(18) red parrots.Also saw three fish hawks.The most profitable event of the trip was a ride to an out station called Teteri eight miles from Berende.On the way we passed through two na- tive villages,the latter being the scene of the tragedy of the "Albatross"in 1896,an Austrian expedition that met its fate at the hands of the forebears of this salt water tribe.Here I se- cured some photographs.But the sight of the afternoon was the great grass plain at the foot of Lion's Head,the highest peak in the island,never climbed by white man.About 5000 acres of fertile table land well stocked with kangaroo grass.It is the only one in the Solomons.Here we were able to gallop for a mile up to the station house.We returned by an inland govern- ment road passing through the thick bush at dusk.Saw many small birds that I could not recognize.At this evening's kai- kai there were eleven and Mr.Robinson reckoned himself the luckiest man on the coast.Hospitality here is code of every- one.At midnight we departed with many cheers and thanks for Tulagi;Mr.Tice,ex-manager of a place on Teti-pari,the lonli- est islet of all accompanied us.He is going south on the Ma- taram for a spell and back to England. September 19 Word of the"France"awaited us at the hotel in the person of Mr.Johnson,plantation owner from southern Bogota.She is definitely due in Gizo now to catch the Mataram.Mr.Beck spent three days with him in addition to picking up supplies and benzine.So we have picked the wrong course exactly in wait- ing in Tulagi.The problem now is to get to Gizo with all dis- patch.A Ghinaman very kindly offered us the charter of his ketch for 45 pounds which we gracefully declined.Our best bet is Bill Tait who was here at the hotel last week.He will be back from Malaita in two or three days and will pull out for Gizo immediately.If he fails the govt.vessel Renandi may go up by the end of the week after a spin over to Rennel.At all passes we shall leave on the first craft that starts in that direction.We sent a wireless to Mr.Beck that we would join him within a fortnight if convenient,and expect a reply.Sure enough in the evening word came from the Mataram from Faisi that the "France"was in Gizo;the steamer called there yesterday and will call back again to-morrow.We shall be able to take all mail of which there is a great amount and they will have time to pre- pare for us on board.Although we drew the wrong card we follow- ed the only piece of empirical intelligence we had in that let- ter which the postmaster sent out to us just as we were about to go to Gizo on the Mataram.If fare on the Awa or Renandi is as cheap as we expect there will be little excess in cost and we shall have sent some insects off to the Museum. We find that the guns and shells are tax exempt, coming under the provision for"guns or accoutrements of any recognized rifle club or public institution".No collecting was done due to our efforts to secure immediate passage to Gizo and the general confusion of unfinished business. September 20 Message from Mr.Beck came through B P at Makambo asking them how soon they could forward us and the mail for the"France".The wireless we sent yesterday should serve as an answer.Evidently the two crossed.To-day no collecting was done but two welcome contributions came in:one genuine sphinx moth and a huge specimen of an utterly unintelligible beetle.H.M.