initial commit of ebook 2564HEAD main

author: Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> 2025-10-15 05:19:23 -0700
committer: Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> 2025-10-15 05:19:23 -0700
commit: 4ca4424832264f489d0a9138b9780d4e7d97ad1f (patch)
tree: 2c4d9b3dd0046f69619e0bedad892c1b77462118
61 files changed, 30291 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/2564-0.txt b/2564-0.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..919ef9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-0.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5869 @@
+The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines, by H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
+of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
+will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
+using this eBook.
+
+Title: Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+Author: H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+Release Date: March, 2001 [eBook #2564]
+[Most recently updated: October 29, 2022]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***
+
+
+
+
+                   Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
+                   And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+
+                                   By
+                           H. Wilfrid Walker
+                Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
+   With forty-eight plates from photographs by the author and others
+
+
+
+                                 London
+                             Witherby & Co.
+                                  1909
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                                   To
+                           My brother Charles
+                      This record of my wanderings
+                 in which he took so deep an interest,
+                      is affectionately dedicated.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+In a book of this kind it is often the custom to begin by making
+apologies. In my case I feel it to be a sheer necessity. In the first
+place what is here printed is for the greater part copied word for
+word from private letters that I wrote in very simple language in
+Dayak or Negrito huts, or in the lonely depths of tropical forests, in
+the far-off islands of the Southern Seas. I purposely made my letters
+home as concise as possible, so that they could be easily read, and in
+consequence have left out much that might have been interesting. It is
+almost unnecessary to mention that when I wrote these letters I had
+no thought whatever of writing a book. If I had thought of doing so,
+I might have mentioned more about the customs, ornaments and weapons of
+the natives and have written about several other subjects in greater
+detail. As it is, a cursory glance will show that this book has not
+the slightest pretence of being "scientific." Far from its being
+so, I have simply related a few of the more interesting incidents,
+such as would give a _general impression_ of my life among savages,
+during my wanderings in many parts of the world, extending over
+nearly a score of years. I should like to have written more about
+my wanderings in North Borneo, as well as in Samoa and Celebes and
+various other countries, but the size of the book precludes this. My
+excuse for publishing this book is that certain of my relatives
+have begged me to do so. Though I was for the greater part of the
+time adding to my own collections of birds and butterflies, I have
+refrained as much as possible from writing on these subjects for
+fear that they might prove tedious to the general reader. I have
+also touched but lightly on the general customs of the people, as
+this book is not for the naturalist or ethnologist, nor have I made
+any special study of the languages concerned, but have simply jotted
+down the native words here used exactly as I heard them. As regards
+the photographs, some of them were taken by myself while others were
+given me by friends whom I cannot now trace. In a few cases I have
+no note from whom they were got, though I feel sure they were not
+from anyone who would object to their publication. In particular,
+I may mention Messrs. G. R. Lambert, Singapore; John Waters, Suva,
+Fiji; Kerry & Co., Sydney; and G. O. Manning, New Guinea. To these
+and all others who have helped me I now tender my heartiest thanks. I
+have met with so much help and kindness during my wanderings from
+Government officials and others that if I were here to mention all,
+the list would be a large one. I shall therefore have to be content
+with only mentioning the principal names of those in the countries
+I have here written about.
+
+In Fiji:--Messrs. Sutherland, John Waters, and McOwan.
+
+In New Guinea:--Sir Francis Winter, Mr. C. A. W. Monckton, R.M., The
+Hon. A. Musgrave, Capt. Barton, Mr. Guy O. Manning, and Dr. Vaughan.
+
+In the Philippines:--Governor Taft, afterwards President of the United
+States, and Mr. G. d'E. Browne.
+
+In British North Borneo:--Messrs. H. Walker, Richardson, Paul Brietag,
+F. Durége, J. H. Molyneux, and Dr. Davies.
+
+In Sarawak:--H.H. The Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, Sir Percy Cunninghame,
+Dr. Hose, Archdeacon Sharpe, Mr. R. Shelford, and the officials of
+The Borneo Company, Ltd.
+
+To all of these and many others in other countries I take this
+opportunity of publicly tendering my cordial thanks for their unfailing
+kindness and hospitality to a wanderer in strange lands.
+
+H. Wilfrid Walker.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+    _Frontispiece_--Belles of Papua.
+    A Chief's Daughter and a Daughter of the People
+    A "Meke-Meke," or Fijian Girls' Dance
+    Interior of a large Fijian Hut
+    A Fijian Mountaineer's House
+    At the Door of a Fijian House
+    A Fijian Girl
+    Spearing Fish in Fiji
+    A Fijian Fisher Girl
+    A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in Fiji
+    Making Fire by Wood Friction
+    An Old ex-Cannibal
+    A Fijian War-Dance
+    Adi Cakobau (pronounced "Andi Thakombau"), the highest Princess
+    in Fiji, at her house at Navuso
+    A Filipino Dwelling
+    A Village Street in the Philippines
+    A River Scene in the Philippines
+    A Negrito Family
+    Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back)
+    A Negrito Shooting
+    Tree Climbing by Negritos
+    A Negrito Dance
+    Arigita and his Wife
+    Three Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War Attire
+    Kaili-Kaili House on the edge of a Precipice
+    "A Great Joke"
+    A Ghastly Relic
+    Cannibal Trophies
+    A Woman and her Baby
+    A Papuan Girl
+    The Author with Kaili-Kaili Followers
+    Wives of Native Armed Police
+    A Papuan Damsel
+    Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife and Son (in
+    the Police)
+    A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise
+    The Author starting on an Expedition
+    A New Guinea River Scene
+    Papuan Tree-Houses
+    A Village of the Agai Ambu
+    H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W. Monckton
+    View of Kuching from the Rajah's Garden
+    Dayaks and Canoes
+    Dayak in War-Coat
+    Dayak Women and Children on the Platform outside a long House
+    Dayaks Catching Fish
+    A Dayak Woman with Mourning Ornaments round waist
+    On a Tobacco Estate
+    On a Bornean River
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART I
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+    Journey to Taviuni--Samoan Songs--Whistling for the Wind--Landing
+    on Koro--Nabuna--Samoans and Fijians Compared--Fijian Dances and
+    Angona Drinking--A Hurricane in the Southern Seas--Arrival at
+    Taviuni--First Impressions of Ratu Lala's Establishment--Character
+    of Ratu Lala--Prohibition of Cricket--Ratu Lala Offended--The
+    Prince's Musical Box.
+
+
+Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my
+two months' stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni,
+ranks highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my
+life with this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow
+seems unreal and an existence far apart from the commonplace life of
+civilization. When I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary
+gave me a letter of introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I
+sailed from Suva on an Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle
+outfit and a case of whisky, the latter a present for the Prince,--and
+a more acceptable present one could not have given him.
+
+After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on
+the island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a
+small schooner which carried copra from several of the Outlying
+islands to Levuka. Her name was the _Lurline,_ and her captain
+was a Samoan, whilst his crew was made up of two Samoans and four
+Fijians. The captain seemed to enjoy yelling at his men in the
+Fijian language, with a strong flavouring of English "swear words,"
+and spoke about the Fijians in terms of utter contempt, calling them
+"d----d cannibals." The cabin wag a small one with only two bunks, and
+swarmed with green beetles and cockroaches. Our meals were all taken
+together on deck, and consisted of yams, ship's biscuit and salt junk.
+
+We had a grand breeze to start with, but toward evening it died down
+and we lay becalmed. All hands being idle, the Samoans spent the time
+in singing the catchy songs of Samoa, most of which I was familiar with
+from my long stay in those islands, and their delight was great when
+I joined in. About midnight a large whale floated calmly alongside,
+not forty yards from our little schooner, and we trembled to think what
+would happen if it was at all inclined to be playful. We whistled all
+the next day for a breeze, but our efforts were not a success until
+toward evening, when we were rewarded in a very liberal manner, and
+arrived after dark at the village of Cawa Lailai, [1] on the island
+of Koro. On our landing quite a crowd of wild-looking men and women,
+all clad only in sulus, met us on the beach. Although it is a large
+island, there is only one white man on it, and he far away from here,
+so no doubt I was an interesting object. I put up at the hut of the
+"Buli" or village chief, and after eating a dish of smoking yams, I was
+soon asleep, in spite of the mosquitoes. It dawned a lovely morning and
+I was soon afoot to view my surroundings. It was a beautiful village,
+surrounded by pretty woods on all sides, and I saw and heard plenty
+of noisy crimson and green parrots everywhere. I also learnt that
+a few days previously there had been a wholesale marriage ceremony,
+when nearly all the young men and women had been joined in matrimony.
+
+Taking a guide with me, I walked across the island till I came to the
+village of Nabuna, [2] on the other coast, the _Lurline_ meanwhile
+sailing around the island. It was a hard walk, up steep hills and down
+narrow gorges, and then latterly along the coast beneath the shade
+of the coconuts. Fijian bridges are bad things to cross, being long
+trunks of trees smoothed off on the surface and sometimes very narrow,
+and I generally had to negotiate them by sitting astride and working
+myself along with my hands. In the village of Nabuna lived the wife
+and four daughters of the Samoan captain. He told me he had had five
+wives before, and when I asked if they were all dead, he replied that
+they were still alive, but he had got rid of them as they were no good.
+
+The daughters were all very pretty girls, especially the youngest, a
+little girl of nine years old. I always think that the little Samoan
+girls, with their long wavy black hair, are among the prettiest
+children in the world.
+
+We had an excellent supper of native oysters, freshwater prawns and
+eels, fish, chicken, and many other native dishes. That evening
+a big Fijian dance ("meke-meke"), was given in my honour. Two of
+the captain's daughters took part in it. The girls sit down all the
+time in a row, and wave their hands and arms about and sing in a low
+key and in frightful discord. It does not in any way come up to the
+very pretty "siva-siva" dancing of the Samoans, and the Fiji dance
+lacks variety. There is a continual accompaniment of beating with
+sticks on a piece of wood. All the girls decorate themselves with
+coloured leaves, and their bodies, arms and legs glisten as in Samoa
+with coconut-oil, really a very clean custom in these hot countries,
+though it does not look prepossessing. Our two Samoans in the crew were
+most amusing; they came in dressed up only in leaves, and took off
+the Fijians to perfection with the addition of numerous extravagant
+gestures. I laughed till my sides ached, but the Fijians never even
+smiled. However, our Samoans gave them a bit of Samoan "siva-siva"
+and plenty of Samoan songs, and it was amusing to see the interest
+the Fijians took in them. It was, of course, all new to them. I drank
+plenty of "angona," that evening. It is offered you in a different way
+in Samoa. In Fiji, the man or girl, who hands you the coconut-shell
+cup on bended knee, crouches at your feet till you have finished. In
+Fijian villages a sort of crier or herald goes round the houses every
+night crying the orders for the next day in a loud resonant voice, and
+at once all talking ceases in the hut outside which he happens to be.
+
+The next two days it blew a regular hurricane, and the captain dared
+not venture out to sea, our schooner lying safely at anchor inside the
+coral reef. I have not space to describe my stay here, but it proved
+most enjoyable, and the captain's pretty Samoan daughters gave several
+"meke-mekes" (Fijian dances) in my honour, and plenty of "angona"
+was indulged in, and what with feasts, native games and first-class
+fishing inside the coral reef, the time passed all too quickly. I
+called on the "Buli" or village chief, with the captain. He was a
+boy of fifteen, and seemed a very bashful youth.
+
+We sailed again about five a.m. on the third morning, as the storm
+seemed to be dying down and the captain was anxious to get on. We
+had not gone far, however, before the gale increased in fury until it
+turned into a regular hurricane. First our foresheet was carried away;
+this was followed by our staysail, and things began to look serious,
+in fact, most unpleasantly so. The captain almost seemed to lose his
+head, and cursed loud and long. He declared that he had been a fool
+to put out to sea before the storm had gone down, and the _Lurline,_
+being an old boat, could not possibly last in such a storm, and
+added that we should all be drowned. This was not pleasant news,
+and as the cabin was already half-full of water, and we expected
+each moment to be our last, I remained on deck for ten weary hours,
+clinging like grim death to the ropes, while heavy seas dashed over
+me, raking the little schooner fore and aft.
+
+Toward evening, however, the wind subsided considerably, which enabled
+us to get into the calm waters of the Somo-somo Channel between the
+islands of Vanua Levu and Taviuni.
+
+The wreckage was put to rights temporarily, the Samoans, who had
+previously made up their minds that they were going to be drowned,
+burst forth into their native songs, and we broke our long fast
+of twenty-four hours, as we had eaten nothing since the previous
+evening. It was an experience I am not likely to forget, as it was the
+worst storm I have ever been in, if I except the terrible typhoon of
+October, 1903, off Japan, when I was wrecked and treated as a Russian
+spy. On this occasion a large Japanese fishing fleet was entirely
+destroyed. I was, of course, soaked to the skin and got badly bruised,
+and was once all but washed overboard, one of the Fijians catching
+hold of me in the nick of time. We cast anchor for the night, though
+we had only a few miles yet to go, but this short distance took us
+eight or nine hours next day, as this channel is nearly always calm. We
+had light variable breezes, and tacked repeatedly, but gained ground
+slowly. These waters seemed full of large turtles, and we passed them
+in great numbers. We overhauled a large schooner, and on hailing them,
+the captain, a white man, came on deck. He would hardly believe that
+we had been all through the storm. He said that he had escaped most of
+it by getting inside the coral reef round Vanua Levu, but even during
+the short time he had been out in the storm, he had had to throw the
+greater part of his cargo overboard. From the way he spoke, he had
+evidently been drinking, possibly trying to forget his lost cargo.
+
+Before I left Fiji I heard that the _Lurline_ had gone to her last
+berth. She was driven on to a coral reef in a bad storm off the coast
+of Taviuni. The captain seemed to stand in much fear of Ratu Lala. He
+told me many thrilling yarns about him; said he robbed his people
+badly, and added that he did not think that I would get on well with
+him, and would soon be anxious to leave.
+
+I landed at the large village of Somo-somo, glad to be safely on _terra
+firma_ once more. It was a pretty village, with a large mountain
+torrent dashing over the rocks in the middle of it. The huts were
+dotted about irregularly on a natural grass lawn, and large trees,
+clumps of bamboo, coconuts, bread-fruit trees, and bright-coloured
+"crotons" added a great deal to the picturesqueness of the village. At
+the back the wooded hills towered up to a height of nearly 4,000 feet,
+and white streaks amid the mountain woods showed where many a fine
+waterfall tumbled over rocky precipices.
+
+Ratu Lala lived in a wooden house, built for him (as "Roko" for
+Taviuni), by the government, on the top of a hill overlooking the
+village, and thither on landing I at once made my way. I found the
+Prince slowly recovering from an attack of fever, and lying on a heap
+of mats (which formed his bed) on the floor of his own private room,
+which, however, greatly resembled an old curiosity shop. Everything
+was in great disorder, and piles of London Graphics and other papers
+littered the ground, and on the tables were piled indiscriminately
+clocks, flasks, silver cups, fishing rods, guns, musical boxes, and
+numerous other articles which I discovered later on were presents
+from high officials and other Europeans, and which he did not know
+what to do with. Nearly every window in the house had a pane of glass
+[3] broken, the floors were devoid of mats or carpets, and in places
+were rotten and full of holes. This will give some idea of the state
+of chaos that reigned in the Prince's "palace."
+
+Ratu Lala himself was a tall, broad-shouldered man of about forty, his
+hair slightly grey, with a bristly moustache and a very long sloping
+forehead. Though dignified, he wore an extremely fierce expression,
+so much so that I instinctively felt his subjects had good cause to
+treat him with the respect and fear that I had heard they gave him. He
+belongs to the Fijian royal family, and though he does not rank as
+high as his cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, whom I also visited at Bau,
+he is infinitely more powerful, and owns more territory. His father
+was evidently a "much married man" since Ratu Lala himself told me
+that he had had "exactly three hundred wives." But in spite of this
+he had been a man of prowess, as the Fijians count it, and I received
+as a present from Ratu Lala a very heavy hardwood war-club that had
+once belonged to his father, and which, he assured me, had killed a
+great many people. Ratu Lala also told me that he himself had offered
+to furnish one hundred warriors to help the British during the last
+Egyptian war, but that the government had declined his offer. One of
+the late Governors of Fiji, Sir John Thurston, was once his guardian
+and, godfather. He was educated for two years in Sydney, Australia,
+and spoke English well, though in a very thick voice. Not only does
+he hold sway over the island of Taviuni, but also over some smaller
+islands and part of the large island of Vanua Levu. He also holds
+the rank of "Roko" from the government, for which he is well paid.
+
+After reading my letter of introduction he asked me to stay as long
+as I liked, and he called his head servant and told him to find me
+a room. This servant's name was Tolu, and as he spoke English fairly
+well, I soon learned a great deal about Ratu Lala and his people.
+
+Ratu Lala was married to a very high-caste lady who was closely related
+to the King of Tonga, and several of whose relatives accompanied us
+on our expeditions. By her he had two small children named Tersi (boy)
+and Moe (girl), both of whom, during my stay (as will hereafter appear)
+were sent to school at Suva, amid great lamentations on the part of
+the women of Ratu Lala's household. Two months before my visit Ratu
+Lala had lost his eldest daughter (by his Tongan wife). She was twelve
+years old, and a favourite of his, and her grave was on a bluff below
+the house, under a kind of tent, hung round with fluttering pieces
+of "tapa" cloth. Spread over it was a kind of gravel of bright green
+Stones which he had had brought from a long distance. Little Moe and
+Tersi were always very interested in watching me skin my birds, and
+their exclamation of what sounded like "Esa!" ("Oh look!") showed their
+enjoyment. They were two of the prettiest little children I think I
+have ever seen, but they did not know a word of English, and called me
+"Misi Walk." They and their mother always took their meals sitting on
+mats in the verandah. Ratu Lala had two grown-up daughters by other
+wives, but they never came to the house, living in an adjoining hut
+where I often joined them at a game of cards. They were both very
+stately and beautiful young women, with a haughty bearing which made
+me imagine that they were filled with a sense of their own importance.
+
+As is well known all over Fiji, Ratu Lala, a few years before my stay
+with him, had been deported in disgrace for a term of several months,
+to the island of Viti Levu, where he would be under the paternal eye
+of the government. This was because he had punished a woman, who had
+offended him, by pegging her down on an ants' nest, first smearing
+her all over with honey, so that the ants would the more readily eat
+her. [4] She recovered afterwards, but was badly eaten. As regards
+his punishment, he told me that he greatly enjoyed his exile, as he
+had splendid fishing, and some of the white people sent him champagne.
+
+His people were terribly afraid of him, and whenever they passed him
+as he sat on his verandah, they would almost go down on all fours. He
+told me how on one occasion when he was sitting on the upper verandah
+of the Club Hotel in Suva with two of his servants squatting near by,
+the whisky he had drunk had made him feel so sleepy, that he nearly
+fell into the street below, but his servants dared not lay hands on him
+to pull him back into safety, as his body was considered sacred by his
+people, and they dared not touch him. He declared to me that he would
+have been killed if a white man had not arrived just in time. He was
+very fond of telling me this story, and always laughed heartily over
+it. I noticed that Ratu Lala's servants treated me with a great deal
+of respect, and whenever they passed me in the house they would walk
+in a crouching attitude, with their heads almost touching the ground.
+
+Ratu Lala's cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, is a very enthusiastic
+cricketer, and has a very good cricket club with a pavilion at his
+island of Bau. He plays many matches against the white club in Suva,
+and only last year he took an eleven over to Australia to tour that
+country. I learned that previous to my visit he had paid a visit
+to Ratu Lala, and while there had got up a match at Somo-somo in
+which he induced Ratu Lala to play, but on Ratu Lala being given
+out first ball for nought, he (Ratu Lala) pulled up the stumps and
+carried them off the ground, and henceforth forbade any of his people
+to play the game on the island of Taviuni. I was not aware of this,
+and as I had brought a bat and ball with me, I got up several games
+shortly after my arrival. However, one evening all refused to play,
+but gave no reasons for their refusal, but Tolu told me that his
+master did not like to have them play. Then I learned the reason, and
+from that time I noticed a decided coolness on the part of Ratu Lala
+toward me. The fact, no doubt, is that Ratu Lala being exceptionally
+keen on sport, this very keenness made him impatient of defeat, or
+even of any question as to a possible want of success on his part,
+as I afterwards learnt on our expedition to Ngamia.
+
+I intended upon leaving Taviuni to return to Levuka, and from thence
+go by cutter to the island of Vanua Levu, and journey up the Wainunu
+River, plans which I ultimately carried out. Ratu Lala, however,
+wished me to proceed in his boat straight across to the island of
+Vanua Levu, and walk across a long stretch of very rough country to
+the Wainunu River. My only objection was that I had a large and heavy
+box, which I told Ratu Lala I thought was too large to be carried
+across country. He at once flew into a violent passion and declared
+that I spoke as if I considered he was no prince. "For," said he,
+"if ten of my subjects cannot carry your box I command one hundred
+to do so, and if one hundred of my subjects cannot carry your box
+I tell fifteen thousand of my subjects to do so." When I tried to
+picture fifteen thousand Fijians carrying my wretched box, it was
+altogether too much for my sense of humour, and I burst forth into
+a hearty roar of laughter, which so incensed the Prince that he shut
+himself up in his own room during the few remaining days of my stay.
+
+He had a musical box, which he was very fond of, and he had a man to
+keep it going at all hours of the day and night. It played four tunes,
+among them "The Village Blacksmith," "Strolling 'Round the Town," and
+"Who'll Buy my Herrings" till at times they nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I wanted to write or sleep. Night after night the
+tunes followed each other in regular routine till I thought I should
+get them on the brain. How he could stand it was a puzzle to me,
+especially as he had possessed it for many years. I often blessed
+the European who gave it him, and wished he could take my place.
+
+Whenever a man wished to speak to Ratu Lala he would crouch at his
+feet and softly clap his hands, and sometimes Ratu Lala would wait
+several minutes before he deigned to notice him.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+My Further Adventures with Ratu Lala.
+
+    Fijian Huts--Abundance of Game and Fish--Methods of Capture--A
+    Fijian Practical Joke--Fijian Feasts--Fun after Dinner--A Court
+    Jester in Fiji--Drinking, Dress, and Methods of Mourning--A
+    Bride's Ringlets--Expedition to Vuna--Tersi and Moe Journey to
+    School--Their Love of Sweets--Rough Reception of Visitors to
+    Vuna--Wonderful Fish Caught--Exhibition of Surf-board Swimming by
+    Women--Impressive Midnight Row back to Taviuni--A Fijian Farewell.
+
+
+In comparison with Samoan huts, the Fijian huts were very comfortable,
+though they are not half as airy, Samoan huts being very open; but in
+most of the Fijian huts I visited the only openings were the doors,
+and, as can be imagined, the interior was rather dark and gloomy. In
+shape they greatly resembled a haystack, the sides being composed of
+grass or bunches of leaves, more often the latter. They are generally
+built on a platform of rocks, with doors upon two or more sides,
+according to the size of the hut; and a sloping sort of rough plank
+with notches on it leads from the ground to each door. In the interior,
+the sides of the walls are often beautifully lined with the stems of
+reeds, fashioned very neatly, and in some cases in really artistic
+patterns, and tied together with thin ropes of coconut fibre, dyed
+various colours, and often ornamented with rows of large white cowry
+shells. The floor of these huts is much like a springy mattress,
+being packed to a depth of several feet with palm and other leaves,
+and on the top are strips of native mats permanently fastened, whereas
+in Samoa the floor is made up of small pieces of brittle white coral,
+over which are loose mats, which can be moved at will. In Fijian
+huts there is always a sort of raised platform at one end of the hut,
+on which are piles of the best native mats, and, being the guest, I
+generally got this to myself. The roof inside is very finely thatched,
+the beams being of "Niu sau," a native palm, [5] the cross-pieces and
+main supports being enormous bits of hard wood. The smaller supports of
+the sides are generally the trunks of tree-ferns. The doors in most of
+the huts are a strip of native matting or fantastically-painted "tapa"
+cloth, fastened to two posts a few feet inside the hut. In some huts
+there are small openings in the walls which answer for windows. The
+hearth was generally near one of the doors in the centre of the hut,
+and fire was produced by rubbing a piece of hard wood on a larger
+piece of soft wood, and working it up and down in a groove till a
+spark was produced. I have myself successfully employed this method
+when out shooting green pigeon ("rupe") in the mountains.
+
+With regard to food, I at first fared very well, although we had our
+meals at all hours, as Ratu Lala was very irregular in his habits. Our
+chief food was turtle. We had it so often that I soon loathed the
+taste of it. The turtles, when brought up from the sea were laid
+on their backs under a tree close by the house, and there the poor
+brutes were left for days together. Ratu Lala's men often brought in
+a live wild pig, which they captured with the aid of their dogs. At
+other times they would run them down and spear them; this was hard
+and exciting work, as I myself found on several occasions that I went
+pig hunting. One of the most remarkable things that I saw in Taviuni,
+from a sporting point of view, was the heart of a wild pig, which,
+when killed, was found to have lived with the broken point of a
+wooden spear fully four inches in length buried in the very centre
+of its heart. It had evidently lived for many years afterwards,
+and a curious kind of growth had formed round the point.
+
+As for other game, every time I went out in the mountain woods I had
+splendid sport with the wild chickens or jungle fowl and pigeons,
+and I would often return with my guide bearing a long pole loaded
+at both ends with the birds I had shot. The pigeons, which were
+large birds, settled on the tops of the tallest trees and made a
+very peculiar kind of growling noise. Many years ago (as Ratu Lala
+told me) the natives of Taviuni had been in the habit of catching
+great quantities of pigeons by means of large nets suspended from
+the trees. The chickens would generally get up like a pheasant,
+and it was good sport taking a snap shot at an old cock bird on
+the wing. It was curious to hear them crowing away in the depths of
+the forest, and at first I kept imagining that I was close to some
+village. I also obtained some good duck shooting on a lake high up in
+the mountains, and Ratu Lala described to me what must be a species
+of apteryx, or wingless bird (like the Kiwi of New Zealand), which
+he said was found in the mountains and lived in holes in the ground,
+but I never came across it, though I had many a weary search. Ratu
+Lala also assured me that the wild chickens were indigenous in Fiji,
+and were not descended from the domestic fowl. We had plenty of fish,
+both salt and fresh water, and the mountain streams were full of
+large fish, which Ratu Lala, who is a keen fisherman, caught with
+the fly or grasshoppers. He sometimes caught over one hundred in
+a day, some of them over three pounds in weight. The streams were
+also full of huge eels and large prawns, and a kind of oyster was
+abundant in the sea, so what with wild pig, wild chickens, pigeons,
+turtles, oysters, prawns, crabs, eels, and fish of infinite variety,
+we fared exceedingly well. Oranges, lemons, limes, large shaddocks,
+"kavika," and other wild fruits were plentiful everywhere.
+
+During my stay here in August and September the climate was delightful,
+and it was remarkably cool for the tropics. I often accompanied Ratu
+Lala on his fishing excursions, and he would often recount to me
+many of his escapades. On one occasion he told me that he had put
+a fish-hook through the lip of his jester, a little old man of the
+name of Stivani, and played him about with rod and reel like a fish,
+and had made him swim about in the water until he had tired him out,
+and then he added, "I landed the finest fish I ever got."
+
+I added a good many interesting birds to my collection during my stay
+here, among them a dove of intense orange colour, one of the most
+striking birds I have ever seen. Plant life here was exceedingly
+beautiful and interesting, especially high up in the mountains,
+palms, _pandanus,_ cycads, crotons, _acalyphas, loranths,_ aroids,
+_freycinetias,_ ferns and orchids being strongly represented, and
+among the latter may be mentioned a fine orange _dendrobium_ and a pink
+_calanthe._ I found in flower a celebrated creeper, which Ratu Lala had
+told me to look out for. It had very showy red, white and blue flowers,
+and in the old days Ratu Lala told me that the Tongan people would
+come over in their canoes all the way from the Tonga Islands, nearly
+four hundred miles away, simply to get this flower for their dances,
+and when gathered, it would last a very long time without fading. I
+tried to learn the traditions about this flower, but Ratu Lala either
+did not know of any or else he was not anxious to tell me about them.
+
+The coastal natives, like most South Sea Islanders, were splendid
+swimmers, but, so far as I was concerned, it was dangerous work bathing
+in the sea here, as man-eating sharks were very numerous, and during my
+stay I saw a Fijian carried ashore with both his legs bitten clean off.
+
+Usually, when out on expeditions, we occupied the "Buli's" hut and
+lived on the fat of the land. At meal times quite a procession of men
+and women, glistening all over with coconut oil, would enter our hut
+bearing all sorts of native food, including fish in great variety,
+yams, octopus, turtle, sucking-pig, chicken, prawns, etc. They were
+brought in on banana and other large leaves, and we, of course, ate
+them with our fingers. Good as the food undoubtedly was, I was always
+glad when the meal was over, as it is very far from comfortable to
+sit with your legs doubled up under you. Afterwards I could hardly
+stand up straight, owing to cramp. I found it especially trying in
+Samoa, where one had to sit in this manner for hours during feasts,
+"kava"-drinking and "siva-sivas" (dances). Sometimes a glistening
+damsel would fan us with a large fan made out of the leaf of a fan
+palm, [6] which at times got rather in the way. I never got waited
+on better in my life. Directly I had finished one course a dozen
+girls were ready to hand me other dishes, and when I wanted a drink
+a girl immediately handed me a cup made out of the half-shell of a
+coconut filled with a kind of soup. We generally had an audience of
+fully fifty people, and when we had finished eating, a wooden bowl of
+water was handed to us in which to wash our hands. Ratu Lala would
+generally hand the bowl to me first, and I would wash my hands in
+silence, but directly he started to wash his hands, everyone present,
+including chiefs and attendants, would start clapping their hands
+in even time, then one man would utter a deep and prolonged "Ah-h,"
+when the crowd would all shout together what sounded like "Ai on
+dwah," followed by more even clapping. I never learned what the
+words meant. In this respect Ratu Lala was most curiously secretive,
+and always evaded questions. Whenever he took a drink, a clapping of
+hands made me aware of the fact.
+
+One day, when they had chanted after a meal as usual, Ratu Lala turned
+around to me and mimicked the way his jester or clown repeated it,
+and there was a general laugh. This jester, whose name was Stivani,
+was a little old man who was also jester to Ratu Lala's father. Ratu
+Lala had given him the nickname of "Punch," and made him do all sorts
+of ridiculous things--sing and dance and go through various contortions
+dressed up in bunches of "croton" leaves. He kept us all much amused,
+and was the life and soul of our party, but at times I caught the old
+fellow looking very weary and sad, as if he was tired of his office
+as jester.
+
+The "angona" root (_Piper methysticum_) is first generally pounded,
+but is sometimes grated, and more rarely chewed by young maidens. It
+is then mixed with water in a large wooden bowl, and the remains of
+the root drawn out with a bunch of fibrous material. It is then ready
+for drinking.
+
+On gala and festal occasions the Fijians were wonderfully and
+fantastically dressed up, their huge heads of hair thickly covered with
+a red or yellow powder, and they themselves wearing large skirts or
+"sulus" of coloured "tapa" and _pandanus_ ribbons and necklaces of
+coloured seeds, shells, and pigs'-tusks. In out-of-the-way parts the
+"sulus" are still made of "tapa" cloth, and the women sometimes wear
+small fibrous aprons. They also often wear wild pigs'-tusks round
+their necks.
+
+I noticed that many Fijian women were tattooed on the hands and arms,
+and at each corner of the mouth (a deep blue colour). Both men and
+women gave themselves severe wounds about the body, generally as a sign
+of grief on the death of some near relative. I once noticed a young
+girl of sixteen or seventeen with a very bad unhealed wound below
+one of her breasts, which was self-inflicted. Her father, a chief,
+had died only a short time previously. They often also cut off the
+little finger for similar reasons. Like the Samoans, the Fijians often
+cover their hair with white lime, and the effect of the sun bleaches
+the hair and changes it from black to a light gold or brown colour.
+
+A marriageable young lady in Fiji would generally have a great
+quantity of long braided ringlets hanging down on _one_ side of her
+head. This looked odd, considering that the rest of her hair was
+erect or frizzly. It was a great insult to have these ringlets cut. I
+heard of it once being done by a white planter, and great trouble
+and fighting were the result.
+
+I accompanied Ratu Lala on several expeditions to various parts
+of the island, and we also visited several smaller islands within
+his dominions. On these occasions we always took possession of the
+"Buli's," or village chief's, hut, turning him out, and feeding on
+all the delicacies the village could produce. After we had practically
+eaten them out of house and home we would move on and take possession
+of another village. The inhabitants did not seem to mind this; in fact,
+they seemed to enjoy our visit, as it was an excuse for big feasts,
+"meke-mekes" (dances) and "angona" drinking.
+
+One of the most enjoyable expeditions that I made with Ratu Lala
+was to Vuna, about twenty miles away to the south. A small steamer,
+the _Kia Ora,_ which made periodical visits to the island to collect
+the government taxes in copra, arrived one day in the bay. Ratu Lala
+thought this would be a good opportunity for us to make a fishing
+expedition to Vuna. We went on board the steamer while our large boat
+was towed behind.
+
+At the same time Ratu Lala's two little children, Moe and Tersi,
+started off, in charge of Ratu Lala's Tongan wife and other women,
+to be educated in Suva. It was the first time they had ever left home,
+but I agreed with Ratu Lala, that it was time they went, as they did
+not know a word of English, and, for the matter of that, neither did
+his Tongan wife. When we all arrived at the beach to get into the
+boat, we found a large crowd, chiefly women, sitting on the ground,
+and as Ratu Lala walked past them, they greeted him with a kind of
+salutation which they chanted as with one voice. I several times
+asked him what it meant, but he always evaded the question somehow,
+and seemed too modest to tell me. I came to the conclusion that it
+ran something like "Hail, most noble prince, live for ever." The
+next minute all the women started to howl as if at a given signal,
+and they looked pictures of misery. Several of them waded out into
+the sea and embraced little Tersi and Moe. This soon set the children
+crying as well, so that I almost began to fear that the combined tears
+would sink our boat. Their old grandmother waded out into the sea
+up to her neck and stayed there, and we could hear her howling long
+after we had got on board the steamer. When we got into Ratu Lala's
+boat at Vuna there was another very affecting farewell. Some months
+later when I returned to Suva, I asked a young chief, Ratu Pope,
+to show me where they were at school, and I found them at a small
+kindergarten for the children of the Europeans in Suva.
+
+They seemed quite glad to see their old friend again, and still more
+so when I promised to bring them some lollies (the term used for
+sweets in Australasia) that afternoon.
+
+When I returned I witnessed a pretty and interesting sight The two
+little children were standing out in the school yard while several
+Fijian men and women of noble families who had been paying the little
+prince and princess a visit, were just taking their leave. It was a
+curious sight to see these old people go in turn up to these two little
+mites and go down on their knees and kiss their little hands reverently
+in silence. All this homage seemed to bore the small high-born ones,
+and hardly was the ceremony over when they caught sight of me, and,
+rushing toward me with cries of "Misi Walk siandra, lollies," they
+nearly knocked over some of their visitors, who no doubt were greatly
+scandalized at such undignified behaviour.
+
+To return to our visit to Vuna. Sometime previously, Ratu Lala had
+warned me that whenever he landed at this place with a visitor it
+was an old custom for the women to catch the visitor and throw him
+into the sea from the top of a small rocky cliff. To this I raised
+serious objections, but arrayed myself in very old thin clothes
+ready for the fray. However, upon landing, very much on the alert,
+I was agreeably surprised to find that the women left me alone. Yet in
+part Ratu Lala's story was true, as he assured me that quite recently
+he had been forced to put a stop to the custom, as one of his last
+visitors was a European of much importance who was greatly incensed
+at such treatment, and complained to the government, who told Ratu
+Lala that the custom must end.
+
+We came to fish, and fish we did, just off the coral reef, but
+it would take space to describe even one-half of the curious and
+beautiful fish we caught. When I took the lead in the number of
+fish caught, Ratu Lala seemed greatly annoyed, and I was not sorry
+to let him get ahead, when he was soon in a good temper again. The
+Fijians generally fished with nets and a many-pronged fish-spear,
+with which they are very expert, and I saw them do wonderful work
+with them. They also used long wicker-work traps. Ratu Lala, on the
+contrary, being half-civilized, used an English rod and reel or line
+like a white man. Ratu Lala told the women here to give an exhibition
+of surf-board swimming for my benefit. As they rode into shore on the
+crest of a wave I many times expected to see them dashed against the
+rocks which fringed the coast. I had seen the natives in Hawaii perform
+seventeen years before, but it was tame in comparison to the wonderful
+performances of these Fijian women on this dangerous rock-girt coast.
+
+A great many "meke-mekes" or dances were got up in our honour, but Ratu
+Lala detested them, and rarely attended, but preferred staying in the
+"Buli's" hut, lying on the floor smoking or sleeping. He, however,
+always begged me to attend them in his place. After a time I found the
+performances rather wearisome, and not nearly so varied and interesting
+as the "siva-sivas" in Samoa. There the girls sang in soft, pleasing
+voices, the words being full of liquid vowels. Here in Fiji the singing
+was harsh and discordant, as k's and r's abound in the language.
+
+When it came to the ceremony of drinking "angona" I worthily did
+my part of the performance. Drinking "angona" is a taste not easily
+acquired, but when one has once got used to it, there is not a more
+refreshing drink, and I speak from long experience. In Fiji I was
+often presented with a large "angona" root, but it would be considered
+exceedingly bad form did you not return it to the giver and tell him
+to have it at once prepared for himself and his people, you yourself,
+of course, taking part in the drinking ceremony.
+
+After a stay of several days at Vuna we rowed back by night. It was
+a perfect, calm night, and with the full moon, was almost as bright
+as day. We rowed all the way close to shore, passing under the gloomy
+shade of dense forests or by countless coconuts, the only sound besides
+the plash of our oars being the cry of water fowl or some night bird,
+while the light beetles [7] flashed their green lights against the
+dark background of the forest, looking much like falling stars. There
+are certain moments in life that have made a lasting impression on me,
+and that moonlight row was one of them.
+
+We made several expeditions together that were every bit as interesting
+and enjoyable as the one to Vuna. On one occasion we visited the north
+part of the island, as well as Ngamia and other islands. We rowed
+nearly all the way close into shore and saw plenty of turtles. Ratu
+Lala started to troll with live bait, as we had come across several
+women fishing with nets, and on our approach they chanted out a
+greeting to Ratu Lala, and in return he helped himself to a lot of
+their fish. Ratu Lala had fully a dozen large fish after his bait,
+and some he hooked for a few seconds. This only made him the keener,
+and after leaving the calm Somo-somo Channel, although we encountered
+a very rough sea, he had the sail hoisted and we travelled at a great
+rate in and out amongst a lot of rocky islets, shipping any amount of
+water which soaked us and our baggage, and half-filled the boat. I
+expected we should be swamped every moment, and from the frightened
+looks of our crew I knew they expected the same thing. Hence, I was
+not reassured when Ratu Lala remarked that it was in just such a sea,
+and in the same place, that he lost his schooner (which the government
+had given him) and that on that occasion he and all his crew remained
+in the water for five hours. When I explained that I had no wish to be
+upset, he said, "I suppose you can swim?" I said "Yes! but I do not
+wish to lose my gun and other property," to which he replied, "Well,
+I lost more than that when my schooner went down." I was therefore
+not a little relieved when he had the sail lowered. He explained that
+he never liked being beaten, even if he drowned us all, and all this
+was because I had bet him one shilling (by his own desire) that he
+would not get a fish. I mention this to show what foolhardy things
+he was capable of doing, never thinking of the consequences. I could
+mention many such cases. We at length came to some shallows between
+a lot of small and most picturesque islands, and as it was low tide,
+and we could not pass, we, viz., Ratu Lala, myself, and the other
+chiefs, got out to walk, leaving the boat and crew to come on when
+they could (they arrived at 4 a.m. the next morning). I was glad to
+get an opportunity to dry myself, and we started off at a good rate
+for our destination, but unfortunately we came to a spot where grew
+a small weed that the Fijians consider a great luxury when cooked,
+and Ratu Lala and his people stayed here fully two hours, till they
+had picked all the weed in sight, in spite of the heavy rain. It
+was amusing to see all these high-caste Fijians and old Stivani, the
+jester, running to and fro with yells of delight like so many children,
+all on account of a weed which I myself afterwards failed to enjoy.
+
+On the way I shot three duck, and later, when it was too dark to shoot,
+we could see the beach between the mangroves and the sea was almost
+black with them. On the other side of us there was a regular chorus of
+wild chickens crowing and pigeons "howling" in the woods. After four
+hours' hard walking we arrived at our destination, Qelani, long after
+dark, dead tired, and soaked to the skin. We put up at the "Buli's"
+hut; he was a cousin of Ratu Lala, and was a hideous and sulky-looking
+fellow, but his hut was one of the finest and neatest I had seen in
+Fiji. As I literally had not had a mouthful of food since the previous
+evening, I was glad when about a dozen women entered bearing banana
+leaves covered with yams, fish, octopus, chickens, etc. We stayed here
+some days, but we had miserable, wet weather. There was excellent
+fishing in the stream here, and Ratu Lala especially had very good
+sport. Many of the fish averaged one-and-a-half pounds and more, but
+he told me that they often run to five pounds. There were three kinds,
+and all excellent eating. The commonest was a beautiful silvery fish,
+and another was of a golden colour with bright red stripes. During the
+latter part of my stay in Qelani I suffered from a slight attack of
+dysentery, and it was dull lying ill on the floor of a native hut with
+no one to talk to, as Ratu Lala always tried to avoid speaking English
+whenever possible, and would often only reply in monosyllables. It
+would often seem as if he were annoyed at something, but I found that
+he did this to all white men, and meant nothing by it. I soon cured
+myself by eating a lot of raw leaves of some bush plant, also a great
+quantity of native arrow-root.
+
+In spite of my sickness I managed to shoot a fair number of duck,
+wild chickens and pigeon, and also a few birds for my collection. One
+day, in spite of the rain, I was rowed over to Ngamia, which is
+a wonderfully beautiful island, about three hours from Qelani. It
+was thickly covered with a fine cycad which grows amongst the rocks
+overhanging the sea. The natives call it "loga-loga," [8] and eat the
+fruit. I landed and botanized a bit, finding some new and interesting
+plants, and then rowed on a few miles to call on the only white man
+on the island, an Australian named Mitchell, who has a large coconut
+property. He was astonished and pleased to see me, and introduced me
+to his Fijian wife, and his two pretty half-caste daughters soon got
+together a good breakfast for me. He seemed glad to see a white man
+again, and nearly talked my head off, and was full of anecdotes about
+the fighting they had with the Fijian cannibals in 1876. He told me
+that in the last great hurricane his house was blown over on to a
+small island which he owned nearly half-a-mile away.
