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28 each in succession appearing and vanishing with the speed of light. At length Paga Point was passed, we were in smooth water, and our vessel came to anchor in the land-locked harbour of Port Moresby. We had reached our destination.

Our position was about a mile from the Mission Station, and close by us lay anchored H. M. Surveying Ship the "Lark." The time being about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, it was decided that none of the party should go ashore till next morning. Speedily there came to welcome us Mr. Musgrave, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, and Mr. Frank Lawes, eldest son of the missionary. News was mutually exchanged, and Mr. Musgrave stayed to dine with the Commissioner. Next morning our feet trod for the first time the soil of New Guinea, and we had a very cordial welcome from the missionary and his amiable wife. Arrangements were made by the Commissioner for an excursion on the following Monday up the Laloki River, as far as the Rano Falls, the photographer being in charge of the party. Then we took a first look at the native villages standing close by the shore. They reminded us somewhat of those ancient cranoges, or lake dwellings, once common in Scotland, Ireland, and various parts of Continental Europe. Built upon mangrove stakes, planted something below low-water mark, each hut is connected by a sort of rude bridge with the shelly beach. Troops of naked Papuan children, some so young as to be barely able to stand on their tiny limbs, frolicked fearlessly about the ricketty stages upon which the huts stood. They had evidently no apprehension of danger from falling overboard. We could imagine the feelings of a civilized mother at seeing her offspring diverting themselves in such a situation: the savage matrons appeared to regard the scene with the tranquil satisfaction of a motherly old duck which sees her young brood taking for the first time to the water! The natives hereabouts are an indolent and filthy race, many of them being disfigured by ugly sores on their faces and bodies—the effects of bad and insufficient food, combined with carelessness of the primary laws of health. This foul disease is, however, not contagious; if it were so, the whole race would speedily perish of scorbutic and scrofulous epidemics.