534 Waigiou. 



termined to go to Bessir, where there are a number of Pa- 

 puans who catch and preserve them. I hired a small outrig- 

 ger boat for this journey, and left one of my men to guard 

 my house and goods. We had to wait several days for fine 

 weather, and at length started early one morning, and arrived 

 late at night, after a rough and disagreeable passage. The 

 village of Bessir was built in the water at the point of a small 

 island. The chief food of the people was evidently shell-fish, 

 since great heaps of the shells had accumulated in the shallow 

 water between the houses and the land, forming a regular 

 " kitchen-midden " for the exploration of some future archaeol- 

 ogist. We spent the night in the chief's house, and the next 

 morning went over to the main land to look out for a place 

 where I could reside. This part of Waigiou is really another 

 island to the south of the narrow channel we had passed 

 through in coming to Muka. It appears to consist almost en- 

 tirely of raised coral, whereas the northern island contains 

 hard crystalline rocks. The shores were a range of low lime- 

 stone cliffs, worn out by the water, so that the upper part 

 generally overhung. At distant intervals were little coves 

 and openings, where small streams came down from the in- 

 terior ; and in one of these we landed, pulling our boat up on 

 a patch of white sandy beach. Immediately above was a large 

 newly-made plantation of yams and plantains, and a small hut, 

 which the chief said we might have the use of if it would do 

 for me. It was quite a dwarf's house, just eight feet square, 

 raised on posts so that the floor was four and a half feet above 

 the ground, and the highest part of the ridge only five feet 

 above the floor. As I am six feet and an inch in my stock- 

 ings, I looked at this with some dismay ; but finding that the 

 other houses were much farther from water, were dreadfully 

 dirty, and were crowded with peoj^le, I at once accepted the 

 little one, and determined to make the best of it. At first I 

 thought of taking out the floor, which would leave it high 

 enough to walk in and out without stooping ; but then there 

 would not be room enough, so I left it just as it was, had it 

 thoroughly cleaned out, and brought up my baggage. The 

 Tipper story I used for sleeping in, and for a store-room. In 

 the lower part (which was quite open all round) I fixed up a 

 small table, arranged my boxes, put up hanging shelves, laid a 