+
+To describe all the incidents of my long visit would fill a book,
+but I think I have written enough to show what a very interesting
+time I spent with this Fijian Prince. It was without doubt one of
+the most curious experiences of all my travels in different parts
+of the globe. With all his faults, Ratu Lala was a good fellow, and
+he certainly was a sportsman. All Fiji knows his failings, otherwise
+I should not have alluded to them. The old blood of the Fijians ran
+in his veins, his ancestors were kings who had been used to command
+and to tyrannise; therefore he could never see any harm in the many
+stories of his escapades that he told me, and he seemed much offended
+and surprised when I advised him not to talk about them to other
+Europeans. When I started off to Levuka I was greatly surprised to
+see all the women of Somo-somo sitting on the beach waiting to see me
+depart, and as I walked down alone they greeted me in much the same
+way as they often greeted Ratu Lala, in a kind of chanting shout that
+sounded most effective. It was a Fijian farewell!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART II
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+    Journey into the Interior of Great Fiji--A Guide Secured--The
+    Start--Arrival at Navua--Extraction of Sago--Grandeur of
+    Scenery--A Man covered with Monkey-like Hair--A Strangely Coloured
+    Parrot--Wild Lemon and Shaddock Trees--A Tropical "Yosemite
+    Valley"--Handclapping as a Native Form of Salute--Beauty of
+    Namosi--The Visitor inspected by ex-Cannibals--Reversion to
+    Cannibalism only prevented by fear of the Government--A Man who
+    would like to Eat my Parrot "and the White Man too"--The Scene
+    of Former Cannibal Feasts--Revolting Accounts of Cannibalism as
+    Formerly Practised--Sporadic Cases in Recent Years--An Instance
+    of Unconscious Cannibalism by a White--Reception at Villages _en
+    route_--Masirewa Upset--Descent of Rapids--Dramatic Arrival at
+    Natondre ("Fallen from the Skies").
+
+
+Toward the end of my stay in the Fijian Islands I determined to make
+a journey far into the interior of Viti Levu (Great Fiji), the largest
+island of the great Fijian archipelago. Suva, the chief town in Fiji,
+and the headquarters of the government, is on this island, but very few
+Europeans travel far beyond the coast, and my friends in Suva declared
+that I would have a fit of repentance before I had travelled very far,
+as the interior of the island is extremely mountainous and rough. After
+a great deal of trouble I managed to get an interpreter named Masirewa,
+who came from the small island of Bau. He was a fine-looking fellow,
+and, like most Fijians, possessed a tremendous mop of hair. His stock
+of English was limited, and we often misunderstood each other, but he
+proved a most amusing companion, if only on account of his unlimited
+"cheek."
+
+I ought here to mention that Fijians vary a great deal, both in colour
+and language. Fiji is the part of the Pacific where various types meet,
+viz., Papuan, Malayan, and Polynesian. The mountaineers around Namosi,
+which I visited, who were all cannibals twenty-five years ago, are
+much darker in colour than the coast natives, and they are undoubtedly
+of Papuan origin.
+
+I left Suva with Masirewa on the morning of October 12th, and after
+a short sea voyage of three or four hours on a small steam launch,
+we arrived at the village of Navua. I had a letter to Mr. McOwan,
+the government commissioner for that district. He put me up for the
+night, and we played several games of tennis, and my stay, though
+short, was an exceedingly pleasant one. The whites in Fiji are the
+most hospitable people in the world. They are of the old _régime_
+that is dying out fast everywhere.
+
+The next day I set out on my journey into the interior, Masirewa and
+another Fijian carrying my baggage (which was wrapped up in waterproof
+cloth) on a long bamboo pole. We followed the course of the Navua River
+for some distance. In the swamps bordering the river grew quantities
+of a variety of sago palm (_Sagus vitiensis_) called by the natives
+Songo. They extract the sago from the trunk, and the palm always dies
+after flowering. After passing through about four miles of sugar cane,
+with small villages of the Indian coolies who work in the cane fields,
+we left behind us the last traces of civilization. We next came to
+a very beautiful bit of hilly country, densely wooded on the hills,
+though bordering the broad gravelly beaches of the river were long
+stretches of beautiful grassy pastures. Darkness set in as we ascended
+some thickly wooded hills. The atmosphere was damp and close, and
+mosquitoes plentiful, and small phosphorescent lumps seemed to wink at
+us out of the darkness on every side. I had to strike plenty of matches
+to discover the track, and continually bumped myself against boulders
+and the trunks of tree-ferns. It was late when we arrived at the
+village of Nakavu, on the banks of the Navua River, where I was soon
+asleep on a pile of mats in the hut of the "Buli," or village chief.
+
+The next morning I resumed my journey with Masirewa and two canoe-men
+in a canoe, and we were punted and hauled over numerous dangerous
+rapids, at some of which I had to get out. We passed between two
+steep, rocky cliffs the whole way, and they were densely clothed
+with tree-ferns and other rank tropical vegetation, the large white
+sweet-scented _datura_ being very plentiful. The scenery was very
+beautiful, and numerous waterfalls dashed over the rocky walls with
+a sullen roar. Ducks were plentiful, but my ammunition being limited,
+I shot only enough to supply us with food. I felt cramped sitting in
+a canoe all day, but I enjoyed myself in spite of the continuous and
+heavy rain.
+
+Late in the afternoon we arrived at the small village of Namuamua,
+on the right bank of the river, with the village of Beka on the
+other side. We were given a small hut all to ourselves, and we fared
+sumptuously on duck and boiled yams. The next morning I was shown
+a curious but ghastly object, viz., a man covered with hair like a
+monkey, and I was told that he had never been able to walk. He dragged
+himself about on his hands and feet, uttering groans and grunts like
+an animal.
+
+I hired two fresh bearers to carry my baggage, and after we had
+crossed the river three or four times we passed over some steep and
+slippery hills for some distance. I managed to shoot a parrot that I
+had not seen on any of the other islands. It was green, with a black
+head and yellow breast. The rain came down in torrents, and I got
+well soaked. We went for miles through woods with small timber, but
+full of bright crotons, _dracænas,_ bamboos, and a very sweetscented
+plant somewhat resembling the frangipani, the flower of which covered
+the ground. We passed under the shade of sweet-scented wild lemon
+and shaddock trees, but we got the bad with the good, as a horrible
+stench came from a small green flowering bush. A beautiful pink and
+white ground orchid (_Calanthe_) was plentiful.
+
+We travelled along a steep, narrow strip of land with a river on
+each side in the valleys below. We met no one until we arrived at
+the village of Koro Wai-Wai, which is situated on the banks of a
+good-sized river at the entrance to a magnificent gorge of rocky peaks
+and precipices. Here we found the "Buli" of Namosi squatting down
+in a miserable, smoky hut where we rested for a few minutes, and the
+hut was soon filled with a crowd of natives, all anxious to view the
+"papalangi" (foreigner). The "Buli" agreed to accompany me to Namosi,
+although his home was in another village. Continuing our journey,
+we had hard work climbing over boulders, and along slippery ledges
+overhanging the foaming river many feet below. Steep precipices rose on
+each side of us, and the gorge grew more narrow as we proceeded. The
+scenery was grand, and rather resembled the Yosemite Valley, but had
+the additional attraction of a wealth of tropical foliage. Steep rocky
+spires topped by misty clouds towered above us and little openings
+between rocky walls revealed dark green lanes or vistas of tangled
+tropical growth which the sun never reached. We met many natives,
+who sat on their haunches when the "Buli" talked to them, and clapped
+their hands as we passed. This was out of respect for the "Buli,"
+who was an insignificant looking little bearded man and quite naked
+except for a small "Sulu."
+
+We soon arrived at Namosi. It is a large town situated between two
+steep walls of rock, and was by far the prettiest place I had seen
+in Fiji, and that is saying a good deal. The town is on both banks
+of the Waiandina River, with large "ivi" and other beautiful trees
+overhanging the water; brilliant coloured crotons, _dracænas,_
+and other fine plants imparted a wealth of colour to the scene,
+and many of the grand old trees were heavily laden with ferns and
+orchids. During many years' wanderings all the world over, I do not
+think I have ever come across a more beautiful and ideal spot.
+
+The "Buli" was greeted with cries of "m-m-ka-a" in shrill voices by the
+women, for all the world like the caw of an old crow. I learned that
+the "Buli" had not been here for some time, but I seemed to be the
+chief object of interest, and was followed everywhere by an admiring
+and curious crowd of dark brown, shiny boys and girls, the former just
+as they were born and the latter wearing a strip of "Sulu." We put up
+in a chief's house, and after getting through the usual boiled yams,
+I went on a tour of inspection around the town, but I soon found that I
+was the one to be inspected. There was a hum of voices in every hut,
+and doorways were darkened with many heads. Groups of young men,
+women and children assembled to see the sight, but scampered away
+if I approached too near. No white man but the government agent had
+been here for several years, I was told. Thirty-odd years ago they
+would not have been satisfied to "look only," but would have wished
+to taste, and many of the present inhabitants would have made chops
+of me, and were no doubt peering out of their huts to see if I was
+fat or lean, and wishing for days gone by but not forgotten. Isolated
+cases of cannibalism still occur in out-of-the-way parts of Fiji, and
+it is only fear of the government that stops them, otherwise these
+mountaineers would at once return to cannibalism. Masirewa came out
+and stood with folded arms among a large crowd talking about me, and no
+doubt taking all the credit for my appearance, and staring at me as if
+he had never seen me before, so that I felt much inclined to kick him.
+
+In the evening, as I skinned the parrot I had shot, Masirewa told
+me how one man had said that he would like to eat the parrot, and
+that he had replied: "And the white man too." There was a large and
+very interested crowd around me as I worked, and they were very much
+astonished when told that the birds in England were different from
+those in Fiji, and I was inundated with childish questions about
+England. Masirewa seemed to be trying to pass himself off on these
+simple mountaineers as a chief, and was clearly beginning to give
+himself airs, so that when he started to eat with the "Buli" and
+myself, I had to snub him, and told him sharply to clean my gun and
+eat afterwards.
+
+I slept the next morning till seven o'clock, and Masirewa told me that
+the natives could not understand my sleeping so late, and that they
+thought I was drunk on "angona," of which I had partaken the night
+before. "Angona" is the same as "kava" in Samoa, and is the national
+beverage in Fiji. Masirewa now only wore a "sulu" and discarded his
+singlet. I suppose it was a case of "In Rome do as Rome does," but
+he certainly looked better in the dark skin he wore at his birth. I
+was shown the large rock by the river where more than a thousand
+people had been killed for their cannibal feasts. They were usually
+prisoners captured in the Rewa district, also a few white men. They
+were cut open alive and their hearts torn out, and their bodies were
+then cut up for cooking on the rock, which I noticed was worn quite
+smooth. Sometimes they would boil a man alive in a huge cauldron.
+
+While staying at Namosi the "Buli" gave me some lessons in throwing
+native spears, and in using the bow. Whilst practising the latter I
+narrowly missed, by a few inches, shooting a woman who stepped out
+suddenly from behind a hut.
+
+I was out most of the day shooting pigeons in the woods close by,
+accompanied by the "Buli," Masirewa, and several boys. The woods
+were full of a wonderfully beautiful creeper, a delicate pink and
+white _clerodendron_ which grew in large bunches; there was also a
+very pretty _hoya_ (wax flower) scrambling up the trees. We filled
+ourselves with the juicy pink fruit of the "kavika," or what is
+generally known as the Malacca or rose-apple. The trees were plentiful
+in the woods, grew to a large size, and were literally loaded with
+fruit, the fallen fruit resembling a pink carpet. Another very good
+fruit was the "wi," a golden fruit about the size of a large mango. I
+have seen both cultivated in the West Indies.
+
+On my return to the village I had a most interesting interview
+with these ex-cannibals, one old and two middle-aged men, thanks
+to Masirewa, my interpreter. He first asked them how they liked
+human flesh, and they all shouted "Venaka, venaka!" (good). Like the
+natives of New Guinea, they said it was far better than pig; they also
+declared that the legs, arms and palms of the hands were the greatest
+delicacies, and that women and children tasted best. The brains and
+eyes were especially good. They would never eat a man who had died a
+natural death. They had eaten white man; he was salty and fat, but he
+was good, though not so good as "Fiji man." One of them had tasted a
+certain Mr. ----, and the meat on his legs was very fat. They chopped
+his feet off above the boots, which they thought were part of him,
+and they boiled his feet and boots for days, but they did not like
+the taste of the boots. They often kept some of their prisoners and
+fattened them up, and when the day came for killing one, it was the
+women of Namosi's duty to take him down to the large stone by the
+river, where they cut him open alive and tore his heart out. Lastly,
+I asked if they would still like to eat man if they got the chance,
+and they were not afraid of being punished, and there was no hesitation
+in their reply of "Io" (yes), uttered with one voice like the yelp
+of a hungry wolf, and it seemed to me that their eyes sparkled. They
+were certainly a very obliging lot of cannibals.
+
+Cannibalism is, of course, practically extinct now in Fiji, but in
+recent years I am told that there, have been a few odd cases far back
+in the mountains. On one occasion a man told his wife to build an oven
+and that he was going to cook her. This she did, and he then killed,
+cooked, and ate her. Whilst in Fiji I met an Englishman who in the
+seventies had tasted human meat at a native feast, he believing it
+was pig, and at the time he thought it was very good. I was told
+that in the old days when they wanted to know whether a body was
+cooked enough they looked to see if the head was loose. If the head
+fell off it was thought to be "cooked to perfection," but I will not
+vouch for this story being correct.
+
+I gave the "Buli" a box of matches, and he seemed as pleased as if it
+was a purse of gold; they light all their fires here by wood friction,
+Some of the pet pigs around here were very oddly marked with stripes
+and spots of brown, black and white. Whilst in Fiji I often came
+across natives far from any village who were being followed by pet
+pigs, as we in England might be followed by dogs. Masirewa amused
+me more each day by his cheek and self-assurance. Once I asked him
+what he said to the chief of the hut we were in, and he replied:
+"Oh! I tell him Get out, you black fellow.' "
+
+We left Namosi early the next morning, a large crowd seeing us off, and
+I was sorry to bid farewell to one of the most beautiful spots in this
+wide world. We passed through the villages of Nailili and Waivaka,
+where I called at the chiefs' huts and held a kind of "at home"
+for a few minutes, the people simply swarming in to look at me. The
+"Buli" of Namosi had sent messengers on in front to give notice of my
+approach, and at each village they had the inevitable hot yams ready
+to eat, which Masirewa made the most of. At the entrance to each
+village there was usually a palisade of bamboo or tree-fern trunks,
+and here a crowd of girls and children would often be waiting, and on
+my approach they would set up loud yells and scamper off, till I began
+to think that I must look a very ferocious kind of "papalangai." At
+Dellaisakau the natives looked a very wild lot. Some of the men had
+black patches all over their faces, and some had great masses of hair
+shaped like a parasol. One or two of the women wore only the old-time
+small aprons of coconut fibre.
+
+We followed the Waiandina River amid very fine scenery. The sloping
+hills were covered with woods, and we passed under a canopy of bamboo,
+the large trumpet flowers of the white _datura,_ tree-ferns, large
+"ivi," "dakua" and "kavika" trees loaded with ferns and fine orchids in
+flower. We crossed the river several times, and I was carried across
+by a huge Fijian whose head and neck were covered with lime. Rain
+soon set in again, and we literally wallowed in mud and water. I
+got drenched by the soaking vegetation, so I afterwards waded boldly
+through rivers and streams, as it was impossible to get any wetter.
+
+At Nasiuvou the whole village turned out to greet me, and I held my
+usual reception in the chief's hut. The chief seemed very annoyed that
+I would not stay the night. No doubt he thought that I would prove
+a great attraction for his people. The banks of the Waiandina River
+were crowded as I got into a canoe, and Masirewa, in trying to show
+off with a large paddle, lost his balance and fell into the water, the
+yells of laughter from the crowd showing that they were not lacking
+in humour. Masirewa did not like it at all, but I was very glad, as
+he had been giving himself too many airs. I dismissed my two bearers
+and took only one canoe man and made Masirewa help him. We went down
+several rapids at a great pace. It was dangerous but exhilarating, and
+we had several narrow escapes of being swamped, as the canoe, being a
+small one, was often half-filled with water. We also had several close
+shaves from striking rocks and tree trunks. Ducks were plentiful, and I
+shot one on the wing as we were tearing down a rapid. The scenery was
+very fine; steep wooded mountains, rocky peaks with odd shapes, steep
+precipices, fine waterfalls, grand forests, and picturesque villages,
+and the scenery as we wound among the mountains was most romantic.
+
+Toward evening we arrived at the large town of Nambukaluku,
+where we disembarked. Except for a few old men and children we
+found it deserted, and we learned that the "Buli," who is a very
+important chief, had gone to stay at the village of Natondre for
+some important ceremonies for a few days, and most of the inhabitants
+had gone with him. Thither I determined to go, and we set off along
+a mountain path. The rain was all gone, and it was a lovely, still
+evening. Suddenly I heard distant yells and shouts and the beating
+of the "lalis" (hollow wooden drums), and I set off running, leaving
+Masirewa and my canoe man carrying my baggage far behind, and on
+turning a sharp corner I came full upon the village of Natondre
+and a most interesting sight. Hundreds of natives were squatting
+on the ground of the village square, and about one hundred men with
+faces black and in full war paint, swinging war clubs, were rushing
+backward and forward yelling and singing while large wooden drums
+were beaten. They were dressed in most fantastic style, some only
+with fibrous strings round their loins, and others with yards of
+"tapa" cloth wound around them. Several women were jumping about
+with fibre aprons on, and all had their hair done up in many curious
+ways and sprinkled with red and yellow powders. Huge piles of mats
+were heaped in the open square, speeches were made, and the people
+all responded with a deep "Ah-h" which sounded most effective from
+the huge multitude. I came up in the growing dusk and stood behind
+a lot of people squatting down. Suddenly some one looked round and
+saw me--sensation--whispers of "papalangai" were heard on all sides,
+and looks of astonishment were cast in my direction. Certainly my
+entrance to Natondre could not have been more dramatic, and I believe
+that they almost thought that I had _fallen from the skies,_ which
+is the literal meaning of the word "papalangai."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+Mock War-Scene at the Chief's House.
+
+    War Ceremonies and Dances at Natondre Described--The Great
+    Chief of Nambukaluku--The Dances continued--A Fijian Feast--A
+    Native Orator--The Ceremonies concluded--The Journey continued--A
+    Wonderful Fungus--The bark of the rare Golden Dove leads to its
+    Capture--Return to more Civilised Parts--The Author as Guest of a
+    high Fijian Prince and Princess--A _souvenir_ of Seddon--Arrival
+    at Suva.
+
+
+Masirewa soon arrived and I learned that there were some very important
+ceremonies in which one tribe was giving presents to another tribe,
+in settlement of some disputes that had been carried on since
+the old cannibal fighting days, and as I passed into the "Buli's"
+hut I noticed that the dancers were unwinding all the "tapa" cloth
+from around their bodies and throwing it on the piles of mats. I
+immediately went behind a "tapa" screen where the "Buli" slept, and
+began to get into dry clothes. This evidently made some of the crowd
+in the hut angry, as they thought I was lacking in respect to the
+"Buli" by changing in his private quarters, as in Fiji the very high
+chiefs are looked upon as sacred. One fellow kept shouting at me in
+a very impudent way, so when Masirewa came in, I told him about it,
+and he lectured the crowd and told them that I was a very big chief;
+this seemed to frighten them. Later on, I found that Masirewa had
+complained, and the impudent man was brought up before one of the
+chiefs, who gave him a lecture before myself and a large crowd in
+the hut I put up in. Masirewa translated for me, how the chief said:
+"The white man, who is a big chief, has done us honour in visiting
+our town," and to the man: "You will give us a bad name in all Fiji
+for our rudeness to the stranger that comes to us." I learned that
+the man was going to be punished, but as he looked very repentant I
+said that I did not wish him punished, so he was allowed to sneak out
+of the hut, the people kicking him and saying angry words as he passed.
+
+I supped with the great "Buli" that evening, and we fared sumptuously
+on my duck, river oysters and all sorts of native dishes. We were
+waited upon by two warriors in full war paint, and the "Buli's" young
+and pretty wife, shining with coconut oil all over her body, sat by me
+and fanned me. The "Buli" was an aristocratic-looking old fellow with
+a large nose and a very haughty look. He is a very important chief,
+but knew no English, and we carried on our conversation through the
+medium of Masirewa. He spoke in a kind of mumble, with a very thick
+voice. Once when he had been mumbling worse than usual there was a
+kind of restrained titter from someone in the crowd at the back. The
+"Buli" heard it, and slowly turning his head he transfixed the crowd
+with his piercing gaze for many seconds amid a dead silence. I wondered
+afterwards if anything ever happened to the unfortunate one who was
+so easily amused. I learned that besides having an impediment in
+his speech, the "Buli" was also paralyzed in one leg. I Put up in a
+different hut, the "Buli" apologizing for his hut being crowded with
+the influx of visitors.
+
+I watched a "meke-meke" or native dance that evening in which about a
+dozen girls covered with oil took part. There was a sound of revelry
+the rest of the night, for there was feasting and dancing in several
+huts, and discordant chanting and the hum of many voices followed
+me into my dreams. The next morning I went out shooting pigeons in
+some thick pathless woods about two miles away, and I also shot some
+flying foxes which I gave to my companions, as the Fijians consider
+them a great delicacy, as do many Europeans. These woods were full of
+pineapples, which in places barred our way. Many of them were ripe,
+and I found they possessed a fine flavour.
+
+In the afternoon the ceremonies were continued, the "Buli" sending
+for me to sit by him in the doorway of his hut to watch them. First
+about forty women with "tapa" cloth wound around their bodies went
+through various evolutions, swaying their arms about and chanting in
+their usual discordant manner. They then unwound the "tapa" from their
+bodies and threw it in a heap on the ground, following this by more
+manoeuvres. About twenty men came into the square, some with their
+faces blacked and their bodies stained red with some pigment, and
+wearing only aprons of coconut strings, with bracelets of leaves on
+their arms and carved pigs' tusks hanging from their necks. They went
+through some splendid dancing, falling down on the ground and bouncing
+up again like india-rubber balls. They sang, or rather chanted, all the
+time, and so did a kind of chorus of men who beat on wood and bamboo,
+while the dancers danced round them in circles, and squares, and then
+bent backward, nearly touching the ground with their heads. As they
+danced they kept splendid time, with their arms, legs and heads.
+
+Then amid shrill yells and cries from the crowd, another procession
+approached from the far end of the village in single file. First came
+several men with spears, which they shook on the ground every now and
+then, shaking their bodies at the same time in a fierce manner. Behind
+them in single file came a lot of women, each bearing a. rolled-up
+mat, which they threw down in a heap. These mats are made from the
+dried "pandanus" leaf. Then several men appeared bearing enormous Fiji
+baskets full of large rolls of food wrapped up in leaves, also smaller
+baskets made of the fresh leaves of the crimson _dracæna,_ also full of
+food. From the enormous number of baskets, the food supply was enough
+to feed a large multitude. They were all put down together by the mats.
+
+Then there was dead silence, in which you could almost have heard
+the proverbial pin drop, and an oldish man stepped forward and stood
+by the mats and baskets, his body wound round with "tapa" till it
+stuck out many feet from his body. The crowd broke silence with an
+ear-piercing yell. He then spoke, and was interrupted from time to time
+with cries of approval or the reverse, and sometimes loud laughter,
+while the "Buli," sitting by me, every now and then shouted out,
+or broke into a childish giggle. Then the speaker uttered a lot
+of short sentences very fast, and every one present said "Venaka"
+(good) at the end of each sentence. Then the old man unwound the
+"tapa" around him and threw it on the mats, as did others.
+
+Silence again, and I began to think all was over, but suddenly there
+was another shrill sort of yell from the crowd, and from the back of
+our hut, amid a tremendous uproar from all present and the beating of
+"lalis" (drums), appeared a procession of about fifty warriors in their
+usual picturesque get-up, all brandishing large war-clubs. They paraded
+into the square in very stately fashion, singing in their curious and
+savage discords, and then went through some grand dances, keeping
+wonderful time with their clubs and bodies, and from time to time
+giving forth a loud yell which was really thrilling. They next rushed
+backward and forward brandishing their clubs and killing an imaginary
+foe, and then clapped their hands together in even time. Then off
+came the "tapa" from around them, and the heap was made still larger.
+
+Another yell from the crowd. Then silence, followed by more speaking,
+and every now and then a deep "Ah-h" from all present, which sounded
+like distant thunder and was most impressive. Then all the people
+clapped their hands and chanted a few words in low suppressed voices,
+and the ceremony, lasting between four or five hours, was over. From
+time to time a man would approach the "Buli" and fall down on all
+fours and clap his hands before he could speak. I felt at times as
+if I was watching a comic opera or a ballet, and there were many
+amusing incidents. I think honours were fairly easy between the big
+show and myself, as the people kept whispering and looking around at
+me the whole time. I never passed a hut without causing excitement,
+and there would be cries of "papalangai" and a mass of faces would
+appear at the doors. Wherever I went I was followed at a respectful
+distance by a crowd of girls and children, but if I turned to retrace
+my steps there was a panic-stricken rush to get out of my way. On
+one occasion a little child of about two years old yelled with
+fright when I passed near it. I was much astonished that a white
+man should make such a stir in any part of Fiji, but it is only so
+in very out-of-the-way villages such as these. I was exceedingly
+lucky to witness these ceremonies, as they were the most important
+ones that had taken place in Fiji for many years, and few of the
+old white residents had seen their equal. I was all the more lucky,
+as I never expected to see them when I started from Suva.
+
+The next morning I said "Samoce" [9] (good-bye) to the great "Buli,"
+who, though he was a big chief, was not above accepting with evident
+glee the few shillings I pressed into his hand, and with Masirewa and
+two fresh bearers continued my journey in the pouring rain. Once we
+had to swim across a swift and swollen river, then we went over steep
+hills, down deep gullies, wading through streams and passing all the
+time through thick forests. We stopped once to feed on wild pineapples,
+the pink "kavika." and the golden "wi," but Masirewa was a bad bushman
+and slipped, and stumbled, swore and grumbled, and many times I had
+to wait till he came up with me. We followed a deep and beautiful
+gulch for some distance, wading all the way through a shallow stream
+which flowed over a natural slanting pavement with a smooth surface,
+and I found it hard to keep my footing. We got a magnificent view
+from the top of a high hill of the country to the eastward, with
+large rivers winding among beautiful undulating wooded country as
+far as the eye could reach. We passed through but one village, named
+Naqeldreteki, and from here I saw two very fine waterfalls falling
+side by side over a steep cliff several hundred feet straight drop
+into the forest below. It was about here that I came across a most
+beautiful sort of fungus of a bright scarlet and orange, and in the
+shape of a perfect star.
+
+I heard what I took to be the gruff bark of a dog, when it suddenly
+dawned upon me that there could not be any dogs here, as we were
+far from any village. Upon investigation I discovered that it was a
+bird that was the author of the noise, and I soon brought it down
+with a load of dust-shot, and to my great delight it proved to be
+the golden dove, a bird which I had hunted for in vain in the other
+islands. It was of a very fine metallic golden-yellow colour, and
+the feathers being long and narrow, gave it a very odd appearance. I
+could only mutter "venaka, venaka" (good), and in spite of the heavy
+rain reverently and slowly rolled it up in cotton wool and paper, to
+the great amusement of my three Fijians. Among the most interesting
+features of bird life in the Samoan and Fijian Islands were the various
+members of the dove family, which looked wonderfully brilliant with
+their metallic greens, and their orange, crimson, purple, yellow,
+pink, cream and olive green. The latter part of the journey was through
+bushy country dotted about with many large orchid and fern-laden trees.
+
+We arrived toward dusk at the large village of Serea, on the Wainimala
+River, which is a branch of the Rewa River, and I put up in the large
+hut of the "Buli." I began to feel like an ordinary mortal again,
+as the people here did not exhibit any great surprise on seeing me,
+no doubt because, being in the Rewa district, they see a few Europeans
+from time to time. After a change into dry clothes and a supper off
+one of the large pigeons I had shot _en route,_ I had a large and
+interested crowd to watch me skin my dove, and there were roars of
+laughter during the process, especially when Masirewa told them it
+would be made to look like a real bird with glass eyes. Masirewa at one
+time spoke sharply to the "Buli" who, I thought, looked a bit annoyed,
+so I asked Masirewa what he said. "Oh," he said airily, "I told him
+to keep his pig of a child away from the white chief." Masirewa, was
+a character, and evidently had no respect for chiefs and princes,
+etc., as he treated all the "Bulis" as his equals, which was very
+different from the generally cringing attitude of the Fijians to
+their chiefs. Even the high and mighty "Buli" of Nabukaluku [10]
+seemed to like his cheek. Masirewa liked to show off his English,
+though no one understood a word, and his favourite way of addressing
+them when he was annoyed was "You all black devil pigs." Whilst I
+was skinning my dove, the people brought in a horrible-looking carved
+figure with staring eyes. It was about five feet high, and they waxed
+very merry, whenever I looked up at it from my skinning.
+
+I left early next morning in the pouring rain, and found as I passed
+through Serea that it was quite a town. Quite a large crowd escorted
+me down the steep banks of the river (Wainimala), and we were soon
+spinning down stream in a large canoe. We soon joined another river
+which, together with the Wainimala, formed the Rewa, the largest
+river in Fiji. The scenery was both varied and picturesque, and once
+I got the canoe paddled up a little shady creek where there was a very
+beautiful waterfall, and where I was glad to stretch my legs for a few
+minutes after being cramped up in the canoe. There were many pretty
+and quaint villages on the banks, and the people often rushed out of
+their huts to see us pass. Ducks were plentiful, and I got a fair bag
+and used up my remaining cartridges, and the rest of the way I had to
+be content with pointing my gun at them, which was very tantalizing. We
+arrived about three p.m. at the village of Viria, and I stayed with the
+"Buli" in his hut almost overhanging the river. In the evening I took a
+stroll with the "Buli" round the village, and then we sat on a log by
+the river chatting, with Masirewa acting as interpreter. We continued
+our journey the next morning, and late in the day we passed large
+fields of sugarcane. We had returned to civilization once more, and
+I could not help feeling a pang of regret. We arrived at the village
+of Navuso about four p.m., and I was the guest of Andi (princess)
+Cakobau (pronounced Thakombau) and her husband, Ratu (prince)
+Beni Tanoa. Princess Cakobau is the highest lady of rank in Fiji,
+and belongs to the royal family. She is very stately and ladylike,
+and in her younger days was very beautiful. She does not know any
+English, but she wrote her autograph for me in my note-book to paste
+on her photograph, as she writes a very good hand. Her husband is
+also one of the highest chiefs in Fiji, and speaks good English. They
+proved most hospitable, and presented me with some Fijian fans when
+I left the next morning, and the Princess gave me a buttonhole of
+flowers out of her garden. Dick Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand,
+had once visited them, and I noticed his portrait that he had given
+them fastened to a post in their hut. I left Navuso by steam launch
+which called at the large sugar-mills a little lower down, and reached
+Suva that afternoon, feeling very fit after one of the most enjoyable
+and interesting expeditions that I ever made.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART III
+
+My Life Among Filipinos and Negritos and a Journey in Search of
+Bearded Women.
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+At Home Among Filipinos and Negritos.
+
+    Arrival at Florida Blanca--The Schoolmaster's House Kept by
+    Pupils in their Master's Absence--Everyday Scenes at Florida
+    Blanca--A Filipino Sunday--A Visit to the Cock-fighting
+    Ring--A Strange Church Clock and Chimes--Pugnacious Scene at a
+    Funeral--Strained Relations between Filipinos and Americans--My
+    New Servant--Victoriano, an Ex-officer of Aguinaldo's Army,
+    and his Six Wives--I Start for the Mountains--"Free and easy"
+    Progress of my Buffalo-cart--Ascent into the Mountains--Arrival at
+    my Future Abode--Description of my Hut and Food--Our Botanical
+    Surroundings--Meetings with the Negritos--Friendliness and
+    Mirth of the Little People--Negritos may properly be called
+    Pigmies--Their Appearance, Dress, Ornaments and Weapons--An
+    Ingenious Pig-arrow--Extraordinary Fish-traps--Their Rude Barbaric
+    Chanting--Their Chief and His House--Cure of a Malarial Fever
+    and its Embarrassing Results--"Agriculture in the Tropics"--A
+    Hairbreadth Escape--Filipino Blowpipes--A Pigmy Hawk in
+    Pigmyland--The Elusive _Pitta_--Names of the Birds--A Moth as
+    Scent Producer--Flying Lizards and other kinds--A "Tigre" Scare
+    by Night--Enforced Seclusion of Female Hornbill.
+
+
+When collecting in the Philippines, I put in most of my time in
+the Florida Blanca Mountains, in the province of Pampanga, Northern
+Luzon. I arrived one evening after dark at the good-sized village of
+Florida Blanca, which is situated a few miles from the foot of the
+mountain, whose name it shares. I carried a letter to the American
+schoolmaster, who was the only white man in the district, and had
+been a soldier in the late war. It seemed to me a curious policy
+on the part of the American government to turn their soldiers into
+schoolmasters, especially as in most cases they are very ignorant
+themselves. I believe, however, the chief object is to teach the young
+Filipinos English, and so turn them into live American citizens. The
+Americans are far from popular in the Philippines, and when in Manila
+I was strongly advised not to wear _khaki_ in the jungle for fear of
+being taken for an American soldier.
+
+The American's house was dark and still when I arrived at Florida
+Blanca, but whilst I was wondering what to do, I was surprised
+to hear a small voice, coming out of a small adjoining house,
+say in good English (though slowly and with a strong accent),
+"Thee--master--has--gone--into--thee--mountains--to--kill--deer--and--pigs."
+This was from one of the American's own pupils, an intelligent little
+fellow named Camilo. As I learnt that he was not expected back for
+two or three days, there was nothing left but to make myself as
+comfortable as possible in his house until his return. Camilo was
+soon boiling me some water, and I opened some of my provisions,
+as I had eaten nothing for eight hours. The house was an ordinary
+Filipino one, raised fully ten feet from the ground and built of
+native timber, the peaked roof, which had a frame-work of bamboo,
+being thatched with palm-leaves. The divisions between the rooms were
+of plaited bamboo work, and the sliding windows were latticed, each
+division being fitted with pieces of pearl shell. The next morning
+I was invaded by quite an army of small boys, who, to my surprise,
+all spoke English very prettily in their slow way and with a quaint
+accent. I have never come across a more bright and intelligent set
+of little fellows, all very friendly and not a bit shy, yet most
+polite and well-mannered. They were manly little fellows, with the
+faces of cherubs, and they were always smiling. Though the ages of my
+five little favourites, Camilo, Nicolas, Fernando, Dranquilino and
+Victorio, ranged only from eleven down to seven (the latter being
+little smiling-faced Victorio), they did all my errands for me,
+bought me little rolls of sweetish bread, eggs and fruit, and were
+most honest. They talked to me as if they had known me all their
+lives, acted as my guides and showed me all there was to see. They
+generally followed me in a row, with their arms round each other's
+neck in a most affectionate way, and I never heard any of them use
+one angry word amongst themselves. The few days that I spent here,
+I wandered through the narrow lanes and collected a few birds and
+butterflies. These lanes were very dusty at the time, and were hemmed
+in with an uninteresting shrubby growth on each side. The country
+round Florida Blanca was for the most part covered with rice-fields,
+which, at the time of my visit, were parched and covered with short
+stubble, this being the dry season. I was not very successful in my
+collecting, and looked forward to my visit to the mountains, which
+I could see in the distance, and which appeared well covered with
+damp-looking forests. I noticed quantities of white egrets, which
+settled on the backs of the water buffaloes. I would often pass these
+water buffaloes with their heads sticking out of a way-side pond of
+mud and water. They were generally used for drawing the curious wagons
+of the country, which were rather like those one sees in Mexico, with
+solid wooden wheels. Generally when I met these water buffaloes out
+of harness, they were horribly afraid of me and stampeded, at the
+same time making the most extraordinary noises, something between
+a squeak and a short blast on a penny trumpet. They are usually
+stupid-looking brutes, but this showed that they were intelligent
+enough to distinguish between me and a Filipino. The pigs here had
+three pieces of wood round their necks fastened together to form a
+triangle, an excellent idea, as it prevented them from breaking through
+the fences. The day following my arrival was a Sunday, and the church,
+a large building of stone and galvanized iron, was almost opposite
+the American's house. I watched the people going to early mass (the
+Filipinos are devout Roman Catholics). All the women wore gauzy veils
+thrown over their heads, white or black were the prevailing colours
+and sometimes red. I thought they looked very nice in them. I had
+asked Camilo to boil me some water, but he begged off very politely,
+as he had to go and put on his cassock and surplice to attend the
+service in the church, where he sang all alone. When he returned,
+I asked him to sing to me what he had sung in the church, and he at
+once complied, singing the "Gloria Patri" in a very clear and sweet
+voice. After mass was over, the church bell began to toll and an
+empty lighted bier came out of the church. It was preceded by three
+acolytes bearing a long cross and two large lighted candlesticks,
+and followed by a crowd of people. They were no doubt going to call
+at a house for the corpse. Shortly afterwards an old Filipino priest
+came out and got into one of the quaint covered buffalo wagons with
+solid wooden wheels (already mentioned), and drove slowly round by
+the road. It was hot and sultry, and thunder was pealing far away in
+the mountains. Under a clump of trees (of a kind of yellow flowering
+acacia), which grew just outside the large old wooden doors of the
+church, there was a group of village youths and loafers, and two
+or three men went past with their fighting cocks under their arms,
+Sunday afternoon out here being the great day for cock-fighting. There
+seemed to be a sleepiness in the air quite in keeping with the day of
+the week, and I was nearly dozing off when little Nicolas came in. I
+asked him if he knew where the cook-fighting took place, and added,
+"you savez" (slang for "understand"). His eyes flashed, and he said,
+"Me no savage," but when I explained that I did not call him a
+"savage," his eyes, smiled an apology, and he willingly offered to
+show me the place where the cock-fighting was to be.
+
+On entering the large bamboo shed or theatre where the cock-fighting
+took place, I was met by the old Presidente of the village, to
+whom I had brought a letter from Governor Joven (the Governor of
+the province), whom I had visited at Bacolor on my way hither. He
+conducted me to a seat on a raised clay platform, and sat next to me
+most of the time, but as the fighting progressed he got very excited,
+and had to go down into the ring. I had often witnessed it before
+in tropical America, but here the left feet of the cocks were armed
+with large steel spurs shaped like miniature cutlasses, which before
+the fight began were encased in small leather sheaths. The onlookers
+worked themselves up into a state of great excitement, and there was
+a great deal of chaff, mixed with angry words, and plenty of silver
+"pesos" were exchanged over the results. But it was cruel work,
+and the crouching spectators were often scattered right and left by
+the furious birds, whilst on one occasion a too venturesome onlooker
+received a rather severe gash on his arm.
+
+The church clock here was a thing to wonder at. It had no dial, and
+struck only about five times a day. When it struck ten there was an
+interval of over twenty seconds between each stroke until the last
+two strokes, these coming quickly together, as if it was tired of
+such slow work! As there was no face to the clock, I was puzzled to
+know whether to set my watch at the first or last stroke, or to split
+the difference.
+
+There were a great many funerals during my stay here in December,
+there being a regular epidemic of cholera and malaria. This was the
+unhealthy season, and I was told that there were as many deaths in
+Florida Blanca during the months of December and January as during
+all the rest of the year put together.
+
+One day I watched from my window a funeral procession on its way
+from the church to the cemetery. The Padre was not there, and this
+no doubt accounted for the acrobatic display given by the three men
+in cassocks and surplices, who led the way, bearing a cross and two
+candles. They started by playfully kicking each other, and this soon
+developed into angry words, so that I expected a free fight. One
+of them tucked his unbuttoned cassock round his neck, and egged the
+other two on. The coffin followed on a lighted bier, and the string
+of mourners followed meekly behind, no doubt looking upon this display
+as nothing out of the common.
