully two miles off.  Kerepunu is a magnificent place, and its people are very fine-looking.  It is one large town of seven districts, with fine houses, all arranged in streets, crotons and other plants growing about, and cockatoos perching in front of nearly every house.  One part of the population plant, another fish, and the planters buy the fish with their produce.  Men, women, and children are all workers; they go to their plantations in the morning and return to their homes in the evening, only sick ones remaining at home; thus accounting for the number of scrofulous people we saw going about when we first landed.  They have a rule, to which they strictly adhere all the year round, of working for two days and resting the third.

The Bertha arrived here on Friday evening.  Mrs. Chalmers was at the forenoon service on the Sunday, and found there a large congregation.  The service was held on the platform of one of the largest houses.  Anedered preached, a number sitting on the platform, others in the house, others on the ground all round, and many at the doors of their own houses, where they could hear all that was said.

Mr. Lawes decided to remain at Kerepunu to revise for the press a small book Anedered has been preparing, and to follow us to Teste Island in the Ellengowan.  We left Kerepunu on the morning of November 8th, the Mayri leaving at the same time, to sail down inside the surf.  We went right out to sea, so as to beat down, had fine weather, and were off Teste Island by the 16th.  After dinner we took the boat, and with the captain went in on the east side of the island through the reef, to sound and find anchorage.