(39) The Doctor and I took numerous photographs and we all collected inter- esting mementa mori.There are three divisions of catacombs,two hav- ing two shelves cut to hold the skulls and one four shelves;two of the three are at the end of the plantation beside the salt-water. Each has at present about 100 skulls,the best of which lie arranged in single rows on shelves cut in the soft volcanic rock five feet above the ground.These are the"skull caves" per se,there being noth- ing else.The shelf is 18 inches high and varies from four to six feet in depth;those at the higher cave,located 100 yards along the shore from the two at the edge of the coconuts are 15 feet long.The smaller ones are not over six.Two of this size comprise the first cave,cut side by side with a rude face carved in the small space of rock bet- ween.The larger shelves had a rude bas-relief edge around the exter- ior.The higher cave was 50 feet above the water about midway up a steep cliff of volcanic buff.Here we found much the best-preserved skulls..and one,evidently an important chief,set in a little niche by itself.A small pile of skulls in varying states of decomposition lay on the ground in front of each shelf giving evidence of vandalism since they had undoubtedly been pulled out.Those left intact had the jaw-bone attached by lashings of vines and many still retained shell rings set in the eye-sockets with mud plaster.Most of them had offer- ings of polished rings tied on with vines.Shell rings and a few bro- ken spear heads lay scattered about on the floor of the shelves.There were occasional groups of skulls tied two or three together,perhaps near kinsmen.No body bones were present.According to a Malaita boy, a plantation laborer,only the corpse of a warrior merited such honor; the carcass was left to decay,the head cut off,cleaned and decorated, and finally placed on the shelf in an appointed place.Women,children, and insignificant males were buried uncerimoniously on Turnivilu I., which lies 1/4 mile from Nyanga.Most of the skulls evidently came from middle-aged men,the frontal suture rarely showing.There were a few very immature skulls.This funeral practice was not typical of all the natives of Vella Lavella because we have since learned of other meth- ods of dealing with the dead that were used in villages further north on the island.The most common seems to have been a sort of mummifying process,the entire body wrapped after preparation in leaves,bark,and vines.This is the only"skull-cave"that we have heard of on the island and hardly seems large enough to accommodate the"great men"of every tribe.There are so few aboriginal natives on the island that no know- ledge can be gained first-hand.The Malaita boys savvy a good deal;ap- parently they feel no fear of the ghosts of any but their own people. We pulled back to the France late for lunch.I soon developed my films most of which turned out poorly.I started a rough land-survey map of Vella Lavella on tracing paper based on the drawing of the Admiralty chart which only approximates the coast and leaves the topography un- touched except to give the maximum altitude as 3000 feet.I go simply by compass sights and rough interpolation. November 14 Mr.Beck and G.R.,went out for a morning's collecting.The Doctor developed his films with very successful result while I sketch- ed in my map the coastline and drainage of the vicinity.At noon we took kindly leave of Mrs.McEachran and stood out on a N by NW course for Mundi Mundi,reaching the anchorage at 3 P.M.During the trip we were busy putting up birds- starlings.swallows,a blackhead,megapode, mina,and green heron.Rain kept us aboard after arriving but Mr.Beck went off to interview the residents,who should be missionaries accord-