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from here as interpreters to Owgarra on the monatains. That speaks for itself. 

 They woiikl not have confidence to come if they did not understand one." 



Ou October 21st Mr. Meek reached a place suitable for his camp. To get 

 there from the coast had taken him just a month ! The diihcnlties of travel in 

 those parts are enormous. " My men and carriers got here two days later. 1 

 shall try to stop until Kew Year in this camj). The cold is intense at night. 

 One of my buys had faiutiug-fits to-day. I put it down to change of climate. 

 He belongs to Kai)ahapa, a coast village, bnilt over the sea, close to Port Moresby, 

 and is a big, strong fellow. This place is only six or seven hours from my old 

 camp of the second trip, but is very much higher, as one has two big mountains 

 to climb, and comes down very little. I came over accompanied by six boys, and 

 was in clouds from the time of leaving camp ; it was raining all the way. When 

 I got here 1 mentally resolved to go back the next day ; but at daybreak the 

 next morning everything looked so bright aud ])rouiising that I sent carriers 

 back to bring our gear. 



" The man I mentioned yesterday as being ill had to be strapped up all night 

 for fear of his doing some damage. He went ofl' his head again in the early 

 jiart of the night, and cleared into the bush with a conjjle of long net-handles, 

 under the impression they were spears. I had to send the boys out with a lamj) 

 to find him. They found him collapsed, but he was violent enough when brought 

 into camp. 1 have another man who went off his head, but was quite harmless 

 (so far). He has had only one attack. He told me the next morning, ' 8'i)ose 

 my place, boy make'm hand leg fast, longa maina (rope), bye'mbye t'morrow all 

 right finish.' I have sent my mail-boys down to the coast, and hope they will 

 bring the insect-boxes, which have arrived there. 



" A white man, a prospector, accompanied me to the Aroa Kiver, where 

 I had to leave him. He seemed too scared of the natives to bring him along 

 to places where there is a chance of the natives being bad. The peojile up hero 

 killed a man about four days ago belonging to a village situated on the next 

 spur to this one. Next day they could distinctly be heard from here wailing. 

 The people here have repeatedly asked me to go and shoot the neighbouring 

 crowd ! One can count over thirty villages from here. It is too cold at this 

 altitude. Tlie boys can't stand it; they are shivering all night, aud comjilaiii 

 most bitterly of the cold. It's no wonder, for I myself find it difficult to keep 

 the cold out at uight with two woollen singlets and cloth jacket, besides being 

 under a heavy rug. When it is raining or cloudy (fog) it is not too bad ; but 

 these clear nights the cold is very piercing. From my camp here, on a clear 

 morning, we can see over the head of this river aud ou to the watershed of tbe 

 Tauajia, which river can be traced to its head, a distance from here I should 

 estimate to be about twenty miles in a direct line. Please don't imagine 1 am 

 telling you this in the expectation or hope of your wanting me to go there, for 

 I should be very reluctant to go. To get to the head of the Tanajia from here 

 would take, I should say, about three weeks (I), not allowing for hostile natives. 

 ^Ve are camped on a spur high up ou the side of a valley, aud on a sunshiny 

 morning it makes a very pretty sight looking down the valley ; it's all grass, 

 extending low down, being divided into paddocks with villages, resembling farms 

 and meadows of some places in England. There is another big tribe named 

 Endever higher up ou this river ; I can just make out the first of their villages 

 from here. I may send collectors there if any people come down from there 



