[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR ENGINE]

CLIMBING SANTO PEAK 189

west set in, such as I had never seen before, although
not a breath of wind was stirring. These rollers were
caused by a cyclone, and gave us some idea of its
violence. I despaired of ever reaching the steamer,
but Mr. B. was an expert sailor, and making the
most of a slight lull, he brought me safely through
the surf and on board. His goods, however, could
not be loaded on to the steamer, which immediately
sailed. We passed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s
Day at anchor in South-West Bay, Malekula, while a
terrific gale whipped the water horizontally toward
the ship and across the deck. We spent gloomy
holidays, shut up in the clamp, dark steamer, unable
to stay on deck, restless and uncomfortable below.
How one learns to appreciate the British impassive-
ness which helps one, in such conditions, to spend a
perfectly happy day with a pipe and a talk about the
weather!

On the morning of the third day we lay off the
east coast of Malekula, on a blue, shining sea, with
all the landscape as peaceful and bright as if there
were no such thing as a cyclone in the world.

I landed, packed my collections, which I had left
in Vao, and, with the help of a missionary, I reached
Bushman Bay, whence Mr. H. kindly took me to
Vila. There H.B.M. Resident Commissioner, Mr.
Morton King, did me the honour of offering me his
hospitality, so that I was suddenly transplanted to
all the luxuries of civilized life once more. I spent
the'days packing the collections awaiting me at Vila,
and which I found in fairly good condition; the