After breakfast, Mrs. Chalmers and I were at the new house, with the captain of the Mayri, when we heard a noise like quarrelling.  On looking out, I saw the natives very excited, and many of them running with spears and clubs towards the house where Mrs. Chalmers, about five minutes before, had left the teachers rising from breakfast.  I hastened over, and pushed my way amongst the natives till I got to the front, when, to my horror, I was right in front of a gun aimed by one of the Mayri’s crew (who had been helping us with the house) at a young man brandishing a spear.  The aim was perfect:  had the gun been fired—­as it would have been had I not arrived in time—­the native would have been shot dead.  I pushed the native aside, and ordered the gun to be put down, and turned to the natives, shouting, Besi, besi! (Enough, enough!).  Some of them returned their spears and clubs, but others remained threatening.  I spoke to our party against using firearms, and then I caught the youth who was flourishing his spear, and with difficulty got it from him.  Poor fellow, he cried with rage, yet he did me no harm.  I clapped him, and got him to go away.  All day he sat under a tree, which we had frequently to pass, but he would have nothing to say to us.  It seems a knife had been stolen, and he being the only one about the house when it was missed, was accused of taking it.  One of the teachers was winding line, and he caught the young fellow by the arm to inquire about the knife.  The lad thought he was going to be tied up with the line; he struggled, got free, and raised the alarm.

Only the night before I had to warn the teachers against using firearms to alarm or threaten the natives.  An axe was stolen; every place about was searched for it, and for some time without its being found.  At last, a native found it buried in the sand near where it was last used.  It had evidently been hidden there till a favourable opportunity should occur of taking it away.  During the search, the owner of the axe (one of the teachers) ran off for his gun, and came rushing over with it.  I ordered him to take it back, and in the evening told them it was only in New Guinea that guns were used by missionaries.  It was not so in any other mission I knew of, and if we could not live amongst the natives without arms, we had better remain at home; and if I saw arms used again by them for anything, except birds, or the like, I should have the whole of them thrown into the sea.

In the afternoon of the 14th, I went over to the house in which we had been staying, to stir up the teachers to get the things over more quickly; Mrs. Chalmers remaining at the new house to look after the things there, as, without doors or flooring, everything was exposed.  I went to the seaside to call to the captain of the Mayri to send us the boat ashore, when, on looking towards my left, I saw twenty armed natives hurrying along.  Though painted, I recognized