A VISIT TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS 107 



After leaving the Solomons I returned to my farm 

 in New Guinea, which was now a very flourishing 

 proposition, as the gold rushes had brought a large 

 white population to Woodlark Island and to Samarai, 

 and we were able to set up a butchering trade. This 

 did not exactly gain for me such a fortune as was 

 won by Tyson in Australia in the early days of the 

 gold rushes there. He, when everybody was abandon- 

 ing business to search for nuggets, was wise enough 

 to turn his attention to supplying the diggers with 

 meat; and in doing that he set the foundations of 

 the greatest fortune which has ever been acquired 

 in Australia. I made no Tyson " millions," but this 

 new demand for killing cattle made my little ranch 

 fairly prosperous. For quite a long spell now I gave 

 up collecting. Then the desire for adventure fired 

 my blood again, and I planned the most adventurous 

 trip that I had as yet undertaken. I determined 

 to explore the country in the interior of New Guinea 

 underneath the Owen Stanley ranges. After recruit- 

 ing boys, I embarked on the Calliope, and we were 

 making our way towards Manna Manna when I 

 was stopped by the Government steamer. The 

 authorities had an idea that my little ship, the 

 Calliope, was not exactly seaworthy, and further 

 made some objection to the terms on which I had 

 recruited my natives. 



It seemed like the intervention of Fate. I gave 

 up the expedition, turned my thoughts back to 



