140 Letter VIII. 
he would bait the line, let it down, and when he caught a fish 
sling it round his neck by a string, returning to the shore when 
tired. Another man is said to have swum over to a small 
island four miles from Maré, with a club in his hand. They 
are fonder of the water than the New Hebrideans, and their 
canoes are of a superior kind. I saw a very large one lying on 
the beach. It was a double canoe, having a platform thrown 
across, and upon it a small house. It was quite a ship com- 
pared with the generality of canoes I had hitherto seen. 
The teachers at last appeared, and, accompanied by an im- 
mense crowd of friends and relatives, made for the boat. No 
sooner had they entered it than the whole company raised and 
sustained a howl that almost made my hair stand on end; 
while a band of men and women—near relatives, I presume— 
rushed upon the boat, hung on the necks of the departing 
teachers and their wives, emitting howls, and this with extra- 
ordinary effect. At last we got the boat torn from their grasp, 
and shoved out of their reach ; whereupon the weepers retired 
and dried their eyes, and those in the boat, who had been 
doing as much as any of them in the business, also dried 
their faces, and became lively and contented in a wonderfully 
short time. 
Leaving Maré we again made Santo, and landed the teachers 
there ; then called at Nguna, and landed Mr. and Mrs. Milne, 
who had accompanied the vessel during this trip. Next we 
called at Havannah Harbour, found the McDonalds well, and 
took on board their mails. Next at Eramanga; found the 
Robertsons also well, and took on board their mails. Next 
called at Aniwa, where the “ Dayspring” left me with Mr. and 
Mrs. Paton, who had kindly invited me to visit them while the 
mission ship was making her next voyage to Melbourne. 
