On the following morning, two large canoes—­twenty paddles in each—­came in from somewhere about Milne Bay.  They remained for some time near the shore, getting all the news they could about us from the shore-folk; then the leader amongst them stood up and caught his nose, and pointed to his stomach—­we doing the same.  The large canoes went ashore, and the chief came off to us in a small one.  We gave him a present, which greatly pleased him.  After breakfast, we went ashore to hold a service with the teachers.  We met under a large tree, near their house.  About six hundred natives were about us, and all round outside of the crowd were men armed with spears and clubs.  Mr. McFarlane preached.  When the first hymn was being sung, a number of women and children got up and ran into the bush.  The service was short; at its close we sat down and sang hymns, which seemed to amuse them greatly.  The painted and armed men were not at all pleasant-looking fellows.

At two in the morning (Monday), we weighed anchor and returned to Moresby Island.  The wind was very light, and we had to anchor at the entrance to Fortescue Straits.  Next morning, we sailed through the Straits, and, on coming out on the opposite side, we were glad to see the Bertha beating about there.  By noon we were on board the Bertha, and off for South Cape, the Mayri going to Teste Island with a letter, telling the captain of the Ellengowan to follow us, and also to see if the teachers were all right.

By evening we were well up to South Cape.  The captain did not care to get too near that night, and stood away till morning.  About ten next morning I accompanied the captain in the boat, to sound and look for anchorage, which we found in twenty-two fathoms, near South-West Point.  By half-past fire that evening we anchored.  The excitement ashore was great, and before the anchor was really down we were surrounded by canoes.  As a people, they are small and puny, and much darker than the Eastern Polynesians.  They were greatly excited over Pi’s baby, a fine plump little fellow, seven months old, who, beside them, seemed a white child.  Indeed, all they saw greatly astonished them.  Canoes came off to us very early in the morning.  About half-past seven, when we were ready to go ashore, there arose great consternation amongst the natives.  Three large war canoes, with conch-shells blowing, appeared off the mainland and paddled across the Mayri Straits.  Soon a large war canoe appeared near the vessel.  A great many small canoes from various parts of the mainland were ordered off by those on whose side we were anchored.  They had to leave.  On their departure a great shout was raised by the victorious party, and in a short time all returned quietly to their bartering.  It seemed that the Stacy Islanders wished to keep all the bartering to themselves.  They did not wish the rest to obtain hoop-iron or any other foreign wealth.  They are at feud with one party on the mainland, and I suppose in their late contests have been victorious, for they told us with great exultation that they had lately killed and eaten ten of their enemies from the mainland.