_Saturday, July 17th._--We were early off our place of call, and seeing no signs ashore the boat was lowered and I took the steer oar in a furious wind and a heavy sea. The approach to and departure from this place were as nasty as could be, and I was not sorry to be on board all right again. Mr. Brittain had left some time before, and our visit was futile except that we brought off his things. The people were quiet and well behaved, and Tom (the teacher) was in great form. Tom, having been educated in Sydney, speaks remarkably good English and is evidently held in respect by his people. Their dress and appearance are very like their neighbours of Ambrym, and the women wear the flaxen petticoat also like the Ambrymese. Their language, too, I believe, is akin, the distance separating the two islands not being more than five or six miles. Tom is building a very nice school, and there seems a large population. A big, chiefly looking man was sitting on the beach as we were coming away, and Tom told me that he was the chief of the place. I had brought nothing with me from the ship, and the boys had nothing, so the best I could do for the great man was to give him a tin of sardines which I got out of one of Mr. Brittain’s boxes. I dare say he would have preferred tobacco, but he seemed as satisfied as natives usually appear to be, for they are not generally very demonstrative or profuse in their thanks. The tide was falling fast so we had to beat a hasty retreat and got off with some considerable difficulty.