and seeing no chance of their abatement, w

greatly retarded our progress. On some days we made no more than

k to Ralume. The days were scorchingly hot, the decks not fit to stand upon. We were obliged every few minutes to throw buckets of water on them to enable us to move about, and to prevent the seams from opening.

some others, journeyed from Finsch-hafen to New Ireland on a botanical expedition. He arrived there safely, but in a day or two a terrible earthquake took plac

saster he was taking the accustomed route when, to his astonishment, the usual landmarks were nowhere to be seen. He therefore worked out his position, and discovered that there must have been some fear

hich such calamities

ce, but who knows what to-morrow may bring

strength. To-morrow all this has vanished, an

hted Cape St. George, the southern extremity of N

ing the different lots or farms for sale-smiling farms, with paddocks of grass, ready for occupation, and whole families of French farmers and peasantry sold up what property they possessed, and cheerfully paid their money deposits in Paris, thinking they were going to a land full of promise, where they would settle on their newly-acquired lands with t

mountainous country, a deadly climate, and populated by dense numbers of ferocious and bloodthirsty savages! Not a white man on the island. And it was to make their living in such a land that these people had broken up their homes, converted all their po

Ireland in August. Great was their astonishment on beholding the country of their adoption, and

and died, othe

removed to an island called Liki-Liki, where many of them died, and upon their fate becoming kno

ble to get them employment. A steamer was sent by the Government to bring them on to Sydney

nglish, but after a time they were drafted off up

iscreant who had caused

d sentenced to several years' imprisonment. Well for him that he escaped being hanged. This should be a warning to would-be emigrants to learn some particulars of the country in whi

we seemed to lose the strong current

ance to travel, and from all appearances it would be several days before we reached our destination. It was of no use crying out against our luck. Head winds were the order of the day, so we console

ly entertained us, telling us all about his peop

ant voice and

sed on the spot, and he often

with which the natives of

curious

ably made an incantation, something after the style of grace before meat. This was his

tion lay his home, the island of "Egum." Without hesitation he correctly pointed out the quarter, although, at t

ng. We had been absent from "Egum" three weeks, so our little fr

We did not disturb him at once, as we were interested in watching his two little satellites. He was accompanied by two inseparable companions, known as "pilot fish." They were less than a foot long, and beautifully marked by tiny, light-col

office they performed, and for what reason t

ty, the other for its diminutiveness, beauty of form and weakness? Maybe, the pilot fish in some mysterious way gives warning of

s abode in the mouth of the crocodile, and acts as his friend. At any rate the cro

ature are wonderful

, and at the first shot riddled the head of the monster, his two little comrades escaping unhurt. The shark, without a struggle, soon turned belly

or whether they sought comfort in the reflection that

t water to cool the decks with, when somehow or other the rope attached to them slipped out of my hand, and d

e "took the sun" at noon each day, in order to determine

oon sight North Island, as we h

ard, so we could not be cer

f North Island. We rectified our course and, travelling night and day, beat our way between a perfect ne

hed the anchorage at "Egum," on Wednesday even

e covered with the naked forms of our friends. Our cutter had already bee

us voyage, for did we not carry two distinguished members

appeared anxious to hear of the lands we h

an safely aver they kept the natives of the island alive for many weeks with the

three days here

us a turtle, promising to give them

heir big canoes for a small

the tobacco, and knowing that "no turtle no tobacco," was our motto, they remained

rn it over on its back, in which position it is helpless. They have a cruel practice of burning the shell off the turtle when alive. We were much annoyed with them at this, but it was t

t to buy it, but fresh m

, it is only natural that you should desire a chang

or not, but if they have not, my advice to them is do so at the first oppor

Christmas day. A turtle will keep alive in a boat without anything to eat for several weeks.

ling it on board. We then lowered it into the hol

r the next week and then its ca

! It seemed to have an ink

el. We painted the bottom boards a chocolate-brown and the rest a dark green. A

and when finished she would have do

towing astern. No one would have believed that she was engaged in the Bêche-de-mer fishery, but then you se

as cheap as dirt,

he Court ladies of these parts, she wore a low dress, even in the daytime. She was decidedly good-looking, and had courtly manners. We also saw her father. He was one of the best specimens of New Guinea nat

there is in t

cter, cruel, sordid and selfish, their evil traits clearly defined in their countenances, whilst others ar

we weighed anchor and, sailing once more for China Straits, arrived o