’August 3rd.—­Went to Heuru.  The bwea began about ten o’clock.  A bwea means a stage, but the word is used as we speak of “the stage.”  There is a stage in this case about three feet square, twenty feet from the ground, walled in to three feet height on three sides, with a ladder of two stout poles.  On the bwea sit or stand two or three men, on either side having a bag; visitors run up the ladder, put their money or porpoise teeth into the bags if small, give it to the men if large; and, if their present is worth it, make a speech a little way down the ladder.  A party from a village generally send up a spokesman, and when he has done go up in a body and give their money.  Taki was orator for Waiio, and I led the party with my present of beads, which if red or white pass as money.  The object of a bwea is to get money, but it may only be held on proper occasions.  The occasion of this was the adoption of a Mara lad by the chief man at Heuru; to get money to pay the lad’s friends he held a bwea that all his friends might help him.  As he was a connection of Taki’s, and Waiio is the richest of the settlements, he got great spoils from thence....  At Tawatana the young men put on petticoats of cocoa-nut leaves, and danced their graceful “mao.”  I had only seen it before at Norfolk Island; it is very pretty, but must be very difficult to learn; they say that not many know it.  At Nora they danced another most dirty dance:  all the performers were daubed from head to foot with mud, and wore masks covered with mud and ashes; the aim of the dance, as far as I could see, was to ridicule all sorts of infirmities and imbecilities, tottering, limping, staggering, and reeling, but in time and order.  One man had a basket of dripping mud on his head which was streaming down his face and back all the time.  A great point is that the actors should not be recognised.  Mr. Brooke was likewise dropped at Florida.  After this the rest of the party had gone on to Mota, where George Sarawia was found working away well at his school, plenty of attendants, and the whole place clean, well-ventilated, and well-regulated.

A watch sent out as a present to Sarawia was a delight which he could quite appreciate, and he had sent back very sensible right-minded letters.  Of Bishop Patteson’s voyage the history is pieced together from two letters, one to the sisters, the other to the Bishop of Lichfield.  Neither was begun till September, after which they make a tolerably full diary.

’More than five weeks have passed since I left New Zealand, more than three since I left Norfolk Island.  Mr. Codrington and I reached Mota on the morning of the eighth day after leaving Norfolk Island.  I spent but half an hour on shore with George Sarawia and his people; sailed across to Aroa and Matlavo, where I landed eight or ten of our scholars; and came on at once to the Solomon Islands.  On Sunday morning (September 4) what joy to find Mr. Atkin well and hearty!