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 at Samarai, beyond all troubles and earthly care. Uproarious merriment and laughter recalled us from our meditations, and coming near our boat we found Smart excelling himself to everybody's delight. The natives had no weapons with them, but promised if we would cross to their village they would sell us plenty. The crossing took but a few minutes and we were accompanied by the whole crowd. They had seen and smelt our tobacco, and not receiving visitors often were all the more anxious to trade with us. I asked, and was given permission to inspect a number of their houses, and allowed to handle anything I pleased. On visiting native houses it is absolutely necessary to observe a certain amount of etiquette to avoid giving offence. For instance, I would never dream of entering a house without first inquiring for the owner and obtain his permission to enter. In most cases this is readily given. We had no interpreter on this occasion, and had to manage as best we could with signs and gestures. We came upon flagged places such as I described at Garihi. I interrogated by signs what these places were used for, and they seemed reticent to explain. I had a suspicion that they were used in connection with their cannibal feasts, and in order to facilitate explanation, I first pointed to the flags, and then taking up Smart's immense bare arm, I made a movement as though I would take a bite of it. They understood my meaning evidently, for they burst out into immoderate laughter, especially when I, following up the strain, took out my long hunting knife and pretended to kill Smart, suggesting meanwhile to them to get a fire ready to roast him. We visited seven villages during the day, and not to weary the reader I must omit many interesting incidents. We did a roaring trade with tobacco in exchange for weapons and implements. There were lots of skulls hanging up, more or less fractured, which we might have had, and very little persuasion accompanied by tobacco would have secured a few bundles of the smoke-dried remains of their ancestors. But I was chary about bringing these interesting objects on board. We had four or five on the sick list and, under these circumstances, a collection of human skeletons would scarcely have been considered an acquisition. We returned on board at sundown, after two hours' smart rowing against wind and tide,