+
+The interior of the church was very cold and bare, and there were no
+seats. I learnt that the American and the Filipino Padre did not hit it
+off together. There were one or two opposition schools in the village,
+run by Filipinos, who did their utmost to prevent the children from
+learning the language of the hated Americanos. The American did
+not make himself any more popular by pulling down the old street
+sign-boards bearing Spanish names, and substituting ugly card-board
+placards marked in ink with fresh names, such as America Street,
+McKinley Street, and Roosevelt Street; he had also named a street
+after himself! Later on I learnt that this American schoolmaster
+was a kind of spy in the American secret police, and that he had to
+listen outside Filipino houses at night to overhear the conversation
+of suspected insurgents. I was told this by Victoriano, my Filipino
+servant in the mountains, who often accompanied the American in his
+nightly rounds, and was the only man in the secret. This Victoriano,
+whom I always called Vic for short, was the best servant that I
+have had during my wanderings in any part of the world. He spoke
+Spanish and knew a little English, as he had once been a servant
+to an Englishman near Manila. With my small knowledge of Spanish,
+and his smattering of English, we hit it off very well together. He
+acted as gun-bearer, cook, laundry maid, housemaid, interpreter and
+guide. Later on he told me that he had been an officer in the insurgent
+Aguinaldo's army, and that he had been imprisoned by the Spaniards for
+four years on the island of Mindanao for belonging to a revolutionary
+society. He was a tall, thin fellow of only thirty-two years of age,
+and yet his present wife in Florida Blanca was his sixth, all the
+others being dead. I used to chaff him about having poisoned them,
+which much amused him. After some days the American returned, and he
+told me of a very good spot in which to collect up in the mountains,
+so one morning I started off with Vic for a long stay in these mountain
+forests. We left Florida Blanca before the sun had risen, my luggage
+being carried in one of the curious buffalo wagons. We soon left
+the dry rice-fields behind, and for some distance passed over a wide
+uninteresting plain of tall grass, dotted about with a few trees. After
+going some distance our two buffaloes were unyoked and allowed to soak
+in a small pond. This process was repeated every time we came to any
+water, and this, together with the slow progress of the buffaloes,
+made the journey longer than I had anticipated. After crossing a
+fair-sized river, we began a gradual ascent into the mountains. My
+luggage was then carried for a short distance, and after travelling
+through some bamboo thickets and crossing a rocky stream, I beheld my
+future abode. It was a small grass-thatched hut, with a flooring of
+split bamboo, raised four feet from the ground; up to this we had to
+climb by means of a single bamboo step. About two-thirds of the hut
+consisted of a flooring of bamboo, fairly open on all sides but one;
+this part did as my bedroom, and to get to it I had to crawl through
+a hole--one could hardly call it a door! It was quite dark inside,
+but there was just room enough to lie down on the split bamboo
+floor. All round the hut was a large clearing, planted with maize,
+belonging to a Filipino, who from time to time lived in another small
+hut about one hundred yards away. He also owned the one I was living
+in, and for this I paid him the not very exorbitant sum of one peso
+(two shillings) a month. Tall gaunt trees rose out of the corn on all
+sides, and in the early morning they were full of bird-life--parrots,
+parakeets, cockatoos, pigeons, woodpeckers, gapers and hornbills,
+etc. A clear rocky stream flowed by the side of the hut, the sound of
+whose rushing waters by night and day was like music to the ear in this
+hot and thirsty land, whilst shaded as it was by bamboos and trees,
+it was a delightful spot to bathe in every morning and evening. I was
+well pleased with my surroundings, and looked forward to a successful
+and interesting stay. I fared well though the food was rough, and I
+subsisted chiefly on rice and papayas, together with pigeons, doves,
+parrots, and the smaller hornbill, called here "talactic," all of which
+fell to my gun. The surrounding country in these lower mountains was
+a mixture of forest and open grass-country, the grass often growing
+far over my head. The forest, which abounded in clear, rocky streams
+of cold water, was very luxuriant and beautiful, especially in many
+of the cool, damp ravines further back in the mountains. But near my
+camping ground a great deal of the forest seemed to be half smothered
+with large thickets of bamboo, and consequently the larger trees
+were rather far apart. There was also a climbing variety of bamboo,
+which scrambled up to the tops of the largest trees. The undergrowth
+in places was most luxuriant and consisted of different species of
+palms, rattans, tree-ferns, _pandanus,_ giant ginger, _pipers, pothos,
+begonias,_ bananas, _caladiums,_ ferns, _selaginellas_ and lycopodiums,
+and many variegated plants. Growing on many of the trees were some
+fine orchids. Chief amongst them may be mentioned a very beautiful
+"vanda," which grew mostly on trees in the open grass country, and
+which I witnessed in full bloom during my stay here. They presented
+a wonderful sight. Out of the large sheaths of fan-like leaves grew
+two grand flower-spikes, bearing from thirty to forty large white,
+chocolate and crimson flowers. Of these there were two varieties,
+and on one large plant I saw fully a dozen flower-spikes. Further back
+in the mountains I came across some fine species of _Phalaenopsis._
+
+I early made the acquaintance of the little Negritos, the aborigines of
+these mountains, and during my wanderings I would often stumble across
+their huts in small clearings in the forest. They never seemed to have
+any villages, and I hardly ever saw more than one hut in one place,
+and they were nearly always miserable bamboo hovels. As for the little
+people themselves, they seemed perfectly harmless, and from the first
+treated me with the greatest friendliness, and would often pay me a
+visit at my hut, sometimes bringing me rice and "papayas" or a large
+hornbill, which had been shot with their steel-pointed arrows. They
+were quite naked except for a very small strip of cloth. Their skin
+was of a very dark brown colour, their hair frizzly, and the nose
+flat. They were by far the smallest race of people I had ever seen,
+and they might quite properly be termed pigmies. I certainly never
+came across a Negrito man over four feet six inches, if as tall,
+and the women were a great deal smaller, coming as a rule only up to
+the men's shoulders; the elderly women looked like small children
+with old faces. Both sexes generally had their bodies covered with
+various patterns cut in their skins, a kind of tattooing it might
+be called, but the skin was very much raised. Many of them had
+the backs of their heads in the centre shaved in a curious manner,
+like a very broad parting. I did not see them wearing many ornaments,
+but the men had tight-fitting fibre bracelets on their arms and legs,
+and the women sometimes wore necklaces of seeds, berries and beads;
+they would also sometimes wear curiously carved bamboo combs in their
+hair. The men used spears and bows and arrows; these latter they were
+rarely without. Their arrows were often works of art, very fine and
+neat patterns being burnt on the bamboo shafts. The feathers on the
+heads were large, and the steel points were very neatly bound on with
+rattan. These steel points were often cruel-looking things, having
+many fishhook-like barbs set at different angles, so that if they once
+entered a man's body it would be impossible to extract them again. A
+very clever invention was an arrow made for shooting deer and pig. The
+steel point was comparatively small, and it was fitted very lightly
+to a small piece of wood, which was also lightly placed in the end
+of the arrow. Attached at one end to the arrow-head was a long piece
+of stout native cord, which was wound round the shaft, the other end
+being fastened to the main shaft. When the arrow was shot into a pig,
+for instance, the steel head soon fell apart from the small bit of
+wood, which in its turn would also drop off from the main shaft. The
+thick cord would then gradually become unwound, and together with
+the shaft would trail on the ground till at length it would be caught
+fast in the bamboos or other thick growth, and the pig would then be
+at the mercy of its pursuers. The steel head, being barbed, could
+not be pulled out in the pig's struggles to break loose. I had one
+of these arrows presented to me by the chief of these Negritos, but,
+as a rule, they are very hard to get as the Negritos value them very
+highly. An American officer I met in Manila told me that he had been
+quartered for some time in a district where there were many Negritos,
+and though he had offered large rewards for one of these arrows he was
+not successful in getting one. The women manufacture enormous baskets,
+which I often saw them carrying on their backs when I met them in
+the forest. I was much struck with the cleverness of some of their
+fish-traps; these were long cone-like objects tapering to a point,
+the insides being lined with the extraordinary barb-covered stems of
+a rattan or climbing palm, and the thorns or barbs placed (pointing
+inwards) in such a way that the fish could get in easily but not out.
+
+These Negritos were splendid marksmen with their bows and arrows, and
+during my stay amongst them I became quite an adept in that art; their
+old chief used to take a great delight in teaching me, and my first
+efforts were met with hearty roars of laughter. They were certainly
+the merriest and yet the dirtiest people I have ever met. Whenever
+I met them they were always smiling. When, as happened on more than
+one occasion, I lost my way in the forest and had at length stumbled
+upon one of their dwellings, I made signs to let them understand
+that I wanted them to show me the way back. This they cheerfully did,
+and led the way singing in their peculiar manner; it was a most wild
+and abandoned and barbaric kind of music, if it could really be called
+music at all. It consisted chiefly of shouting and yelling in different
+scales, as if the singers were overflowing with joy at the mere idea
+of being alive. I would often hear them singing, or yelling like
+children, in the deep recesses of the forest. In fact the contentment
+and happiness of these little people was quite extraordinary, and I
+had a great affection for them. They would do almost anything for me,
+and their chief and I soon became great friends. He was a most amusing
+old fellow, and nearly always seemed to be laughing. Yet they were
+also the dirtiest people I had ever seen, and never washed themselves:
+consequently they were thick with dirt, which even their dark skins
+could not hide. They grew a little rice and tobacco, and the old chief
+always kept me well supplied with rice, which seemed of very fair
+quality. He also kept a few chickens and would often send me a present
+of some eggs, which were very acceptable. In return I would give him
+an old shirt or two, which he was very proud of. By the time I left,
+these shirts were almost the colour of his skin, and he evidently did
+not wish to follow my advice as to washing them. His house was a very
+large one for a Negrito's, and far better built than any others that
+I saw. When the maize which grew round my hut was ripe, the Filipino
+owner got several men and women up from Florida Blanca to help him
+to harvest it, and many of them slept underneath my hut. At nights I
+would generally have quite a crowd round me watching me skin my birds,
+and although I did not understand a word of their Pampanga dialect,
+their exclamations of surprise and delight when a bird was finished
+were quite complimentary. Poor Vic had to endure a running fire of
+questions as to what I was going to do with my birds and butterflies,
+but to judge by the way he lectured on me, he no doubt enjoyed it,
+and possibly told them some wonderful yarns about "My English," as
+he called me. One day a man at work in the maize had a bad attack of
+"calenturas" (malarial fever). I gave him some quinine and Epsom salts
+and this treatment evidently had a good effect, as the next day I was,
+besieged by a regular crowd of Filipinos of both sexes, who wished to
+consult me as to their various ills, and Vic was called in to act as
+interpreter. A good many of them, both men and women, took off nearly
+all their clothes to show me bruises and sores that they had, and I
+was in despair as to what treatment to recommend. At last when one
+old woman had parted with most of her little clothing to show me some
+sores, I told Vic to tell her that she had better get a good wash in
+the river (as she was the reverse of clean). This prescription raised
+a laugh, but the old lady was furious, and my medical advice was not
+again asked for. After the maize was cut, the owner started to sow
+a fresh crop without even taking out the old stalks, which had been
+cut off a few inches from the ground. This was the way he did it. He
+made holes in the ground with a hoe in one hand, and in the other
+hand he held a roasted cob of corn, which he kept chewing from time
+to time. His wife followed him, dropping a grain into each hole and
+filling in the soil with her feet. It would have made a good picture
+under the heading of "Agriculture in the Tropics"! Vic told me that
+they got four crops a year, so one can hardly wonder at their taking
+things easily. A rough bamboo fence separated the maize from a copse
+of bamboo jungle and forest, in which I was one day collecting with
+Vic, when I attempted to jump over a very low part of the fence. Vic,
+however, called out to me to stop, and it was lucky he did so, as
+otherwise the consequences would have been terrible for me. Just
+hidden by a few thin creepers, there had been arranged there a very
+neat little pig-trap, consisting of a dozen or more sharp bamboo
+spears firmly planted in the ground, and leaning at a slight angle
+towards the fence. Except for Vic's timely warning I should have been
+stuck through and through, as the bamboo points would stand a heavy
+weight without breaking, and if I had escaped being killed, I should
+certainly have been crippled for life. I naturally felt very angry
+with my neighbour for not having asked Vic to tell me about this,
+as the previous day when out alone I had climbed to the top of this
+fence and then jumped down into the creepers below; luckily I had
+not then noticed this low part further down.
+
+Many of the Filipinos are very good shots with their blowpipes, and
+Vic possessed one. It was about nine feet in length, and possessed a
+sight made of a lump of wax at one end. Like the bows of the Negritos,
+it was made out of the trunk of a very beautiful fan-palm (_Livistona_
+sp.). Two pieces of the palm-wood are hollowed out and then stuck
+together in a wonderfully clever fashion, so that the joins barely
+show. Vic was fairly good with it when shooting at birds a short
+distance away. His ammunition consisted of round clay pellets, which
+he fashioned to the right size by help of a hole in a small tin plate,
+which he always carried with him.
+
+Birds were fairly plentiful in these mountain forests, and I was
+glad to get one of the interesting racquet-tailed parrots of the
+genus _Prioniturus,_ that are only found in the Philippines and
+Celebes. It was curious that up here amongst the pigmy Negritos I
+should get a pigmy hawk. It was by far the smallest hawk I had ever
+seen, being not much larger than a sparrow. Several species of very
+beautiful honey-suckers, full of metallic colours, used to frequent the
+bright red flowers of a creeper that generally clambered up the trees
+overhanging the streams, and these flowers proved very popular with
+many butterflies, especially the giant gold and black _Ornithopteras_
+and various rare _papilios_ of great beauty. There was one bird I was
+most anxious to get, and though I saw it once I had to leave Luzon
+without it. It was a _pitta,_ a kind of ground thrush. Thrushes of
+this genus are amongst the most brilliant of all birds, and in my own
+collections I possess a great number of different species that I have
+collected in other countries. This one that I was so anxious to get
+was locally called "Tinkalu." Amongst both Filipinos and Negritos it
+has the reputation of being the cleverest of all birds, and, as Vic
+expressed it, "like a man." It hops away into the thickest undergrowth
+and hides at the least sound. Certainly no bird has ever given me
+such a lot of worry and trouble. Many a weary hour did I spend going
+through swamps and rivers, bamboo and thorny palms, dripping with
+perspiration and tormented by swarms of mosquitos and sand-flies,
+and all to no purpose!
+
+Thanks to Vic, I soon picked up most of the local names of the various
+birds, which were often given on account of the sounds they made. The
+large hornbill was named "Gasalo," the smaller kind "Talactic," the
+large pigeon "Buabu," a bee-eater "Patirictiric," and other names
+were "Pipit," "Culiaun," "Alibasbas," "Quilaquilbunduc," "Papalacul,"
+"Batala," "Batubatu," "Culasisi." Some of the spiders here were of
+great size, and in these mountain forests their webs were a great
+nuisance. These webs were often of a yellow glutinous substance,
+which stained my clothes, and when they caught me in the face, as
+they often did, it was the reverse of pleasant.
+
+Mosquitos and sandflies were very numerous and ants were in great
+force, so that one evening when I discovered that they were hard at
+work amongst all my bird skins, it took me up to 5 a.m. to separate
+them before I could get to bed.
+
+I discovered a diurnal moth that possessed a most powerful and
+delicious scent. Vic, who had never noticed it before, was delighted,
+and proposed my catching them in quantities and turning them into
+scent. Whilst on the subject of scent, I might mention that in
+these forests I would often come across a good-sized tree which was
+called Ilang-ilang. It was covered with plain-looking green flowers,
+which possessed a wonderful fragrance. I learnt that the Filipinos
+collected the flowers, which were sent to Manila and made into scent,
+but that they generally cut down the tree in order to get the flowers.
+
+I saw here for the first time the curious flying lizards. Their
+partly transparent wings were generally of very bright colours; they
+fly fully twenty yards from one tree to another, and quickly run up
+the trees out of reach. Another quaint lizard, was what is generally
+known as the gecko. It is said to be poisonous in the Philippines,
+and is generally found on trees or bamboos and often in houses. In
+comparison to the size of this lizard the volume of its voice was
+enormous. I generally heard it at night. First would come a preliminary
+gurgling chuckle; then a pause (between the chuckle and what follows
+it). Then comes loud and clear, "Tuck-oo-o," then a slight pause, then
+"Tuck-oo-o" again repeated six or seven times at regular intervals;
+at other times it sounds like "Chuck it." When it was calling inside
+a hollow bamboo, the noise made was extraordinary. There were a
+great number of bamboos in the surrounding country, and they were
+continually snapping with loud reports, which I would often imagine
+to be the reports of a rifle until I got used to them. Wild pig were
+very plentiful, and at night they would often grub up the ground a few
+yards from my hut. One night I was skinning a bird, with Vic looking
+on, when we heard some animal growling close by, and Vic without any
+warning seized my gun (which I always kept loaded with buckshot) and
+fired into the darkness. He said that it was a "tigre," and called
+out excitedly that he had killed it, but although we hunted about
+with a light for some time, we saw no signs of it. No doubt it was
+some animal of the cat family. Vic, as in fact all Filipinos, had
+a mortal dread of snakes, and he would never venture out at night
+without a torch made of lighted bamboo, as he said they were very
+plentiful at night. The large hornbills ("Gasalo") were very hard
+to stalk, and as they generally frequented the tallest trees they
+were out of shot. They usually flew about in flocks, and made a most
+extraordinary noise, rather like a whole farmyard full of turkeys,
+guinea fowls and dogs. The whirring noise they made with their wings
+was not unlike the shunting of a locomotive. I had often before heard
+of the curious habit of the male in plastering up the female with mud
+in the hollow of a tree, leaving only a small hole through which he
+fed her until the single egg was hatched and the young one was ready to
+fly. Vic knew this, and further informed me that the smaller species,
+named here "Talactic," had the same custom of plastering up the female.
+
+Many evenings, when I had finished my work, I would get Vic to teach
+me the Pampanga, dialect, and wrote down a large vocabulary of words,
+and when some years afterwards I compared them word for word with
+other dialects and languages throughout the Malay Archipelago,
+I found that, with a few exceptions, there was not the slightest
+affinity between them.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+A Chapter of Accidents.
+
+    A Severe Bout of Malaria in the Wilds--The "Seamy
+    Side" of Exploration--Unfortunate Shooting of the Chief's
+    Dog--Filipino Credulity--Stories of the Buquils and their Bearded
+    Women--Expedition Planned--Succession of _contretemps_--Start for
+    the Buquil Country--Scenes on the Way--A Negrito Mother's Method
+    of Giving Drink to Her Baby--Exhausting Marches Amid Striking
+    Scenery--The Worst Over--A Bolt from the Blue--Negritos in a
+    Fury--Violent Scenes at a Negrito Council of War--They Decide
+    on Reprisals--Further Progress Barred in Consequence--Return to
+    Florida Blanca.
+
+
+As I mentioned before, this was the unhealthy season in the
+Philippines, and Vic assured me that these lower mountains were even
+more unhealthy than the flat country. I myself soon arrived at a
+similar conclusion, as a regular epidemic of malaria now set in among
+my pigmy friends, the Negritos, and the old chief told us that his
+favourite son was dying with it; next my neighbour and his wife were
+prostrated with it, and when they had slightly recovered, they left
+their hut and returned to Florida Blanca. Vic himself was next laid
+up with it, and seemed to think he was going to die. When I was at
+work in the evening he would shiver and groan under a blanket by my
+side; this, coming night after night, was rather depressing for me,
+all alone as I was. At other times he would imagine we were hunting the
+wary and elusive _pitta,_ and would start up crying, "_Ah! el tinkalu,_
+it is there! _por Deos,_ shoot, my English, shoot!" or he would imagine
+we were after butterflies, and would cry out, _"Caramba, mariposa azul
+muy grande, muy bueno, bueno!"_ I was forced to do all the cooking for
+both of us, though it was quite pathetic to see poor Vic's efforts to
+come to my assistance, and his indignation that his "English" should
+do such work for him. At one time I half expected that he would die,
+but with careful nursing and doctoring I gradually brought him round.
+
+During all the time that he was ill. I did but little collecting,
+and no sooner was Vic on the road to recovery than I myself was seized
+with it, and Vic repaid the compliment by nursing me in turn. It was
+a most depressing illness, especially as I was living on the poorest
+fare in a close and dirty hut. When you are ill in civilization, with
+nurses and doctors and a good bed, you feel that you are in good hands,
+and confidence does much to help recovery. But it is a different matter
+being sick in the wilds, without any of these luxuries, and you wonder
+what will happen if it gets serious. Then you long for home and its
+luxuries, with a very great longing, and cordially detest the spot
+you are in, with all those wretched birds and butterflies! It is Eke
+a long nightmare, but as you get better you forget all this, and the
+jaundiced feeling soon wears off, and you start off collecting again
+as keen as ever. One day a small skinny brown dog somehow managed to
+climb up the bamboo step into my hut during Vic's temporary absence,
+and I suddenly awoke to find it helping itself to the contents of a
+plate that Vic had placed by my side. I was far too ill to do more
+than frighten it away. This happened a second time before I was strong
+enough to move, but the third time I was well enough to seize my small
+collecting gun (which was loaded with very small cartridges), and
+when it was about thirty yards away I fired at it, simply intending to
+frighten it, as at that distance these small cartridges would hardly
+have killed a small bird. It stopped suddenly and, after spinning
+round a few times yelping, it turned over on its back. Even then I
+thought it was shamming, but on going up to it I found it was dead,
+with only one No. 8 shot in its spleen. On Vic's return he was much
+alarmed, as he said the dog belonged to the Negrito chief, who was
+very fond of it, and would be very angry with me if he knew. So we
+hid the body in the middle of a clump of bamboo about a quarter of
+a mile away from the hut. But the following day the sky was thick
+with a kind of turkey buzzard, which had evidently smelt the dog's
+corpse from some distance, and they were soon quarrelling over the
+remains. Vic worked himself up into a state of panic, saying that it
+would be discovered by the Negritos, but a few days later I sent him
+over to the Negrito chief's hut to get me some rice, and the chief
+mentioned that his chief wife had lost her dog, which she was very
+fond of, and that he thought that I must have killed it. Vic in reply
+said that that could never be, as in the country that I came from
+the people were so fond of dogs that they were very kind to them,
+and treated them like their own fathers. The chief then said that a
+pig must have killed it, and so the incident ended.
+
+About this time Vic asked my permission to return to Florida Blanca
+for a few days, as he had heard that his wife had run away with another
+man, and he offered to send his brother to take his place. His brother
+could also speak English a little, and was assistant schoolmaster to
+the American. He proved, however, an arrant coward, and, like most
+Filipinos, lived in great fear of the Negritos. When out with me
+in the forest he would start, if he heard a twig snap or a bamboo
+creak, and look fearfully about him for a Negrito. He told me that
+the Negritos will kill and rob you if they think there is no chance
+of being found out, and he mentioned a case of an old Filipino being
+killed and robbed by these same Negritos a few months previously. I
+managed to string together the following absurd story from his broken
+English. He said that if you heard a twig break in the forest once or
+even twice you were safe enough, but if a twig snapped a third time,
+and you did not call out that you saw the Negrito, you would get an
+arrow into you. He said that once when he heard the stick "break three
+time" (to use his own words), he called out "Ah! I see you Negrite,
+and the Negrite he no shoot, but came out like amigo (friend)." His
+English was too limited for me to point out the many weak and absurd
+points of the story, as, for instance, why the Negrito should make the
+twigs break exactly three times, and why he should not shoot because
+he thinks he is seen. I only mention this anecdote to illustrate the
+credulity of the Filipinos. The next day, when we were out collecting
+in the morning, I suddenly saw him start when a bamboo snapped, so I
+called out, "Buenos diaz, Señor Negrite." This was too much for my man,
+who ran off home and refused to follow me in the forest that afternoon,
+and when I returned that evening he was nowhere to be seen, and I
+found out later that he had returned to Florida Blanca. In consequence
+I was forced to do all my own cooking, which was not pleasant, as I
+had to do it all in the hot sun, and this brought on a return of my
+fever. At last, one morning, as I was endeavouring to light a fire to
+cook my breakfast, and muttering unpleasant things about Vic and his
+brother, I suddenly looked up and Vic stood before me like a. silent
+ghost. I say like a ghost, because he looked like one, thin and gaunt
+as he still was from fever. He, too, had had a return of the fever
+and had not yet recovered, but sooner than that "his English" should
+be alone, he had dragged himself over in the cool of the night. The
+next day his wife and two children arrived. She had been on a visit
+to her mother in another village, which accounted for Vic's thinking
+she had run away. They occupied the hut of my late neighbour, and
+before many days had gone they were all bad with fever. It was easy
+to see that the woman hated me, and imagined I was the cause of her
+having to come and live in these lonely and unhealthy mountains. Vic
+told me that there had been so much sickness in Florida Blanca that
+there was no quinine left in the place. My own stock was getting low,
+and Vic and his family, as well as myself, used it daily. I had cured
+the old Negrito chief with it, and he was very grateful to me, and
+presented me with some very fine arrows in return.
+
+For some time past I had heard rumours of an extraordinary tribe of
+Negritos who lived further back in the mountains, and were named
+Buquils, and whose women were reported to have beards. Vic, whom
+I always found to be most truthful in everything, and who rarely
+exaggerated, declared it was true, and furthermore told me that
+these Buquils had long smooth hair, which proved that they could not
+have been Negritos. Besides, I learnt that they were quite a tall
+people. Nowhere in the whole world is there such a diversity of races
+as in the Philippines, and so it would be quite impossible even to
+guess what they were. Vic had once seen some of them himself when they
+came on a visit to the lower mountains. Though I thought the story,
+as to the women having beards, a fable, I determined to visit them
+before I left these mountains, and the old Negrito chief, who also told
+me that the women really did have beards, offered to lend me some of
+his people to carry my things. But one day Vic heard that his lather
+was dying, and when I tried to cheer him up he sobbed in a mixture
+of broken Spanish and English, "One thousand señoritas can get, one
+thousand children can get, but lose one father more cannot get." On
+this account I had to return to Florida Blanca, and besides we were
+all very bad with constant attacks of fever, and in this village we
+could at all events get bread, milk and eggs to recuperate us. The
+American had left for a long holiday, so I managed to hire a small
+house where I could sort my collections before returning to Manila,
+where I intended catching a steamer for the south Philippines.
+
+One day the village priest (a Filipino) called on me, and in course
+of conversation we spoke about these Buquils. He was most emphatic
+that it was true about the women having beards, and he also told me
+that no Englishman, American or Spaniard had ever penetrated so far
+back in the mountains as to reach their villages. When he had left I
+thought it over, and decided to go and see them for myself, though I
+was still suffering from fever. Vic, whose father had recovered from
+his illness, declared his willingness to accompany me; in fact I knew
+that he would never allow me to go without him. He was quite miserable
+at the idea of our parting, which was close at hand. As luck would
+have it, the day before we decided to start, Vic was down with fever
+again, and the following day I was seized with it. Never before or
+since have I been amongst so much fever as I was in this district. In
+any case I had made up my mind to see these Buquils, but we had now
+lost two days, and there was only just enough time left to get there
+and back and to journey back to Manila and catch my steamer. The day
+after my attack we started for the mountains once more at about two
+p.m., my fever being still too bad for me to start earlier. It had
+been very dry lately, with not a drop of rain and hardly a cloud to
+be seen, but just as we were starting it came on to rain in torrents
+and this meant that the rainy season had set in. It seemed as if the
+very elements were against us, and even Vic seemed struck with our
+various difficulties. I was sick and feverish, and my head felt like a
+lump of lead, as I plodded mechanically along in the rain through the
+tall wet grass. I felt no keenness to see these people at the time,
+fever removes all that, but I had so got it into my head before the
+fever that I must go at all hazards, that I felt somehow as if I was
+obeying someone else. We passed my old residence a short way off, and
+I stayed the night at the Negrito chief's hut, which I reached long
+after dark. He seemed very glad to see me again, and turned out most
+of his family and relations to make room for me. My troubles were not
+yet ended, as the two Filipinos whom I had engaged to carry my food
+and bedding could not start till late, and consequently lost their
+way, and were discovered in the forest by some Negritos, who went in
+search of them about 2 a.m. Meanwhile I had to lie on the hard ground
+in my wet clothes, and as I got very cold a fresh attack of fever
+resulted. I had intended to start off again about four a.m., but it
+was fully four hours later before we were well on our way. I managed
+to eat a little before I left, our rice and other food being cooked
+in bamboo (the regular method of cooking amongst the Negritos). I here
+noticed for the first time the method employed by the Negrito mothers
+for giving their babies water; they fill their own mouths with water
+from a bamboo, and the child drinks from its mother's mouth. In the
+early morning thousands of metallic green and cream-coloured pigeons
+and large green doves came to feed on the golden yellow fruit of a
+species of fig tree (_Ficus_), which grew on the edge of the forest
+near the chief's hut. They made a tremendous noise, fluttering and
+squeaking as they fought over the tempting looking fruit.
+
+We took five Negritos to carry the rice and my baggage--two men,
+two women, and a boy. The women, though not much more than girls,
+were apportioned the heaviest loads; the men saw to that, and looked
+indignant when I made them reduce the girls' loads. As we continued
+on our journey, I noticed that our five Negrito carriers were joined
+by several others all well armed with bows and extra large bundles of
+arrows, and on my asking Vic the reason, he told me that these Buquils
+we were going to visit were very treacherous, and our Negritos would
+never venture amongst them unless in a strong body. As we went along
+the narrow track in single file some of the Negritos would suddenly
+break forth into song or shouting, and as they would yell (as if in
+answer to each other) all along the line, I could not help envying them
+the extreme health and happiness which the very sound of it seemed to
+express; my own head meanwhile feeling as if about to split. I shall
+never forget that walk up and down the steepest tracks, where in some
+places a slip would have meant a fall far down into a gorge below. If
+Vic was to be believed, I was the first white man to try that track,
+and I would not like to recommend it to any others. Deep ravines, that
+if one could only have spanned with a bridge one could have crossed in
+five minutes or less, took us fully an hour to go down and up again,
+and I could never have got down some of them except for being able
+to hang on to bushes, trees and long grass. Whenever we passed a
+Negrito hut we took a short rest. My Negritos, however, wanted to
+make it a long one, as they seemed to be very fond of yarning, and
+when I insisted on their hurrying on, Vic got frightened and declared
+they might clear out and leave us, which would certainly have been
+a misfortune. At length we arrived at a chief's hut, where we had
+arranged to spend the night. It was situated at the top of a tall,
+grassy peak, from which I got a wonderful view of the surrounding
+country: steep wooded gorges and precipices surrounded us on all
+sides, and in the distance the flat country from whence we had come,
+and far far away the sea looked like glistening silver. The flat
+country presented an extraordinary contrast to the rugged mountains
+which surrounded me. It was so wonderfully flat, not the smallest
+hill to be seen anywhere, except where the lonely isolated peak of
+Mount Aryat arose in the distance, and far away one could just see
+a long chain of lofty mountains. The effect of the shadows of the
+distant clouds on the flat country was very curious. Early the next
+morning, at sunrise, the view looked very different, though just as
+beautiful. The chief seemed very friendly. He was a brother of my old
+friend, with whom I had stayed the previous night. This chief, however,
+was very different to his brother, being very dignified, but he had
+a very good and kind face, whilst my old friend was a "typical comic
+opera" kind of character. From what I could understand these two and
+another brother ruled over this tribe of Negritos between them, each
+being chief of a third of the tribe Soon after my arrival I turned in,
+as I was very tired and feverish and had had no sleep the previous
+night. The Negritos, as usual, were very merry and made a great noise
+for so small a people. I never saw such people for laughter whenever
+anything amused them, which is very often; they were a great contrast
+in this respect to the Filipinos. This natural gaiety helps to explain
+their many and varied dances, one of which consists in their running
+round after each other in a circle.
+
+I felt very much better next morning, and we started off very early,
+our numbers being increased by the chief and many of his men, so that
+I now found myself escorted by quite an army. I took note round here
+of the methods used by the Negritos in climbing tall, thick trees to
+get fruit and birds-nests. They had long bamboo poles lashed together,
+which run up to one of the highest branches fully one hundred feet
+from the ground. They often fastened them to the branch of a smaller
+tree, and thence slanting upwards to the top of a tall tree, perhaps
+as much as sixty feet and more away from the smaller tree. These
+Negritos axe splendid climbers, but it seemed wonderful for even a
+Negrito to trust himself on one of these bamboos stretching like
+a thread from tree to tree so far from the ground. I shall never
+forget the scramble we now had into the deepest gorge of all, and
+how we followed the bed of a dried-up stream, which in the rainy
+season must be a series of cascades and waterfalls, since we had to
+scramble all the way over large slippery boulders covered with ferns
+and _begonias._ We at length came to a tempting-looking river full of
+large pools of clear water, into which I longed to plunge. The banks
+were extremely beautiful, being overhung by the forest, and the rocky
+cliffs were half hidden by large fleshy-leaved climbers and many
+other beautiful tropical plants. It was one of those indescribably
+beautiful spots that one so often encounters in the tropical wilds,
+and which it is impossible to paint in words. A troop of monkeys were
+disporting themselves on a tree overhanging the river. Vic was most
+anxious for me to allow him to shoot one, but I have only shot one
+monkey in my life, and it is to be the last, and I always try and
+prevent others from doing so. We waded the river in a shallow place,
+and climbed up the steep hill on the other side. We had gone a good
+distance over hills covered with tall grass, and I was now looking
+forward to a bit of decent walking, as hitherto it had been nearly all
+miserable scrambling work, and the Negritos told Vic that the worst was
+now over. But we were approaching a hut, overhanging a rocky cliff,
+when we heard the sound of angry voices and wailing above us, and we
+soon perceived four Negritos (three men and a woman) approaching us. I
+thought the old woman was mad; she was making more noise than all the
+others put together, shouting and screaming in her fury. At first I
+thought they might be hostile Negritos who resented our intrusion,
+but they belonged to the tribe of the chief who was with me, and they
+were soon talking to him in loud, excited voices. Our own party soon
+got excited, too, and, as may be imagined, I was longing to find out
+the cause of all this excitement. Vic soon told me the reason. It
+appeared that on the previous day a large party of our Negritos had
+gone into the territory of the Buquils in order to get various kinds
+of forest produce (as they had often done in the past), and had been
+treacherously attacked by these Buquils, and many of them killed. One
+of these was the brother of a sub-chief, who now approached us, and
+who was, I believe, the husband of the frenzied woman. It was a very
+excitable scene that followed. I suppose one might call it a council
+of war. It was a mystery to me where all the Negritos came from and
+how they found us out; but they came in ones and twos till there was
+a huge concourse of them present, all gathered round their chief and
+squatting on the ground. About the only one who behaved sensibly
+was my friend the chief. He spoke in a slow and dignified manner,
+but the rest worked themselves up into a furious rage, and twanged
+their bowstrings, and jumped about and fitted arrows to their bows,
+and pointed them at inoffensive "papaya" trees, whilst two little
+boys shot small arrows into the green and yellow fruit, seeming to
+catch the fever from their elders. One man actually danced a kind of
+war-dance on his own account, strutting about with his bow and arrow
+pointed, and getting into all sorts of grotesque attitudes, moving
+about with his legs stiffened, and pulling the most hideous faces,
+till I was forced to laugh.
+
+But it seemed to be no laughing matter for the Negritos. The old woman
+beat them all; she did not want anyone to get in a word edgeways,
+but screamed and yelled, almost foaming at the mouth, till I almost
+expected to see her fall down in a fit. I never before witnessed such
+a display of fury.
+
+Vic kept me well advised as to the progress of the proceedings, and
+it was eventually settled that each of the three brother chiefs were
+to gather together three hundred fighting men, making nine hundred
+altogether, and these in a few days' time were to go up and avenge
+the deaths of their fellow tribesmen. From the enthusiasm displayed
+amongst the little men, this was evidently carried unanimously,
+but I noticed two young men sitting aloof from the rest of the
+crowd and looking rather sullen and frightened, and as they did not
+join in the general warlike demonstrations, it was evidently their
+first fight. Here, however, I made Vic interrupt in order to draw
+attention to myself. What Vic translated to me was to the effect that
+it was out of the question for us to go on into the enemy's country,
+which we should have reached in another two hours' walk. If we did
+they would certainly kill us all by shooting arrows into us from the
+long grass (in other words, we should fall into an ambush), and, in
+fact, since they had killed some of this tribe they would kill anyone
+that came into their country. By killing these men they had declared
+war. This was the sum total of Vic's translation, and I saw at once
+that it was out of the question for me to go on, as no Negrito would
+go with me, and I could not go alone. In any case I should have been
+killed. Vic told me that very few of these Buquils ever leave their
+mountain valleys, and so most of them had never seen a Filipino, much
+less a white man. And so I met with a very great disappointment, and
+was forced to leave without proving whether or no the story of these
+bearded women was a myth. Lately I heard a rumour that an American had
+visited them and proved the story true. My disappointment may well be
+imagined. I had come over the worst track I had ever travelled on in
+spite of rain and fever, but I at once saw that all my labours were
+in vain and that I could not surmount this last difficulty. But I was
+lucky in one way. The chief told Vic that if we had gone yesterday we
+should all have been killed, as without knowing anything about it,
+we should have got there just after the fight. So for once fever
+had done me a good turn, a "providencia," I think Vic called it,
+as I should have reached my destination the previous day if I had
+not been delayed by fever. Out of curiosity to see what the chief
+would say, I told Vic to tell him that I would help him with my gun,
+but the chief was ungrateful and contemptuous, saying that they
+would shoot me before I could see to shoot them. Vic thought I was
+serious, and said he would not go with me, and begged me not to go,
+saying, in a mixture of English and Spanish, "What will your father,
+your sister, and your brother say to me when Buquil arrow make you
+dead?" Needless to say I was not keen on stalking Buquils who were
+waiting for me with steel arrows in long grass, and, besides, if I
+went with the gallant little nine hundred, I should miss my steamer. I
+never heard the result of that fight, much as I should like to have
+known it. After the meeting had dispersed, we returned to the river
+and rested. I bathed and took a swim in a big, deep pool under a huge
+tree, which was one mass of beautiful white flowers. I have never
+enjoyed a swim more. Vic also took a wash, and to my great surprise
+one of the Negritos proceeded to copy him, and as Vic soaped himself
+the Negrito tried to do the same thing with a stone, with which he
+succeeded in getting rid of a great deal of dirt. It surprised and
+amused the other Negritos, both men and women, who jeered and roared
+with laughter at the unusual spectacle of a Negrito washing himself.
+
+I signed to them to give our boy carrier a wash, as he seemed the
+noisiest of the party, and two men got hold of him to duck him, but
+he seemed so terrified that I stopped them. The youngster evidently
+hated me for the fright he had received, as later on when I made him a
+present of a silver ten-cent piece to make up for his fright--this is
+a very handsome present for a Negrito--he threw it on the ground and
+stamped his foot in anger. The Negritos shot several fish and large
+prawns with a special kind of long pointed arrow; these we ate with
+our rice by the river side before returning. The night I stayed with
+my old friend, the comic chief, I found him actually in tears and
+much cut up at the idea of his two sons having to take part in the
+fight. I suppose it was compulsory for them to fight, but it appeared
+rather odd to me that a chief should object to his sons taking part
+in a fight, as the Negritos are considered very plucky fighters. The
+chief sent four Negritos to carry my things down to Florida Blanca. The
+following day I started back to Manila, where I caught my steamer for
+the southern Philippines. Vic was much distressed at my departure and
+shed many tears as I said good-bye to him, his grief being such that
+even a handsome tip could not assuage it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART IV
+
+In the Jungles of Cannibal Papua.
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+On the War-Trail in Cannibal Papua.
+
+    Expedition against the Doboduras--We hear reports about a
+    Web-footed Tribe--Landing at the Mouth of the Musa River--A Good
+    Bag--Barigi River Reached--A Flight of Torres Straits Pigeons--A
+    Tropical Night Scene--Brilliant Rues of Tropical Fish--Arrival of
+    Supplies--Prospects of a Stiff Fight--Landing of the Force--Pigs
+    Shot to Prevent them from being Cooked Alive--Novelty of
+    Firearms--A Red Sunrise--Beauty of the Forest--Enemies' War Cry
+    First Heard--Rushing a Village--Revolting Relics of Cannibal
+    Feast--Doboduras eat their Enemies Alive--Method of Extracting
+    the Brains--Extensive Looting--Firing at the Enemies' Scouts--An
+    Exciting Chase--When in Doubt Turn to the Right--Another Village
+    Rushed--Skirmishes with the Enemy--Relics of Cannibalism general
+    in the Villages--Camp Formed at the Largest Village--Capture of
+    Prisoners--An "Object, Lesson"--Carriers ask Leave to Eat one
+    of the Slain--Arigita's Opinion--Cannibal Surroundings at our
+    Supper--Expectation of a Night Attack.
+
+
+We were three white men, Monckton was the resident magistrate, while
+Acland and I myself were _non-officio_ members of the expedition,
+being friends of Monckton.
+
+We had been some time at Cape Nelson, where the residency was,
+a lonely though beautiful spot on the north-east coast of British
+New Guinea. Whilst here I had made good collections of birds and
+butterflies, and had made expeditions into the surrounding and little
+known country, including the mountains at the back, where no white
+man had yet been. And now (September 17th, 1902) we were off on a
+government exploring and punitive expedition into the unknown wilds
+of this fascinating and interesting country.
+
+We three sat on the stern of the large whale boat, while the twenty
+police and our four boys took turns at the oars. They were fine
+fellows these Papuan police, and their uniforms suited them well,
+consisting as they did of a deep blue serge vest, edged with red
+braid, and a "sulu" or kilt of the same material, which with their
+bare legs made a sensible costume for the work they had to perform
+in this rough country. As they pulled cheerfully at their oars they
+seemed in splendid spirits, for they felt almost sure that they were
+in for some fighting, and this they dearly love.
+
+Our boys, however, did not look quite so happy, especially my boy
+Arigita, who was a son of old Giwi, chief of the Kaili-kailis. He--old
+Giwi--had gone on the previous day with three or four large canoes
+laden with rice and manned by men of the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu
+tribes, and we intended taking more canoes and men from the Okeina
+tribe _en route._
+
+Our expedition was partly a punitive one, as a tribe named Dobodura
+had been continually raiding and slaughtering the Notu tribe on the
+coast, with no other apparent reason than the filling of their own
+cooking pots.
+
+Although the Notus lived on the coast, little was known of them,
+though they professed friendship to the government. The Doboduras,
+on the other hand, were a strong fighting tribe a short way off in
+the unknown interior, no white men having hitherto penetrated into
+their country: hence they knew nothing about the white man except by
+dim report.
+
+After we had settled our account with them we intended going in search
+of a curious swamp-dwelling tribe, whose feet were reported to be
+webbed, like those of a duck, and many were the weird and fantastic
+rumours that reached our ears concerning them.
+
+The sea soon got very "choppy," and up went our sail, and we flew along
+pretty fast. We had left behind us Mount Victory (a volcano which
+is always sending forth volumes of dense smoke) some time before,
+and some time afterward we were joined by a fleet of fourteen large
+canoes, most of them belonging to the Okeina tribe, but also including
+the three Kaili-kaili canoes sent off on the previous day.
+
+We all then went on together, and late in the afternoon we landed
+at a spot near the mouth of the Musa River. We spent the evening
+shooting, and had splendid sport, our bag consisting of ducks of
+various species, pigeon, spur-winged plover, curlew, sandpipers,
+etc. We also saw wallaby, and numerous tracks of cassowary and wild
+pig. After some supper on the beach, the Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and
+Okeina carriers, numbering over one hundred, were drawn up in line,
+and Monckton told them that he did not want so many carriers. If they
+(the Okeinas) would like to come, he would not give them more than
+tobacco, and not axes and knives, which he gave to the Kaili-kaili and
+Arifamu carriers. They unanimously wished to go even without payment,
+as they were confident that we should have some big fighting, and
+they, being a fighting tribe, simply wished to go with us for this
+reason. Monckton sent off the carriers that night, so that they could
+get a good start of us. It was a bright moonlight night, and it was a
+picturesque scene when the fleet of canoes started off amidst a regular
+pandemonium of shouting and chatter. I do not suppose that this quiet
+spot had ever before witnessed such a sight. We were off next morning
+before sunrise, and continued our way in a dead calm and a blazing sun.
