192 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



cleanly, and always anxious to trade and exchange. 

 Taking them as a people, I liked them from the first. 



As soon as possible, we took our things ashore ; 

 Armit hiring the natives to carry them all to the top 

 of a small hill, where he had leased a patch of ground. 

 The natives took hold with determination. There was 

 an immense quantity of goods to carry up from the 

 beach ; but with so many it was a short piece of work. 

 With their help the big tent was put up, and the place 

 began to look like a white man's camp. 



There seemed little chance for collecting just about 

 the port ; and as Armit was not ready to start, father, 

 Shelley, and I, each took all he could carry, and set 

 out for Lapidoma, a native town about fifteen miles 

 inland. We did not start till late in the afternoon. 

 The steep range of hills near the port gave us a hard 

 climb, but the view from the summit was lovely. 



Below us lay the bay and the town of Bura-Bura ; 

 to the right were barren rocky mountains ; on the 

 left, a low range of hills, and beyond them coral 

 reefs, and the wide-spreading ocean. On the other 

 side, the view was equally fine. Below, a wide plain, 

 extending to the base of the forest-covered Astralabe 

 Mountains ; and beyond and above them, towering 

 into the clouds, was the mighty mount, Owen Stanley. 



Descending the well-trodden path, we emerged into 

 the plain ; and, after a walk of five or six miles, put 

 down our packs, erected our tent, and soon had supper 



