rain. Early on Thursday morning we weighed anchor and set out for Choiseul on the port tack, with a light favorable wind coming in from the northwest. This was our last crack at Vella- and as I watched the rain and mists gathering over her mountains from a distance later in the day I was not sorry, for I was thinking of that river- may it roar and swell. Thursday, November 17th to Thanksgiving Day. At sea to Moli Island, Choiseul. We spent all of Thursday and most of Friday at sea, not arriving at Moli Island, Choiseul until three o'clock Friday afternoon. These intervals are invaluable as a means of catching up on everything, writing notes, cleaning and drying gear, and refreshing the adventure generally. These two days were clear and fine. Part of the time a light NW breeze favored us and pushed along at a three or four knot gait. Most of the time, however, we chewed along with the engine's reliable five knots over a sea as calm as a cup of tea. On our port side the Shortland Group showed up clear, bearing to our north and behind them far in the distance rose the peaks of Bougainville. Back on Vella Lavella the afternoon rain clouds were visible in the distance, and it was a pleasure to think of making our escape from them by a deft gesture of navigation. The northern portion of Choiseul is not high land. The island itself is just under a hundred miles long,