+
+We soon caught up with our canoes, which had gone on in advance on the
+previous night. A breeze sprang up and we made good progress under
+sail, and soon left the canoes far behind. We saw plenty of large
+crocodiles, and a persevering but much disappointed shark followed
+us for some distance.
+
+We camped that night just inside the mouth of the Barigi River, on the
+very spot where Monckton was attacked the previous year by the Baruga
+tribe. They had made a night attack upon him as he was encamped here
+with his police, and had evidently expected to take him by surprise,
+as they paddled quietly up. But he was ready for them, and gave the
+leading canoe a volley, with the result that the river was soon full
+of dead and wounded men, who were torn to pieces by the crocodiles. The
+rest fled, but he captured their chief, who was wounded.
+
+Upon our arrival late in the afternoon Acland and I started out with
+our guns after pigeon, taking our boys and some armed police, as it
+was not safe to venture far from the camp without protection.
+
+The vegetation was very beautiful, and there was a wonderful variety
+of the palm family. We wandered through very thorny and tangled
+vegetation. We espied a fire not far off and went to inspect it,
+but saw no natives, though there were plenty of footprints in the sand.
+
+Towards evening we saw thousands of pigeons settle on a few trees
+close by on a small island, but they were off in clouds before we got
+near. They were what is known as the Torres Straits pigeon, and were
+of a beautiful creamy-white colour. On the banks of this river were
+quantities of the curious _nipa_ palm growing in the water. These palms
+have enormous rough pods which hang down in the water, and there were
+quantities of oysters sticking to the lower parts of their stems. We
+dynamited for fish and got sufficient to supply us all with food.
+
+About nine p.m. all the canoes turned up and the camp was soon alive
+with noise and bustle. The carriers had had nothing to eat since
+the day before, and poor old Giwi, the chief, squeezed his stomach
+to show how empty he was, but still managed to giggle in his usual
+childish fashion.
+
+They brought with them two runaway carriers who had come from the
+Kumusi district, where many of the miners start inland for the Yodda
+Valley (the gold mining centre). They had travelled for five days
+along the coast, and had hardly eaten anything. They had avoided
+all villages _en route,_ otherwise they themselves would undoubtedly
+have furnished food for others, though there was little enough meat
+on them. There were many different tribes in this neighbourhood, and
+Monckton was far from satisfied as to the safety of our camp if we
+were attacked. We sent off a canoe with Okeina men up the river to get
+provisions from the Baruga tribe who had attacked Monckton the previous
+year, and they now professed friendship to the government. The Okeinas
+were friendly with them, but as they paddled away in the darkness
+Monckton shouted out after them to give him warning when they were
+coming back with the Baruga people, and they shouted back what was
+the Okeina equivalent for "You bet we will."
+
+We pitched our mosquito nets under a rough shelter of palm leaves, and
+I lay awake for some time watching the light of countless fire-flies
+and beetles which flashed around me in the darkness, while curious
+cries of nocturnal birds on the forest-clad banks and mangroves from
+time to time broke the stillness of the tropical night, and followed
+me into the land of dreams, from which I was rudely awakened early
+the next morning by clouds of small sandflies, which my mosquito net
+had failed to keep out.
+
+We stayed here the following day, and put in part of our time
+dynamiting for fish at the mouth of the river. It was a curious sight
+to see the fish blown high into the air as if by a regular geyser. We
+got about three hundred; they were of numerous species, and most of
+them of good size. Many were most brilliantly coloured, indeed the
+fish in these tropical waters are often the most gorgeous objects in
+nature, and would greatly surprise those who are only used to the fish
+of the temperate zone. During the day the Okeinas returned. They were
+followed by several canoes of the Baruga tribe with their chief, who
+brought us four live pigs tied to poles, besides other native food,
+which, together with the fish, saved us from using the rice for the
+police and carriers. New Guinea is not a rice-producing country, and
+the natives not being used to it, are far from appreciating it. A
+little later some of the Notu tribe from further north arrived by
+canoe. They had again been raided by the Dobodura tribe, and many
+of them killed and captured. They said the enemy were very strong,
+and Monckton told us that it was more than likely that they could
+raise one thousand to fifteen hundred fighting men. We determined
+to resume our journey the next day, and go inland and attack their
+villages. We seemed likely to be in for a good fight, and the police
+especially were highly elated. Old Giwi, who bragged so much about
+his fighting capabilities at starting, shook his head and thought it
+a tall order, and that we were not strong enough to tackle them.
+
+We left again early on the morning of September 20th, the canoes
+with our carriers having gone on the previous night. Early in the
+afternoon we passed large villages situated amid groves of coconut
+palms. These belonged to the Notus, who had been suffering such severe
+depredations at the hands of the Doboduras. Shortly before arriving
+at our destination we found the carriers waiting for us on shore, they
+having too much fear of the Notus to reach their villages before us.
+
+We determined to land on the far side of one particularly large
+village. Rifles were handed around, and we strapped on our revolvers,
+and all got ready in case of treachery. Then came a scene of excitement
+as we landed in the breakers. Directly we got into shallow water the
+police jumped out, and with loud yells rushed the boat ashore. There
+was still greater excitement getting the canoes ashore amid loud
+shouting, and one of the last canoes to land, filled, but was carried
+ashore safely, and only a few bags of rice got wet.
+
+We pitched our camp on a sandy strip of land surrounded on three sides
+by a fresh water lagoon, our position being a good one to defend,
+in case we were attacked. Monckton then took a few police and went
+off to interview the Notus.
+
+After a time he returned with the information that the Notus appeared
+to be quite friendly, and anxious to unite with us against the common
+foe on the morrow.
+
+Several of them visited our camp during the day and brought us native
+food and pigs, which latter Monckton shot with his revolver, to prevent
+our carriers cooking them alive. It was quite amusing to see the way
+the Notus hopped about after each report, some of them running away,
+and small blame to them, seeing that it was the first time that they
+had ever heard the report of a firearm.
+
+The next morning saw us up long before daybreak, and in the dim light
+we could see small groups of Notu warriors wending their way amid the
+tall coconuts in the direction of our camp, till about seventy of them
+had assembled. They were all fully armed with long hardwood spears,
+stone clubs and rattan shields (oblong in shape and of wood covered
+with strips of rattan, with a handle at the back), and led the way
+along the beach. The sun soon rose above the sea a very red colour, and
+a superstitious person might have considered it an omen of bloodshed.
+
+It was hard work walking in the loose sand, and I was glad when
+we branched off into the bush to walk inland. We passed through
+alternate forests and open grass land, the forest in places being
+quite luxuriant, and new and beautiful plants and rare and gaudy birds
+and butterflies made one long to loiter by the way. Amongst the palm
+family new to me was a very beautiful _Licuala,_ perhaps the most
+beautiful of all fan-leaved palms, and a climbing palm, one of the
+rattans (_Korthalzia_ sp.), with pinkish stems and leaves resembling
+a gigantic maidenhair fern, which looked very beautiful scrambling
+over the trees, together with two or three other species of rattans.
+
+Our combined force was over two hundred strong, the Notus leading the
+way, then came most of the police, then we three white men, then more
+police, and our Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and Okeina carriers brought up
+the rear bearing our tents, baggage and bags of rice.
+
+As we wended our way down the narrow track there were several moments
+of excitement, and the Notus several times fell back on to us in alarm,
+but their fears seemed groundless.
+
+We continued our march for many hours, and just as we came to the
+end of a long bit of forest, the Notus came rushing back on to us in
+great confusion. We soon learned the reason. At the end of a grassy
+stretch of country was a village surrounded by a thick grove of coconut
+and betel-nut palms, and some of the enemy's scouts had been seen,
+and we heard their distant war-cry, a prolonged "ooh-h-h, ah-h-h,"
+which was particularly thrilling, uttered as it was by great numbers of
+voices. The Notus all huddled together, then replied in like language,
+but their cry did not seem to possess the same defiant ring as that
+of the Doboduras.
+
+We three took off our helmets and crouched down with the police just
+inside the forest, with our rifles ready for the expected rush of
+the enemy, having sent the Notus out into the open, hoping thereby
+to draw the enemy after them. We meant then to give them a lesson,
+make some captures, and come to terms with their chief. Two or three
+times the Notus came rushing back, and I fully expected to see the
+Doboduras at their heels, but they were evidently aware that the
+Notus were not alone, and all I could see was the distant village
+and palm-trees shimmering in the quivering heated air, and the heads
+of the Dobodura warriors crowned with feather head-dresses bobbing
+about amid the tall grass, while ever and anon their distant war-cry
+floated over the grassy plain.
+
+We decided to rush the village, which we later found was named Kanau,
+but when we got there we found it deserted. In the centre of the
+village was a kind of small raised platform, on which were rows of
+human skulls and quantities of bones, the remnants of many a gruesome
+cannibal feast. Many of these skulls were quite fresh, with small
+bits of meat still sticking to them, but for all that they had been
+picked very clean. Every skull had a large hole punched in the side of
+the head, varying in size, but uniform as regards position (to quote
+from Monckton's later report to the government). The explanation for
+this we soon learnt from the Notus, and later it was confirmed by our
+prisoners. When the Doboduras capture an enemy they slowly torture him
+to death, practically eating him alive. When he is almost dead they
+make a hole in the side of the head and scoop out the brains with a
+kind of wooden spoon. These brains, which were eaten warm and fresh,
+were regarded as a great delicacy. No doubt the Notus recognised some
+of their relatives amid the ghastly relics. We rested a short time in
+this village, and our people were soon busy spearing pigs and chickens,
+and looting. The loot consisted of all sorts of household articles
+and implements, including wooden pillows, bowls, and dishes, "tapa"
+cloth of quaint designs, stone adzes, beautiful feather ornaments,
+"bau-baus" or native bamboo pipes, wooden spears, and a great quantity
+of shell and dogs'-tooth necklaces.
+
+We saw three or four of the enemy scouting on the edge of the forest,
+and I was asked to try to pick one off, but before I could fire
+they had disappeared. Then several Notus ran out brandishing spears,
+and danced a war-dance in front of the forest, but their invitation
+was not accepted. We next saw several armed scouts on a small tree
+about five hundred yards away, and we all lined up and gave them
+a volley; whether we hit any of them or not it is hard to say, but
+they dropped down immediately into the long grass. At any rate, it
+must have astonished them to hear the bullets whistling round them,
+even if they were not hit, as it was the first time they had ever
+heard the report of a firearm of any description. Some of the police
+went out to sneak through the long grass, and we soon heard shots,
+and they came back with the spears, clubs and shields of two men
+they had killed. They also brought a curious fighting ornament worn
+on the head, made of upper bills of the hornbill.
+
+We continued our march through some thick forest, and at length came
+to the banks of a river, where we suddenly crouched down. An armed
+man was crawling along the river bed, peering in all directions, and
+shouting out to his friends on the opposite bank. We were anxious to
+make a capture. Monckton suddenly gave the word, and up jumped a dozen
+police in front of me and plunged into the river and gave chase. I
+followed hard, but the police in front were gradually leaving me far
+behind. Till then I always fancied I could run a bit, but I knew better
+now. Seeing the man's shield, which he had thrown away in his flight,
+I at once collared it as a trophy of the chase. Then looking around,
+I found that I was quite alone, and the thick jungle all around me
+resounded with the loud angry shouts and cries of the enemy. I found
+out afterwards that my friends and the rest had no intention of giving
+chase, but had been highly amused in watching my poor effort to keep
+up with the nimble barefooted police. I shall never forget those
+uncomfortable few minutes as I rushed down the track in the direction
+the police had taken. Visions arose before me of the part I should play
+in a cannibal feast, and I expected every minute to feel the sharp
+point of a spear entering the small of my back, just as I had been
+seeing our people drive their spears clean through some running pigs.
+
+To my dismay I found the track divided, and it was impossible to
+tell which way the police had gone. To turn back was out of the
+question. I had come a good way, and I had no idea where the rest were,
+and from the uproar at the back I imagined the Doboduras were coming
+down the track after me. I hastily decided to go by the old saying,
+"If you go to the right you are right," and it was well for me that I
+did so, as I found out later from the police that if I had gone to the
+left--well, there would have been nothing left of me, especially after
+one Dobodura meal, as the enemy were there in full force. As it was, I
+soon afterward came up with the police, feeling rather shaky and white.
+
+The police had captured a middle-aged woman, whose face and part
+of her body were thickly plastered with clay. This was a sign of
+mourning. We learnt that she was a Notu woman, who had been captured
+some time previously by the Doboduras. She was much alarmed, and
+whined and beat her breasts, and caressed some of the police. We
+made her come on with us, and the rest of the party soon joining
+us, we came to another village, which we "rushed," but it, too,
+was deserted. There was more killing of fowls and pigs, and a scene
+of great confusion as our people speared and clubbed them and ran
+about in all directions, looting the houses, picking coconuts, and
+cutting down betel-nut palms, many of them decorating themselves
+with the beautifully variegated leaves of crotons and _dracænas,_
+some of which were of species entirely new to me. It seemed a bit
+curious that these wild cannibals should exhibit such a taste for
+these gay and brilliantly coloured leaves and flowers, which they
+had evidently transplanted from forest and jungle to their own village.
+
+We continued our way through bush and open country, our police having
+slight skirmishes with small bands of natives. One big Dobodura rushed
+at Sergeant Kimi with uplifted club, but Kimi coolly knelt down and
+shot him in the stomach when he was only a few yards off. The round,
+sharp stone on the club being an extra fine one, I soon exchanged it
+with Kimi for two sticks of tobacco (the chief article of trade in
+New Guinea, and worth about three half-pence a stick).
+
+Toku, Monckton's boy, and a brother of my boy, Arigita, who carried
+his master's small pea-rifle, shot a man in the back with it as the
+man fled, and thereafter was a hero among the boys. Arigita wished
+to emulate his brother, and begged hard to do some shooting on his
+own account with my twelve-bore shot gun, which he carried, and he
+seemed very much hurt because I would not allow it.
+
+We passed through many more villages, embowered in palm groves, and
+in each village we saw plenty of human skulls and long sticks with
+human jawbones hanging upon them. On one I counted twenty-five; there
+were also long rows of the jawbones of pigs, and a few crocodiles'
+heads. These villages were all deserted, the natives having fled. At
+length we came to what appeared, from its great size, to be the
+chief village, which we later learnt was named Dobodura. It extended
+some distance, and stood amid thousands of coconut palms. Here we
+determined to camp, but we found that most of the police had rushed
+on ahead after the Doboduras, much to Monckton's annoyance, for it
+was risky, to say the least, as the enemy might easily have attacked
+each party separately. But the police and carriers, now that they had
+"tasted blood," seemed to get quite out of hand, and their savagery
+coming to the surface, they rushed about as if demented. However,
+they soon returned with more captured weapons of warfare, having
+killed two more men, and they also brought two prisoners, a young man
+and a young woman. The prisoners looked horribly frightened, having
+never seen a white man before, and they thought they would be eaten:
+so Constable Yaidi told me.
+
+The man was a stupid looking oaf, and seemed too dazed to speak. The
+woman, however, if she had been washed, would have been quite
+good-looking. She had rather the European type of features, and was
+quite talkative. She told us that most of her people had gone off
+to fight a mountain tribe, who had threatened to swoop down on this
+village. These complications were getting exceedingly Gilbertian in
+character. To begin with, the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu carriers were
+afraid of the Okeinas, who in their turn were afraid of the Notus;
+the Notus feared this Dobodura tribe we were fighting, and the
+Doboduras seemed to be in fear of a mountain tribe. We ourselves
+were by no means sure of the Notus, and kept on guard in case of
+treachery. These tribes, we heard, were nearly always fighting,
+and always have their scouts out.
+
+To return to the prisoners. We showed them how a bullet could
+pass clean through a coconut tree, and they seemed to be greatly
+impressed. They were then told to tell their chief to come over the
+next morning and interview us, and that we wished to be friendly. We
+then gave them some tobacco and told them they could go, and it
+was evident that they were astonished beyond words at their good
+fortune. As they passed through our police and carriers, I feel sure
+that they suspected us of some trick on them.
+
+A bathe in the cool, clear river close by was delightful after a very
+hard day, but we, of course, had an armed guard of police around us,
+and practically bathed rifle in hand, as the growth was dense on the
+opposite bank.
+
+Our people seemed to be quite enjoying themselves, looting the
+houses, and one of the police was chasing a pig in this village,
+when he was attacked by a man with a club. The policeman was unarmed,
+but immediately wrenched the club from the man's hand and smashed his
+skull in, and the body lay barely one hundred yards from our tent. This
+was too tantalizing for our carriers, who came up and begged permission
+to eat it, although they knew full well that Monckton had given orders
+that there was to be no cannibalism among them. Needless to remark,
+the request was refused, but they had the pluck to ask again before
+the expedition was over.
+
+My boy Arigita had often eaten human meat, and as he expressed it in
+his quaint pidgin English, "Pig no good, man he very good." It can
+be imagined it must be really good, as the Papuan thinks a great deal
+of pig. We had a good appetite for supper, in spite of the fact that
+we ate it within a few yards of a half-burnt heap of human skulls and
+bones, which appeared quite fresh. Our various tribes were all camped
+separately, and they looked very picturesque round their different
+camp fires, with their spears stuck in the ground in their midst,
+their clubs and shields by their sides, and the firelight flickering
+upon their wild-looking faces.
+
+To our astonishment, our late man prisoner returned and said that his
+chief wished to see us that night. At once there was a great commotion
+among our police and the Notus, who all spoke excitedly together,
+and were unanimous that this implied treachery, and that behind
+the chief would come his men, who would attack us unawares. We also
+learned that it was not their usual habit to make friendly visits at
+night. Monckton thought the same, and told the man that if the chief or
+any of his people came near the camp that night they would be shot. The
+man also informed us that all his tribe had returned; no doubt swift
+messengers went after them to bring them back. The man went, and we
+waited expectantly for what might happen. Everyone seemed certain that
+we should be attacked, and if so, we had a very poor chance with from
+a thousand to fifteen hundred well-armed savages making a rush on us
+in the semi-darkness, as there was no moon, and it was cloudy.
+
+The enemy would rush up and close with our people, and while we should
+not be able to distinguish friend from foe, we should not be able to
+fire in the darkness at close quarters. They could then spear and club
+us at will. Now we had always heard that Papuans never attack at night,
+but the police and Notus told us that these Doboduras nearly always
+attacked at night, and if we had known this before we should most
+certainly have made ourselves a fortified camp outside the village. But
+it was too late to think of this now, and we knew that we were in a
+very awkward position. The fact that they could gather together so
+large a force as was alleged, was estimated by Monckton from the size
+of these villages, which showed that they were a very powerful tribe.
+
+The whole police force were put out on sentry duty, as also four or
+five Kaili-kailis who had been taught at Cape Nelson to use a rifle.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+We Are Attacked By Night.
+
+    A Night Attack--A Little Mistake--Horrible Barbarities of
+    the Doboduras--Eating a Man Alive--A Sinister Warning--Saved
+    by Rain--Daylight at Last--"Prudence the Better Part"--The
+    Return--Welcome by the Notus--"Orakaiba."
+
+
+I was busily engaged in writing my notes of the day, with my rifle
+by my side, when suddenly a shot rang out, followed by another and
+another, then a volley from all the sentries on one side of the camp,
+and the darkness was lit up by the flashes of their rifles. Then came
+the thrilling war-cry, "Ooh-h-h-h! ah-h-h-h!" that made one's blood run
+cold, especially under such surroundings. All the camp was now in the
+utmost confusion, and there was a great panic among our carriers, who
+flung themselves on the ground yelling with fear. Never was there such
+a fiendish noise! I sprang to my feet, flinging my note-book away and
+picking up my rifle, and ran back to where Monckton was yelling out:
+"Fall in, fall in, for God's sake fall in!"
+
+Two houses were hastily set on fire, and instantly became furnaces
+which lit up the surroundings and the tops of the tall coconut palms
+over-head, which even in this moment of danger appeared to me like
+a glimpse of fairyland. I noticed a line of fire-sticks waving in
+the darkness outside. They seemed to be slowly advancing, and in the
+excitement of the moment I mistook them for the enemy--and fired!
+
+Luckily, my shot did not take effect, as I soon found out that these
+fire-sticks were held by some of our own carriers, who had been told
+by Monckton to carry them so that we could distinguish them from the
+enemy in case we were attacked. Monckton turned to where the Notus,
+were, and seeing them all decked out in their war plumes, dancing
+about among the prostrate carriers, and waving their clubs and spears,
+naturally took them for Dobodura warriors, and nearly fired at them. He
+angrily ordered them to take off their feathers.
+
+Calmness soon settled down again, and we learned that the police had
+fired at some Doboduras who were creeping up into the camp. How many
+there were we could not tell, but later on we learnt that some of
+them had been killed, and seeing the flash of the rifles, which was
+a new experience to them, the rest had retreated for the time being,
+but soon rallied together for attack that night or in the small hours
+of the morning. Knowing that if they once rushed us in the darkness
+we should all be doomed for their cooking pots, the state of our
+feelings can be imagined.
+
+The first attempt came rather as a shock to a peaceful novice like
+myself, and seeing warriors in full war paint and feathers rushing
+about with uplifted club and spear amid our prostrate squirming
+carriers, I had a very strong inclination to bury myself in the nearest
+hut and softly hum the lines, "I care not for wars and quarrels,"
+etc. We sat talking in subdued tones for some time, expecting every
+minute to hear the thrilling war cry of the Doboduras, but nothing was
+to be heard but the crackling of the embers of the burning houses,
+the low murmur of our people around their camp fire, and the most
+dismal falsetto howls of the native dogs in the distance. These howls
+were not particularly exhilarating at such a time, and I more than
+once mistook them for the distant war-cry of the Doboduras.
+
+The Papuans, as a rule, do not torture their prisoners for the
+mere idea of torture, though they have often been known to roast a
+man alive, for the reason that the meat is supposed to taste better
+thus. This they also do to pigs, and I myself, on this very expedition,
+caught some of our carriers making preparations to roast a pig alive,
+and just stopped them in time. For this reason Monckton would always
+shoot the pigs brought in for his carriers, but in this case one pig
+was overlooked. I have heard of cases of white men having been roasted
+alive, one case being that of the two miners, Campion and King. But
+we had learnt that this Dobodura tribe had a system of torture that
+was brutal beyond words. In the first place they always try to wound
+slightly and capture a man alive, so that they can have fresh meat
+for many days. They keep their prisoner tied up alive in the house and
+cut out pieces of his flesh just when they want it, and we were told,
+incredible as it seems, that they sometimes manage to keep him alive
+for a week or more, and have some preparation which prevents him from
+bleeding to death.
+
+Monckton advised both Acland and myself to shoot ourselves with
+our revolvers if we saw that we were overwhelmed, so as to escape
+these terrible tortures, and he assured us that he should keep the
+last bullet in his own revolver for himself. This was my first taste
+of warfare. Monckton had had many fights with Papuans, and Acland,
+besides, had seen many severe engagements in the Boer war, but he
+said he would rather be fighting the Boers than risking the infernal
+tortures of these cannibals. It all, somehow, seemed unreal to me,
+and I could hardly realise that I was in serious danger of being
+tortured, cooked and eaten. It is impossible to depict faithfully
+our weird surroundings. We chatted on for some time, and tried
+to cheer each other up by making jokes about the matter, such as
+"This time to-morrow we shall be laughing over the whole affair,"
+but the depressed tone of our voices belied our words, and it proved
+to be but a very feeble attempt at joking. We longed for the moon,
+though that would have helped us little, as it was cloudy.
+
+It is quite unnecessary to go into further details of that awful
+night. I know we all owned up afterward that it was the most trying
+night we had ever spent, and for my part I hope I may never spend
+another like it. None of us got a wink of sleep. I tried to sleep,
+but I was too excited to do so; besides, all my pockets were crammed
+full of rifle and revolver cartridges, and I had my revolver strapped
+to my side, ready for an attack, or in case we got separated in the
+confusion that was sure to ensue. At about 3 a.m. it began to rain,
+the first rain we had had in New Guinea for five or six weeks,
+and that saved us, for we learned later on that about that time
+the Doboduras were gathering together for a rush on our camp, when
+the rain set in, and, odd as it may seem, we heard that they had a
+superstition against attacking in the rain. What their reason was,
+I never got to hear fully, but we were unaware of all these things as
+we silently waited and longed for the dawn to break. I never before
+so wished for daylight. It came at length, and what a load it took
+off our minds! We could now see to shoot at all events. We saw the
+Dobodura scouts in the distance on the edge of the forest, but we had
+made up our minds to "heau" (Papuan for "run away") as things were
+too hot for us. There was a scene of great excitement as we left, and
+from the noise our people made they were evidently glad to get away.
+
+The Notus led the way, and they started to hop about, brandishing
+their spears. They did excellent scouting work in the long grass,
+rushing ahead with their spears poised. This time the rear guard
+was formed by some of the police. All the villages we passed through
+were again deserted, but we heard the enemy crying out to one another
+in the forest and jungle, telling each other of our whereabouts. We
+expected an attack, and I often nearly mistook the screeches and cries
+of cockatoos and parrots and the loud, curious call of the birds
+of paradise for some distant war-cry, which was quite excusable,
+considering the state of our nerves and the sleepless night we
+had spent.
+
+The Notus were great looters, and as we passed through the various
+villages they took everything they could lay their hands on, and our
+entrance into a village was marked by a scene of great confusion. Pigs
+and chickens were speared, betel-nut palms cut down, and hunting
+nets, bowls, spears and food hauled out of the house, but Monckton
+was very strict in stopping them from cutting houses and coconut
+palms down. Ere long we left the last village behind, and halting
+just inside the forest, sent a man up a tree, who reported the last
+village we had passed through to be full of people. The police had
+a few shots, but apparently without success.
+
+When we again reached the coast we knew that we were now safe from
+attack. Monckton was much puzzled that no attack had been made on us
+during the return journey, as he felt sure they were not afraid of us,
+and after we had killed so many of their people he was certain they
+would try for revenge. He also thought they expected us to camp that
+night in their country, and that we were only out hunting for them,
+as we did not hurry away very fast, but stopped a short time in
+each village.
+
+We found the tide high, so we took off our boots and waded most of
+the way, and in time arrived at a creek up which the sea was rushing
+in and out with great violence. We were helped over by police on each
+side of us, who half dragged us across, otherwise we should have been
+washed off our legs, so great was the suction. I was very fond of
+these strong, plucky, good tempered and amusing Papuan police. Often
+when we were encamped for the night, I would hear them chaffing each
+other in pidgin English for the benefit of the "taubadas" (masters);
+they would slyly turn their heads to see if we were amused, and how
+delighted they were if they saw us smile at their quaint English,
+
+In the evening we found ourselves back in the Notu villages, and were
+met by many Notus bearing coconuts, which they opened and handed to
+us. I suppose these were meant as refreshment for the victors, for as
+such they no doubt regarded us, as well as saviours of their tribe. I
+could quite imagine the Notu warriors bragging on their return of
+their own deeds of valour, although all the killing was done by the
+police. Meanwhile, however, as we passed through the squatting crowds,
+we were greeted with loud cries of "orakaiba" (peace).
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+On the War-Trail Once More.
+
+    Further Expedition Planned--Thank-offerings of Notu Chiefs--The
+    Voyage--A Gigantic Flatfish--Negotiating a Difficult Bar--Moat
+    Unhealthy Spot in New Guinea--Hostility of Natives--Precautions
+    at Night--Catching Ground Sharks and a "Groper"--Shark-flesh a
+    Delicacy to the Natives--Wakened by a War Cry--A False Alarm--A
+    Hairbreadth Escape--Between "Devil and Deep Sea"--Dangers of
+    the Goldfield--Two Miners Eaten Alive--Unexpected Visit from
+    a White Man--"Where's that Razor?"--Crime of Cutting Down a
+    Coconut Tree--Walsh's Camp--Torres Straits Pigeons--My Boy an
+    ex-Cannibal--A Probable Trap--Relapse into Cannibalism of our
+    Own Allies--Narrow Escape from a New Guinea Mantrap--Attack on
+    a Village--Second Visit to Dobodura--Toku's Exploit--Interview
+    with our Prisoners--Reasons for Cannibalism--The Night Attack
+    on our Camp and Enemies' Fear of our Rifles described by our
+    Prisoners--Bravery of one of our Carriers--Treatment of a Prisoner.
+
+
+"Yes," said Monckton on our return to the coast, "we have got to
+punish those Doboduras at all costs. They are the worst brutes I've
+come across in New Guinea." And Monckton knew what he was talking
+about, as he had been a resident magistrate in British New Guinea for
+many years and had travelled all over the country, and had a wider
+experience of the cannibals than any man living.
+
+This tribe (as has already been mentioned), when they capture a
+prisoner, tie him to a post, keep him alive for days, and meanwhile
+feed on him slowly by cutting out pieces of flesh, and prevent his
+bleeding to death with a special preparation of their own concoction,
+and finally, when he is nearly dead, they make a hole in the side of
+the head and feed on the hot fresh brains.
+
+Both Acland and I myself fully agreed with Monckton, as we were not
+by any means grateful to the Doboduras for giving us the worst fright
+of our lives. We had, it is true, killed a good many of them, but we
+recognised the fact that our force was insufficient to hold its own,
+much less to punish these brutal tribesmen. So we determined to journey
+up north and get help from the magistrate of the Northern Division
+on the Mambare River, before returning to the Dobodura country.
+
+That evening four Notu chiefs came into camp to thank us for killing
+their enemies, and they brought with them presents of dogs' teeth and
+shell necklaces, and seemed greatly excited, all talking at once,
+each trying to out-talk his fellows, and wagged their heads at us
+in turn. We left very early the next morning in our whaleboat for
+the Kumusi River, but left all our carriers and stores with most of
+the police behind in one of the Notu villages to await our return,
+as we now felt sure that we could trust the Notu tribe.
+
+It was a hot and uneventful voyage. A fish which looked like an
+enormous sole, but which was larger than the whaleboat, jumped high in
+the air not many yards away. Toward evening we arrived opposite the
+bar of the Kumusi River, and we had a very uncomfortable few minutes
+getting through the breakers into the river, for if we had been
+upset we should soon have become food for the sharks and crocodiles,
+which literally swarmed here. We got through the worst part safely,
+but then stuck fast on a small sand-bank, and one or two good-sized
+breakers half-filled the boat; but we all jumped out and hauled her
+off the sand into the deep, calm waters beyond.
+
+After rowing up the river a short distance, we landed at a spot
+where there was a trader's store, looked after by an Australian
+named Owen. From here miners go up the river to the gold fields in
+the Yodda Valley, and cutters are constantly putting in at this store
+with miners and provisions.
+
+This district has the reputation of being one of the most unhealthy
+spots in New Guinea, and the natives round here are none too friendly,
+and hate the government and their police, so that during the last
+three years, three or four resident magistrates in the locality have
+either been murdered or have died of fever.
+
+We arranged to have our meals with Owen at the store, and we slept in a
+rough palm-thatched shed with a raised flooring of split palm-trunks,
+which was very hard and rough to sleep on, and gave me a sleepless
+night. We got two of our police to sleep in front of the doorway,
+as it was more than likely that the natives might attempt to murder
+us. These precautions may have been justified as, in the middle of the
+night both Acland and I myself saw two natives peering into the hut.
+
+The next day we sent off a messenger to the northern station for more
+police, and it was fully a week before they arrived. Meanwhile we spent
+our time dynamiting and catching fish. We caught some large ground
+sharks fully four hundred pounds in weight, and also a "gorupa"
+("groper"), a very large fish of about three hundred and fifty
+pounds. This fish is the terror of divers in these parts they fear
+it more than any shark. Both shark and fish proved most acceptable
+to our police; they are especially fond of shark.
+
+One morning about five o'clock I was aroused by hearing a shrill
+war-cry close by. The police rushed up with their rifles and told us
+we were attacked. It can be imagined it did not take us long to buckle
+on our revolvers and seize our rifles and run, half-asleep as we were,
+in the direction of the noise, which was repeated from time to time
+in a very ferocious manner. On turning a sharp corner by the river,
+instead of warlike warriors, we beheld about a dozen natives hauling
+in the sharkline we had left baited in the water the previous evening,
+with a very large shark at the end of it. Being greatly excited they
+had from time to time yelled out their war-cry. We felt very foolish
+at being roused from our slumbers for nothing, but still there was
+some slight consolation in knowing that even the police were deceived.
+
+Owen, the Australian, not long before had had rather an amusing,
+and at the same time exciting, adventure with a large crocodile in
+a swamp close to the store. He noticed it fast asleep in the swamp,
+and so waded out to it through the mud, making no noise whatever. When
+within a few yards of the saurian, he threw a double charge of dynamite
+close up to it, and then turned to fly. He found he could not move,
+but was stuck firmly in the mud. His struggles and yells for help had
+meanwhile awoke the crocodile, which came for him with open jaws. It
+looked as if it was a case of either being blown to pieces by the
+dynamite or furnishing a meal for the crocodile.
+
+Luckily the fuse was a long one, and the crocodile floundered about
+a good deal in the mud ere it could reach him. Some friendly natives
+rushed in and dragged him out just as the crocodile reached him. The
+crocodile fled in one direction and the dynamite went off in another,
+but Owen and the natives only just avoided the explosion.
+
+Owen told me that there were about fifty miners in the goldfields
+of the Yodda Valley, but that most of them were beginning to leave,
+although there is plenty of gold to be got. The climate is a bad one,
+and provisions, etc., are very dear, and so gold has to be got in
+very large quantities to pay. As the miners decrease, there is bound
+to be trouble with the natives, who are very treacherous. The miners,
+who are nearly all Australians or New Zealanders, have generally to
+work in strong bands with their rifles close at hand.
+
+Only a short time ago the two miners, Campion and King (whom I
+have elsewhere mentioned), while working in the bed of a creek,
+had just traded with some apparently friendly natives for a pig and
+some yams, and sat down for a smoke and a rest, thinking that the
+natives had left, but these cunning cannibals were awaiting just
+such an opportunity, and were lying hid amidst the thick foliage
+clothing the steep banks of the creek. Suddenly, making a rush, they
+got between the miners and their rifles, and speared both in the
+legs, taking care not to kill them, as the cannibals in this part
+of New Guinea consider that meat tastes better, be it pig or man,
+when cooked alive. They then tied them with ropes of rattan to long
+poles and carried them off to their village, where they were both
+roasted alive over a slow fire. These facts were gathered from some
+prisoners afterwards captured by a government force. A strong band
+of miners also attacked their villages, and gave no quarter.
+
+On the fifth day of our stay here one of our police came rushing up
+to us excitedly with the information that a whaleboat was in sight,
+and we knew that a white man would be in it. There was at once a
+cry from Monckton, "After you with the razor, Acland." Now it had
+been understood that none of us were to shave during the expedition,
+and consequently we had grown large crops of beards and whiskers,
+and looked a veritable trio of cut-throats. However, it appeared
+that Acland had smuggled away a razor-possibly for all we knew to
+enable him to captivate some fair Amazon, who might otherwise have
+thought he was only good for her cooking pot. Half-an-hour later three
+clean-shaven individuals met a tall unshaven man as he stepped out
+of his boat on to the beach, and his first remark was, "Oh, I say,
+(reproachfully) you fellows, where's that razor!" It was Walsh,
+Assistant Resident Magistrate for the Northern Division, and none of
+us had met him before.
+
+He and another Englishman, a celebrated trader named Clark (he was
+an old resident, well-known in New Guinea), with a force of police,
+were returning from an expedition down the coast, and were at present
+encamped about sixteen miles south of here, near some small islands
+known as Mangrove Islands.
+
+Leaving Clark in charge, Walsh had come over with a small cutter, which
+we promptly hired to carry the extra stores of rice and provisions
+which we had purchased from Owen. It is astonishing the amount of
+rice it takes to feed one hundred carriers and twenty-five native
+police during a six weeks' exploring expedition.
+
+Two days later ten police arrived, sent down at Monckton's request
+from the Mambare or Northern Station. These, with Walsh's nine,
+made an addition of nineteen police to our force. A celebrated old
+Mambare chief named Busimaiwa arrived at the same time, together
+with many of his tribe, which was friendly to the government. I say
+celebrated because he was the leader in the murder of the resident
+magistrate of the Northern Division, the late Mr. ----, together with
+all his police. But he has since been pardoned by the government. The
+magistrate and his police were killed through treachery, being unarmed
+at the time. They were all eaten, but ----'s skull was afterwards
+recovered. Old Busimaiwa, had a son in our police force.
+
+We were off early the next morning, we four white men and most of the
+police going in the two whaleboats, while the rest walked along the
+shore. These latter had to pass through many small villages on the
+way, but the inhabitants did not wait to find out whether they were
+friends or foes, and the police found the villages empty.
+
+From the whaleboat I suddenly noticed a tall coconut palm come falling
+to the ground, and I immediately called Monckton's attention to the
+fact. He was very much annoyed, as he knew that it was cut down by some
+of our party, contrary to regulations. According to government laws,
+to cut down a coconut tree in New Guinea is a crime, and a serious
+one at that. Even when attacking a hostile village it is strictly
+forbidden, though one may loot houses, kill pigs, out down betel-nut
+palms, and even kill the inhabitants. But the coconut-palm is sacred
+in their eyes.
+
+However, the government has an eye to the future of the country,
+as, besides being the main article of food in a country whose food
+supply is limited, the coconut tree means wealth to the country,
+when it gets more settled and the natives are able to do a large
+business in copra with the white traders.
+
+That evening, when in camp, we discovered the culprit to be no less a
+personage than the sergeant of Walsh's police, who was in command of
+the shore party, his sole excuse for breaking the law being that he
+thought it too much trouble to climb the tree after the coconuts. When
+the whole of the police force had been drawn up in line Monckton,
+as leader of the expedition, cut the red stripes from the blue tunic
+of the sergeant, and he was reduced to the ranks.
+
+After a rough voyage, there being a good swell on, we arrived at
+Walsh's camp on the mainland, opposite the Mangrove Islands, and
+here we found Clark, whom I had met before in Samarai. The camp
+was situated in the midst of a small native village, and later on
+the inhabitants and others turned up armed with their stone clubs,
+spears and shields, and offered to help us. They also wanted us to
+go and fight their enemies a short way inland from here. Monckton's
+reply was not over polite. He ended by ordering them at once to clear
+out of their village, as he had no use for them.
+
+Toward evening we all went pigeon shooting, as thousands of Torres
+Straits pigeons flock round here at twilight and settle chiefly on
+the small islands close to the mainland. We had excellent sport. The
+birds flew overhead, and we shot a great number between us.
+
+Three of us white men were down with fever that evening. As the
+cutter had not arrived with the rice, etc., from the Kumusi River,
+we had to remain here the whole of the next day.
+
+Toward evening we again went pigeon shooting, each of us taking
+possession of a small island, but the birds were not nearly as
+plentiful as yesterday, and small bags were the result. On these
+islands were plenty of houses, which we heard were deserted a few weeks
+ago, owing to the frequent attacks of hungry cannibals on the mainland.
+
+On my island I discovered several very fresh-looking human skulls
+and bones. My boy, Arigita, regaled me with yarns while we waited for
+the pigeons. He told me he had often eaten human meat, and expressed
+the same opinion on the matter as the ex-cannibals I had met in the
+interior of Fiji had done. I had good reason for suspecting the young
+rascal of having partaken of human meat since he had been my servant.
+
+I noticed plenty of double red hibiscus bushes on these islands,
+and I came across a new and curious _dracæna_ with extremely short
+and broad red and green leaves, that was certainly worth introducing
+into cultivation.
+
+We continued our journey in the whaleboats the next morning, and after
+going some distance we heard a shout, and saw a man on the beach
+frantically waving to us, but as he would not venture near enough,
+we had to go on without finding out what was the matter. Shortly
+afterward we heard three loud blasts on a conch shell, which is
+always used to call natives together, but the bush being thick, we
+could see nothing. I myself believe it was a trap, the man evidently
+trying to get us ashore, so that his tribe might attack us. However,
+our shore party, who came along later, saw no sign of any natives.
+
+Towards evening we landed at the spot where we had started inland
+last time against the Doboduras. Here we determined to camp. We
+immediately sent down to Notu for our carriers and the rest of the
+police, who arrived after dark, all seeming delighted and relieved
+to be with us once more. We learned that after we had left the Notu
+people killed and ate two runaway carriers from the Kumusi, and after
+indulging in a great feast, fled and deserted their villages, so our
+late cannibalistic allies evidently feared retribution at our hands.
+
+These carriers, belonging to the miners in the Kumusi and Mambare
+districts, are constantly running away, and they then try to work their
+way down the coast to Samarai, from whence they are shipped. But they
+never get there, being always killed and eaten on the way. One of our
+own carriers had died at Notu, but the police had seen to it that he
+was properly buried. However, it is more than likely that he was dug
+up after they had left, and eaten.
+
+The cutter arrived early the next morning.. The rice was soon landed,
+and we started off along the same track as before. We now had over
+forty police, and although we did not this time have the assistance
+of the Notus, we had many more carriers.
+
+During this march our police luckily discovered in time some slanting
+spears set as a man trap, which projected from the tall grass over
+the narrow track. Such spears are hard to see, especially for anyone
+travelling at a good speed, and I was told that the points were
+poisoned. Another trap, common in New Guinea, is to place a fallen
+tree across the track and dig a deep pit on the other side from which
+the enemy is expected to come. This pit is filled with sharp upright
+spears, and then lightly covered over so that a man stepping over the
+tree, which hides the ground on the other side, will fall into the pit.
+
+After marching for some distance, we came to the end of a bit
+of forest, from whence we could see the first hostile village. We
+frightened away several armed scouts. The village appeared to be full
+of armed men in full war-paint and plumes, so we divided our force
+into two parties, each cutting round through the forest on both sides
+of the village, in an endeavour to surprise the enemy. We were only
+partially successful, as the Doboduras discovered our plans just
+in time. Though we rushed the village, and a few shots were fired,
+we only succeeded in capturing two old men and a small boy, who were
+not able to get away in time. The houses were full of household goods,
+in spite of our previous raid, when this and other villages were well
+looted by our people, so we were evidently not expected to return.
+
+We did not stay long here, but soon resumed our march. It was a very
+hot day, and after walking through the open bits of grass country,
+it was always pleasant to get into the cool and shady forest, full
+of delicate ferns, rare palms and orchid-laden trees. We passed on
+through two other villages, with their gruesome platforms of grinning
+skulls as the only vestige of humanity.
