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(21)
dispasionate harangue about the dangers of these parts and all
the fever that wasteth white mankind.
October 3
More rain with a spell in the afternoon that let us
venture for a couple of hours. I brought in nothing; G.R. got
three. The Ranandi blew a cylinder-head and is delayed another
day. Caught another sphinx moth of the same species that we
have been getting.
October 4
Ranandi sails at noon and the Awa will leave to-morro
morning. Collected both fore and afternoon bringing in a half dozen specimens- one "koro koro" pigeon and a small hawk; in the
evening we skinned two birds each, a record turn-out. All set to
shove off in the morning.
October 5
Out of Tulagi bag and baggage at 10:30. It was a great
moment. Outside of Savo we rolled to big swells from the SE, the
last of the regular monsoon. Beautiful night but rough sleeping.
I was sea-sick to the point where I was forced to expel the
contents of my stomach.
October 6
Shot a brown gannet on the wing about 15 miles from
the Bili passage on New Georgia; and then jammed the barrel of
my gun with a pull-through. Anchored off Bili village, a 7-day
advent conquest; the passage leads into the Marovo Lagoon on
the SW. Here we spent the day, delightful swimming and a good
rest. The worst of the sea trip is behind us.
October 7
Pleasant passage to Mongo passage in the Marovo by
way of Lili Hina where the 7-day advent outfit hath its head-
quarters. Here we had lunch (on board) and tried to pick up a
native to pilot us through a shorter passage. Failing, Captain
Tate carried on to the aforementioned anchorage where we put
in another fine evening, with swimming and extraordinary kai
on a freshly caught fish. All shaved in which I featured by
throwing the captain's razor over board. Have seen plenty of
terns and petrels. Many birds could be heard at night in the
Marovo, in particular some kind of a night-fowl with a raucous
staccato cry.
October 8
Arrived at Hamarai Plantation in Ramada Bay about 11
o'clock- a Mr. Newall the manager. His wife gave us two excel-
lent meals with fresh meat. On Hamarai (Hameri) they have a num-
ber of blue and white herons according to Mr. Newall the only
representation in the group. This good man provided tools suf-
ficient to ram out my clogged gun. The entire evening was spent
in a heated argument drawing all the masculine indulgence as
to the function, ordnance, and capabilities of patent and com-
mon logs. Plenty of rain knocking about.
October 9 (Sunday)
Out of Ramada Bay by 9 A.M. and steamed without mis-
hap to the Diamond Narrows, passage into the Rubiyana Lagoon.
Tied up at the wharf of Naru estate on Arundel Island. No one
about until about 9 P.M. when Mr. Sims returned from Kokeqolo,
the headquarters of the Methodist Mission. He reported the