When yams are scarce, the natives have to depend almost entirely on sago and coco-nuts. CHAPTER IV. A STORMY TRIP. A Christmas under a burning tropical sun, such as I spent in 1887, seems unnatural. What a contrast to a Christmas in England! "Outside fall the snowflakes lightly, Through the night loud raves the storm, In my room the fire glows brightly, And 'tis cosy, silent, warm. "Musing sit I on the settle, By the firelight's cheerful blaze, Listening to the busy kettle Humming long-forgotten lays." In New Guinea you eat your Christmas dinner in the open air, with the thermometer at over 100 deg. in the shade. All nature seems weighed down by the oppressive atmosphere. One feels too enervated for any exertion, beyond imbibing cool drinks or smoking a cigar in a cane lounge. About this time a fleet of pearl-shelling boats had come to New Guinea from Torres Strait, and were working in the Louisiade Archipelago. The water was rather too deep for them, as they had been accustomed to eight to ten fathoms. One or two of their divers were paralysed, and the whole of their fleet in a few months left for their old quarters, evidently having had enough of New Guinea waters. Not long after their departure one or two good patches of pearl-shell were found, which the New Guinea pearl divers took advantage of. It was fortunate for them, the Torres Strait fleet had already left the scene. Just before Christmas Day, some of the Torres Strait boats had anchored in China Straits, remaining until after Christmas, so that we had a good muster of white men. We held our Christmas festivities on the Island of Samarai. The dinner was tastefully laid out on rudely-constructed tables, set in the open air, under the canopy of Heaven. The tables were decorated with beautiful bouquets of wild flowers. The bill of fare was exhaustive of the delicacies procurable, and was as follows: Soup--Real Turtle. Fish--Kingfish. Joints--Roast Lamb & Peas (Kid). Joints--Roast Pork. Joints--Cold Corned Beef. Entrees--Turtle & Scalloped Oysters. Sweets--Omelette, Fruit Pie. Vegetables--Yams, Taro, Spinach. Cheese. Dessert--Bananas, Pineapples, Mangots, Paw-paws, Coco-nuts, Oranges, etc. Wine & Spirits--Lager Beer, Whisky, Sherry, Port. We had quite a representative gathering, consisting of captains, mates, traders, fishermen and divers--fifteen in all. Several New Guinea natives, clad in their native garments, waited at table, and first-class waiters they are. Captain Runcie, of the S.S. _Gympie_, an old _habitue_ of New Guinea, took the chair. Runcie Creek in the Island of St. Aignan was discovered by him.