+
+At length we came to the large village, which is named Dobodura,
+after the tribe, and in which we had spent such a horrible night on
+our last visit. The village was full of yelling warriors. Rushing up,
+we shot several who showed fight. Most of them, however, fled before
+us. Toku, Monckton's boy, and brother of my boy Arigita, again made
+use of his master's pea-rifle, but this time he did not meet with
+any success, and very narrowly escaped getting a spear through him.
+
+A short time before, when Monckton was out on an expedition, Toku was
+carrying his master's revolver, but happened to lag behind the rest of
+the party without being noticed, when a man jumped out of the jungle
+and picked young Toku up in his arms, covering up his mouth so that he
+could not cry out, and proceeded to carry him off, no doubt intending
+to have a live roast. But Toku, managing to draw Monckton's revolver,
+shot him dead right through the head, and Monckton, hearing the shot,
+turned back, and soon discovered young Toku calmly sitting on his
+enemy's dead body. But, alas! the hero had to suffer in the hour of
+his triumph, as Monckton ordered him to be flogged for lagging behind
+the rear guard of police.
+
+Besides killing several of the Doboduras, we also took several
+prisoners, both men and women. We rested here, but several of the
+police, whose fighting blood was now fully roused, went out with some
+of our armed natives, skirmishing in one or two parties till late,
+and we could hear shots in all directions. As we found out later,
+they had slain several more of the enemy, with no loss to themselves.
+
+We chose a splendid camp, with the river (which we were informed was
+the Tamboga River) on one side.
+
+The forest trees were felled on the other side, forming a strong
+barrier, very different from our last camp here in the centre of the
+village, and without any defences at all. We had a most refreshing
+bathe in the river, but kept our rifles close at hand, as the enemy
+could have easily speared us from the reeds on the opposite bank.
+
+After supper we interviewed the prisoners, and we now learned the
+real sequel to our last visit and what a narrow escape we had that
+night from being all massacred. It appeared that our fighting during
+the daytime astonished them much, as they could not understand how we
+could kill at such a distance, rifles being quite new to them. Our
+fame soon reached a large village much further on, and they said
+to the Dobodura people: "Ye are all cowards; we will show you that
+we can destroy these strange people." They started off that night
+and surrounding our camp on all sides, crept up for a rush; but,
+luckily for us, our sentries saw some of them and fired. The first
+shot killed one of them, and others were hit. Then came the blaze of
+many rifles. This terrified them and they fled. The horrible noise of
+the rifles and the flashes of fire in the darkness astonished them, but
+what made them depart for good was seeing one of their men fall at the
+first shot. It was a very lucky shot, and it probably saved our lives
+that night. When asked why they raided the Notus, the prisoners said
+that they were friends until two years ago, when they quarrelled, and
+had been constantly fighting since. In particular they now blamed the
+Notus for the late drought, which they said was due to their sorcery,
+the result being that they were forced to live on sago alone, and to
+vary this diet were compelled to get human meat.
+
+I was the only one out of five white men not down with fever, but I
+was glad that we passed a quiet night, with no attack on the camp. In
+the morning one of our carriers, who ventured less than fifty yards
+beyond the barrier, received a spear through his left arm and another
+through his side, and though I am almost afraid to relate it for
+fear of being thought guilty of exaggeration, the man plucked the
+spear out of his side in a moment, and, hurling it back, killed his
+opponent. I ventured outside and proved the truth of the man's story,
+by finding the Dobodura man transfixed with his own spear. Both our
+man's wounds were bad ones, but he did not seem to mind them at all,
+and was for some time surrounded by a crowd of admiring natives.
+
+We started off early in search of a large village of which a prisoner
+told us, but had not gone far when a man jumped out of the long grass
+and threw a spear at one of our carriers, only a few paces in front
+of me. Fortunately he missed him, but only by a few inches. As he
+was preparing to throw another spear, one of our men, whom he had not
+noticed, owing to an abrupt bend in the narrow track, which brought
+him close to the spearman, sprang forward and buried his stone club
+in the man's head, who sank down without a groan.
+
+It was cloudy, but very close, and we passed through open grass
+country, bounded on each side by tall forest, in which bird-life
+seemed plentiful, cockatoos and parrots making a great noise. Birds
+of paradise were also calling out with their very noticeable and
+peculiar falsetto cry.
+
+After going some distance we catechized the prisoners, and while
+an old man declared that there was a large village ahead, the two
+women prisoners said that the track was only a hunting one and led
+to the mountains.
+
+The old man evidently wanted to get us away from his village, to
+enable his tribe to return, but the women, not being so loyal, told
+us the truth, no doubt because they found the forced marching on a
+hot day a little too much for them. We sat down for a consultation,
+but hearing a loud outcry in the rear, I suddenly came across about a
+dozen of the now indignant police pelting the old man with darts made
+out of a peculiar kind of grass, which grew around here. The old man,
+who was handcuffed, hopped high in the air, uttering loud yells every
+time a dart hit him, so I imagined they hurt, and though I, too, felt
+much annoyed, I had to put a stop to this cruel sport, when one of
+the aggrieved policemen cried out to me: "Taubada (master), why you
+stop him get hurt? This fellow he ki-ki (eat) you if he get chance."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+The Return From Dobodura.
+
+    Horrible Fate of one of our Enemies--Collecting in
+    Cannibal--Haunted Forest--I Shoot a new Kingfisher, and a Bird
+    of Paradise--Natives' Interest in Bird-Stuffing--Return Journey
+    begun--Tree-house in a Notu Village--Peacemaking Ceremonies--Notu
+    Village described--Our Allies sentenced for Cannibalism--Parting
+    with Walsh and Clark.
+
+
+We decided to return, and sent off a strong body of police in advance
+to surprise some of the surrounding villages. On the way back we found
+the man who was brained by one of our carriers still breathing. He
+was a ghastly sight, with his brains projecting out, and he was being
+eaten alive by swarms of red ants, which almost hid his body and found
+their way into his eyes, ears and nose. By the convulsions that from
+time to time shook the man's body, he was evidently still conscious,
+but could not possibly have lived for more than a few hours at most,
+after our thus finding him. New Guinea, like most tropical countries,
+had its full share of these pests (ants), some species of which
+actually make webs, and, by way of supplementing the web itself,
+work leaves in.
+
+Acland, who had been suffering all day long from bad fever, now
+collapsed and could walk no further, but had to be carried in a
+hammock. When we got back to our old camping ground, I took an armed
+guard of police and went in search of birds for my collection, in the
+adjoining forest, and shot a new kingfisher (_Tanysiptera_) and a bird
+of paradise (_Paradisea intermedia_). It was rather exciting work,
+as one went warily through the thick growth, from whence might issue
+a spear any minute, and I held on to my rifle all the time, except,
+of course, when I saw a bird, and then I made a quick change to my
+shotgun, lest I should prove a case of the hunter hunted.
+
+On my return I had a large crowd of carriers around me watching me
+skin my birds, while Arigita explained everything to them in lordly
+fashion, only too pleased to get the chance of being listened to,
+while he expounded to them his superior knowledge. What he told them
+I, of course, could not tell, but he informed me that when I put the
+final stitch in the nostrils of the birds, my audience declared that
+I did this to prevent the birds from breathing and so one day coming
+to life again. When the wise Arigita asked them how this could be,
+since they had seen me take out the body and brains, they scoffed at
+him and said that spirits would come inside the skins so that they
+could sing again.
+
+Monckton, meanwhile, had made a raid on the native gardens and brought
+in quite a lot of taro. The police had killed several more Doboduras,
+and in one place they had quite a fight. Our old man prisoner escaped
+in the night, although he was handcuffed.
+
+We returned to the coast the next day, as there seemed no chance of our
+coming to terms with these Doboduras. Our only chance would have been
+to defeat them in a big engagement. They seemed too frightened of us
+to stand up for a big fight, but hid themselves in the bush, and were
+thus hard to get at. We left ten police behind to trap the natives,
+and, thinking we had left, a few of them returned to the village,
+and the police shot four more of them and soon caught up with us,
+bringing in the shields, stone clubs and spears of the slain.
+
+During both these expeditions we had killed a good many of these
+people, and it ought to be a lesson to them to leave the Notus alone
+in future, although there is little doubt that the Notus themselves
+make cannibalistic raids on some of their weaker neighbours. I did
+not like the looks of the Notus, and they, as well as the Doboduras,
+have a most repellent type of features, and look capable of any
+kind of cruelty and treachery. They are very different from the
+gentle-looking Kaili-kailis.
+
+The sea was very rough, and it was exciting work launching the
+canoes. One was thrown clean out of the water by a breaker. The
+majority of the carriers and half the police went round by the beach,
+but we in the two whaleboats had some exciting moments in the rough
+sea, though with the sails up we made good progress. We passed two
+of the canoes partially wrecked, and apparently in great difficulties.
+
+We eventually landed long after dark in Eoro Bay, some distance the
+other side of the large Notu village, near which we had previously
+camped. We landed opposite a good-sized village belonging to the
+Notu tribe, from which all the inhabitants fled on our approach. We
+wandered about the village with flaming torches, looking out for huts
+to pass the night in, as it was too late to pitch camp. But unhappily
+the huts were full of lice, and it was impossible to get any sleep.
+
+I saw here for the first time one of the curious native tree houses. It
+was high up in a tall pandanus tree, and had a very odd appearance. We
+spent the whole of the next day in this village, while our carriers
+brought in and mended their canoes. They, too, had a very rough time
+of it, but no lives were lost.
+
+During the day I witnessed a very interesting ceremony, which I
+take the liberty of describing in Monckton's own words, given in his
+report to the Government. He says: "October 7th. Found that some of
+the mountain people had been out to Notu and wished to make peace
+with them. The Notu people had also ascertained that the Dobodura
+had retreated into the large sago swamp, and were quite certain that
+they had no danger to fear from them for some time to come. They
+also said that after the police had departed they would very likely
+be able to re-establish their ancient friendly relations with the
+Dobodura. A peace-offering was brought from the mountain people,
+which the Notu people asked me to receive for them. The ceremony was
+strange to me, and had several peculiar features. Two minor chiefs
+came to where I was sitting and sat down. About twenty men then
+approached and drove their spears into the ground in a circle with
+the butts all leaning inwards. Many of the spears had a small piece
+broken off at the butt end. From these spears were then hung clubs,
+spears and shields, and native masks and fighting ornaments. An old
+chief then said they had given me their arms. Next they placed cloth,
+fishing nets and spears and other native ornaments inside the circle,
+and the same old chief said they had given me their property. After
+this ten pigs, five male and five female, were brought and placed
+inside the ring with a quantity of sago and a little other food. Then
+followed cooking vessels full of cooked food. The old chief then said,
+'We have given you all we have as a sign we are now the people of the
+Government.' I gave them a good return present, and told them that
+they were at liberty to take any articles they wanted or their pigs
+back again, but this they absolutely refused to do, saying that it
+would destroy the effect of what they had done. The female prisoners
+were now sent back to Dobodura with a message to the Dobodura, that
+I should return in a few months and make peace with them, should they
+in the meantime refrain from murdering the coastal people, but should
+they persist in their raiding I should return and handle them still
+more severely." In return we gave them presents of axes, knives,
+beads, tobacco, etc., which were laid down on the top of each pig.
+
+Monckton very kindly presented Acland and myself with all the clubs,
+native masks, "tapa" cloth and ornaments, and the pigs and other food
+came in very useful for our police and carriers, as our rice supply
+was getting low.
+
+This was a very picturesque village, shaded by thousands of coconut
+and betel nut palms and large spreading trees, among which was a very
+fine tree, with very beautiful green and yellow variegated leaves
+(_Erythrina_ sp.). There was also a great variety of _dracænas,_
+striped and spotted with green, crimson, white, pink and yellow.
+
+In most of these villages there were many curious kinds of
+trophies--crossed sticks, standing in the middle of the village,
+with a centre pole carved and painted in various patterns, and with
+a fringe of fibre placed near the top. Hanging on these sticks were
+the skulls and jawbones of men, pigs and crocodiles. I went out in
+the afternoon with gun and rifle, and saw several wallabies, but
+could not get a shot at them on account of the tall grass.
+
+In the evening the chiefs of the large Notu village who had in our
+absence killed and eaten the two runaway carriers, visited us in
+fear and trembling. Monckton told them they must give up to us the
+actual murderers and send them up to the residency at Cape Nelson
+(or Tufi) within the next three weeks. He did not ask for those
+that ate them. Possibly one hundred or more partook of the feast,
+and for this they could hardly be blamed, as, being cannibals, it
+is quite natural that they should eat fresh meat when they got the
+chance. Indeed, our own carriers could not understand why we would
+not allow them to eat the bodies of those we had slain.
+
+The next morning we five white men parted company, Walsh and Clark,
+with the Mambare and their own police, returning to the north,
+while Monckton, Acland and I went southward again to continue our
+explorations in another direction.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART V
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+    Rumours at Cape Nelson of a "Duckfooted" People in the
+    Interior--Conflicting Opinions--Views of a Confirmed Sceptic--Start
+    of the Expedition--Magnificence of the Vegetation--Friendliness
+    of the Barugas--The "Orakaibas" (Criers of "Peace")--Tree-huts
+    eighty feet from the ground-Loveliness of this part of the
+    Jungle--Description of its Plants--A Dry Season--First Glimpse
+    of Agai Ambu Huts--Remarkable Scene on the Lake--Flight of the
+    Agai Ambu in Canoes--Success at Last--A Voluntary Surrender--The
+    Agai Ambu Flat-footed, not Web-footed--Sir Francis Winter's
+    subsequent Visit and fuller Description of these People--Their
+    Physical Appearance, Houses, Canoes, Food, Speech and Customs--My
+    Account Resumed--Making Friends with the Agai Ambu--A Country
+    of Swamps--Second Agai Ambu Village--Extraordinary Abundance
+    and Variety of Water-fowl--Strange Behaviour of an Agai Ambu
+    Women--Disposal of the Dead in Mid-lake Food of the Agai
+    Ambu--Their Method of Catching Ducks by Diving for them--An
+    Odd Experience--Mosquitos and Fever--Last View of Agai Ambu--An
+    Amusing _Finale._
+
+
+Many were the wild and fantastic rumours we had heard at the Residency
+at Cape Nelson, on the north-east coast of British New Guinea,
+concerning a curious tribe of natives whose feet were reported to be
+webbed like those of a duck, and who lived in a swamp a short way in
+the interior, some distance to the north of us. I myself had at first
+been inclined to sneer at these reports, but Monckton, the Resident
+Magistrate, with his superior knowledge of the Papuans, as the natives
+of New Guinea are called, was sure that there was some truth in the
+reports, as the Papuan who has not come much in contact with the
+white man is singularly truthful though guilty of exaggeration.
+
+I knew this, but I had in mind the case of the Doriri tribe, who
+lived in the interior a little to the south of us. These Doriri
+(who had had the kindly forethought to send us word that they were
+coming down to pay us a visit to eat us, for the Papuan, though a
+savage, is often most suave and courteous and by no means lacking
+in humour), were reported to us as having many tails, but needless
+to say when we made some prisoners, we were scarcely disappointed
+to find that the said tails protruded from the back of the head (in
+much the same fashion as the Chinaman's pigtail); in this case each
+man had many tails, which were fashioned by rolling layers of bark
+from a certain tree--closely allied, I believe to the "paper tree"
+of Australia--round long strands of hair.
+
+We three white men had many a long talk as to whether these
+swamp-dwellers were worth going in search of, but I soon came round to
+Monckton's way of thinking. Acland, alone, however, maintained to the
+last that the whole thing was a myth, and jokingly said to Monckton:
+"When you find these duck-footed people, you had better see that Walker
+does not take them for birds, and shoot and skin a couple of specimens
+of each sex and add them to his collection." (For my chief hobby in
+this and many other countries all over the world consisted in adding
+to my fine collections of birds and butterflies in the old country.)
+
+As we three, with our twenty-five native police and four servant
+boys, rowed up the Barigi River in our large government whaleboat,
+on our way to search for these "duck-footed" people, I could not help
+being struck with the very great beauty of the scene. Giant trees
+laden with their burden of orchids, parasites and dangling lianas,
+surrounded us on both sides, their wide-spreading branches forming
+a leafy arcade far over our heads, while palms in infinite variety,
+intermixed with all sorts of tropical forms of vegetation, and rare
+ferns, grew thickly on the banks.
+
+Some distance behind us came our large fleet of canoes, bearing our
+bags of rice and over one hundred carriers, and as they paddled down
+the dark green oily waters of this natural arcade, with much shouting
+and the splashing of many paddles, it made a scene which is with me
+yet and is never to be forgotten. As we proceeded, the river got more
+narrow, and fallen trees from time to time obstructed our way. We at
+length landed at a spot where we were met by a large number of the
+Baruga tribe, who brought us several live pigs tied to poles, and
+great quantities of sago, plantains and yams. They had expected us,
+as we had camped in their country the previous night. They had been
+"licked" into friendliness by Monckton, who less than a year ago (as
+elsewhere mentioned) had sunk their canoes, and together with the aid
+of the crocodiles, which swarm in this river, had annihilated a large
+force of them. And now to show their friendliness they were prepared
+to do us a good turn, by helping us to find these duck-footed people,
+with whom (they told us) they were well acquainted.
+
+Oyogoba, the chief of the Baruga tribe, came to meet us. He assured us
+of the friendliness of his people, and himself offered to accompany
+us. His arm had been broken in the encounter with Monckton and his
+police, and Monckton had immediately afterwards set it himself. It
+now seemed quite sound.
+
+We soon resumed our journey, on foot, passing through very varied
+country, plains covered with tall grass and bounded by forest,
+through which at times we passed. At other times we had to force our
+way through thick swamps in which the sago-palm abounded, from the
+trunks of which the natives extract sago in great quantities.
+
+About mid-day we arrived at a fair-sized village belonging to the
+Baruga tribe. It was surrounded by a tall stockade of poles, and as
+we entered it, the women sitting in their huts greeted us with their
+incessant cries of "orakaiba, orakaiba" (peace). On this account the
+natives of this part of New Guinea are generally termed "Orakaibas"
+by other tribes.
+
+The houses here seemed larger and better built than most Papuan houses
+that I had hitherto seen, and there were many curious tree-houses
+high up among the branches of some very large, trees in the village,
+some being fully eighty feet from the ground. They had broad ladders
+reaching up to them, and looked very curious and picturesque. These
+ladders are made of long rattans from various climbing palms. These
+rattans, of which there were three double strings, are twisted in
+such a way as to support the pieces of wood which form the steps. In
+one case a ladder led from the ground in the usual way to a house
+built in a small tree about thirty feet from the ground, but a second
+ladder connected this house with another one in a much larger tree
+about eighty feet off the ground. I climbed the first ladder, but
+the second one swayed too much.
+
+These tree-houses axe built partly as look-out houses, from which the
+approach of the enemy is discovered, and partly as vantage points
+from which the natives hurl down spears at their opponents below
+when attacked.
+
+Resuming our journey, after a brief halt in this village, we soon
+came to the Barigi River again, which we crossed, camping in a small
+deserted village close by. Here I noticed several more tree-houses in
+the larger trees. This had been a very hot day, even for New Guinea,
+and I could not resist taking a most refreshing bathe in the river,
+though I must confess I was glad to get out again, having rather a
+dread of the crocodiles, which infest parts of this river, though
+they were not nearly so numerous up here as in the lower reaches of
+the river which we had traversed in the morning.
+
+We were up the following morning before sunrise, and were all
+much excited at the prospect before us of discovering this curious
+tribe. This day would show whether or no our journey was to prove
+fruitless. Soon after leaving the village we entered a dense forest,
+the growth of which was wonderfully beautiful. Tall _pandanus_
+trees, some of them supported by a hundred and more long stilted
+roots, which rose many feet above our heads, reared their crowns of
+ribbon-like leaves above even some of the giants of the forest. Palms
+of all shapes and sizes, dwarfed, tall, slender and thick, surrounded
+us on every side, and at least three different species of climbing
+palms scrambled over the tallest trees. The tree trunks were hidden
+by climbing ferns and by a white variegated fleshy-leafed _pothos._
+Orchids, though not numerous, were by no means scarce on the branches
+of some of the larger trees, and were intermixed with many curious and
+beautiful ferns. There were many large-leafed tropical plants somewhat
+resembling the _heliconias_ and _marantas_ of tropical America.
+
+Flowers were not very plentiful, but here and there the forest
+would be literally ablaze with what is said to be the most showy
+flowering creeper in the world, huge bunches of large flowers of
+so vivid a scarlet that Monckton and I agreed no painting could
+do them justice. It is sometimes known as the _Dalbertia,_ but its
+botanical name is _Mucuna bennetti._ It has been found impossible
+to introduce it into cultivation. Among other flowers were some very
+large sweet-scented _Crinum_ lilies and some very pretty pink flowering
+_begonias,_ with their leaves beautifully mottled with silver. Here and
+there we would notice a variegated _croton_ or pink-leafed _dracæna,_
+but these were uncommon.
+
+As we proceeded, I noticed that in spite of the very dry weather
+we had been having, the ground each moment became more moist, which
+indicated that we were approaching the swamps we had heard about. It
+was a rough track over fallen trees and dry streams, but before long
+we passed along the banks of a creek full of stagnant water.
+
+We at length left the forest and found ourselves in open country,
+covered with reeds and rank grass, through which we slowly wended
+our way. Suddenly, however, we halted, and looking through the
+tall grass, saw some of the houses of the Agai Ambu tribe close
+at hand. Down we all crouched, hiding ourselves among the grass,
+while two of our Baruga guides, who speak the language of the Agai
+Ambu, went forward to try and parley with them and induce them to be
+friendly with us. We soon heard them yelling out to the Agai Ambu,
+who yelled back in reply. This went on for some minutes, when the
+Baruga men called out to us to come on.
+
+Jumping up, we rushed forward through the grass and witnessed a
+remarkable scene. In front of us was a lake thickly covered with
+water-lilies, most of them long-stemmed and of a very beautiful blue,
+with a yellow centre, and with large leaves, the edges of which were
+covered with a kind of thorn; there were also some white ones with
+yellow centre.
+
+On the other side of the lake were several curious houses built on
+long poles in the water, the houses themselves being a good height
+above the water. The lake presented a scene of great confusion. The
+inhabitants were fleeing away from us in their curious canoes, which,
+unlike most Papuan canoes, had no outrigger whatever. Their paddles
+also were peculiar, the blades being very broad. Close to us were
+our two Baruga guides in a canoe with one of the Agai Ambu tribe,
+who directly he saw us plunged into the lake and disappeared under
+the tangled masses of water lilies.
+
+He remained under some time, but on his coming to the surface again,
+one of the Baruga men plunged in after him, and we witnessed an
+exciting wrestling match in the water. The Baruga man was by far
+the more powerful of the two, but he was no match for the almost
+amphibious Agai Ambu, who slipped away from his grasp like an eel,
+and swam away, with the Baruga man in close pursuit. All this time
+a canoe full of the Agai Ambu was rapidly approaching to the rescue,
+waving their paddles over their heads, and the Baruga man, seeing this,
+climbed back into his canoe and paddled back to us.
+
+Meanwhile the police had made a rush for a canoe which was close at
+hand; but it at once upset, having no outrigger and being exceedingly
+light and thin; it was, in fact, a species of canoe quite new to our
+police. In any case they would not have had the slightest chance of
+overtaking the fleet Agai Ambu in their own canoes. It looked very
+much as if after all we were not to have the chance of verifying
+the strange reports about the formation of these people. As a last
+resource we sent over our two Baruga guides in a canoe to speak with
+those of the tribe who had not fled. As the guides approached they
+shouted out that we were friends, and that as we were friends of the
+Baruga tribe, we must be friends of the Agai Ambu tribe as well.
+
+We held up various tempting trade goods, including a calico known as
+Turkey-red, bottles of beads, etc. This and a long conversation with
+the Baruga men seemed to carry some weight with them, for the Baruga
+soon returned with one of their number, who turned round in the canoe
+with his arms outstretched to his friends and cried or rather chanted,
+in a sobbing voice, what sounded like a very weird song, which seemed
+quite in keeping with the mournful surroundings and lonely life of
+these people.
+
+This weird song, heard under such circumstances, quite thrilled me,
+and wild and savage though the singer was, the song appealed to me
+more than any other song has ever done. It looked as if he might
+be a ne'er-do-weel or an idiot whom his friends could afford to
+experiment with before taking the risk of coming over themselves,
+but his song was no doubt a farewell to his friends, whom he possibly
+never expected to see again.
+
+He certainly looked horribly frightened as he stepped out of the
+canoe. We at once saw that there was some truth in the reports about
+the physical formation of these people, although there had been
+exaggeration in the descriptions of their feet as "webbed." There
+was, between the toes, an epidermal growth more distinct than in the
+case of other peoples, though not so conspicuous as to permit of the
+epithet "half-webbed," much less "webbed," being applied to them. The
+most noticeable difference was that their legs below the knee were
+distinctly shorter than those of the ordinary Papuan, and that their
+feet seemed much broader and shorter and very flat, so that altogether
+they presented a most extraordinary appearance. The Agai Ambu hardly
+ever walk on dry land, and their feet bleed if they attempt to do
+so. They appeared to be slightly bowlegged and walk with a mincing
+gait, lifting their feet straight up, as if they were pulling them
+out of the mud.
+
+Sir Francis Winter, the acting Governor of British New Guinea, was so
+interested in our discovery, that he himself made another expedition
+with Monckton to see these people, while I was still in New Guinea. On
+his return I stayed with him for some time at Government House,
+Port Moresby, and he gave me a copy of his report on the Agai Ambu,
+which explains the curious physical formation of these people better
+than I could do.
+
+He says: "On the other side of this mere, and close to a bed of reeds
+and flags, was a little village of the small Ahgai-ambo tribe, and
+about three-quarters of a mile off was a second village. After much
+shouting our Baruga followers induced two men and a woman to come
+across to us from the nearest village. Each came in a small canoe,
+which, standing up, they propelled with a long pole. One man and the
+woman ventured on shore to where we were standing.
+
+"The Ahgai-ambo have for a period that extends beyond native traditions
+lived in this swamp. At one time they were fairly numerous, but a
+few years ago some epidemic reduced them to about forty. They never
+leave their morass, and the Baruga assured us that they are not able
+to walk properly on hard ground, and that their feet soon bleed
+if they try to do so. The man that came on shore was for a native
+middle-aged. He would have been a fair-sized native, had his body
+from the hips downward been proportionate to the upper part of his
+frame. He had a good chest and, for a native, a thick neck; and his
+arms matched his trunk. His buttocks and thighs were disproportionately
+small, and his legs still more so. His feet were short and broad,
+and very thin and flat, with, for a native, weak-looking toes. This
+last feature was still more noticeable in the woman, whose toes were
+long and slight and stood out rigidly from the foot as though they
+possessed no joints. The feet of both the man and the woman seemed to
+rest on the ground something as wooden feet would do. The skin above
+the knees of the man was in loose folds, and the sinews and muscles
+around the knee were not well developed. The muscles of the shin were
+much better developed than those of the calf. In the ordinary native
+the skin on the loins is smooth and tight, and the anatomy of the body
+is clearly discernible; but the Ahgai-ambo man had several folds of
+thick skin or muscle across the loins, which concealed the outline
+of his frame. On placing one of our natives, of the same height,
+alongside the marsh man, we noticed that our native was about three
+inches higher at the hips.
+
+"I had a good view of our visitor, while he was standing sideways
+towards me, and in figure and carriage he looked to me more ape-like
+than any human being that I have seen. The woman, who was of middle
+age, was much more slightly formed than the man, but her legs were
+short and slender in proportion to her figure, which from the waist
+to the knees was clothed in a wrapper of native cloth.
+
+"The houses of the near village were built on piles, at a height of
+about twelve feet from the surface of the water, but one house at the
+far village must have been three or four feet more elevated. Their
+canoes, which are small, long, and narrow, and have no outrigger, axe
+hollowed out to a mere shell to give them buoyancy. Although the open
+water was several feet deep, it was so full of aquatic plants that
+a craft of any width, or drawing more than a few inches, would make
+but slow progress through it. Needless to say that these craft, which
+retain the round form of the log, are exceedingly unstable, but their
+owners stand up in them and, pole them along without any difficulty.
+
+"These people are very expert swimmers, and can glide through beds
+of reeds or rushes, or over masses of floating vegetable matter,
+with ease. They live on wild fowl, fish, sago and marsh plants,
+and on vegetables procured from the Baruga in exchange for fish and
+sago. They keep a few pigs on platforms built underneath or alongside
+their houses. Their dead they place on small platforms among the reeds,
+and cover the corpse over with a roof of rude matting. Their dialect
+is almost the same as that of the Baruga. Probably their ancestors
+at one time lived close to the swamp, and in order to escape from
+their enemies were driven to seek a permanent refuge in it."
+
+Thus it will be seen that Sir Francis was much impressed with these
+people, and he heartily congratulated me upon our discovery.
+
+To resume my personal account. We soon gave the man confidence
+by presenting him with an axe, some calico and beads, and a small
+looking-glass, which was held in front of him. He gazed in stupefied
+wonderment at his own features so plainly depicted before him. He was
+taken back to the other side, and soon returned with two more of his
+tribe, who brought us a live pig, which they hauled out from a raised
+flooring beneath one of their houses.
+
+The country all round us seemed to be one large swamp, and we stood
+upon a springy foundation of reeds and mud; except for these, we
+should undoubtedly have soon sunk out of sight in the mud. As it was,
+we stood in a foot of water most of the time, and in places we had
+to wade through mud over our knees.
+
+The lake swarmed with many kinds of curious water-birds, the most
+common being a red-headed kind of plover; there was also a great
+variety of duck and teal. The swamps were full of large spiders, which
+crawled all over us; we had to keep continually brushing them off.
+
+Farther down the lake we saw another small village, and we were
+told that these two villages comprised the whole of this curious
+tribe. Whether they axe the remnants of a once powerful tribe it
+is impossible to say, but their position is well-nigh impregnable
+in case they are ever attacked, as their houses are surrounded by
+swamps and water on all sides, and no outsider could very well get
+through the swamps to their villages. The only possible way to get
+there would be to cross the water in their shell-like canoes, a feat
+which no man of any other tribe would ever be able to manage.
+
+Monckton thought that these swamps and lake were formed by an overflow
+of the Musa River. This had been a phenomenally dry season for New
+Guinea, so these swamps in an ordinary wet season must be under water
+to the depth of many feet.
+
+We camped close by on the borders of the forest amid a jungle of
+rank luxuriant vegetation, over which hovered large and brilliant
+butterflies, among them a very large metallic green and black species
+(_Ornithoptera priamus_) and a large one of a bright blue (_Papilio
+ulyses_). The same afternoon we three went out shooting on the
+lake. Two of the Agai Ambu canoes were lashed together and a raft of
+split bamboo put across them, and two Agai Ambu men punted and paddled
+us about. Before starting we had first educated them up to the report
+of our guns, and after a few shots they soon got over their fright.
+
+The lake positively swarmed with water-fowl, including several
+varieties of duck, also shag, divers, pigmy geese, small teal, grebe,
+red-headed plover, spur-wing plover, curlew, sandpipers, snipe,
+swamp hen, water-rail, and many other birds. The red-headed plover
+were especially numerous, and ran about on the surface of the lake,
+which was covered with the water-lily leaves and a thick sort of mossy
+weed. All the birds seemed remarkably tame, and we got a good assorted
+bag, chiefly duck--enough to supply most of our large force with.
+
+I stopped most of the time on the raised platform of one of the houses
+and shot the duck, which Acland and Monckton put up, as they flew over
+my head. I had a companion in old Giwi, the chief of the Kaili-kailis,
+many of whom were among our carriers. He seemed to be on very friendly
+terms with one of the Agai Ambu on whose hut I was. Presently a woman
+came over in a canoe from one of the houses in the far village, and
+climbed up on to the platform where we were. Directly she saw old
+Giwi, she caught hold of him and hugged and kissed him all over and
+rubbed her face against his body, covering him with the black pigment
+with which she had smeared her face. She was sobbing all the time
+and chanting a very mournful but not unmusical kind of song. This
+exhibition lasted over half an hour, and poor old Giwi looked quite
+bewildered, and gazed up at me in a most piteous way, as much as to
+say: "Awful nuisance, this woman--but what am I to do?" He understood
+the meaning of this performance as little as I did. Possibly the
+woman was frightened of us, and seeing a stranger of her own colour
+in old Giwi, appealed to him for protection. The Baruga, however,
+had previously told us that the Agai Ambu had recently captured one
+of their women, and I have since thought that this might possibly
+have been the woman, and am sorry I did not make inquiries at the
+time. At all events, old Giwi was too courteous to shake her off,
+though to me it was a most amusing sight, and it was all I could do
+to refrain from laughing aloud.
+
+We saw the dead body of a man half-wrapped in mats tied to poles
+in the middle of the lake. They always dispose of their dead thus,
+and I suppose leave them there till they rot or dry up.
+
+The chief food of these people seemed to be the bulbs of the
+water-lilies, fish and shellfish. They catch plenty of water-fowl by
+diving under them and pulling them under the water by the legs before
+they have time to make any noise. By this method they do not frighten
+the rest away, and this accounts for the birds' extreme tameness.
+
+It seemed odd that we should be paddled about the lake, to shoot wild
+fowl, by these people, who until to-day had never seen a white man
+before and had fled from us in the morning. However, most of them
+had fled and would not return until we had left their country.
+
+There is little doubt that this part of the country is most
+unhealthy. Many of our police and carriers were two days later down
+with fever, and a few weeks later I had a bad attack of fever, with
+which I was laid up in Samarai for some time, and which I feel sure I
+got into my system in this swamp. The mosquitoes were certainly very
+plentiful and vicious.
+
+We spent the following day here, duck-shooting on the lake, and I did
+a little natural-history collecting in the adjacent forest. We had
+intended to try and induce two of the Agai Ambu to accompany us back to
+Cape Nelson, but most unfortunately they understood that we were going
+to take them forcibly away. They became alarmed and all disappeared,
+and we were not able to get into communication with them again.
+
+When Sir Francis Winter visited them about a month later they were
+evidently quite friendly again, but on the second day of his visit
+his native followers demanded a pig of the Agai Ambu in his, Sir
+Francis's, name. At this they became alarmed and retreated to the
+further village, and he was unable to see any more of them. Since
+then I believe nothing more has been seen of these flat-footed people.
+
+We returned to our old camping ground in the Baruga village on the
+banks of the Barigi River, and the friendly Baruga people brought
+us a big supply of pigs, sago and other native food. The next day
+we continued our journey to the coast, and camped at the mouth of
+the Barigi River. We had intended making an expedition into the
+Hydrographer range of mountains, which we could see from here, and
+which were unexplored, but Monckton and Acland were far from well, and
+most of our carriers and police were down with fever, and so, greatly
+to my disappointment, this had to be abandoned. We resumed our homeward
+journey in the whaleboat early the following morning. We started with
+a fair breeze, but this changed after a time to a head wind, against
+which it was quite impossible to make any headway, so we landed at a
+place where there was a small inlet leading into a lagoon. We stayed
+here till six p.m., when the wind dropped sufficiently to enable
+us to start off again, and, passing the mouth of the Musa River,
+we landed about one a.m. in Porlock Bay, where we camped for the night.
+
+We spent the following day shooting, which entailed a lot of wading
+amongst the shallow streams, lagoons and small lakes. I had a bit of a
+fright here, as I suddenly stepped into some quicksands and felt myself
+sinking fast, but, thanks to Arigita and the branch of a tree, I was
+able to pull myself out after a great deal of trouble and anxiety,
+though if I had not had Arigita with me I should most certainly
+have gone under. We got a splendid bag between us of various birds,
+chiefly duck and pigeon. One of the police shot a large cassowary,
+and also a large wild pig and a wallaby, so there was plenty of food
+for all. We sailed again that night at eleven p.m., and got six of
+the Okeina canoes to tow us along. This they did not seem to relish,
+and before they got into line there was a great deal of angry talking
+and shouting, and Monckton had to call them to order by firing a rifle
+in the air. It was amusing to see the way the long line of canoes
+pulled us round and round in the form of the letter "S," and they
+would often bump against each other, and plenty of angry words were
+exchanged. It was an amusing _finale_ to the expedition. They left us
+for their homes when we got near the Okeina country. We landed in the
+early morning on the beach, where we had breakfast, and then rowed on,
+followed by the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu canoes, and eventually landed
+again at the station at Tufi, Cape Nelson, about two p.m.
+
+In conclusion I should mention that Mr. Oelrechs, Monckton's assistant,
+had heard rumours that we had all been massacred, and he told me that
+he had been seriously thinking of gathering together a large army of
+friendly natives to go down and avenge us, though I think he would
+have found it no easy matter, but, as can be seen, we saved him the
+trouble, and so our expedition ended.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART VI
+
+Wanderings and Wonders in Borneo.
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+On the War-Path in Borneo.
+
+    The "Orang-utan" and the "Man of the Jungle"--Voyage to
+    Sarawak--The Borneo Company, Limited--Kuching, a Picturesque
+    Capital--Independence of Sarawak--I meet the Rajah and the Chief
+    Officials--Etiquette of the Sarawak Court--The "Club"--The
+    "Rangers" of Sarawak and their Trophies--Execution by means
+    of the Long Kris--Degeneracy of the Land Dayaks--Ascent of the
+    Rejang River--Mud Banks and Crocodiles--Dr. Hose at his Sarawak
+    Home--The Fort at Sibu--Enormous length of Dayak Canoes--A Brush
+    with Head-Hunters--Dayak Vengeance on Chinamen--First Impressions
+    of the Sea Dayak, "picturesque and interesting"--A Head-Hunting
+    raid, Dayaks attack the Punans--I accompany the Punitive
+    Expedition--Voyage Upstream--A Clever "Bird Scare"--Houses on the
+    top of Tree-stumps--The Kelamantans--Kanawit Village--The Fort at
+    Kapit--Capture of a notorious Head-Hunting Chief--I inspect the
+    "Heads" of the Victims--Cause of Head-Hunting--Savage Revenge of
+    a Dayak Lover and its Sequel--Hose's stem Ultimatum--Accepted by
+    the Head-Hunters--I return to Sibu--A Fatal Misconception.
+
+
+I had spent about seven months in the forests of British North
+Borneo, going many days' journey into the heart of the country, had
+made fine natural-history collections and had come across a great
+deal of game, including elephant, rhinoceros, bear, and "tembadu" or
+wild cattle, huge wild pig and deer of three species being especially
+plentiful. But above all I had come across a great many "orang-utan"
+(Malay for "jungle-man") and had been able to study their habits. One
+of these great apes has the strength of eight men and possesses an
+extraordinary amount of vitality. One that I shot lived for nearly
+three hours with five soft-nosed Mauser bullets in its body.
+
+But I had not yet seen the _real_ jungle-man in his native haunts--the
+head-hunting Dayak, as the Dayaks are rarely to be found in North
+Borneo, whereas the people on the Kinabatangan River (where I spent
+most of my time) were a sort of Malay termed "Orang Sungei" (River
+People). So, as I was anxious to see the real head-hunting Dayak,
+I determined to go to Sarawak, which is in quite a different part of
+Borneo. To do this, I had to return to Singapore, and thence, after a
+two days' voyage, I arrived at Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. Except
+for a Chinese towkay, I was the only saloon passenger, as strangers
+rarely visit this country.
+
+Kuching is about twenty-five miles up the Sarawak River, and contains
+about thirty thousand inhabitants, chiefly Malays and Chinese,
+with about fifty Europeans, who are for the most part government
+officials or belong to the Borneo Company, Limited. This company is
+very wealthy and owns the only steamship line, plying between Singapore
+and Kuching. It has several gold mines and a great quantity of land
+planted to pepper, gambier, gutta percha and rubber. The Rajah will
+not allow any other company or private individual to buy lands or
+open up an estate, neither will he allow any traders in the country.
+
+It would be difficult to imagine a more picturesque town than
+Kuching. It chiefly consists of substantial Chinese dwellings of brick
+and plaster, with beautiful tile-work of quaint figures, while temples
+glittering with gold peep out of thick, luxuriant, tropical growth. Two
+miles out of the city you can lose yourself in a dense tropical forest
+of the greatest beauty, and in the background is a chain of mountains,
+some of them of extraordinary shape. The reigning monarch or Rajah
+is an Englishman, Sir Charles Brooke, a nephew of Sir James Brooke,
+the first Rajah, who was an officer in the British Navy and who,
+after conquering Malay pirates, was made Rajah of the country by the
+grateful Dayaks.
+
+Though Sarawak is supposed to be under British protection, and though
+all his officials are Britishers, Rajah Brooke considers his country
+independent and will not allow the Union Jack to be flown in his
+dominions. He possesses his own flag, a mixture of red, black and
+yellow, and his own national anthem; moreover his officials refer
+to him as the King, and to his son, the heir to the throne, as the
+"young King" (or "Rajah Muda").
+
+Two days after my arrival, the Rajah left on his steam yacht for
+England, but the day before he left, he held a great reception at his
+"palace" (or "astana," as it is called in Malay). It was attended
+by all his officials, by high Malay chiefs and the chief Chinese
+merchants. The reins of government were formally handed over to his
+son, the Rajah Muda, after which champagne was passed round. The chief
+resident, Sir Percy Cunninghame, then introduced me to the Rajah. He is
+a fine-looking old man with a white moustache and white hair, and is
+greatly beloved by every one. He conversed with me for some time, and
+asked me many questions about the Chartered Company in British North
+Borneo. It was rather embarrassing for me, with every one silently
+and respectfully standing around listening to every word. He wished
+me success in my travels in the interior, and told his officials to
+do all in their power to help me. When you talk about the Rajah you
+say "His Highness," but when you address him, you simply say "Rajah"
+after every few words--"Yes, Rajah," or "No, Rajah." The native chiefs,
+I noticed, kissed the hands of both the Rajah and the Rajah Muda.
+
+There is no hotel in Kuching, so I put up at the rather dilapidated
+government Rest-House, part of which I had to myself, the other half
+being occupied by two government officers. The club in Kuching seems
+a most popular institution with all the officials, and "gin pahits"
+(or "bitters") the popular drink of this part of the world; billiards
+and pool help to pass many a pleasant evening, the Rajah Muda often
+joining us at a game of black pool, like any ordinary mortal.
