No sooner were we back in camp than a new trouble assailed us in the shape of an attack of sickness among our natives. We had hardly been a week at Ekeikei and were just settling down to our work, when one or two boys turned ill and complained of headache and were very feverish, and very soon the tell-tale rash proclaimed they had German measles. They were very miserable, poor fellows, and lay, some under the house, and some in the sun, all showing signs of considerable distress. Nursing, according to our ideas, was of course impossible, for you cannot induce a savage to keep himself covered up. A curious symptom in one case was that the boy’s speech was affected. We did our best for them and gave them cooling medicine, and fortunately they all recovered. As soon as they were convalescent they wanted to go back to their villages, and it was very difficult to dissuade them. That would of course have been a very disastrous proceeding, as they would certainly have returned only to spread the infection, which is most easily communicated during convalescence. Knowing that they had caught the disease on the coast, they were, naturally, very reluctant ever to undertake any other journeys for me to the sea again, and the situation was altogether very trying, for they said that the white man brought the sickness. While it lasted it was a very hard matter to hold the camp together. Finally, however, when they saw that the white man was doing everything in his power to help them, they were reassured. On their own account they tried to treat themselves, by the peculiar native method of bleeding, which will be found more particularly described in the chapter dealing specially with Papuan manners and customs. On June 22 we lost Sam for awhile, for we had to let him go down to Port Moresby to be treated for some trouble in his leg, but he promised to return in six weeks. [Illustration: A DESERTED VILLAGE. All the inhabitants of the village had fled at our approach except one old man. ] At the beginning of July Harry set out on a rather adventurous journey, for I consented to allow him to go alone to the Kebea. It is scarcely likely that in the history of British New Guinea an English boy of sixteen has ever been alone with cannibals. His difficulties were not long in beginning, and I quote the following extracts from his diary:— “Left Ekeikei 5.30 A.M. After half-an-hour one man played out, so I had to take about 12 lbs. out of his bag and carry it myself; two hours from Madui he played right out; a woman carried his load. We travelled very slowly and stopped often. Did not get to Madui until 4 P.M.; found the little bottle of brandy father gave me in case of need, broken and contents gone. “_July 2nd, ’03._—After changing carriers went on to Dinawa, and after resting a little, on to the Kebea, where we arrived at 5 P.M.