BY J. W. POTTS, ESQ. 9 
abound there, and during several short excursions inland | 
met with many varieties. The Kerepuna reef is a grand 
hunting ground for a naturalist, and, during my stay in the 
district, | procured several interesting specimens from a 
‘“béche-de-mer man,” Mr. Dan Rowan, who was fishing 
there. The Kerepuna natives use the cane lasso, or man- 
catcher, and also stone adzes. Seeking for implements of 
agriculture, I found the women using a kind of wooden 
spade, which is, perhaps, all that is required for the soft and 
easily-worked ground. I was interested whilst here, in 
observing one of the many instances of conservation of 
fruit-yielding trees. The forest of cocoanuts on the west 
part of the Knaipa country had a taboo placed over it to 
allow the trees to mature, which was observed by all parties. 
We sailed for Port Moresby again on the sixth day, and 
found there H.M.S. “ Diamond,’ H.M.S. ‘ Lark,” and the 
“Governor Blackall.” Leaving Port Moresby we then sailed 
for Bola and anchored inside Lilley Island. Having gone 
ashore and inspected the country there, we rowed in a 
whale boat to Borna village, stopping the night at the 
house of Deri, the South Sea Island teacher. 
Returning once more to the schooner we passed inside the 
reef, and after two days made Delera, in Hall Sound, where I 
also examined the country and bought objects of natural his- 
tory and native workmanship. Hall Sound isa splendid har- 
bour and is protected by Hale Island. The soil in the vicinity 
is like that of St. Helena, Moreton Bay, and is luxuriant 
with grass and other vegetation, and well supplied with 
springs, the waterof which deposits a blue sediment. Leaving 
Delera we next sailed for Maiva, a thickly populated 
district conspicuous for its highly cultivated gardens and 
cocoanut forests. The villages here are kept beautifully 
swept and clean, and crotons and palms are planted in 
groves and in rows on either side of the broad streets. 
Each village has a large meeting house set aside for general 
purposes, and was used, whenever I visited a settlement, for 
the purpose oftrading. The houses were of superior quality 
and built dog-kennel fashion. Amongst many noteworthy 
objects, I observed here the use of mosquito curtains 
made of fibre. The women carried their children in netted 
bags similar to those used amongst us for containing onions. 
