From Babooni we returned to the Kebea, varying our route so as to include the village of Waley, which we entered during a heavy rainstorm. Waley is a pleasantly situated village, occupying the whole of one side of a hill, where a large clearing had been burnt out and planted with sugar-cane and bananas. The natives had also laid out extensive and well-planted gardens. One of the curiosities of Waley, and, indeed, one of the greatest curiosities that I noted during my stay in New Guinea, was the spiders’ web fishing-net. In the forest at this point huge spiders’ webs, 6 feet in diameter, abounded. These are woven in a large mesh, varying from 1 inch square at the outside of the web to about ⅛th inch at the centre. The web was most substantial, and had great resisting power, a fact of which the natives were not slow to avail themselves, for they have pressed into the service of man this spider, which is about the size of a small hazel-nut, with hairy, dark-brown legs, spreading to about 2 inches. This diligent creature they have beguiled into weaving their fishing-nets. At the place where the webs are thickest they set up long bamboos, bent over into a loop at the end. In a very short time the spider weaves a web on this most convenient frame, and the Papuan has his fishing-net ready to his hand. He goes down to the stream and uses it with great dexterity to catch fish of about 1 lb. weight, neither the water nor the fish sufficing to break the mesh. The usual practice is to stand on a rock in a backwater where there is an eddy. There they watch for a fish, and then dexterously dip it up and throw it on to the bank. Several men would set up bamboos so as to have nets ready all together, and would then arrange little fishing parties. It seemed to me that the substance of the web resisted water as readily as a duck’s back. Waley was also a place for dancing. Thither the tribes came for great Terpsichorean festivals, and invitations used to be sent as far as Foula by special messengers to bid the Foula people to these entertainments. As we passed Babooni we had met these couriers on their way to tell the Foula people about a dance that was shortly to be held, and inviting them to come and bring all their fine feather-work—the Papuan dress-suit—and all their pretty women. These dances often last for a week, and the revellers feast during the day and at night dance by torch-light. During the time we were in camp the noise of dancing and singing never ceased, and the fat pigs were continually being killed. This indispensable adjunct of Papuan life is solemnly divided according to ceremonial custom, and certain parts are reserved for the leading degrees of the tribesmen. The guests receive the more honourable portions, and in this instance the chief from Foula would receive the most honoured part of all.