178 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



date in October 1907. Scarcely had I arrived when 

 a great gale came on. Afterwards news came in of 

 some ten vessels being blown ashore in different 

 places during this gale, some totally wrecked. My 

 fortunate star must have been in the ascendant, for, 

 though I anchored for one night at East Cape, I had 

 not remained at anchor among the reefs at night- 

 time between East Cape and Samarai. If I had done 

 so I would have encountered the gale. As soon as I 

 had anchored at Samarai the wind started. Two vessels 

 were totally wrecked at East Cape where I had 

 anchored, one of which was my old vessel, the Calliope. 

 After this experience I decided always to keep a white 

 man on my vessel, otherwise there was too much 

 anxiety for one man, as in dirty weather it was 

 necessary for me to keep on deck both day and night. 

 At Samarai I prepared for another visit to the 

 Solomons. It was my intention to go inland on 

 Guadalcanar to the mountain country, because I 

 had much more faith in that place than any other 

 island. The trip, I knew, would involve a good deal 

 of risk, as there had been several murders reported 

 from that island recently. But I was fairly confident 

 of keeping my skull unbroken with proper precau- 

 tions against treachery. After my return from the 

 Solomons, if all went well, I designed to make another 

 collection at Ausembo, about sixty miles inland 

 from my camp on the Giriwa River. I am almost 

 sure there is a form of T. goliath to be found there. 



