its sea-frontage of rather more than a quarter of a mile, bounded to
the east, south, and west by low hills, which where they meet the sea
become sandy cliffs, fringed with the red-flower-bearing pohutakawa.
The whole of this bay, the seventy acres of flat rich soil included
within the rising ground mentioned, and some seventy acres more as
yet lying uncleared, adjoining the same block of seventy acres, and
likely to be very valuable, as the land is capital--the whole of this
was bought by the Bishop many years ago as the property of the
Mission, and is the only piece of Church land over which he retains
the control, every other bequest or gift to the amount of 14,000
acres, having been handed over by him to the General Synod. This he
retains till the state of the Melanesian Mission is more definitely
settled.

'On the west corner of this bay we determined to build. A small tide
creek runs for a short way about S.S.E. from the extreme end of the
western part of the beach, then turns early eastward, and meets a
small stream coming down from the southern hill at its western
extremity. This creek encloses a space extending along the whole
width of the bay of about eighteen or twenty acres.

'At the east end stand three wooden cottages, occupied by the master,
mate, and a married seaman of the "Southern Cross." At the west end
stands the Melanesian school. Fences divide the whole space into
three portions, whereof the western one forms our garden and orchard;
and the others pasture for cows and working bullocks; small gardens
being also fenced off for the three cottages. The fifty acres of
flat land south of the creek we are now clearing and ploughing.

'The situation here is admirably adapted for our school. Now that we