Matters did not improve, and accordingly, taking Harry and Sam with me, I determined to go down and try what a little plain personal dealing could accomplish with our agreeable neighbour. I found him in his village, sitting apart, smoking the bau-bau, and extremely surly. He gave us no greeting, in fact, took not the slightest notice of us, and continued to smoke stolidly. We sat down, and I at once opened the affair, Sam and Harry acting as my interpreters. I told Kafulu that unless he sent the sago at once, and returned Ow-bow’s goods, it would be necessary for me to bring pressure to bear on him. This was continued for three-quarters of an hour, entirely on my part, for it was not until that time had elapsed that Kafulu deigned to reply. He then remarked that he did not want me in the neighbourhood, and that he could not answer for it that his villagers would not wipe us out. At the end of an hour he showed some signs of relenting, but the victory was not yet won. The parley still continued, and Kafulu resumed his pipe, whereupon I gave him some tobacco, which he took without thanks. At the end of three hours certain arguments, which I thought proper to use, prevailed, and he produced some of Ow-bow’s goods. Ow-bow remarked that that was not all, whereupon Kafulu promised to send everything, to deliver the sago, and also that he would not frighten our collectors any more. With this assurance we shook hands upon it and I returned to camp. Two days after the sago arrived, and in four days the whole of Ow-bow’s possessions were returned. They were brought in by some of Kafulu’s villagers and handed to their owner without comment. Thereafter, as far as I could see, Kafulu lived a sober, righteous, and godly life. I am not sure, however, although he committed no overt act of hostility, that he was not the instigator of some trouble which I had at a later period with the Madui people. [Illustration: IN THE PRIMEVAL FOREST. ] During our stay at Ekeikei we experienced an earthquake shock, not great but sufficiently alarming. There were two distinct shocks, which shook the house violently, and the phenomenon was peculiar inasmuch as it was not heralded by any preliminary rumblings as is usually the case. Many of the other atmospheric signs usually accompanying an earthquake were, however, present. There was a tremendous and oppressive heat with death-like stillness; the skies were inky black, and there was a perfect deluge of rain, so heavy that it could easily have been described as pouring down in bucketfuls. Then the heavens opened with what seemed to be rivers of lightning, for the discharges resembled great main streams with thousands of fiery affluents, and all around us the thunder crashed terrifically, seeming at times as if it were inside the house. For three-quarters of an hour there was no cessation of the din. A tree just below our verandah was struck and split from top to bottom, but fortunately no one was injured.