INACTION AND AN EXCURSION 
up outside, and it was a singular thing that no two 
houses at Kalo bore carvings of the same pattern. 
We stayed only a few hours at Kalo, and then 
went on to Kerapuna, where we arrived about dusk 
after a long day’s march. At one point our advance 
was barred by a small river, very still and muddy 
and fringed with rank vegetation, the whole aspect 
of the place proclaiming it the haunt of the crocodile. 
It would have saved time had we swum across, but 
the mere look of the place obviously made it unwise 
to do so, so we fetched a slight détour until we came 
to a little village where we were able to hire a canoe. 
Kerapuna is a fairly large fishing village on the 
east side of Hood’s Lagoon, just within the entrance. 
It possesses its missionary, Mr. Pearce, who lives there 
with his wife in great isolation. It is many years 
since he has been home, and it is not often that a 
European knocks at his door. With him we found 
hospitality. He is pleasantly housed and seems very 
comfortable and is on good terms with the natives, 
to whose spiritual needs he ministers in a little hall. 
It is doubtful how far the Papuan can be reached 
through theological channels at this stage of his 
development. A great deal, however, can be done 
towards training him in the simpler industries. 
From Kerapuna we went out for a short shooting 
expedition in the flat, trackless forest that lies inland. 
The region is very gloomy; tall Pandanus trees with 
aérial roots and thickly matted branches obscure the 
daylight, but there is no dense undergrowth. ‘There 
the gaura pigeon abounds, and we were fortunate 
enough to shoot some. 
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