Several of the old men here wear wigs. It seems when grey hairs appear
they are carefully pulled out; as time moves on they increase so fast
that they would require to shave the head often, so, to cover their
shame, they take to wigs, which represent them as having long, flowing,
curly hair, as in youth. Wigs would not astonish the Murray islanders,
as Mr. Nott's did the Tahitians after his return from England. They soon
spread the news round the island that their missionary had had his head
newly thatched, and looked a young man again.
On Monday, the teachers' goods and mission supplies were put on board the
_Bertha_. On Tuesday afternoon, after everything was on board, a
farewell service was held with the teachers, and early on Wednesday
morning we left Murray Island for New Guinea. On Friday, we made New
Guinea, off Yule Island, and about sunset on October 21st we anchored
about five miles off Boera. Near to the place where we anchored was a
low swampy ground covered with mangrove. We could see Lealea, where
there has been so much sickness.
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