miasma and alligators for company made every one do his best to reach camp before dark. The rising tide was against us, but served in floating our boat, and after incredible struggling with snags and rank vegetation, to our great joy we reached camp at half past seven, just in time for some fresh tea. After a merry evening, to which the novelty of the scene lent charms, we turned in for the night, Mr. Chalmers selecting the whale boat for his cubicle, the rest hitching their hammocks as high above ground as possible. Hardly had we slept an hour when a wild shriek roused the camp. All turned out, when the cause of the night alarm was discovered to be a few stray wild hogs, who were on the prowl, and doubtless attracted by the smell of our rations. On passing under the hammock of one of the younger members of our party, the runting awoke him, and his terror took the above form, which probably alarmed the intruders as much as it did us. He said he thought we were attacked by alligators, but we insisted that his alarm proceeded from the fear of something supernatural and of a still more malignant character. Yet one more night alarm. After two hours' rest the steam whistle sounded from the launch; up jumped the engineer, made for the shore and hailed, "Launch ahoy!" "Are you all right at the camp?" "All right? Yes, what the deuce do you mean? what did you sound the whistle for?" "We heard a boat come down the river, and thought the savages were attacking the camp." "Savages be ! Go to sleep!" growled the engineer. It turned out that Timoteo the teacher, who had promised to visit us in the morning, taking advantage of the high tide, had put in an appearance sooner than was expected. The rest of the night passed quietly, and next morning, before camp was struck, I took a few views, after which everything was packed. We re-crossed the bar in safety about 9 o'clock, reached the ship an hour later, weighed anchor and started for Port Moresby. Taking the Vari Varu Islands, already mentioned, on our way, we anchored and spent the night under their lee. I went ashore early with the General, and sought in vain for some picturesque spot to photograph, although I traversed the greater part of the islands, which are mainly formed of decomposed coral and
