1 86 Report of a Journey Around the World. 



of residence : the inhabitants looked well and contented . Some 

 vegetables were brought on board by a Chinese compradore, and 

 a closed car lined with sheepskins brought a number of sides of 

 meat carefully shrouded in cotton cloth. The cargo that we left 

 consisted mainly of drinkables and matches, while we took away 

 certainly an equal weight of carefully bagged ores. 



Friday, Oct. 1 1. Very pleasant to wake up in blue water, for 

 all the previous day we had been in dirty green soundings. The 

 weather was cool and very comfortable ; the sea here and there 

 covered with a good supply of "whale feed" which the steamer 

 passed through without much disturbing, except to spread enough 

 to show the fibrous streams below the orange-colored nuclei on the 

 surface. A passenger from Port Darwin showed me a fine pair of 

 buffalo horns polished, from that neighborhood; the inside was 

 smooth, dark color, while the outside was flattened and corrugated 

 transversely; this was a bull, the cow having round horns. This 

 man also informed me that he had heard of a black kangaroo from 

 the natives. He was inclined to collect such rare specimens for 

 museums; also the "playground" of the bower bird, in which 

 laudable pursuit I encouraged him. 



Sunday, Oct. 13. We awoke in the midst of islands and a 

 stiff breeze, and at 7:30 anchored abreast the wharf at Thursday 

 Island. The town looked rather attractive spread out on the hill- 

 side. A pretty little green parroquet was blown aboard and easily 

 caught. We had to wait for the doctor and could have no break- 

 fast until he had examined the native crew. He came at last just 

 as the pilot boat cast off for fear of swamping, and soon began a 

 hand-rubbing examination of the bare breasts of a long line of 

 natives, a process which seemed to amuse them. Then the saloon 

 passengers were passed but not rubbed, and the silly farce was 

 over and we were able to get our breakfast. After this we went 

 ashore. The shops were closed and not attractive ; the streets were 

 dusty but planted with Terminalia and other trees. Mr. Wilson 

 went to the curious Memorial Church, but there were no services 

 and he returned with a picture of the interior. From the deck of 

 the Montoro the harbor seemed land-locked, and one small island 

 seemed clearly a volcano. An hour afternoon we started again on 

 our voyage to the Albany Pass. We should have touched at Port 

 Moresby in New Guinea, but that pleasure, as others, was dropped 



[334] 



