’"Yes, two or three or four.  By-and-by you will understand more and more my reason.”

’Then came the talks that you too may experience when dealing with some neglected child in London, or it may be in the country; but which, under the cocoa-nut tree, with dark naked men, have a special impressiveness.  It was the old lesson, of the Eternal and Universal Father, who has not left Himself without witness in that He gives us all rain from Heaven, &c., and of our ingratitude, and His love; of His coming down to point out the way of life, and of His Death and Rising again; of another world, Resurrection, and Judgment.  All interrupted, now and then, by exclamations of surprise, laughter, or by some one beginning to talk about something that jarred sadly on one’s ear, and yet was but natural.  But I do hope that a week may pass not unprofitably.  In one sense, I shall no doubt be glad when it is over; but I think that it may, by God’s great goodness, be a preparation for something more to come.

’Last night, my little hired hut being crowded as usual, they all cried out at once “Numu” (earthquake).  I should not the least have known that anything had occurred.  I said I thought it was a pig pushing against the bamboo wall of the hut.  They say that they have no serious shocks, but very many slight ones.  Crocodiles they have too, but, they say, none in this stream.

’July 22nd.—­It is 9 P.M., the pleasantest time, in one sense, of my twenty-four hours, for there are only two people with me in the hut.

’My arrangements are somewhat simple; but I am very comfortable.  Delicious bathes I have in the stream:  yams and fish are no bad fare; and I have some biscuit and essence of coffee, and a few books, and am perfectly well.  The mode of life has become almost natural to me.  I am on capital terms with the people, and even the babies are no longer afraid of me.  Old and young, men and women, boys and girls about me of course all day; and small presents of yams, fish, bananas, almonds, show the friendliness of the people when properly treated.  But the bunches of skulls remain slung up in the large canoe houses, and they can be wild enough when they are excited.’

[The home diary continues, on the 26th]:—­’I am expecting the schooner, and shall be glad to get off if it arrives to-day, for it is very fine.  I don’t think I could do any good by staying a few days more, so I might as well be on my way to Santa Cruz.  If I were here for good, of course I should be busy about many things that it would be useless to attempt now, e.g., what good would it be to induce half-a-dozen boys to learn “a,” when I should be gone before they could learn “b”?  So I content myself with making friends with the people, observing their ways, and talking to them as I can.  It is hot, now at 8.30 A.M.  What will it be at 2 P.M.?  But I may perhaps be able to say something to cheer me up.  One of the trials