+
+The Rajah's troops, the Rangers, are a fine body of men; they are
+chiefly recruited from the Malays and Dayaks, and have an English
+sergeant to drill them. I was told that when they go fighting the wild
+head-hunters, they are allowed to bring in as trophies the heads of
+those they kill, in the same way that the Dayaks themselves do. The
+method of execution here is the same as in other Malay countries,
+the criminal being taken down to the banks of the river, where a long
+"kris" is thrust down through the shoulder into the heart, and is
+then twisted about till the man is dead.
+
+After a visit to Bau, further up the Sarawak River, where the Borneo
+Company, whose guest I was, have a gold mine (the clay being treated
+by the "cyanide" process), I collected specimens for some time in the
+beautiful forests at the foot of the limestone mountains of Poak. Here
+I saw something of the Land Dayaks, but they are a poor degenerate
+breed, and not to be compared to the Sea Dayaks, who are born fighters,
+and whose predatory head-hunting instincts give a great deal of trouble
+to the government. These latter were the Dayaks I was anxious to meet,
+and I soon made arrangements to visit their country, which is a good
+way from Kuching, the real Sea Dayak rarely visiting the capital.
+
+So one morning early I found myself with my two servants, a Chinese
+cook and a civilized Dayak named Dubi (Mr. R. Shelford also going),
+on board a government paddle-wheel steamer which was bound for Sibu,
+on the Rejang River. Twenty-five miles' descent of the Sarawak River
+brought us to the sea. We did not skirt the coast, but cut across a
+large open expanse of sea for about ninety miles. We then came to the
+delta of the Rejang River, and went up one of its many mouths, which
+was of great width, though the scenery all the way was monotonous,
+and consisted of nothing but mangroves, _pandanus,_ the feathery
+_nipa_ palm and the tall, slender "nibong" palm, with here and there
+a crocodile lying, out on the mud banks--a dismal scene.
+
+At nightfall we anchored a short way up the river, as the government
+will not allow their boats to travel up the river by night, it being
+unsafe. We were off again at daylight the next morning, the scenery
+improving as the interminable mangroves gave place to the forest. Sixty
+miles up the river found us at Sibu, where I put up with Dr. Hose,
+the Resident, the celebrated Bornean explorer and naturalist. The
+only other Europeans here were two junior officials, Messrs. Johnson
+and Bolt. And yet there is a club at Sibu, a club for three, and here
+these three officials meet every evening and play pool.
+
+There is a fort in Sibu, as indeed there is at most of the river
+places in Sarawak. It is generally a square-shaped wooden building,
+perforated all round with small holes for rifles, while just below
+the roof is a slanting grill-work through which it is easy to shoot,
+though, as it is on the slant, it is hard for spears to enter from the
+outside. There are one or two cannons in most of these forts. The fort
+at Sibu was close to Dr. Hose's house and was attacked by Dayaks only
+a few years ago. Johnson, one of Dr. Hose's assistants, showed me a
+very long Dayak canoe capable of seating over one hundred men. It was
+made out of one tree, but large as it was, it did not equal some of the
+Kayan canoes on this river, one of which was one hundred and forty-five
+feet in length. This Dayak canoe was literally riddled with bullets,
+and Johnson told me that a few weeks' ago he was fighting some Dayaks
+on the Kanawit, a branch river near here, when he was attacked by some
+Dayaks in this very canoe. As they came up throwing spears he told his
+men to fire, with the result that eighteen Dayaks were killed. The
+river at Sibu was of great width, over a mile across, in fact, and
+close to the bank is a Malay village, and a bazaar where the wily
+Chinaman does a thriving trade in the wild produce of the country,
+and makes huge profits out of the Dayaks and other natives on this
+river. But the Dayaks often have their revenge and attack the Chinamen
+with great slaughter, the result being that they take home with them
+plenty of yellow-skinned heads with nice long pig-tails to hang them
+up by. During my stay on this river there were two or three cases of
+Chinamen being slaughtered by the Dayaks, and if it were not for the
+forts on these rivers, every Chinaman would be wiped out of existence.
+
+My first real acquaintance with the Sea Dayak was in the long bazaar
+at Sibu, and I was by no means disappointed in my first impressions,
+as I found him a most picturesque and interesting individual. The men
+usually have long black hair hanging down their backs, often with a
+long fringe on their foreheads. Their skin is brown, they have snub
+noses but resolute eyes, and they are of fine proportions, though they
+rarely exceed five feet five inches in height. Beyond the "jawat,"
+a long piece of cloth which hangs down between their legs, they wear
+nothing, if I except their many and varied ornaments. They wear a great
+variety of earrings. These are often composed of heavy bits of brass,
+which draw the lobes of the ears down below the shoulder. When they
+go on the war-path they generally wear war-coats made from the skins
+of various wild animals, and these are often padded as a protection
+against the small poisonous darts of the "sumpitan" or blow-pipe which,
+together with the "parang" (a kind of sword) and long spears with
+broad steel points constitute their chief weapons. They also have
+large shields of light wood; often fantastically painted in curious
+patterns, or ornamented with human hair.
+
+I had been at Sibu only three or four days, when word was brought down
+to Dr. Hose that the Ulu Ai Dayaks, near Fort Kapit, about one hundred
+miles up the river, had attacked and killed a party of Punans for
+the sake of their heads. These Punans are a nomadic tribe who wander
+about through the great forests with no settled dwelling-places, but
+build themselves rough huts and hunt the wild game of the forest and
+feed on the many wild fruits that are found in these forests. Hose
+at once decided to go up to Fort Kapit and punish these Dayaks, and
+gave me leave to accompany him and Shelford. So one morning at six
+o'clock we boarded a large steam launch with a party of the Rangers,
+mentioned above, as the Rajah's troops. We took, from near Sibu,
+several friendly Dayaks, who were armed to the teeth with spears,
+"parangs," "sumpitans," shields and war ornaments, all highly elated
+at the prospect of the fighting in store for them.
+
+In a short account like this, it is of course impossible to describe
+the many interesting things that I saw on the journey up the river. We
+passed many of the long, curious Dayak houses and plenty of canoes full
+of these picturesque people, and at some of the villages little Dayak
+children hurriedly pushed out small canoes from the shore so as to
+get rocked by the waves made by our launch. This they seemed to enjoy,
+to judge from the delighted yells they gave forth. I several times saw
+a most ingenious invention for frightening away the birds and monkeys
+from the large fruit trees which surrounded every Dayak village. At
+one end of a large rattan cord was a sort of wooden rattle, fixed on
+the top of one of the largest fruit trees. The other end of the rattan
+was fastened to a slender bamboo stick which was stuck into the river,
+and the action of the stream caused the bamboo to sway to and fro,
+thus jerking the rattan which in turn set the rattle going. We passed
+several small houses built on the tops of large tree-stumps. These,
+Dr. Hose informed me, were built by Kanawits, of a race of people
+known as Kelamantans. These Kelamantans are supposed to be the oldest
+residents of Borneo, being here long before the Dayaks and Kayans,
+but they axe fast dying out, as are the Punans, I believe chiefly
+owing to the raids of the warlike Dayaks. They were once ferocious
+head-hunters, but now they are a very inoffensive people.
+
+About mid-day we stopped at the village of Kanawit, at the mouth of the
+river of that name. This village, like Sibu, is composed entirely of
+Chinese and Malays. They are all traders and do a thriving business
+with the Dayaks and other natives. Here also was a fort with its
+cannon, with a Dayak or Malay sergeant and a dozen men in charge. As
+we proceeded up river, the scenery became rather monotonous. There
+was little tall forest, the country being either cleared for planting
+"padi" (rice) or in secondary forest growth or jungle, a sure sign
+of a thick population. We saw many Dayaks burning the felled jungle
+for planting their "padi," and the air was full of ashes and smoke,
+which obscured the rays of the sun and cast a reddish glare on the
+surrounding country.
+
+Toward evening we reached the village of Song and stayed here all
+night, fastening our launch to the bank. In spite of the fort here,
+we learned that the Chinamen were in great fear of an attack by the
+Dayaks, which they daily expected. Leaving Song at half-past five the
+next morning, we arrived at Kapit about ten a.m. and put up at the
+fort, which was a large one. A long, narrow platform from the top of
+the fort led to a larger platform on which, overlooking the river,
+there was a large cannon which could be turned round so as to cover
+all the approaches from the river in case there was an attack on the
+fort. We learned that the day before we arrived at Kapit, Mingo, the
+Portuguese in charge of the fort, had captured the worst ringleader of
+the head-hunters in the bazaar at Kapit, and small parties of loyal
+Dayaks were at once sent off to the homes of the other head-hunters
+with strict injunctions to bring back the guilty ones, and, failing
+persuasion and threats, to attack them. [11] In most cases they were
+successful, and I saw many of the prisoners brought in, together with
+some of the heads of their victims.
+
+The next morning Hose suddenly called out to me that if I wished
+to inspect the heads I would find them hanging up under the cannon
+platform by the river, and he sent a Dayak to undo the wrappings
+of native cloth and mats in which they were done up. They were a
+sickening sight, and all the horrors of head-hunting were brought
+before me with vivid and startling reality far more than could have
+been done by any writer, and I pictured those same heads full of life
+only a few days before, and then suddenly a rush from the outside
+amid the unprepared Punans in their rude huts in the depths of the
+forest, a woman's scream of terror, followed by the sickening sound of
+hacking blows from the sharp Dayak "parangs," and the Dayak war-cry,
+"Hoo-hah! hoo-hah!" ringing through the night air, as every single
+Punan man, woman and child, who has not had time to escape, is cut
+down in cold blood. When all are dead, the proud Dayaks, proceed to
+hack off the heads of their victims and bind them round with rattan
+strings with which to carry them, and then, returning in triumph,
+are hailed with shouts of delight by their envious fellow-villagers,
+for this means wives, a Dayak maiden thinking as much of heads as a
+white girl would of jewellery. The old Dayak who undid the wrappings
+pretended to be horrified, but I felt sure that the old hypocrite
+wished that he owned them himself.
+
+Only seven of the heads had been brought in, and two of them were
+heads of women, and although they had been smoked, I could easily
+see that one of them was that of a quite young, good-looking girl,
+with masses of long, dark hair. She had evidently been killed by a
+blow from a "parang," as the flesh on the head had been separated by
+a large cut which had split the skull open. In one of the men's heads
+there were two small pieces of wood inserted in the nose. They were
+all ghastly sights to look at, and smelt a bit, and I was not sorry
+to be able to turn my back on them.
+
+As in the present case, the brass-encircled young Dayak women are
+generally the cause of these head-hunts, as they often refuse to
+marry a man unless he has one or more heads, and in many cases a
+man is absolutely driven to get a head if he wishes to marry. The
+heads are handed down from father to son, and the rank of a Dayak is
+generally determined by the number of heads he or his ancestors have
+collected. A Dayak goes on the war-path more for the sake of the heads
+he may get, than for the honour and glory of the fighting. Generally,
+though, there is precious little fighting, as the Dayak attacks only
+when his victims are unprepared.
+
+While I was in Borneo I heard the following story of Dayak barbarity,
+which is a good example of the way the women incite their men to go
+on these head-hunting expeditions. In a certain district where some
+missionaries were doing good work among the Dayaks, a Dayak young
+man named Hathnaveng had been persuaded by the missionaries to give
+up the barbaric custom of headhunting. One day, however, he fell in
+love with a Dayak maiden. The girl, although returning his passion,
+disdained his offer of marriage, because he no longer indulged in the
+ancient practice of cutting off and bringing home the heads of the
+enemies of the tribe. Hathnaveng, goaded by the taunts of the girl,
+who told him to dress in women's clothes in the future, as he no
+longer had the courage of a man, left the village and remained away
+for some time. When he returned, he entered his sweetheart's hut,
+carrying a sack on his shoulders. He opened it, and four human heads
+rolled upon the bamboo floor. At the sight of the trophies, the girl
+at once took him back into her favour, and flinging her arms round
+his neck, embraced him passionately.
+
+"You wanted heads," declared her lover. "I have brought them. Do you
+not recognize them?"
+
+Then to her horror she saw they were the heads of her father, her
+mother, her brother and of a young man who was Hathnaveng's rival
+for her affections. Hathnaveng was immediately seized by some of
+the tribesmen, and by way of punishment was placed in a small bamboo
+structure such as is commonly used by the Dayaks for pigs, and allowed
+to starve to death. [12] This is a true story, and occurred while I
+was still in Borneo.
+
+The day after we arrived at Kapit a great crowd of Dayaks, belonging to
+the tribe of those implicated in the attack on the Punans, assembled
+at the fort to talk with Dr. Hose on the matter, and the upshot of
+it all was startling in its severity. This was Hose's ultimatum:
+They must give up the rest of those that took part in the raid, and
+they would all get various terms of imprisonment. They must return
+the rest of the heads. They must pay enormous fines, and, lastly,
+those villages which had men who took part in the raid, must move
+down the river opposite Sibu, and thus be under Hose's eye as well
+as under the guns of the fort. I watched the faces of the crowd, and
+it was interesting to witness their various emotions. Some looked
+stupefied, others looked very angry, and that they could not agree
+among themselves was plainly evident from their angry squabbling. They
+were a curious crowd with their long black hair and fringes and round
+tattoo marks on their bodies. They finally agreed to these terms, as
+Hose told them that if they did not do so, he would come and make them,
+even if he had to kill them all. The following days I witnessed large
+bands of Dayaks bringing to the fort their fines, which consisted of
+large jars and brass gongs, which are the Dayak forms of currency. The
+total fine amounted to $5,200, and the jars were carefully examined,
+the gongs weighed and their values assessed. Some of the jars were
+very old, but the older they are the more they are worth. Three of
+the poorest looking ones were valued at $1,400 (the dollar in Borneo
+is about two of our shillings). Of the total, $1,200 was later paid to
+the Punans as compensation ("pati nyawa"). I watched some Dayaks--who
+had just brought in their fines--as they went away in one of their
+large canoes, and they crossed the river with a quick, short stroke
+of their paddles in splendid time, so that one heard the sound of
+their paddles, as they beat against the side of the canoe, come in one
+short tr-r-up. They seemed to be very angry, all talking at once, and
+I still heard the sound of their angry voices above the paddles' beat,
+long after they had disappeared up a narrow creek on the other side.
+
+I had intended going with my two servants further up the river and
+living for some time among the Dayaks, but Dr. Hose made objections
+to my doing so. He said it would be very unsafe for me to live among
+these Kapit Dayaks at the present time, as they were naturally in a
+very excitable state, and would have thought little of killing one of
+the "orang puteh" (white men), whom they no doubt considered the cause
+of all their trouble. They would be sure to take me for a government
+official. Hose instead advised me to go up a small unexplored branch
+river below Sibu, so as the launch was returning to Sibu I determined
+to return in her, leaving Hose and Shelford at Kapit.
+
+During my short stay at Kapit I added very few new specimens to
+my collections of birds and butterflies; in fact, it was the worst
+collecting-ground that I struck during more than a year's wanderings
+in Borneo. I, however, made a fine collection of Dayak weapons,
+shields and war ornaments from our friendly Dayaks, who seemed very
+low-spirited now that there was to be no fighting, and on this
+account traded some of their property to me which at other times
+nothing would have induced them to part with, at a very low figure.
+
+I returned to Sibu with Mingo, and we took with us the ringleader of
+the head-hunters. He was kept handcuffed in the hold, and he worked
+himself up into a pitiable state of fright. He thought he was going to
+be killed, and the whole of the voyage he was chanting a most mournful
+kind of song, a regular torrent of words going to one note. My Dayak
+servant Dubi informed me that he was singing about the heads he had
+taken, and for which he thought he was now going to die.
+
+After a day's stay in Sibu I went up the Sarekei River with my
+two servants, and made a long stay in a Dayak house. I will try to
+describe my life among the Dayaks in the next chapter. In conclusion,
+I must tell the tragic story of a fatal mistake, which was told me by
+Johnson, one of the officials at Sibu, which serves to illustrate the
+superstitious beliefs of the Malays. A Chinese prisoner at Sibu had
+died, at least Johnson and Bolt both thought so, and they sent some of
+the Malay soldiers to bury the body on the other side of the river. A
+few days later one of them casually remarked to Johnson that they had
+often heard it said that the spirit of a man sometimes returned to
+his body again for a short time after death (a Malay belief), but he
+(this Malay) had not believed it before, but he now knew that it was
+true. Johnson, much amused, asked him how that was. "Oh," said the
+Malay, "when the Tuan (Johnson) sent us across the river to bury the
+dead man the other day, his spirit came back to him and his body sat
+up and talked, and we were much afraid, and seized hold of the body;
+which gave us much trouble to put it into the hole we had digged,
+and when we had quickly filled in the hole so that the body could not
+come out again, we fled away quickly, so now we know that the saying
+is true." It thus transpired that they had buried a live Chinaman
+without being aware of the fact.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+Home-Life Among Head-Hunting Dayaks.
+
+    I leave the Main Stream and journey up the Sarekei--A Stream
+    overarched by Vegetation--House 200 feet long--I make Friends with
+    the Chief--My New Quarters--Rarity of White Men--Friendliness
+    of my New Hosts--Embarrassing Request from a Lady, "like we
+    your skin"--Similar Experience of Wallace--Crowds to see me
+    Undress--Dayak's interest in Illustrated Papers--Waist-rings
+    of Dayak Women--Teeth filled with brass--Noisiness of a Dayak
+    House--Dayak Dogs--A well-meant Blow and its Sequel--Uproarious
+    Amusement of the Dayaks--Dayak Fruit-Trees--The Durian as King
+    of all Fruits--Dayak "Bridges" across the Swamp-Dances of the
+    Head-Hunters--A Secret "Fishing" Expedition--A Spear sent by way of
+    defiance to the Government--I "score" off the Pig-Hunters--Dayak
+    Diseases--Dayak Women and Girls--Two "Broken Hearts"--I Raffle my
+    Tins--"Cookie" and the Head-Hunters, their Jokes and Quarrels--My
+    Adventure with a Crocodile.
+
+
+The Rejang is one of the many large rivers which abound in Borneo,
+and its tributaries are numerous and for the most part unexplored. The
+Rejang is tidal for fully one hundred and fifty miles, and at Sibu
+is over a mile in width. The banks of this river are inhabited by
+a large population of Malays, Chinese, Dayaks, Kayans, Kanawits,
+Punans and numerous other tribes. Thus it is a highly interesting
+region for an ethnologist.
+
+It was with feelings of pleasant anticipation that I started down
+the river in the government steam-launch from Sibu just as dawn was
+breaking, on my way to spend several weeks among the wild Dayaks on
+the unexplored Sarekei River. I took with me my two servants, Dubi,
+a civilized Dayak, and my Chinese cook. After a journey of four hours
+we arrived at a large Malay village near the mouth of the Sarekei
+River. Here I disembarked and sought out the chief of the village
+and demanded the loan of two canoes, with some men to paddle them,
+and in return I offered liberal payment. Accordingly, an hour after my
+arrival I found myself with all my belongings and servants on board
+the two canoes, with a crew of nine Malays. Soon after leaving the
+Malay village we branched off to the left up the Sarekei River. It
+was very monotonous at first, as the giant plumes of the _nipa_ palm
+hid everything from my view. My Malays worked hard at their paddles,
+and late in the afternoon we left the main Sarekei River and paddled
+up a small and extremely narrow stream. There we found ourselves in
+the depth of a most luxuriant vegetation. We were in a regular tunnel
+formed by arching ferns and orchid-laden trees, giant _pandanus,_
+various palms and arborescent ferns and _caladiums._ Here grew the
+largest _crinum_ lilies I had ever seen. They literally towered over
+me, and the sweet-scented white and pink flowers grew in huge bunches
+on stems nearly as thick as my arm.
+
+After the bright sun on the main river, the dark, gloomy depths of this
+side-stream were very striking. It was so narrow that sometimes the
+vegetation on both sides was forced into the canoes, and the "atap"
+(palm-thatched) roof of my canoe came in for severe treatment as it
+brushed against prickly _pandanus_ and thorny rattans.
+
+The entrance to this stream was completely hidden from view, and no
+one but these Malays, who had been up here before, trading with the
+Dayaks, could have discovered it. I had told the Malay chief that I
+wished to visit a Dayak village where no white man had ever been and
+where they were head-hunters. He had smiled slyly and nodded as if he
+understood. Thereupon he said, "Baik (good), Tuan," and said he would
+help me. Just as darkness was setting in we arrived at a Dayak village,
+consisting of one very long house, which I afterwards found to exceed
+two hundred feet in length. It was situated about one hundred yards
+from the stream. No sooner had we sighted it than the air resounded
+with the loud beating of large gongs and plenty of shouting. There
+was a great commotion among the Dayaks.
+
+I at first felt doubtful as to the kind of reception I should get,
+and immediately made my way to the house with Dubi, who explained
+to the Dayak chief that I was no government official, but had come
+to see them and also to get some "burong" (birds) and "kopo-kopo"
+(butterflies). I forthwith presented the old chief with a bottle of
+gin, such as they often get from the Malay traders, and some Javanese
+tobacco, and his face was soon wreathed in smiles.
+
+The Dayaks soon brought all my baggage into the house and I paid
+off my Malays and proceeded to make myself as comfortable as I could
+for my stay of several weeks, the chief giving me a portion of his
+own quarters and spreading mats for me over the bamboo floor. On the
+latter I put my camp-bed and boxes. I occupied a portion of the open
+corridor or main hall, which ran the length of the house and where
+the unmarried men sleep. This long corridor was just thirty feet
+in width, and formed by far the greater portion of the house; small
+openings from this corridor led on to a kind of unsheltered platform
+twenty-five feet in width, which ran the length of the house and on
+which the Dayaks generally dry their "padi" (rice).
+
+The other side of the house was divided into several rooms, each of
+which belonged to a separate family. Here they store their wealth,
+chiefly huge jars and brass gongs. The house was raised on piles fully
+ten to twelve feet from the ground, the space underneath being fenced
+in for the accommodation of their pigs and chickens. The smells that
+came up through the half-open bamboo and "bilian"-wood flooring were
+the reverse of pleasant. The entrance at each end was by means of
+a very steep and slippery sort of ladder made out of one piece of
+wood with notches cut in it, the steps being only a few inches in
+width. One of these ladders had a rough bamboo hand-rail on each side,
+and the top part of the steps was roughly carved into the semblance
+of a human face.
+
+In the rafters over my head I noticed a great quantity of spears,
+shields, "sumpitans" or blowpipes, paddles, fish-traps, baskets and
+rolls of mats piled up indiscriminately, while just over my head where
+I slept was a rattan basket containing two human heads, though Dubi
+told me he thought the Dayaks had hidden most of their heads on my
+arrival. This description of the house I resided in for some time,
+applies more or less to all the Dayak houses I saw in Borneo.
+
+This house or village was called Menus, and the old chief's name
+was Usit. In spelling these names one has to be entirely guided by
+the sounds and write them after the fashion of the English method
+of spelling Malay. The village or house of Menus seemed to contain
+about one hundred inhabitants, not counting small children. Upon my
+arrival I was soon surrounded by a most curious throng, many of whom
+gazed at me with open mouths, in astonishment at the sight of an
+"orang puteh" (white man), as of course no white man had ever been
+here before and but very few of the people had ever seen one. One old
+woman remembered having seen a white man, and some of the older men
+had from time to time seen government officials on the Rejang River,
+but except to these few I was a complete novelty. Considering this,
+I was greatly astonished at their friendliness, as not only the men,
+but the women and children squatted around me in the most amicable
+fashion, and sometimes even became a decided nuisance. My first evening
+among them, however, I found extremely amusing, and as my Chinese cook
+placed the food he had cooked before me, and as I ate it with knife,
+fork and spoon, they watched every mouthful I took amid a loud buzz
+of comments and exclamations of delight.
+
+Though by no means the first time I have had to endure this sort of
+popularity, or rather notoriety, in various countries of the world,
+I do not think I have ever come across a people so full of friendly
+curiosity as were these Dayaks. About midnight I began to feel a bit
+sleepy, but the admiring multitude did not seem inclined to move,
+so I told Dubi to tell them that I wanted to change my clothes and
+go to sleep. No one moved. "Tell the ladies to go, Dubi," I said,
+but on his translating my message a woman in the background called
+out something that met with loud cries of approval.
+
+"What does she say, Dubi?" I asked.
+
+"She says, Tuan," replied Dubi, "they like see your skin, if white
+the same all over."
+
+This was rather embarrassing, and I told Dubi to insist upon their
+going; but Dubi, whose advice I generally took, replied, "I think,
+Tuan (master), more better you show to them your skin." I therefore
+submitted with as good a grace as possible, and took my shirt off,
+while some of them, especially the women, pinched and patted the skin
+on my back amid cries of approval and delight.
+
+They asked if the skin of the Tuan Muda (the Rajah) was as white, and,
+on being told that it was, a long and serious conversation took place
+among them, during which the name of the Tuan Muda kept constantly
+cropping up.
+
+The great naturalist, Wallace, met with much the same experience
+among the Dayaks, and as the natives of many other countries among
+whom I have lived never seemed to display the same curiosity about
+my white skin, I put it down to the Dayaks wishing to see what kind
+of a skin the great white Rajah, who rules over them, possesses.
+
+The next two or three nights the crowd that waited to see me change
+into my pyjamas was, if anything, still larger, a good many Dayaks
+from neighbouring villages coming over to see the sight. But gradually
+the novelty wore off, to my great joy, as I was getting a bit tired
+of the whole performance. I had come here to see the Dayaks, but it
+appeared that they were even more anxious to see me.
+
+For the next two or three weeks an odd Dayak would from time to time
+ask to see my skin, so that at length I had absolutely to refuse to
+exhibit myself any longer.
+
+I had luckily brought several illustrated magazines with me to use
+as papers for my butterflies, and these were a source of endless
+delight to the crowds around me in the evenings. They behaved like a
+lot of small children, and roared with laughter over the pictures. They
+generally looked at the pictures upside down, and even then they seemed
+to find something amusing about them. With Dubi as my interpreter
+I used to make up stories about the pictures, and, pointing to
+the portrait of some well-known actress, described the number of
+husbands she had killed, and I'm afraid I grossly libelled many a
+well-known politician, general, or divine in telling the Dayaks how
+many heads they possessed or how many wives they owned, till it was
+quite a natural thing for me to join in their uproarious merriment,
+as I pictured in my mind some venerable bishop on the war-path.
+
+As is well known, the Dayak women all wear rings of brass around
+their waists. They are called "gronong," and they are made of pliable
+rattan inside, with small brass rings fastened around the rattan. In
+the centre of each ring there are generally two or three small red
+and black rings of coloured rattan between the brass ones. Some wore
+only four or five, while others possessed twenty or more, and then
+they rather resembled a corset. Even the little girls of four or five
+wore two or three of them.
+
+I noticed on my first arrival that the women and some of the men seemed
+to have their teeth plentifully filled with gold, but I soon found out
+that it was brass that they had ornamented their teeth with, a small
+piece being inserted in some way in the centre of each tooth. Their
+teeth are generally black from the continual chewing of the betel-nut,
+and I noticed small children of four or five years of age going in for
+this dirty habit, and still younger children smoking cigarettes, the
+covering of which is made out of the dried leaf of the sago-palm. The
+Dayaks are almost as dirty as the Negritos in the Philippines, and yet
+they are both certainly the merriest people I have ever met with. The
+heartiest and most unaffected laughter I have ever heard proceeded
+from the throats of Dayaks and Negritos. It almost seems as if dirt
+in some cases constitutes true happiness.
+
+The Dayak women seemed to bathe more often than the men, but they
+never seemed to take off their brass waist-rings when bathing in the
+river. The women also have their wrists covered with brass bangles,
+which are all fastened together in one piece. The noise in the house
+was deafening at times, especially in the evening, when all come home
+from working in their "padi" fields, where the women are supposed to
+do most of the work, the men generally going hunting. The continual
+hum of conversation and loud laughter, with the noise made by the
+pigs and chickens under the house, the dogs and chickens in the house,
+and the beating of deep-toned gongs at times nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I was writing.
+
+They resembled a lot of small children and would beat their gongs
+simply to amuse themselves. Very often a Dayak, on returning from
+his work or a hunt in the jungle, would walk straight up to a large
+gong that was hanging up and hammer on it for a few minutes in a most
+businesslike way, looking all the time as if it bored him. Then he
+would walk away in much the same way as a man would leave the telephone
+(as if he had just got through some business). I suppose it soothed
+them after their day's work, but it irritated me.
+
+The Dayak dogs are fearful and wonderful animals, both as regards
+shape and colour, and I could get very little sleep on account of
+the noise they made; yet the Dayaks seemed to sleep through it all.
+
+One night I woke up after a particularly noisy fight, and saw what
+appeared to me to be a dog sitting calmly by my bed with its back
+turned to me. Lifting my mosquito net, therefore, very quietly, I let
+drive with my fist at it, putting all my pent-up indignation and anger
+for sleepless nights into the blow. Alas! it was a very solid dog that
+I struck against, being nothing more nor less than the side of one of
+my boxes, and I barked my knuckles rather badly. The laughter of the
+Dayaks was loud and prolonged when Dubi translated the yarn to them
+next day, and they remembered it long afterwards. Until I heard the
+roar of laughter that went up, the story had not struck me as being
+so very amusing!
+
+All around the house for some distance was a forest of tall
+fruit-trees. They had of course all been planted in times past by
+the Dayaks' ancestors, and every tree had its owner, but they had
+become mixed up with many beautiful wild tropic growths which had
+sprung up between the trees. Some of these fruit-trees, such as the
+"durian," "rambutan," mango, mangosteen, "tamadac" or jackfruit,
+"lansat" and bananas, were familiar to me, but there were a great
+number of fruits that I had never heard of before, and I got their
+names from my Dayak friends. [13]
+
+Needless to say, I never before tasted so many fruits that were
+entirely new to me, and most of them were ripe at the time of my
+visit. The "durian" comes easily first. It is without doubt the
+king of all fruit in both the tropic and temperate zones, and is
+popular alike with man and beast, the orang-utan being a great
+culprit in robbing the Dayaks of their "durians." I never saw the
+"good" "durian" growing wild in Sarawak, but I tasted here a small
+wild kind with an orange centre which made me violently sick. No
+description of the "durian" taste can do it justice. But its smell
+is also past description. It is so bad that many people refuse to
+taste it. It is a very large and heavy fruit, covered with strong,
+sharp spines, and as it grows on a very tall tree, it is dangerous
+to walk underneath in the fruiting season when they are falling,
+accidents being common among the Dayaks through this cause. I myself
+had a narrow escape one windy day. I was sitting at the foot of one
+of these trees eating some of the fallen fruit, when a large "durian"
+fell from above and buried itself in the mud not half a yard from me.
+
+Danna, the second chief, would always leave one or two of the fruit
+for me on a box close by my head where I slept, before he went off
+to his "padi "-planting early in the morning, so that I got quite
+used to the bad smell.
+
+The Dayak house was surrounded on three sides by a horrible swamp,
+the roads through which consisted of fallen trees laid end to end,
+or else of two or three thick poles, laid side by side, and kept in
+place by being lashed here and there to two upright stakes, so that
+I had to balance myself well or come to grief in the thick mud. The
+Dayak bridges, made chiefly of poles and bamboos, were in many cases
+awkward things to negotiate, and I had one or two rather nasty falls
+from them. While the Dayak women and children never showed any fear
+of me in the house, whenever I met them out in the woods or jungle
+they would run from me as if I were some kind of wild animal.
+
+I saw several Dayak dances. The men put on their war-plumes and with
+shield and "parang" (mentioned above) twirl round and round and cut
+with their "parangs" at an imaginary foe, the women all the time
+accompanying them with the beating of gongs. Dubi one night showed
+them a Malay dance, which consisted of a sort of gliding motion
+and a graceful waving of the hands, quite the reverse of the Dayak
+dance. One night I noticed a general bustle in the house. The women
+seemed greatly excited, and the men passed to and fro with their
+"parangs" and "sumpitans" (blowpipes), and cast anxious looks in my
+direction as they passed me. They told Dubi they were going fishing;
+but it seemed strange that they should go fishing with these warlike
+weapons, and I told Dubi so. He himself thought they were going
+head-hunting, and I felt sure of it, as they left only the old men,
+youths, women and children behind. I did not see them again till the
+following evening, nor did I then see signs of any fish. I told Dubi
+that I thought it best that he should not ask them any questions, as it
+might be awkward if they thought we suspected them. At the same time,
+I am bound to admit that there was no direct proof to show that they
+had been headhunting; and for this I was glad, as there was no cause
+for me to say anything to the Government about it, and so get my kind
+hosts into trouble. Some months later I read in a Singapore paper that
+"the Dayaks in this district," between Sibu and Kuching, were restless
+and inclined to join form with the Dayaks at Kapit, who had sent
+Dr. Hose a spear, signifying their defiance of the Sarawak Government.
+
+One evening, when out looking for birds, Dubi and I came across two
+Dayaks, who were perched up in trees, waiting for wild pigs that
+came to feed on the fallen fruit, when they would spear them from
+above. They seemed rather annoyed with us for coming and frightening
+the pigs away, and that evening they told everyone that we were the
+cause of their not getting a pig. I rather scored them off, by telling
+Dubi in an angry voice to ask them what "the dickens" they meant by
+getting up in trees and frightening all my birds away. This highly
+amused all the other Dayaks, who laughed loud and long, and my two
+pig-hunting friends retired into the background discomfited. I myself
+went out one evening with a party of Dayaks after wild pig, and stayed
+for two hours upon a platform in a tree while they climbed other
+trees close by. However, no pigs turned up, although two "plandok"
+(mouse-deer) did, though I did not shoot them for fear of frightening
+the pigs away. I took my revolver with me, to the great amusement of
+the Dayaks, who, of course, had not seen one before, and ridiculed the
+idea of so small a weapon being able to kill a pig. The Dayaks told
+me that there were plenty of bears here, but I never saw any myself in
+this part of Borneo. They told me the bears were very fierce, and had
+often nearly killed some of their friends. The Dayak dogs are fearful
+cowards, and I was told that they run away at the sight of a wild pig.
+
+Animal life here was not plentiful, and quite the reverse of what I
+had seen in the forests of North Borneo, where it was very plentiful.
+
+I noticed the prevalence of that horrible scurvy-like skin-disease
+among several of the Dayaks. It was common in New Guinea among
+the Papuans, where it was termed "supuma." I cured two little Dayak
+children of intermittent fever by giving them quinine and Eno's fruit
+salts. The result was that I was greatly troubled by demands on my
+limited stock of medicines. One old man had been growing blind for
+the last two years, and another was troubled with aches all over him,
+and they would hardly believe me when I said that I could not cure
+them. They told Dubi that they thought that the white people who
+could make such things as I possessed could do anything. So much of
+my property seemed to amuse and astonish them, that it was a treat to
+show them such things as my looking-glass, hair-brush, socks, guns,
+umbrella, watch, etc. I showed them that child's trick of making the
+lid of my watch fly open, and they were delighted.
+
+The Dayak women can hardly be considered good-looking. I saw one or two
+that were rather pretty, but they were very young and unmarried. Dubi
+fell madly in love with one of them and she with him, and when I left
+there were two broken hearts. Many of the little girls of about five
+and six years old would have been regular pictures if they had only
+been cleaner. I made the discovery that some of my Dayak friends were
+addicted to the horrible habit of eating clay, and actually found
+a regular little digging in the side of a hill where they worked
+to get these lumps of reddish grey clay, and soon caught some of
+the old men eating it. They declared that they enjoyed it. All my
+empty tins (from tinned meats, etc.) were in great demand, and so
+to save jealousy I actually demoralized the Dayaks to the extent of
+introducing the raffling system among them. Great was the excitement
+every evening when I raffled old tins and bottles. Dubi would hand
+the bits of paper and they would be a long time making up their minds
+which to take. One night Dubi overheard my Chinese cook telling some
+of the Dayaks that "the white tuan had no use for these tins himself,
+that is why he gives them to you."
+
+This cook, whom I used to call Cookie, was a great nuisance to me,
+but he was the most amusing character I ever came across, and he
+was the source of endless delight to the Dayaks, who enjoyed teasing
+him and jokingly threatened to cut off his head, until he was almost
+paralyzed with fright and came and begged me to leave, as we should
+all have our heads cut off. After a week or two his courage returned
+and I learned that when I was out of the house he would stand on his
+head for the amusement of the women and children, though he was by
+no means a young man. He soon became quite popular with the women,
+who found him highly amusing, and who were always in fits of laughter
+whenever he talked. In the evenings he sometimes joined a group of
+Dayak youths and would start to air his opinions. Then it was not long
+before they were all jeering and mimicking him, and poor old Cookie
+would look very foolish and a sickly smile would spread over his yellow
+features. Finally he would go off and sulk, and when I asked him what
+the matter was, he would reply, "Damn Dayak no wantee." Whenever I
+called out for Cookie, the whole house would resound with jeering
+Dayak cries of "Cookie, Cookie." He and Dubi were always quarrelling,
+and Cookie would work himself up into such a state of excitement that
+the place would be full of Dayak laughter, though the Dayak understood
+not a word of what they were talking about. In my later wanderings
+in Borneo the quarrel between my two servants, Dayak and Chinaman,
+grew to such an extent that I feared it would end in murder.
+
+The foregoing account, short as it is, will, I trust, give some idea of
+what my long stay among head-hunting Dayaks was like. All things must
+have an ending, however, and having finished my collecting in this
+neighbourhood I said good-bye to my Dayak friends, with deep regret,
+and I think the sorrow was mutual. I know well that Dubi and his little
+Dayak sweetheart were almost heartbroken. The Dayaks begged me to stay
+longer, but I had already stayed longer than I had at first intended.
+
+Old Usit, the chief, and his crew of Dayaks paddled me all the way
+to Sibu. There is little to relate about the journey there, except
+that the canoe leaked very badly and the Dayaks had to keep bailing
+her out. At night we tied the canoe up to a small wooden platform
+outside a Malay house on the Rejang River, to await the change of
+the tide, and one of the Dayaks knocked at the door of the house so
+that we could cook some food, but the Malays thought that we were
+head-hunters, and there was great lamentation, and for some time they
+refused to open. While eating my food, with my legs dangling over the
+side of the wooden platform, I noticed a dark object that glistened
+in the moonlight noiselessly swimming toward me, and I pulled up my
+legs pretty quickly. It was a large crocodile, attracted, no doubt,
+by the smell of my dinner. The only objection I had was that it might
+have taken me for the dinner.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+Visit to the Birds'-nest Caves of Gomanton.
+
+    My stay in British North Borneo--Visit to a Tobacco Estate
+    (Batu Puteh)--Start for the Birds'-nest Caves--News of the
+    Local Chief's Death--Applicants for the Panglima-ship--We
+    Visit the late Chief's House-Widows in white--The Hadji "who
+    longed to be King"--Extraordinary Grove of Banyan-trees--Pigs,
+    Crocodiles and Monkeys--Astonishing Swimming Performance of a
+    Monkey--Water Birds Feeding on the Carcase of a Stag--The Hadji
+    and his Men pray at a Native Grave-shrine--An Elephant charges past
+    us--Arrival at the Caves--The Entrance--A Cave of enormous Height,
+    description of the Interior--Return to the Village--Visit to the
+    Upper Caves--Beautiful Climbing Plants--We reach the Largest
+    Cave of all: its Extreme Grandeur--"White" Nests and "Black"
+    Nests secured--Distinctions between the two kinds of Swallows by
+    whom the Nests are made--Millions of small Bats: an Astonishing
+    Sight--Methods of Securing the Nests described--Perilous Climbing
+    Feats--Report of numerous Large Snakes--Cave-coffins, and their
+    (traditional) rich contents--Dangers of the Descent--All's well
+    that ends well.
+
+
+I had just returned down the river with Richardson from
+Tangkulap. Tangkulap is a journey of several days up the Kinabatangan
+River in British North Borneo. Richardson was the magistrate for this
+district, and his rule extended over practically the whole of this
+river, Tangkulap being his headquarters. Only three or four white men
+had ever been up the river as far as Tangkulap, it being a very lonely
+spot in the midst of dense forests, with no other white man living
+anywhere near. I had stayed with him for two months, making large
+natural history collections and seeing a great deal of both native
+and animal life. We had then returned down the river in Richardson's
+"gobang" (canoe) to Batu Puteh, a large tobacco estate, and the
+only one on this river. Here we were the guests of Paul Brietag, the
+manager, a most hospitable German. He and his three German, French,
+and Dutch assistants were the only other white men on the whole of
+this great river.
+
+While here, Richardson and I determined to visit the wonderful
+Gomanton birds'-nest caves, from which great quantities of edible
+birds' nests are annually taken. Very few Europeans had ever visited
+them, though they are considered among the wonders of the world.
+
+We left Batu Puteh in Richardson's canoe early one morning, and,
+although we had a strong stream with us going down, we did not reach
+Bilit till evening. Bilit is a large village made up of Malays,
+Orang Sungei, and Sulus. Quite a crowd met us on our arrival, and
+they seemed not a little excited. It appeared that their late Panglima
+(chief), who was also a Hadji, had been on a second voyage to Mecca,
+and they had just heard that he had died on his way back. "That was
+quite right," they said; "his time had come, and, besides, it had
+been foretold that he would die if he tried to go to Mecca again."
+
+Two men were most anxious to gain favour with Richardson--viz., the
+dead man's son and another Hadji, who was the richest man in Bilit,
+and who had a large share in the Gomanton caves. The reason was that
+Richardson had the power to appoint whom he liked as the new Panglima,
+provided, of course, that the man was of some standing and fairly
+popular. Richardson sent for one of the most influential men in the
+village to come and talk the matter over, but he lived on the other
+side of the river, and, it being late, they said he dared not cross
+in his small "gobang," as the crocodiles are very bad indeed here,
+and at night they often help themselves to a man out of his canoe. We
+went to the late Panglima's house and had a chat, but nothing was said
+about the new Panglima. I caught sight of one of the widows swathed in
+white, going through all sorts of contortions by way of mourning for
+her late husband. We found that the people were going to the caves in
+two or three days to collect the black nests. The white nests had been
+collected earlier in the year, but the influential Hadji "who would
+be king" offered to go with us on the morrow and start work earlier
+than he at first intended if his dreams were favourable, and thus
+we should be able to see them at work collecting the nests. Here was
+luck both for ourselves and the Hadji: it meant a step in his hopes
+of the much-desired Panglima-ship by thus gaining favour with the
+magistrate over his younger rival. He was a tall, haughty-looking man,
+with an orange-coloured turban, worn only by Hadjis, and the people
+seemed to stand in great awe of him and addressed him as "Tuan" or
+"Tuan Hadji," the word "Tuan" being usually used only when addressing
+Europeans like ourselves; still, his house in which we spent the night
+was little better than a pigsty, although he was a very wealthy man.
+
+The next morning we were off before sunrise. After leaving the
+village we had a walk of about an hour and a half over a very steep
+hill through luxuriant, tall forest, and on the other side came to a
+small river, the Menungal, on the banks of which was a shed full of
+"gobangs" (canoes) which were speedily launched, we both getting into
+the leading one. We were followed by three others, in one of which was
+the Hadji. Most of the way was through fine forest, the trees arching
+overhead to shade us from the hot sun, the only exception being when
+we passed through a stretch of swamps, with low, tangled growth, when
+the river broadened out, but in the shady forest it was delightful,
+gliding along to the music of the even dip of the paddles.
+
+The most striking feature about the forest on this Menungal River
+was the extraordinary growth of a species of banyan trees (_Ficus_
+sp.). I have seen many curious stilted trees of this _Ficus_ family in
+various tropical countries I have visited, but these I think were more
+curious than any I had ever seen. One hardly knew where they began and
+where they ended, for they all seemed joined together, and roots and
+branches seemed one and the same thing. It was the acme of vegetable
+confusion. Even the river could not stop their progress, and we were
+constantly gliding between their roots and branches. The growth of
+ferns, orchids and parasites on the branches and roots of these trees
+was luxuriant to a degree and formed veritable hanging gardens.
+
+On these Bornean rivers one is constantly seeing pigs, crocodiles and
+monkeys, but I noticed on this river an abundance of a monkey which
+one seldom sees on the large Kinabatangan River. I refer to the very
+curious proboscis or long-nosed monkey (_Nasalis larvatus_). These
+animals often sat still overhead and stared down at us in the most
+contemptuous and indifferent manner, and they looked so human and yet
+so comical with their enormous red noses that I found myself laughing
+aloud, our scullers doing the same, till the monkeys actually grinned
+with indignation. They axe large monkeys with long tails, and are
+beautifully marked with various shades of grey and brown, and their
+large, fleshy, red noses give them an extraordinary appearance.
+
+One of them did a performance that astonished me. We saw a group of
+them on a branch over the river about forty yards ahead of us, when
+one of them jumped into the middle of the river and coolly swam to a
+hanging creeper up which it climbed, none the worse for its voluntary
+bath. This was the only time that I had ever seen a monkey swim, but
+the natives assured me that these monkeys are very good swimmers. It
+struck me as being a very risky performance, as this river was full
+of crocodiles.
+
+I saw on this river a wonderful orchid growing on large trees. This
+was a _Grammatophyllum_ with bulbs some times over eight feet in
+length. The length of the name is certainly suitable for so large
+an orchid. I saw plenty of water-birds, including white egrets and
+a long-necked diver which is called the "snake-bird," owing to its
+long neck projecting lout of the water and thus greatly resembling a
+snake. I shot several of each kind of bird, plucking the fine plumes
+from the backs of the egrets. We ate some of the divers that evening
+and found them first-class food, tasting much like goose. We later in
+the day disturbed a whole colony of these water-birds feeding on the
+carcase of a large stag in the river, and the smell was very strong
+for some distance. I did not attempt to shoot any more mock geese
+till we had put a good many miles between ourselves and the dead
+stag. We passed several canoes slowly wending their way to the eaves,
+the people taking it easy and camping on the banks and fishing. They
+dried the fish on the roofs of their thatched canoes. Some of these
+people had very curious rattan pyramid-shaped hats gaily ornamented
+with strips of bright-coloured cloth.
+
+Toward evening the river got exceedingly narrow, and fallen trees
+obstructed our way, so that we had sometimes to lie flat on our backs
+to pass under them, and at other times we had to get out while our
+canoe was hauled over the mud at the side.
+
+Just before we reached our destination for the night, we came to a
+spot where the bank was hung with bits of coloured cloth and calico
+fastened to sticks, I also noticed some bananas and dried fish tied to
+the sticks. This signified that there was a native burial ground close
+by, and all the canoes were stopped, the scullers putting their paddles
+down, while the Hadji and all his men proceeded to wash their faces
+in the river. This they did to ensure success in their nest-collecting.
+
+We stayed the night in one of two raised half-thatched huts used only
+by the natives in the collecting seasons, a ladder from the river
+leading into them. It was almost dark when we arrived, and hardly were
+we under shelter when rain came down in torrents. It poured all night,
+and when we started off on foot at sunrise the next morning we found
+the track in the forest a regular quagmire; in places we waded through
+mud up to our knees. As we scrambled and floundered through the mud
+at our best pace we heard a great crashing noise just in front of us,
+and the air resounded with cries of "Gajah, gajah!" (elephant). I was
+just in time to see a large elephant tear by. It literally seemed to
+fly, and knocked down small trees as if they were grass. It seemed
+greatly frightened, and made a sort of coughing noise. It went by so
+quickly that I was unable to see whether it had tusks or not.
+
+After about three hours' hard tramping, I caught sight of a high
+mass of white limestone gleaming through the trees. It made a pretty
+picture in the early morning, the white rock peeping out of luxuriant
+creepers and foliage. It rises very abruptly from the surrounding
+forest, and at a distance looked quite inaccessible to a climber.
+
+We waded through a stream of clear water, washing the horrible forest
+mud from off us, and soon found ourselves in a most picturesque
+village at the very base of the rock. We disturbed quite a crowd of
+native girls bathing in a spring, and they seemed very much alarmed
+and surprised at seeing two Europeans suddenly turn the corner. Out
+of season I don't believe any one lives in this village except some
+watchers at the mouths of the eaves to guard against thieves. The
+Hadji gave us a rough hut with a flooring of split bamboo and kept us
+provided with chickens. All this no doubt was in his estimation part
+of the necessary steps to securing that much-desired Panglima-ship.
+
+The two days we were here, people kept flocking into the village,
+most of the men carrying long steel-pointed spears, in many cases
+beautifully mounted with engraved silver: others carried long "parangs"
+and "krises" in rough wooden sheaths, but the handles were often of
+carved ivory and silver.
+
+After some breakfast we started off to see the near lower cave, which
+was one of the smaller ones. We followed a very pretty ferny track
+by the side of a rocky stream for a short distance, the forest being
+partially cleared and open, with large boulders scattered around. The
+sky overhead was thick with swallows, in fact one could almost say
+the air was black with them. These of course were the birds that make
+the nests. The mouth of the cave partly prepared me for what I was to
+see. I had expected a small entrance, but here it was, I should say,
+sixty feet in height and of great width, the entrance being partly
+overhung with a curtain of luxuriant creepers. The smell of guano
+had been strong before, but here it was overpowering.
+
+Extending inside the cave for about one hundred yards was a small
+village of native huts used chiefly by the guards or watchers of
+these caves. Compared with the vastness of the interior of the cave--I
+believe about four hundred and eighty feet in height--one could almost
+imagine that one was looking at the small model of a village. A small
+stream ran out of a large hill of guano, and if you left the track you
+sank over your knees in guano. The vastness of the interior of this
+cave impressed me beyond words. It was stupendous, and to describe
+it properly would take a better pen than mine. One could actually see
+the very roof overhead, as there were two or three openings near the
+top (reminding one of windows high up in a cathedral) through which
+broad shafts of light forced their way, making some old hanging rattan
+ladders high up appear like silvery spider webs. Of course there were
+recesses overhead where the light could not penetrate, and these were
+the homes of millions of small bats, of which more presently. As
+for the birds themselves, this was one of their nesting seasons,
+and the cave was full of myriads of them. The twittering they made
+resembled the whisperings of a multitude. The majority of them kept
+near the roof, and as they flew to and fro through the shafts of light
+they presented a most curious effect and looked like swarms of gnats;
+lower down they resembled silvery butterflies. Where the light shone
+on the rocky walls and roofs one could distinguish masses upon masses
+of little silver black specks. These were their nests, as this was a
+black-nest cave. Somewhere below in the bowels of the earth rumbled
+an underground river with a noise like distant thunder. This cavernous
+roar far below and the twittering whisper of the swallows far overhead,
+combined to add much to the mysteriousness of these wonderful caves.
+
+On the ground in the guano I picked up several eggs, unbroken. How
+they could fall that distance and yet not get smashed is hard to
+understand, unless it is that they fell in the soft guano on their
+ends. We were told that when a man fell from the top he was smashed
+literally into jelly. I also picked up a few birds which had been
+stunned when flying against the rocks. This saved me from shooting any.
+
+Spread out on the ground in the cave and also drying outside, raised
+from the ground on stakes, were coil after coil of rattan ropes and
+ladders used for collecting the nests. These always have to be new
+each season, and are first carefully tested. The ladders are made
+of well twisted strands of rattan with steps of strong, hard wood,
+generally "bilian."
+
+On our return to the village we bathed in a shady stream of clear
+water, the banks of which I noted were composed chiefly of guano. In
+the afternoon we started off in search of the upper eaves. After
+a short, stiff climb amid natural rockeries of jagged limestone,
+we passed under a rock archway or bridge, under which were perched
+frail-looking raised native huts of the watchers. As we stood under
+this curious archway we looked down a precipice on our left. It was
+very steep at our feet, but from the far side it took the form of a
+slanting shaft, which terminated in a little window or inlet into the
+lower cave we had visited in the morning. In our ascent we had to climb
+up very rough, steep ladders fastened against the rocky ledges. The
+rocks were in many places gay with variegated plants, the most notable
+being a very pretty-leafed begonia, covered with pink and silver spots,
+the spots being half pink, half white. The natives with us seemed to
+enjoy eating these leaves; they certainly looked tempting enough.
+
+Another fine plant growing among these rocks was a climbing _pothos,_
+with very dark green leaves, ornamented with a silver band across
+each leaf, but the finest of all was a fine velvet-leafed climber,
+veined with crimson, pink, or white (_Cissus_ sp.).
+
+We at length came to the entrance of a long chain of eaves, through
+which we passed, going down a very steep grade, and our guides had to
+carry lights. After a climb down some steep rocks in semi-darkness,
+we at length found ourselves in the largest cave of all, supposed to be
+about five hundred and sixty feet in height. [14] It, too, had two or
+three natural windows, through which the light penetrated. One of them
+was on the top, in the very centre of the cave, and from down below
+it looked like a distant star. This opening was on the very summit of
+the Gomanton rock. This cave greatly resembled the smaller one I have
+already described, except that it was of much grander dimensions. As in
+the first cave, one could hear the roar of an underground torrent, and
+the swallows seemed even more numerous. On the rocky walls I noticed
+plenty of large spiders and a curious insect, with a long body and
+long, thin legs, which ran very fast, and whose bite we were told
+was very poisonous.
+
+On the way back, when passing through some very low caves, the Hadji
+got some of his men to knock down for me a few of the white nests from
+the sides of the cave with long poles, and in another cave they got me
+some black nests. The difference between these white and black nests
+is this: they are made by two different kinds of swallows. The white
+nest is made by a very small bird, but the bird that builds the black
+nest is twice the size of the other. The white nest looks something
+like pure white gelatine, and is very clean, and has no feathers
+in it. The black nest, on the contrary, is plentifully coated with
+feathers, and it is, in consequence, not worth nearly as much as the
+white nest. The nests are made from the saliva of the birds. Both
+are very plain coloured birds; an ordinary swallow is brilliant in
+comparison. This is unusual in a country so full of brilliant-plumaged
+birds as Borneo is; but, as they spend most of their lives in the
+depths of these sombre caves, I suppose it is only natural that their
+plumage should be obscure and plain. These birds'-nest caves are found
+all over Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, and also in Java and other
+parts of the Malay archipelago, but these are by far the largest. The
+revenue from these caves alone brings the Government a very large
+sum. By far the greatest number of these nests are sent to China,
+where birds'-nest soup is an expensive luxury. The natives of Borneo
+do not eat them. For myself, I found the soup rather tasteless.
+
+We were told that if they missed one season's nest collecting, most
+of the birds would forsake these caves, possibly because there would
+be so little room for them to build again. I learned that they build
+and lay four times a year, but I think that they meant that both
+the black and the white-nest birds lay twice each. The white kind
+build their first nests about March, and the black kind in May, and,
+as these nests are all collected before they have time to hatch their
+eggs, there are no young birds till later in the year, when the nests
+are not disturbed, but the old nests are collected with the new ones
+the following year. If the guano could be easily transported to the
+coast it would be a paying proposition, but the Government fears that
+it might frighten the birds away.
+
+About dusk that evening after we had returned to our hut, I heard a
+noise like the whistling of the wind, and, going outside, I saw a truly
+wonderful sight, in fact a sight that filled me with amazement. The
+millions of small bats which share these caves with the birds were
+issuing forth for the night from the small hole I spoke about on the
+very top of the rock leading into the large cave, but what a sight it
+was! As far as the eye could see they stretched in one even unbroken
+column across the sky. They issued from the cave in a compact mass
+and preserved the same even formation till they disappeared in the far
+distance. As far as I could see there were no stragglers. They rather
+resembled a thick line of smoke coming out of the funnel of a steamer,
+with this exception that they kept the same thick line till they went
+out of sight. The most curious thing about it was that the thick line
+twisted and wriggled across the sky for all the world like a giant
+snake, as if it were blown about by gusts of wind, of which, however,
+there was none. Even with these strange manoeuvres the bats kept the
+same unbroken solid formation. They were still coming forth in the same
+manner till darkness set in, and then I could only hear the beating
+of myriads of wings like the sighing of the wind in the tree-tops.
+
+They return in early morning in much the same fashion. I heard that
+the swallows usually did the same thing, only the other way about;
+when the bats came out, the swallows entered the eaves, and when the
+bats went in, the swallows came out, but it being now their nesting
+season, they went in and out of the eaves irregularly all day, but
+I was quite satisfied to see the bats go through the performance,
+as it was one of the most wonderful sights I have ever seen.
+
+We had been told that it would be three or four more days before the
+collecting would take place, and also that they had to wait for a
+good omen in the shape of a good dream coming to one of the chief
+owners of the caves. Our pleasure was great, therefore, when the
+Hadji and some of his followers paid us a visit that night and told
+us that work should start in the largest cave the next morning for
+our benefit. That was good news, indeed, as Richardson could not wait
+more than another day. It was another good move for the Hadji and his
+Panglima-ship, and I told Richardson he ought to give it him forthwith.
+
+The next morning we climbed to the top of the rock. It was hard
+work climbing over the brittle rocks and up perpendicular and
+shaky ladders. On reaching the summit we got a splendid view of the
+surrounding country, and could plainly see the distant sea; but all
+else was thick, billowy forest, dotted at long intervals with limestone
+ridges, also covered with forest. Here we found the hole on the top
+of the large cave, and stretching across it were two long, thick
+"bilian" logs, to which the natives were now fastening their long
+rattan ladders before descending them to collect the nests. We crept
+along the logs and listened to the everlasting twittering far below;
+but, although we could see nothing but pitchy darkness, the thought
+of what was below made me soon crawl back with a very shaky feeling
+in my legs.
+
+We then descended again till we came to the mouth of a curious cave,
+which was practically a dark chasm at our feet. We climbed down
+into the depths on a straight, swaying ladder, which required a good
+grip, and then, after a climb over slanting, slippery rocks, we found
+ourselves in the large cave, on a sort of ledge, within perhaps sixty
+feet of the roof. We were told that we were the first Europeans who
+had ever descended on to this ledge. From here we watched the natives
+collecting the nests. In a short account of this description it is
+impossible for me to detail all the wonderful methods the natives
+had for collecting the nests, but the chief method was by descending
+rattan ladders, which were let down through the hole on the top of
+the cave. It made one quite giddy even to watch the men descending
+these frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space
+below them. The man on the nearest ladder had a long rattan rope
+attached low down to his ladder, with a kind of wooden anchor at
+the end of it. At the second attempt he succeeded with a wonderful
+throw in getting the anchor to stick in the soft guano on the edge
+of the slanting ledge where we were. It was then seized by several
+men waiting there; by these it was hauled up until they were enabled
+to catch hold of the end of the ladder, which they dragged higher and
+higher up the steep, slanting rocks we had come down by. This in time
+brought the flexible ladder, at least the part on which the man was,
+level with the roof, and he, lying on his back on the thin ladder,
+pulled the nests off the rocky roof, putting them into a large rattan
+basket fastened about his body.
+
+We saw many other methods they have of collecting these nests by the
+aid of long bamboo poles and rattan ropes, up which they climbed to
+dizzy heights.
+
+These eaves, we were told, were full of very large harmless snakes,
+but we did not come across them. If I had had a good head and plenty
+of skill and pluck as a climber, I might have come away a wealthy man,
+as the Hadji told us that in a sort of side cave high up in the large
+cave were the coffins of the men that first discovered these caves,
+and with them were large jars of gold and jewels, but no one dared
+touch them, as they said it would be certain death to the man who did
+so. A man once did take some, but a few days later was taken violently
+ill and so had them put back and thus recovered. It was not for any
+scruples of this kind that I declined the Hadji's offer to help myself
+when he pointed out to me the spot where they were, but I think he
+must have guessed that I would not have trusted myself on one of those
+frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space beneath me.
+
+On the way back we scrambled up to a small cave where there were
+numerous carved coffins and bones which belonged to some of the former
+owners of the caves, but alas! no jars of gold; possibly poor men, they
+did not realize good prices. We returned down the rocks a different
+way, which made Richardson indulge in some hearty language at the
+Hadji's expense, who must have had fears that the Panglima-ship was
+at the last moment slipping away from him. It certainly was awkward
+and dangerous work climbing down the steep precipices, and we could
+never have done it, but that the rocks were quite honeycombed with
+small holes which enabled us to get a good hold for our hands.
+
+That night was a busy one for me, skinning my numerous birds and
+blowing the eggs by a dim light to the accompaniment of Richardson's
+snores, and I did not get to bed till 2 a.m. We were up again at 4
+a.m. for the return journey. But I had seen one of the most wonderful
+sights in the world, and to me it seemed extraordinary that until I
+came to Borneo I had never even heard of the Gomanton eaves. Some
+day, perhaps within our time, they will become widely advertised,
+and swarms of noisy tourists will come over in airships from London
+and New York, but there will be one thing lacking--all romance will
+have gone from these lonely wilds and forests, and that is the chief
+thing. The Hadji returned with us to Bilit, and got his desire,
+the Panglima-ship, and well he deserved it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+
+[1] C is pronounced as Th.: _e.g.,_ "Cawa"--"Thawa."
+
+[2] Nabuna, pron. Nambuna.
+
+[3] Panes of glass in a _Fijian_ house are very unusual, but this
+house, being Government-built, was European. I can only recall one
+other instance, that of Ratu Kandavu Levu on his small island of
+Bau, and then it was only in the native house where he entertained
+European guests.
+
+[4] These circumstances were a matter of common knowledge, at the time
+of my visit, all over Fiji. On the other hand it must be remembered
+that Ratu Lala did not think he was doing any harm, for the woman,
+having done wrong, required punishing, and naturally South Sea Island
+ideas of punishment, inherited from past generations, differ radically
+from those of Europeans.
+
+[5] _Ptychosperma_ sp.
+
+[6] _Pritchardia Pacifica._
+
+[7] _Elateridæ_
+
+[8] Pron.: longa-longa.
+
+[9] Pronounced "Samothe."
+
+[10] "b" pronounced "mb."
+
+[11] R. Shelford's Report.
+
+[12] From a Singapore Paper.
+
+[13] Some of these names that I got were "kudong" "blimbing," "mawang,"
+"sima" "lakat," "kamayan," "nika," "esu," "kubal," "padalai" and
+"rambai."
+
+[14] These were the heights given me by the Malays.
+
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
+be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
+law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
+so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the
+United States without permission and without paying copyright
+royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
+of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
+concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
+and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
+the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
+of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
+copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
+easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
+of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
+Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may
+do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
+by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
+license, especially commercial redistribution.
+
+START: FULL LICENSE
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
+Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
+www.gutenberg.org/license.
+
+Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+
+1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
+destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
+possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
+Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
+by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
+person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
+1.E.8.
+
+1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
+paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
+agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
+Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
+of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
+works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
+States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
+United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
+claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
+displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
+all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
+that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
+free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
+works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
+Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
+comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
+same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
+you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
+in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
+check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
+agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
+distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
+other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
+representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
+country other than the United States.
+
+1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
+immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
+prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
+on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
+performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
+
+  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+  most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
+  restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
+  under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
+  eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
+  United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where
+  you are located before using this eBook.
+
+1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
+derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
+contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
+copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
+the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
+redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
+either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
+obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
+trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
+additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
+will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
+posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
+beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
+any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
+to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
+other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
+version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website
+(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
+to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
+of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
+Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
+full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+provided that:
+
+* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
+  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
+  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
+  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
+  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
+  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
+  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
+  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
+  Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
+  Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
+  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
+  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
+  works.
+
+* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
+  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
+  receipt of the work.
+
+* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
+are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
+from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
+the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
+forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
+Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
+contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
+or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
+intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
+other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
+cannot be read by your equipment.
+
+1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
+with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
+with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
+lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
+or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
+opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
+the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
+without further opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
+OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
+LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
+damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
+violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
+agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
+limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
+unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
+remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
+accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
+production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
+including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
+the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
+or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
+additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
+Defect you cause.
+
+Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
+computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
+exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
+from people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
+generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
+Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
+www.gutenberg.org
+
+Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
+U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
+Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
+to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website
+and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
+
+Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without
+widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
+DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
+state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
+donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
+
+Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
+freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
+distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
+volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
+the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
+necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
+edition.
+
+Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
+facility: www.gutenberg.org
+
+This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+
diff --git a/2564-0.zip b/2564-0.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55e9658
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-0.zip
diff --git a/2564-h.zip b/2564-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aaa2e3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h.zip
diff --git a/2564-h/2564-h.htm b/2564-h/2564-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e2df6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/2564-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,6924 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" />
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" />
+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wanderings Among South Sea Savages and in Borneo and the Philippines</title>
+
+<style type="text/css">
+
+body
+{
+ margin-left: 20%;
+ margin-right: 20%;
+ text-align: justify;
+}
+/***** Titlepage *****/
+.titlePage
+{
+ border: #DDDDDD 2px solid;
+ margin: 3em 0% 7em 0%;
+ padding: 5em 10% 6em 10%;
+}
+h1.docTitle
+{
+ font-size:1.6em;
+ line-height:2em;
+}
+h2.byline
+{
+ font-size:1.1em;
+ font-weight:normal;
+ line-height:1.44em;
+}
+span.docAuthor
+{
+ font-size:1.2em;
+ font-weight:bold;
+}
+h2.docImprint
+{
+ font-size:1.2em;
+ font-weight:normal;
+}
+/***** End Titlepage *****/
+.transcribernote
+{
+ background-color:#DDE;
+ border:black 1px dotted;
+ color:#000;
+ font-family:sans-serif;
+ font-size:80%;
+ margin:2em 5%;
+ padding:1em;
+}
+.div0
+{
+ padding-top: 5.6em;
+}
+.div1
+{
+ padding-top: 4.8em;
+}
+.footnotes .body,
+.footnotes .div1
+{
+ padding: 0;
+}
+h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6
+{
+ clear: both;
+ font-style: normal;
+ text-transform: none;
+}
+h3
+{
+ font-size:1.2em;
+ line-height:1.2em;
+}
+h3.label
+{
+ font-size:1em;
+ line-height:1.2em;
+ margin-bottom:0;
+}
+h4
+{
+ font-size:1em;
+ line-height:1.2em;
+}
+p.argument
+{
+ font-size:0.9em;
+ line-height:1.2em;
+ text-indent:0;
+}
+p.argument
+{
+ margin:1.58em 10%;
+}
+p.figureHead
+{
+ font-size:100%;
+ text-align:center;
+}
+.figure p
+{
+ font-size:80%;
+ margin-top:0;
+ text-align:center;
+}
+.pagenum
+{
+ display:inline;
+ font-size:70%;
+ font-style:normal;
+ margin:0;
+ padding:0;
+ position:absolute;
+ right:1%;
+ text-align:right;
+}
+a.noteref
+{
+ font-size: 80%;
+ text-decoration: none;
+ vertical-align: 0.25em;
+}
+div.footnotes
+{
+ margin-top: 1em;
+ padding: 0;
+}
+hr.fnsep
+{
+ margin-left: 0;
+ margin-right: 0;
+ text-align: left;
+ width: 25%;
+}
+p.footnote
+{
+ font-size: 80%;
+ margin-bottom: 0.5em;
+ margin-top: 0.5em;
+}
+p.footnote .label
+{
+ float: left;
+ text-align:left;
+ width:2em;
+}
+.footnotes td, .footnotes th, .footnotes
+{
+ font-size: 80%;
+}
+/****** Poetry ******/
+/* right aligned page number in table of contents */
+.footnotes
+{
+ font-size:80%;
+}
+span.corr
+{
+ border-bottom:1px dotted red;
+}
+hr
+{
+ clear:both;
+ height:1px;
+ margin-left:auto;
+ margin-right:auto;
+ margin-top:1em;
+ text-align:center;
+ width:45%;
+}
+h2.docImprint,h1.docTitle,h2.byline,h2.docTitle,.aligncenter,div.figure
+{
+ text-align:center;
+}
+h1,h2
+{
+ font-size:1.44em;
+ line-height:1.5em;
+}
+h1.label,h2.label
+{
+ font-size:1.2em;
+ line-height:1.2em;
+ margin-bottom:0;
+}
+h5,h6
+{
+ font-size:1em;
+ font-style:italic;
+ line-height:1em;
+}
+p.firstlinecaps:first-line
+{
+ text-transform: uppercase;
+}
+p.dropcap:first-letter
+{
+ float: left;
+ clear: left;
+ margin: 0em 0.05em 0 0;
+ padding: 0px;
+ line-height: 0.8em;
+ font-size: 420%;
+ vertical-align:super;
+}
+div.argument
+{
+ font-size:0.9em;
+ line-height:1.2em;
+ margin:1.58em 5%;
+}
+.pagenum a, a.noteref:hover
+{
+ text-decoration:none;
+}
+ul { list-style-type: disc; }
+ol { list-style-type: decimal; }
+.lsoff { list-style-type: none; }
+
+.catlink:hover
+{
+ background-color: #FFFFDC;
+}
+ /* Supplement CSS stylesheet "style/arctic.css.xml
+ " */
+
+h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6
+{
+ color: #001FA4;
+ font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
+}
+p.byline
+{
+ font-style: italic;
+ margin-bottom: 2em;
+}
+.figureHead, .noteref
+{
+ color: #001FA4;
+}
+.pagenum, .pagenum a
+{
+ color: #AAAAAA;
+}
+a.noteref:hover
+{
+ color: red;
+}
+p.dropcap:first-letter
+{
+ color: #001FA4;
+ font-weight: bold;
+}
+sub, sup
+{
+ line-height: 0;
+}
+
+.pagenum
+{
+ speak: none;
+}
+</style>
+</head>
+<body>
+
+<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines, by H. Wilfrid Walker</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
+of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
+at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you
+are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the
+country where you are located before using this eBook.
+</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: H. Wilfrid Walker</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: March, 2001 [eBook #2564]<br />
+[Most recently updated: October 29, 2022]</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman</div>
+<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***</div>
+
+<div class="front">
+<div class="div1">
+<div class="figure" id="p01"><img src="images/p01.jpg" alt=
+"Belles of Papua" width="317" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Belles of Papua</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="titlePage">
+<h1 class="docTitle">Wanderings Among South Sea Savages</h1>
+
+<h2 class="docTitle">And in Borneo and the Philippines</h2>
+
+<h2 class="byline">By<br/>
+ <span class="docAuthor">H. Wilfrid Walker</span><br/>
+ Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society<br/>
+ With forty-eight plates from photographs by the author and others</h2>
+
+<h2 class="docImprint">London Witherby &amp; Co. 1909</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="div1">
+<p class="aligncenter">To<br/>
+ My brother Charles<br/>
+ This record of my wanderings<br/>
+ in which he took so deep an interest,<br/>
+ is affectionately dedicated. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e105"
+href="#xd0e105">v</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e106" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Preface</h2>
+
+<p>In a book of this kind it is often the custom to begin by making
+apologies. In my case I feel it to be a sheer necessity. In the first
+place what is here printed is for the greater part copied word for word
+from private letters that I wrote in very simple language in Dayak or
+Negrito huts, or in the lonely depths of tropical forests, in the
+far-off islands of the Southern Seas. I purposely made my letters home
+as concise as possible, so that they could be easily read, and in
+consequence have left out much that might have been interesting. It is
+almost unnecessary to mention that when I wrote these letters I had no
+thought whatever of writing a book. If I had thought of doing so, I
+might have mentioned more about the customs, ornaments and weapons of
+the natives and have written about several other subjects in greater
+detail. As it is, a cursory glance will show that this book has not the
+slightest pretence of being &ldquo;scientific.&rdquo; Far from its
+being so, I have simply related a few of the more interesting
+incidents, such as would give a <i>general impression</i> of my life
+among savages, during my wanderings in many parts of the world,
+extending over nearly a score of years. I should <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e114" href="#xd0e114">vi</a>]</span>like to have written
+more about my wanderings in North Borneo, as well as in Samoa and
+Celebes and various other countries, but the size of the book precludes
+this. My excuse for publishing this book is that certain of my
+relatives have begged me to do so. Though I was for the greater part of
+the time adding to my own collections of birds and butterflies, I have
+refrained as much as possible from writing on these subjects for fear
+that they might prove tedious to the general reader. I have also
+touched but lightly on the general customs of the people, as this book
+is not for the naturalist or ethnologist, nor have I made any special
+study of the languages concerned, but have simply jotted down the
+native words here used exactly as I heard them. As regards the
+photographs, some of them were taken by myself while others were given
+me by friends whom I cannot now trace. In a few cases I have no note
+from whom they were got, though I feel sure they were not from anyone
+who would object to their publication. In particular, I may mention
+Messrs. G. R. Lambert, Singapore; John Waters, Suva, Fiji; Kerry &amp;
+Co., Sydney; and G. O. Manning, New Guinea. To these and all others who
+have helped me I now tender my heartiest thanks. I have met with so
+much help and kindness during my wanderings from Government officials
+and others that if I were here to mention all, the list would be a
+large one. I shall therefore have to be content with only mentioning
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e116" href="#xd0e116">vii</a>]</span>the principal names of those in the countries
+I have here written about.</p>
+
+<p>In Fiji:&mdash;Messrs. Sutherland, John Waters, and McOwan.</p>
+
+<p>In New Guinea:&mdash;Sir Francis Winter, Mr. C. A. W. Monckton,
+R.M., The Hon. A. Musgrave, Capt. Barton, Mr. Guy O. Manning, and Dr.
+Vaughan.</p>
+
+<p>In the Philippines:&mdash;Governor Taft, afterwards President of the
+United States, and Mr. G. d&rsquo;E. Browne.</p>
+
+<p>In British North Borneo:&mdash;Messrs. H. Walker, Richardson, Paul
+Brietag, F. Dur&eacute;ge, J. H. Molyneux, and Dr. Davies.</p>
+
+<p>In Sarawak:&mdash;H.H. The Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, Sir Percy
+Cunninghame, Dr. Hose, Archdeacon Sharpe, Mr. R. Shelford, and the
+officials of The Borneo Company, Ltd.</p>
+
+<p>To all of these and many others in other countries I take this
+opportunity of publicly tendering my cordial thanks for their unfailing
+kindness and hospitality to a wanderer in strange lands.</p>
+
+<p>H. Wilfrid Walker. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e132" href="#xd0e132">ix</a>]</span></p>
+
+<div class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Table of Contents</h2>
+
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#xd0e106">Preface</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e136">List of Illustrations</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e336">Part I: Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.</a>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#xd0e341">Chapter I: Life in the Home of a Fijian
+Prince.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e451">Chapter II: My Further Adventures with Ratu
+Lala.</a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e592">Part II: Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.</a>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#xd0e597">Chapter III: Among Ex-Cannibals in
+Fiji.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e707">Chapter IV: Mock War-Scene at the Chief&rsquo;s
+House.</a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e774">Part III: My Life Among Filipinos and Negritos
+and a Journey in Search of Bearded Women.</a>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#xd0e779">Chapter V: At Home Among Filipinos and
+Negritos.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e893">Chapter VI: A Chapter of Accidents.</a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e973">Part IV: In the Jungles of Cannibal Papua.</a>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#xd0e978">Chapter VII: On the War-Trail in Cannibal
+Papua.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1130">Chapter VIII: We Are Attacked By
+Night.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1177">Chapter IX: On the War-Trail Once
+More.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1314">Chapter X: The Return From Dobodura.</a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1376">Part V: Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake
+Dwellers.</a>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#xd0e1381">Chapter XI: Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake
+Dwellers.</a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1561">Part VI: Wanderings and Wonders in Borneo.</a>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#xd0e1566">Chapter XII: On the War-Path in
+Borneo.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1680">Chapter XIII: Home-Life Among Head-Hunting
+Dayaks.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1815">Chapter XIV: Visit to the Birds&rsquo;-nest
+Caves of Gomanton.</a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+
+<li><a href="#xd0e1944">Plates</a></li>
+</ul>
+</div>
+
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e135" href="#xd0e135">xv</a>]</span></div>
+
+<div id="xd0e136" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">List of Illustrations</h2>
+
+<ol class="lsoff">
+<li><a href="#p01"><i>Frontispiece</i>&mdash;Belles of Papua.</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p02">A Chief&rsquo;s Daughter and a Daughter of the
+People</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p03">A &ldquo;Meke-Meke,&rdquo; or Fijian Girls&rsquo;
+Dance</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p04">Interior of a large Fijian Hut</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p05">A Fijian Mountaineer&rsquo;s House</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p06">At the Door of a Fijian House</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p07">A Fijian Girl</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p08">Spearing Fish in Fiji</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p09">A Fijian Fisher Girl</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p10">A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in
+Fiji</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p11">Making Fire by Wood Friction</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p12">An Old ex-Cannibal</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p13">A Fijian War-Dance</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p14">Adi Cakobau (pronounced &ldquo;Andi
+Thakombau&rdquo;), the highest Princess in Fiji, at her house at
+Navuso</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p15">A Filipino Dwelling</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p16">A Village Street in the Philippines</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p17">A River Scene in the Philippines</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p18">A Negrito Family</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p19">Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p20">A Negrito Shooting</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p21">Tree Climbing by Negritos</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p22">A Negrito Dance</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p23">Arigita and his Wife</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p24">Three Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War
+Attire</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p25">Kaili-Kaili House on the edge of a
+Precipice</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p26">&ldquo;A Great Joke&rdquo;</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p27">A Ghastly Relic</a> <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e250" href="#xd0e250">xvi</a>]</span></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p28">Cannibal Trophies</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p29">A Woman and her Baby</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p30">A Papuan Girl</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p31">The Author with Kaili-Kaili Followers</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p32">Wives of Native Armed Police</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p33">A Papuan Damsel</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p34">Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife
+and Son (in the Police)</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p35">A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p36">The Author starting on an Expedition</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p37">A New Guinea River Scene</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p38">Papuan Tree-Houses</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p39">A Village of the Agai Ambu</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p40">H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W.
+Monckton</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p41">View of Kuching from the Rajah&rsquo;s
+Garden</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p42">Dayaks and Canoes</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p43">Dayak in War-Coat</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p44">Dayak Women and Children on the Platform outside a
+long House</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p45">Dayaks Catching Fish</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p46">A Dayak Woman with Mourning Ornaments round
+waist</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p47">On a Tobacco Estate</a></li>
+
+<li><a href="#p48">On a Bornean River</a></li>
+</ol>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="body"><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e335" href="#xd0e335">1</a>]</span>
+<div class="div0" id="xd0e336">
+<h2 class="normal">Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.</h2>
+
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e339" href="#xd0e339">2</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e340" href="#xd0e340">3</a>]</span>
+<div id="xd0e341" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Journey to Taviuni&mdash;Samoan Songs&mdash;Whistling for the
+Wind&mdash;Landing on Koro&mdash;Nabuna&mdash;Samoans and Fijians
+Compared&mdash;Fijian Dances and Angona Drinking&mdash;A Hurricane in
+the Southern Seas&mdash;Arrival at Taviuni&mdash;First Impressions of
+Ratu Lala&rsquo;s Establishment&mdash;Character of Ratu
+Lala&mdash;Prohibition of Cricket&mdash;Ratu Lala Offended&mdash;The
+Prince&rsquo;s Musical Box.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my two
+months&rsquo; stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni,
+ranks highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my
+life with this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow seems
+unreal and an existence far apart from the commonplace life of
+civilization. When I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary
+gave me a letter of introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I
+sailed from Suva on an Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle
+outfit and a case of whisky, the latter a present for the
+Prince,&mdash;and a more acceptable present one could not have given
+him.</p>
+
+<p>After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on the
+island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a small
+schooner which carried copra from several of the Outlying islands to
+Levuka. Her name was the <i>Lurline,</i> and her captain was a Samoan,
+whilst <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e354" href="#xd0e354">4</a>]</span>his crew was made up of two Samoans and four
+Fijians. The captain seemed to enjoy yelling at his men in the Fijian
+language, with a strong flavouring of English &ldquo;swear
+words,&rdquo; and spoke about the Fijians in terms of utter contempt,
+calling them &ldquo;d&mdash;&mdash;d cannibals.&rdquo; The cabin wag a
+small one with only two bunks, and swarmed with green beetles and
+cockroaches. Our meals were all taken together on deck, and consisted
+of yams, ship&rsquo;s biscuit and salt junk.</p>
+
+<p>We had a grand breeze to start with, but toward evening it died down
+and we lay becalmed. All hands being idle, the Samoans spent the time
+in singing the catchy songs of Samoa, most of which I was familiar with
+from my long stay in those islands, and their delight was great when I
+joined in. About midnight a large whale floated calmly alongside, not
+forty yards from our little schooner, and we trembled to think what
+would happen if it was at all inclined to be playful. We whistled all
+the next day for a breeze, but our efforts were not a success until
+toward evening, when we were rewarded in a very liberal manner, and
+arrived after dark at the village of Cawa Lailai,<a class="noteref" id="xd0e358src" href="#xd0e358">1</a> on the island of Koro. On our
+landing quite a crowd of wild-looking men and women, all clad only in
+sulus, met us on the beach. Although it is a large island, there is
+only one white man on it, and he far away from here, so no doubt I was
+an interesting <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e364" href="#xd0e364">5</a>]</span>object. I put up at the hut of the
+&ldquo;Buli&rdquo; or village chief, and after eating a dish of smoking
+yams, I was soon asleep, in spite of the mosquitoes. It dawned a lovely
+morning and I was soon afoot to view my surroundings. It was a
+beautiful village, surrounded by pretty woods on all sides, and I saw
+and heard plenty of noisy crimson and green parrots everywhere. I also
+learnt that a few days previously there had been a wholesale marriage
+ceremony, when nearly all the young men and women had been joined in
+matrimony.</p>
+
+<p>Taking a guide with me, I walked across the island till I came to
+the village of Nabuna,<a class="noteref" id="xd0e368src" href="#xd0e368">2</a> on the other coast, the <i>Lurline</i> meanwhile
+sailing around the island. It was a hard walk, up steep hills and down
+narrow gorges, and then latterly along the coast beneath the shade of
+the coconuts. Fijian bridges are bad things to cross, being long trunks
+of trees smoothed off on the surface and sometimes very narrow, and I
+generally had to negotiate them by sitting astride and working myself
+along with my hands. In the village of Nabuna lived the wife and four
+daughters of the Samoan captain. He told me he had had five wives
+before, and when I asked if they were all dead, he replied that they
+were still alive, but he had got rid of them as they were no good.</p>
+
+<p>The daughters were all very pretty girls, especially the youngest, a
+little girl of nine years <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e376" href="#xd0e376">6</a>]</span>old. I always think that the little Samoan
+girls, with their long wavy black hair, are among the prettiest
+children in the world.</p>
+
+<p>We had an excellent supper of native oysters, freshwater prawns and
+eels, fish, chicken, and many other native dishes. That evening a big
+Fijian dance (&ldquo;meke-meke&rdquo;), was given in my honour. Two of
+the captain&rsquo;s daughters took part in it. The girls sit down all
+the time in a row, and wave their hands and arms about and sing in a
+low key and in frightful discord. It does not in any way come up to the
+very pretty &ldquo;siva-siva&rdquo; dancing of the Samoans, and the
+Fiji dance lacks variety. There is a continual accompaniment of beating
+with sticks on a piece of wood. All the girls decorate themselves with
+coloured leaves, and their bodies, arms and legs glisten as in Samoa
+with coconut-oil, really a very clean custom in these hot countries,
+though it does not look prepossessing. Our two Samoans in the crew were
+most amusing; they came in dressed up only in leaves, and took off the
+Fijians to perfection with the addition of numerous extravagant
+gestures. I laughed till my sides ached, but the Fijians never even
+smiled. However, our Samoans gave them a bit of Samoan
+&ldquo;siva-siva&rdquo; and plenty of Samoan songs, and it was amusing
+to see the interest the Fijians took in them. It was, of course, all
+new to them. I drank plenty of &ldquo;angona,&rdquo; that evening. It
+is <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e380" href="#xd0e380">7</a>]</span>offered you in a different way in Samoa. In
+Fiji, the man or girl, who hands you the coconut-shell cup on bended
+knee, crouches at your feet till you have finished. In Fijian villages
+a sort of crier or herald goes round the houses every night crying the
+orders for the next day in a loud resonant voice, and at once all
+talking ceases in the hut outside which he happens to be.</p>
+
+<p>The next two days it blew a regular hurricane, and the captain dared
+not venture out to sea, our schooner lying safely at anchor inside the
+coral reef. I have not space to describe my stay here, but it proved
+most enjoyable, and the captain&rsquo;s pretty Samoan daughters gave
+several &ldquo;meke-mekes&rdquo; (Fijian dances) in my honour, and
+plenty of &ldquo;angona&rdquo; was indulged in, and what with feasts,
+native games and first-class fishing inside the coral reef, the time
+passed all too quickly. I called on the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; or village
+chief, with the captain. He was a boy of fifteen, and seemed a very
+bashful youth.</p>
+
+<p>We sailed again about five a.m. on the third morning, as the storm
+seemed to be dying down and the captain was anxious to get on. We had
+not gone far, however, before the gale increased in fury until it
+turned into a regular hurricane. First our foresheet was carried away;
+this was followed by our staysail, and things began to look serious, in
+fact, most unpleasantly so. The captain almost seemed to lose his head,
+and cursed <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e386" href="#xd0e386">8</a>]</span>loud and long. He declared that he had been a
+fool to put out to sea before the storm had gone down, and the <i>
+Lurline,</i> being an old boat, could not possibly last in such a
+storm, and added that we should all be drowned. This was not pleasant
+news, and as the cabin was already half-full of water, and we expected
+each moment to be our last, I remained on deck for ten weary hours,
+clinging like grim death to the ropes, while heavy seas dashed over me,
+raking the little schooner fore and aft.</p>
+
+<p>Toward evening, however, the wind subsided considerably, which
+enabled us to get into the calm waters of the Somo-somo Channel between
+the islands of Vanua Levu and Taviuni.</p>
+
+<p>The wreckage was put to rights temporarily, the Samoans, who had
+previously made up their minds that they were going to be drowned,
+burst forth into their native songs, and we broke our long fast of
+twenty-four hours, as we had eaten nothing since the previous evening.
+It was an experience I am not likely to forget, as it was the worst
+storm I have ever been in, if I except the terrible typhoon of October,
+1903, off Japan, when I was wrecked and treated as a Russian spy. On
+this occasion a large Japanese fishing fleet was entirely destroyed. I
+was, of course, soaked to the skin and got badly bruised, and was once
+all but washed overboard, one of the Fijians catching hold of me in the
+nick of time. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e395" href="#xd0e395">9</a>]</span>We cast anchor for the night, though we had
+only a few miles yet to go, but this short distance took us eight or
+nine hours next day, as this channel is nearly always calm. We had
+light variable breezes, and tacked repeatedly, but gained ground
+slowly. These waters seemed full of large turtles, and we passed them
+in great numbers. We overhauled a large schooner, and on hailing them,
+the captain, a white man, came on deck. He would hardly believe that we
+had been all through the storm. He said that he had escaped most of it
+by getting inside the coral reef round Vanua Levu, but even during the
+short time he had been out in the storm, he had had to throw the
+greater part of his cargo overboard. From the way he spoke, he had
+evidently been drinking, possibly trying to forget his lost cargo.</p>
+
+<p>Before I left Fiji I heard that the <i>Lurline</i> had gone to her
+last berth. She was driven on to a coral reef in a bad storm off the
+coast of Taviuni. The captain seemed to stand in much fear of Ratu
+Lala. He told me many thrilling yarns about him; said he robbed his
+people badly, and added that he did not think that I would get on well
+with him, and would soon be anxious to leave.</p>
+
+<p>I landed at the large village of Somo-somo, glad to be safely on <i>
+terra firma</i> once more. It was a pretty village, with a large
+mountain torrent dashing over the rocks in the middle of it. The <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e407" href="#xd0e407">10</a>]</span>huts
+were dotted about irregularly on a natural grass lawn, and large trees,
+clumps of bamboo, coconuts, bread-fruit trees, and bright-coloured
+&ldquo;crotons&rdquo; added a great deal to the picturesqueness of the
+village. At the back the wooded hills towered up to a height of nearly
+4,000 feet, and white streaks amid the mountain woods showed where many
+a fine waterfall tumbled over rocky precipices.</p>
+
+<p>Ratu Lala lived in a wooden house, built for him (as
+&ldquo;Roko&rdquo; for Taviuni), by the government, on the top of a
+hill overlooking the village, and thither on landing I at once made my
+way. I found the Prince slowly recovering from an attack of fever, and
+lying on a heap of mats (which formed his bed) on the floor of his own
+private room, which, however, greatly resembled an old curiosity shop.
+Everything was in great disorder, and piles of London Graphics and
+other papers littered the ground, and on the tables were piled
+indiscriminately clocks, flasks, silver cups, fishing rods, guns,
+musical boxes, and numerous other articles which I discovered later on
+were presents from high officials and other Europeans, and which he did
+not know what to do with. Nearly every window in the house had a pane
+of glass<a class="noteref" id="xd0e411src" href="#xd0e411">3</a>
+broken, the floors were devoid of mats or carpets, and in <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e417" href="#xd0e417">11</a>]</span>places were
+rotten and full of holes. This will give some idea of the state of
+chaos that reigned in the Prince&rsquo;s &ldquo;palace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ratu Lala himself was a tall, broad-shouldered man of about forty,
+his hair slightly grey, with a bristly moustache and a very long
+sloping forehead. Though dignified, he wore an extremely fierce
+expression, so much so that I instinctively felt his subjects had good
+cause to treat him with the respect and fear that I had heard they gave
+him. He belongs to the Fijian royal family, and though he does not rank
+as high as his cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, whom I also visited at Bau,
+he is infinitely more powerful, and owns more territory. His father was
+evidently a &ldquo;much married man&rdquo; since Ratu Lala himself told
+me that he had had &ldquo;exactly three hundred wives.&rdquo; But in
+spite of this he had been a man of prowess, as the Fijians count it,
+and I received as a present from Ratu Lala a very heavy hardwood
+war-club that had once belonged to his father, and which, he assured
+me, had killed a great many people. Ratu Lala also told me that he
+himself had offered to furnish one hundred warriors to help the British
+during the last Egyptian war, but that the government had declined his
+offer. One of the late Governors of Fiji, Sir John Thurston, was once
+his guardian and, godfather. He was educated for two years in Sydney,
+Australia, and spoke English well, though in a very thick voice. <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e421" href="#xd0e421">12</a>]</span>Not only
+does he hold sway over the island of Taviuni, but also over some
+smaller islands and part of the large island of Vanua Levu. He also
+holds the rank of &ldquo;Roko&rdquo; from the government, for which he
+is well paid.</p>
+
+<p>After reading my letter of introduction he asked me to stay as long
+as I liked, and he called his head servant and told him to find me a
+room. This servant&rsquo;s name was Tolu, and as he spoke English
+fairly well, I soon learned a great deal about Ratu Lala and his
+people.</p>
+
+<p>Ratu Lala was married to a very high-caste lady who was closely
+related to the King of Tonga, and several of whose relatives
+accompanied us on our expeditions. By her he had two small children
+named Tersi (boy) and Moe (girl), both of whom, during my stay (as will
+hereafter appear) were sent to school at Suva, amid great lamentations
+on the part of the women of Ratu Lala&rsquo;s household. Two months
+before my visit Ratu Lala had lost his eldest daughter (by his Tongan
+wife). She was twelve years old, and a favourite of his, and her grave
+was on a bluff below the house, under a kind of tent, hung round with
+fluttering pieces of &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; cloth. Spread over it was a
+kind of gravel of bright green Stones which he had had brought from a
+long distance. Little Moe and Tersi were always very interested in
+watching me skin my birds, and their exclamation of what sounded like
+&ldquo;Esa!&rdquo; (&ldquo;Oh look!&rdquo;) showed <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e427" href="#xd0e427">13</a>]</span>their
+enjoyment. They were two of the prettiest little children I think I
+have ever seen, but they did not know a word of English, and called me
+&ldquo;Misi Walk.&rdquo; They and their mother always took their meals
+sitting on mats in the verandah. Ratu Lala had two grown-up daughters
+by other wives, but they never came to the house, living in an
+adjoining hut where I often joined them at a game of cards. They were
+both very stately and beautiful young women, with a haughty bearing
+which made me imagine that they were filled with a sense of their own
+importance.</p>
+
+<p>As is well known all over Fiji, Ratu Lala, a few years before my
+stay with him, had been deported in disgrace for a term of several
+months, to the island of Viti Levu, where he would be under the
+paternal eye of the government. This was because he had punished a
+woman, who had offended him, by pegging her down on an ants&rsquo;
+nest, first smearing her all over with honey, so that the ants would
+the more readily eat her.<a class="noteref" id="xd0e431src" href="#xd0e431">4</a> She recovered afterwards, but was badly eaten. As
+regards his punishment, he told me that he greatly enjoyed his exile,
+as he had splendid fishing, and some of the white people sent him
+champagne.</p>
+
+<p>His people were terribly afraid of him, and <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e436" href="#xd0e436">14</a>]</span>whenever they passed him
+as he sat on his verandah, they would almost go down on all fours. He
+told me how on one occasion when he was sitting on the upper verandah
+of the Club Hotel in Suva with two of his servants squatting near by,
+the whisky he had drunk had made him feel so sleepy, that he nearly
+fell into the street below, but his servants dared not lay hands on him
+to pull him back into safety, as his body was considered sacred by his
+people, and they dared not touch him. He declared to me that he would
+have been killed if a white man had not arrived just in time. He was
+very fond of telling me this story, and always laughed heartily over
+it. I noticed that Ratu Lala&rsquo;s servants treated me with a great
+deal of respect, and whenever they passed me in the house they would
+walk in a crouching attitude, with their heads almost touching the
+ground.</p>
+
+<p>Ratu Lala&rsquo;s cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, is a very enthusiastic
+cricketer, and has a very good cricket club with a pavilion at his
+island of Bau. He plays many matches against the white club in Suva,
+and only last year he took an eleven over to Australia to tour that
+country. I learned that previous to my visit he had paid a visit to
+Ratu Lala, and while there had got up a match at Somo-somo in which he
+induced Ratu Lala to play, but on Ratu Lala being given out first ball
+for nought, he (Ratu Lala) pulled up the stumps and carried them off
+the ground, and henceforth forbade <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e440" href="#xd0e440">15</a>]</span>any of his people to play the
+game on the island of Taviuni. I was not aware of this, and as I had
+brought a bat and ball with me, I got up several games shortly after my
+arrival. However, one evening all refused to play, but gave no reasons
+for their refusal, but Tolu told me that his master did not like to
+have them play. Then I learned the reason, and from that time I noticed
+a decided coolness on the part of Ratu Lala toward me. The fact, no
+doubt, is that Ratu Lala being exceptionally keen on sport, this very
+keenness made him impatient of defeat, or even of any question as to a
+possible want of success on his part, as I afterwards learnt on our
+expedition to Ngamia.</p>
+
+<p>I intended upon leaving Taviuni to return to Levuka, and from thence
+go by cutter to the island of Vanua Levu, and journey up the Wainunu
+River, plans which I ultimately carried out. Ratu Lala, however, wished
+me to proceed in his boat straight across to the island of Vanua Levu,
+and walk across a long stretch of very rough country to the Wainunu
+River. My only objection was that I had a large and heavy box, which I
+told Ratu Lala I thought was too large to be carried across country. He
+at once flew into a violent passion and declared that I spoke as if I
+considered he was no prince. &ldquo;For,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;if ten
+of my subjects cannot carry your box I command one hundred to do so,
+and if one hundred of my subjects <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e444" href="#xd0e444">16</a>]</span>cannot carry your box I tell
+fifteen thousand of my subjects to do so.&rdquo; When I tried to
+picture fifteen thousand Fijians carrying my wretched box, it was
+altogether too much for my sense of humour, and I burst forth into a
+hearty roar of laughter, which so incensed the Prince that he shut
+himself up in his own room during the few remaining days of my
+stay.</p>
+
+<p>He had a musical box, which he was very fond of, and he had a man to
+keep it going at all hours of the day and night. It played four tunes,
+among them &ldquo;The Village Blacksmith,&rdquo; &ldquo;Strolling
+&rsquo;Round the Town,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Who&rsquo;ll Buy my
+Herrings&rdquo; till at times they nearly drove me frantic, especially
+when I wanted to write or sleep. Night after night the tunes followed
+each other in regular routine till I thought I should get them on the
+brain. How he could stand it was a puzzle to me, especially as he had
+possessed it for many years. I often blessed the European who gave it
+him, and wished he could take my place.</p>
+
+<p>Whenever a man wished to speak to Ratu Lala he would crouch at his
+feet and softly clap his hands, and sometimes Ratu Lala would wait
+several minutes before he deigned to notice him. <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e450" href="#xd0e450">17</a>]</span></p>
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep" />
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e358src" id="xd0e358">1</a></span> C is pronounced as Th.: <i>
+e.g.,</i> &ldquo;Cawa&rdquo;&mdash;&ldquo;Thawa.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e368src" id="xd0e368">2</a></span> Nabuna, pron. Nambuna.</p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e411src" id="xd0e411">3</a></span> Panes of glass in a <i>
+Fijian</i> house are very unusual, but this house, being
+Government-built, was European. I can only recall one other instance,
+that of Ratu Kandavu Levu on his small island of Bau, and then it was
+only in the native house where he entertained European guests.</p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e431src" id="xd0e431">4</a></span> These circumstances were a
+matter of common knowledge, at the time of my visit, all over Fiji. On
+the other hand it must be remembered that Ratu Lala did not think he
+was doing any harm, for the woman, having done wrong, required
+punishing, and naturally South Sea Island ideas of punishment,
+inherited from past generations, differ radically from those of
+Europeans.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e451" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">My Further Adventures with Ratu Lala.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Fijian Huts&mdash;Abundance of Game and Fish&mdash;Methods of
+Capture&mdash;A Fijian Practical Joke&mdash;Fijian Feasts&mdash;Fun
+after Dinner&mdash;A Court Jester in Fiji&mdash;Drinking, Dress, and
+Methods of Mourning&mdash;A Bride&rsquo;s Ringlets&mdash;Expedition to
+Vuna&mdash;Tersi and Moe Journey to School&mdash;Their Love of
+Sweets&mdash;Rough Reception of Visitors to Vuna&mdash;Wonderful Fish
+Caught&mdash;Exhibition of Surf-board Swimming by
+Women&mdash;Impressive Midnight Row back to Taviuni&mdash;A Fijian
+Farewell.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>In comparison with Samoan huts, the Fijian huts were very
+comfortable, though they are not half as airy, Samoan huts being very
+open; but in most of the Fijian huts I visited the only openings were
+the doors, and, as can be imagined, the interior was rather dark and
+gloomy. In shape they greatly resembled a haystack, the sides being
+composed of grass or bunches of leaves, more often the latter. They are
+generally built on a platform of rocks, with doors upon two or more
+sides, according to the size of the hut; and a sloping sort of rough
+plank with notches on it leads from the ground to each door. In the
+interior, the sides of the walls are often beautifully lined with the
+stems of reeds, fashioned very neatly, and in some cases in really
+artistic patterns, and tied together with thin ropes of coconut fibre,
+dyed various colours, and often ornamented with rows of large white
+cowry shells. The floor of these huts is much like a springy mattress,
+being <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e459" href="#xd0e459">18</a>]</span>packed to a depth of several feet with palm
+and other leaves, and on the top are strips of native mats permanently
+fastened, whereas in Samoa the floor is made up of small pieces of
+brittle white coral, over which are loose mats, which can be moved at
+will. In Fijian huts there is always a sort of raised platform at one
+end of the hut, on which are piles of the best native mats, and, being
+the guest, I generally got this to myself. The roof inside is very
+finely thatched, the beams being of &ldquo;Niu sau,&rdquo; a native
+palm,<a class="noteref" id="xd0e461src" href="#xd0e461">1</a> the
+cross-pieces and main supports being enormous bits of hard wood. The
+smaller supports of the sides are generally the trunks of tree-ferns.
+The doors in most of the huts are a strip of native matting or
+fantastically-painted &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; cloth, fastened to two posts a
+few feet inside the hut. In some huts there are small openings in the
+walls which answer for windows. The hearth was generally near one of
+the doors in the centre of the hut, and fire was produced by rubbing a
+piece of hard wood on a larger piece of soft wood, and working it up
+and down in a groove till a spark was produced. I have myself
+successfully employed this method when out shooting green pigeon
+(&ldquo;rupe&rdquo;) in the mountains.</p>
+
+<p>With regard to food, I at first fared very well, although we had our
+meals at all hours, as Ratu Lala was very irregular in his habits. Our
+chief <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e468" href="#xd0e468">19</a>]</span>food was turtle. We had it so often that I
+soon loathed the taste of it. The turtles, when brought up from the sea
+were laid on their backs under a tree close by the house, and there the
+poor brutes were left for days together. Ratu Lala&rsquo;s men often
+brought in a live wild pig, which they captured with the aid of their
+dogs. At other times they would run them down and spear them; this was
+hard and exciting work, as I myself found on several occasions that I
+went pig hunting. One of the most remarkable things that I saw in
+Taviuni, from a sporting point of view, was the heart of a wild pig,
+which, when killed, was found to have lived with the broken point of a
+wooden spear fully four inches in length buried in the very centre of
+its heart. It had evidently lived for many years afterwards, and a
+curious kind of growth had formed round the point.</p>
+
+<p>As for other game, every time I went out in the mountain woods I had
+splendid sport with the wild chickens or jungle fowl and pigeons, and I
+would often return with my guide bearing a long pole loaded at both
+ends with the birds I had shot. The pigeons, which were large birds,
+settled on the tops of the tallest trees and made a very peculiar kind
+of growling noise. Many years ago (as Ratu Lala told me) the natives of
+Taviuni had been in the habit of catching great quantities of pigeons
+by means of large nets suspended from the trees. The chickens would
+generally get up <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e472" href="#xd0e472">20</a>]</span>like a pheasant, and it was good sport taking
+a snap shot at an old cock bird on the wing. It was curious to hear
+them crowing away in the depths of the forest, and at first I kept
+imagining that I was close to some village. I also obtained some good
+duck shooting on a lake high up in the mountains, and Ratu Lala
+described to me what must be a species of apteryx, or wingless bird
+(like the Kiwi of New Zealand), which he said was found in the
+mountains and lived in holes in the ground, but I never came across it,
+though I had many a weary search. Ratu Lala also assured me that the
+wild chickens were indigenous in Fiji, and were not descended from the
+domestic fowl. We had plenty of fish, both salt and fresh water, and
+the mountain streams were full of large fish, which Ratu Lala, who is a
+keen fisherman, caught with the fly or grasshoppers. He sometimes
+caught over one hundred in a day, some of them over three pounds in
+weight. The streams were also full of huge eels and large prawns, and a
+kind of oyster was abundant in the sea, so what with wild pig, wild
+chickens, pigeons, turtles, oysters, prawns, crabs, eels, and fish of
+infinite variety, we fared exceedingly well. Oranges, lemons, limes,
+large shaddocks, &ldquo;kavika,&rdquo; and other wild fruits were
+plentiful everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>During my stay here in August and September the climate was
+delightful, and it was remarkably cool for the tropics. I often
+accompanied Ratu <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e476" href="#xd0e476">21</a>]</span>Lala on his fishing excursions, and he would
+often recount to me many of his escapades. On one occasion he told me
+that he had put a fish-hook through the lip of his jester, a little old
+man of the name of Stivani, and played him about with rod and reel like
+a fish, and had made him swim about in the water until he had tired him
+out, and then he added, &ldquo;I landed the finest fish I ever
+got.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I added a good many interesting birds to my collection during my
+stay here, among them a dove of intense orange colour, one of the most
+striking birds I have ever seen. Plant life here was exceedingly
+beautiful and interesting, especially high up in the mountains, palms,
+<i>pandanus,</i> cycads, crotons, <i>acalyphas, loranths,</i> aroids,
+<i>freycinetias,</i> ferns and orchids being strongly represented, and
+among the latter may be mentioned a fine orange <i>dendrobium</i> and a
+pink <i>calanthe.</i> I found in flower a celebrated creeper, which
+Ratu Lala had told me to look out for. It had very showy red, white and
+blue flowers, and in the old days Ratu Lala told me that the Tongan
+people would come over in their canoes all the way from the Tonga
+Islands, nearly four hundred miles away, simply to get this flower for
+their dances, and when gathered, it would last a very long time without
+fading. I tried to learn the traditions about this flower, but Ratu
+Lala either did not know of any or else he was not anxious to tell me
+about them. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e495" href="#xd0e495">22</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>The coastal natives, like most South Sea Islanders, were splendid
+swimmers, but, so far as I was concerned, it was dangerous work bathing
+in the sea here, as man-eating sharks were very numerous, and during my
+stay I saw a Fijian carried ashore with both his legs bitten clean
+off.</p>
+
+<p>Usually, when out on expeditions, we occupied the
+&ldquo;Buli&rsquo;s&rdquo; hut and lived on the fat of the land. At
+meal times quite a procession of men and women, glistening all over
+with coconut oil, would enter our hut bearing all sorts of native food,
+including fish in great variety, yams, octopus, turtle, sucking-pig,
+chicken, prawns, etc. They were brought in on banana and other large
+leaves, and we, of course, ate them with our fingers. Good as the food
+undoubtedly was, I was always glad when the meal was over, as it is
+very far from comfortable to sit with your legs doubled up under you.
+Afterwards I could hardly stand up straight, owing to cramp. I found it
+especially trying in Samoa, where one had to sit in this manner for
+hours during feasts, &ldquo;kava&rdquo;-drinking and
+&ldquo;siva-sivas&rdquo; (dances). Sometimes a glistening damsel would
+fan us with a large fan made out of the leaf of a fan palm,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd0e500src" href="#xd0e500">2</a> which at times got
+rather in the way. I never got waited on better in my life. Directly I
+had finished one course a dozen girls were ready to hand me other
+dishes, and when I wanted a drink a girl immediately <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e504" href="#xd0e504">23</a>]</span>handed me a
+cup made out of the half-shell of a coconut filled with a kind of soup.
+We generally had an audience of fully fifty people, and when we had
+finished eating, a wooden bowl of water was handed to us in which to
+wash our hands. Ratu Lala would generally hand the bowl to me first,
+and I would wash my hands in silence, but directly he started to wash
+his hands, everyone present, including chiefs and attendants, would
+start clapping their hands in even time, then one man would utter a
+deep and prolonged &ldquo;Ah-h,&rdquo; when the crowd would all shout
+together what sounded like &ldquo;Ai on dwah,&rdquo; followed by more
+even clapping. I never learned what the words meant. In this respect
+Ratu Lala was most curiously secretive, and always evaded questions.
+Whenever he took a drink, a clapping of hands made me aware of the
+fact.</p>
+
+<p>One day, when they had chanted after a meal as usual, Ratu Lala
+turned around to me and mimicked the way his jester or clown repeated
+it, and there was a general laugh. This jester, whose name was Stivani,
+was a little old man who was also jester to Ratu Lala&rsquo;s father.
+Ratu Lala had given him the nickname of &ldquo;Punch,&rdquo; and made
+him do all sorts of ridiculous things&mdash;sing and dance and go
+through various contortions dressed up in bunches of
+&ldquo;croton&rdquo; leaves. He kept us all much amused, and was the
+life and soul of our party, but at times I caught the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e508" href="#xd0e508">24</a>]</span>old fellow
+looking very weary and sad, as if he was tired of his office as
+jester.</p>
+
+<p>The &ldquo;angona&rdquo; root (<i>Piper methysticum</i>) is first
+generally pounded, but is sometimes grated, and more rarely chewed by
+young maidens. It is then mixed with water in a large wooden bowl, and
+the remains of the root drawn out with a bunch of fibrous material. It
+is then ready for drinking.</p>
+
+<p>On gala and festal occasions the Fijians were wonderfully and
+fantastically dressed up, their huge heads of hair thickly covered with
+a red or yellow powder, and they themselves wearing large skirts or
+&ldquo;sulus&rdquo; of coloured &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; and <i>pandanus</i>
+ribbons and necklaces of coloured seeds, shells, and pigs&rsquo;-tusks.
+In out-of-the-way parts the &ldquo;sulus&rdquo; are still made of
+&ldquo;tapa&rdquo; cloth, and the women sometimes wear small fibrous
+aprons. They also often wear wild pigs&rsquo;-tusks round their
+necks.</p>
+
+<p>I noticed that many Fijian women were tattooed on the hands and
+arms, and at each corner of the mouth (a deep blue colour). Both men
+and women gave themselves severe wounds about the body, generally as a
+sign of grief on the death of some near relative. I once noticed a
+young girl of sixteen or seventeen with a very bad unhealed wound below
+one of her breasts, which was self-inflicted. Her father, a chief, had
+died only a short time previously. They often <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e522" href="#xd0e522">25</a>]</span>also cut off the little
+finger for similar reasons. Like the Samoans, the Fijians often cover
+their hair with white lime, and the effect of the sun bleaches the hair
+and changes it from black to a light gold or brown colour.</p>
+
+<p>A marriageable young lady in Fiji would generally have a great
+quantity of long braided ringlets hanging down on <i>one</i> side of
+her head. This looked odd, considering that the rest of her hair was
+erect or frizzly. It was a great insult to have these ringlets cut. I
+heard of it once being done by a white planter, and great trouble and
+fighting were the result.</p>
+
+<p>I accompanied Ratu Lala on several expeditions to various parts of
+the island, and we also visited several smaller islands within his
+dominions. On these occasions we always took possession of the
+&ldquo;Buli&rsquo;s,&rdquo; or village chief&rsquo;s, hut, turning him
+out, and feeding on all the delicacies the village could produce. After
+we had practically eaten them out of house and home we would move on
+and take possession of another village. The inhabitants did not seem to
+mind this; in fact, they seemed to enjoy our visit, as it was an excuse
+for big feasts, &ldquo;meke-mekes&rdquo; (dances) and
+&ldquo;angona&rdquo; drinking.</p>
+
+<p>One of the most enjoyable expeditions that I made with Ratu Lala was
+to Vuna, about twenty miles away to the south. A small steamer, the <i>
+Kia Ora,</i> which made periodical visits to the <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e536" href="#xd0e536">26</a>]</span>island to collect the
+government taxes in copra, arrived one day in the bay. Ratu Lala
+thought this would be a good opportunity for us to make a fishing
+expedition to Vuna. We went on board the steamer while our large boat
+was towed behind.</p>
+
+<p>At the same time Ratu Lala&rsquo;s two little children, Moe and
+Tersi, started off, in charge of Ratu Lala&rsquo;s Tongan wife and
+other women, to be educated in Suva. It was the first time they had
+ever left home, but I agreed with Ratu Lala, that it was time they
+went, as they did not know a word of English, and, for the matter of
+that, neither did his Tongan wife. When we all arrived at the beach to
+get into the boat, we found a large crowd, chiefly women, sitting on
+the ground, and as Ratu Lala walked past them, they greeted him with a
+kind of salutation which they chanted as with one voice. I several
+times asked him what it meant, but he always evaded the question
+somehow, and seemed too modest to tell me. I came to the conclusion
+that it ran something like &ldquo;Hail, most noble prince, live for
+ever.&rdquo; The next minute all the women started to howl as if at a
+given signal, and they looked pictures of misery. Several of them waded
+out into the sea and embraced little Tersi and Moe. This soon set the
+children crying as well, so that I almost began to fear that the
+combined tears would sink our boat. Their old grandmother waded out
+into the sea up to her neck and stayed there, <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e540" href="#xd0e540">27</a>]</span>and we could hear her
+howling long after we had got on board the steamer. When we got into
+Ratu Lala&rsquo;s boat at Vuna there was another very affecting
+farewell. Some months later when I returned to Suva, I asked a young
+chief, Ratu Pope, to show me where they were at school, and I found
+them at a small kindergarten for the children of the Europeans in
+Suva.</p>
+
+<p>They <span class="corr" id="xd0e544" title="Source: semed">
+seemed</span> quite glad to see their old friend again, and still more
+so when I promised to bring them some lollies (the term used for sweets
+in Australasia) that afternoon.</p>
+
+<p>When I returned I witnessed a pretty and interesting sight The two
+little children were standing out in the school yard while several
+Fijian men and women of noble families who had been paying the little
+prince and princess a visit, were just taking their leave. It was a
+curious sight to see these old people go in turn up to these two little
+mites and go down on their knees and kiss their little hands reverently
+in silence. All this homage seemed to bore the small high-born ones,
+and hardly was the ceremony over when they caught sight of me, and,
+rushing toward me with cries of &ldquo;Misi Walk siandra,
+lollies,&rdquo; they nearly knocked over some of their visitors, who no
+doubt were greatly scandalized at such undignified behaviour.</p>
+
+<p>To return to our visit to Vuna. Sometime previously, Ratu Lala had
+warned me that whenever he landed at this place with a visitor it was
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e551" href="#xd0e551">28</a>]</span>an
+old custom for the women to catch the visitor and throw him into the
+sea from the top of a small rocky cliff. To this I raised serious
+objections, but arrayed myself in very old thin clothes ready for the
+fray. However, upon landing, very much on the alert, I was agreeably
+surprised to find that the women left me alone. Yet in part Ratu
+Lala&rsquo;s story was true, as he assured me that quite recently he
+had been forced to put a stop to the custom, as one of his last
+visitors was a European of much importance who was greatly incensed at
+such treatment, and complained to the government, who told Ratu Lala
+that the custom must end.</p>
+
+<p>We came to fish, and fish we did, just off the coral reef, but it
+would take space to describe even one-half of the curious and beautiful
+fish we caught. When I took the lead in the number of fish caught, Ratu
+Lala seemed greatly annoyed, and I was not sorry to let him get ahead,
+when he was soon in a good temper again. The Fijians generally fished
+with nets and a many-pronged fish-spear, with which they are very
+expert, and I saw them do wonderful work with them. They also used long
+wicker-work traps. Ratu Lala, on the contrary, being half-civilized,
+used an English rod and reel or line like a white man. Ratu Lala told
+the women here to give an exhibition of surf-board swimming for my
+benefit. As they rode into shore on the crest of a wave I many times
+expected to see them dashed against <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e555" href="#xd0e555">29</a>]</span>the rocks which fringed the
+coast. I had seen the natives in Hawaii perform seventeen years before,
+but it was tame in comparison to the wonderful performances of these
+Fijian women on this dangerous rock-girt coast.</p>
+
+<p>A great many &ldquo;meke-mekes&rdquo; or dances were got up in our
+honour, but Ratu Lala detested them, and rarely attended, but preferred
+staying in the &ldquo;Buli&rsquo;s&rdquo; hut, lying on the floor
+smoking or sleeping. He, however, always begged me to attend them in
+his place. After a time I found the performances rather wearisome, and
+not nearly so varied and interesting as the &ldquo;siva-sivas&rdquo; in
+Samoa. There the girls sang in soft, pleasing voices, the words being
+full of liquid vowels. Here in Fiji the singing was harsh and
+discordant, as k&rsquo;s and r&rsquo;s abound in the language.</p>
+
+<p>When it came to the ceremony of drinking &ldquo;angona&rdquo; I
+worthily did my part of the performance. Drinking &ldquo;angona&rdquo;
+is a taste not easily acquired, but when one has once got used to it,
+there is not a more refreshing drink, and I speak from long experience.
+In Fiji I was often presented with a large &ldquo;angona&rdquo; root,
+but it would be considered exceedingly bad form did you not return it
+to the giver and tell him to have it at once prepared for himself and
+his people, you yourself, of course, taking part in the drinking
+ceremony.</p>
+
+<p>After a stay of several days at Vuna we rowed <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e563" href="#xd0e563">30</a>]</span>back by night. It was a
+perfect, calm night, and with the full moon, was almost as bright as
+day. We rowed all the way close to shore, passing under the gloomy
+shade of dense forests or by countless coconuts, the only sound besides
+the plash of our oars being the cry of water fowl or some night bird,
+while the light beetles<a class="noteref" id="xd0e565src" href="#xd0e565">3</a> flashed their green lights against the dark background
+of the forest, looking much like falling stars. There are certain
+moments in life that have made a lasting impression on me, and that
+moonlight row was one of them.</p>
+
+<p>We made several expeditions together that were every bit as
+interesting and enjoyable as the one to Vuna. <span class="corr" id="xd0e571" title="Source: One">On</span> one occasion we visited the
+north part of the island, as well as Ngamia and other islands. We rowed
+nearly all the way close into shore and saw plenty of turtles. Ratu
+Lala started to troll with live bait, as we had come across several
+women fishing with nets, and on our approach they chanted out a
+greeting to Ratu Lala, and in return he helped himself to a lot of
+their fish. Ratu Lala had fully a dozen large fish after his bait, and
+some he hooked for a few seconds. This only made him the keener, and
+after leaving the calm Somo-somo Channel, although we encountered a
+very rough sea, he had the sail hoisted and we travelled at a great
+rate in and out amongst a lot of rocky islets, shipping any amount of
+water which soaked us and our <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e574"
+href="#xd0e574">31</a>]</span>baggage, and half-filled the boat. I
+expected we should be swamped every moment, and from the frightened
+looks of our crew I knew they expected the same thing. Hence, I was not
+reassured when Ratu Lala remarked that it was in just such a sea, and
+in the same place, that he lost his schooner (which the government had
+given him) and that on that occasion he and all his crew remained in
+the water for five hours. When I explained that I had no wish to be
+upset, he said, &ldquo;I suppose you can swim?&rdquo; I said
+&ldquo;Yes! but I do not wish to lose my gun and other property,&rdquo;
+to which he replied, &ldquo;Well, I lost more than that when my
+schooner went down.&rdquo; I was therefore not a little relieved when
+he had the sail lowered. He explained that he never liked being beaten,
+even if he drowned us all, and all this was because I had bet him one
+shilling (by his own desire) that he would not get a fish. I mention
+this to show what foolhardy things he was capable of doing, never
+thinking of the consequences. I could mention many such cases. We at
+length came to some shallows between a lot of small and most
+picturesque islands, and as it was low tide, and we could not pass, we,
+viz., Ratu Lala, myself, and the other chiefs, got out to walk, leaving
+the boat and crew to come on when they could (they arrived at 4 a.m.
+the next morning). I was glad to get an opportunity to dry myself, and
+we started off at a good rate for our destination, but <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e576" href="#xd0e576">32</a>]</span>unfortunately
+we came to a spot where grew a small weed that the Fijians consider a
+great luxury when cooked, and Ratu Lala and his people stayed here
+fully two hours, till they had picked all the weed in sight, in spite
+of the heavy rain. It was amusing to see all these high-caste Fijians
+and old Stivani, the jester, running to and fro with yells of delight
+like so many children, all on account of a weed which I myself
+afterwards failed to enjoy.</p>
+
+<p>On the way I shot three duck, and later, when it was too dark to
+shoot, we could see the beach between the mangroves and the sea was
+almost black with them. On the other side of us there was a regular
+chorus of wild chickens crowing and pigeons &ldquo;howling&rdquo; in
+the woods. After four hours&rsquo; hard walking we arrived at our
+destination, Qelani, long after dark, dead tired, and soaked to the
+skin. We put up at the &ldquo;Buli&rsquo;s&rdquo; hut; he was a cousin
+of Ratu Lala, and was a hideous and sulky-looking fellow, but his hut
+was one of the finest and neatest I had seen in Fiji. As I literally
+had not had a mouthful of food since the previous evening, I was glad
+when about a dozen women entered bearing banana leaves covered with
+yams, fish, octopus, chickens, etc. We stayed here some days, but we
+had miserable, wet weather. There was excellent fishing in the stream
+here, and Ratu Lala especially had very good sport. Many of the fish
+averaged one-and-a-half pounds and more, but he told me that they often
+run to five <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e580" href="#xd0e580">33</a>]</span>pounds. There were three kinds, and all
+excellent eating. The commonest was a beautiful silvery fish, and
+another was of a golden colour with bright red stripes. During the
+latter part of my stay in Qelani I suffered from a slight attack of
+dysentery, and it was dull lying ill on the floor of a native hut with
+no one to talk to, as Ratu Lala always tried to avoid speaking English
+whenever possible, and would often only reply in monosyllables. It
+would often seem as if he were annoyed at something, but I found that
+he did this to all white men, and meant nothing by it. I soon cured
+myself by eating a lot of raw leaves of some bush plant, also a great
+quantity of native arrow-root.</p>
+
+<p>In spite of my sickness I managed to shoot a fair number of duck,
+wild chickens and pigeon, and also a few birds for my collection. One
+day, in spite of the rain, I was rowed over to Ngamia, which is a
+wonderfully beautiful island, about three hours from Qelani. It was
+thickly covered with a fine cycad which grows amongst the rocks
+overhanging the sea. The natives call it &ldquo;loga-loga,&rdquo;<a
+class="noteref" id="xd0e584src" href="#xd0e584">4</a> and eat the
+fruit. I landed and botanized a bit, finding some new and interesting
+plants, and then rowed on a few miles to call on the only white man on
+the island, an Australian named Mitchell, who has a large coconut
+property. He was astonished and pleased to see me, and introduced me to
+his Fijian wife, and his two pretty half-caste daughters soon got
+together a good <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e587" href="#xd0e587">34</a>]</span>breakfast for me. He seemed glad to see a
+white man again, and nearly talked my head off, and was full of
+anecdotes about the fighting they had with the Fijian cannibals in
+1876. He told me that in the last great hurricane his house was blown
+over on to a small island which he owned nearly half-a-mile away.</p>
+
+<p>To describe all the incidents of my long visit would fill a book,
+but I think I have written enough to show what a very interesting time
+I spent with this Fijian Prince. It was without doubt one of the most
+curious experiences of all my travels in different parts of the globe.
+With all his faults, Ratu Lala was a good fellow, and he certainly was
+a sportsman. All Fiji knows his failings, otherwise I should not have
+alluded to them. The old blood of the Fijians ran in his veins, his
+ancestors were kings who had been used to command and to tyrannise;
+therefore he could never see any harm in the many stories of his
+escapades that he told me, and he seemed much offended and surprised
+when I advised him not to talk about them to other Europeans. When I
+started off to Levuka I was greatly surprised to see all the women of
+Somo-somo sitting on the beach waiting to see me depart, and as I
+walked down alone they greeted me in much the same way as they often
+greeted Ratu Lala, in a kind of chanting shout that sounded most
+effective. It was a Fijian farewell! <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e591" href="#xd0e591">35</a>]</span></p>
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep" />
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e461src" id="xd0e461">1</a></span> <i>Ptychosperma</i> sp.</p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e500src" id="xd0e500">2</a></span> <i>Pritchardia
+Pacifica.</i></p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e565src" id="xd0e565">3</a></span> <i>Elaterid&aelig;</i></p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e584src" id="xd0e584">4</a></span> Pron.: longa-longa.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="div0" id="xd0e592">
+<h2 class="normal">Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.</h2>
+
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e595" href="#xd0e595">36</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e596" href="#xd0e596">37</a>]</span>
+<div id="xd0e597" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Journey into the Interior of Great Fiji&mdash;A Guide
+Secured&mdash;The Start&mdash;Arrival at Navua&mdash;Extraction of
+Sago&mdash;Grandeur of Scenery&mdash;A Man covered with Monkey-like
+Hair&mdash;A Strangely Coloured Parrot&mdash;Wild Lemon and Shaddock
+Trees&mdash;A Tropical &ldquo;Yosemite Valley&rdquo;&mdash;Handclapping
+as a Native Form of Salute&mdash;Beauty of Namosi&mdash;The Visitor
+inspected by ex-Cannibals&mdash;Reversion to Cannibalism only prevented
+by fear of the Government&mdash;A Man who would like to Eat my Parrot
+&ldquo;and the White Man too&rdquo;&mdash;The Scene of Former Cannibal
+Feasts&mdash;Revolting Accounts of Cannibalism as Formerly
+Practised&mdash;Sporadic Cases in Recent Years&mdash;An Instance of
+Unconscious Cannibalism by a White&mdash;Reception at Villages <i>en
+route</i>&mdash;Masirewa Upset&mdash;Descent of Rapids&mdash;Dramatic
+Arrival at Natondre (&ldquo;Fallen from the Skies&rdquo;).</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Toward the end of my stay in the Fijian Islands I determined to make
+a journey far into the interior of Viti Levu (Great Fiji), the largest
+island of the great Fijian archipelago. Suva, the chief town in Fiji,
+and the headquarters of the government, is on this island, but very few
+Europeans travel far beyond the coast, and my friends in Suva declared
+that I would have a fit of repentance before I had travelled very far,
+as the interior of the island is extremely mountainous and rough. After
+a great deal of trouble I managed to get an interpreter named Masirewa,
+who came from the small island of Bau. He was a fine-looking fellow,
+and, like most Fijians, possessed a tremendous mop of hair. His stock
+of English was limited, and we often misunderstood each other, but he
+proved a most amusing <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e608" href="#xd0e608">38</a>]</span>companion, if only on account of his unlimited
+&ldquo;cheek.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I ought here to mention that Fijians vary a great deal, both in
+colour and language. Fiji is the part of the Pacific where various
+types meet, viz., Papuan, Malayan, and Polynesian. The mountaineers
+around Namosi, which I visited, who were all cannibals twenty-five
+years ago, are much darker in colour than the coast natives, and they
+are undoubtedly of Papuan origin.</p>
+
+<p>I left Suva with Masirewa on the morning of October 12th, and after
+a short sea voyage of three or four hours on a small steam launch, we
+arrived at the village of Navua. I had a letter to Mr. McOwan, the
+government commissioner for that district. He put me up for the night,
+and we played several games of tennis, and my stay, though short, was
+an exceedingly pleasant one. The whites in Fiji are the most hospitable
+people in the world. They are of the old <i>r&eacute;gime</i> that is
+dying out fast everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>The next day I set out on my journey into the interior, Masirewa and
+another Fijian carrying my baggage (which was wrapped up in waterproof
+cloth) on a long bamboo pole. We followed the course of the Navua River
+for some distance. In the swamps bordering the river grew quantities of
+a variety of sago palm (<i>Sagus vitiensis</i>) called by the natives
+Songo. They extract the sago from the trunk, and the palm always dies
+after <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e622" href="#xd0e622">39</a>]</span>flowering. After passing through about four
+miles of sugar cane, with small villages of the Indian coolies who work
+in the cane fields, we left behind us the last traces of civilization.
+We next came to a very beautiful bit of hilly country, densely wooded
+on the hills, though bordering the broad gravelly beaches of the river
+were long stretches of beautiful grassy pastures. Darkness set in as we
+ascended some thickly wooded hills. The atmosphere was damp and close,
+and <span class="corr" id="xd0e624" title="Source: mosquitos">
+mosquitoes</span> plentiful, and small phosphorescent lumps seemed to
+wink at us out of the darkness on every side. I had to strike plenty of
+matches to discover the track, and continually bumped myself against
+boulders and the trunks of tree-ferns. It was late when we arrived at
+the village of Nakavu, on the banks of the Navua River, where I was
+soon asleep on a pile of mats in the hut of the &ldquo;Buli,&rdquo; or
+village chief.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning I resumed my journey with Masirewa and two
+canoe-men in a canoe, and we were punted and hauled over numerous
+dangerous rapids, at some of which I had to get out. We passed between
+two steep, rocky cliffs the whole way, and they were densely clothed
+with tree-ferns and other rank tropical vegetation, the large white
+sweet-scented <i>datura</i> being very plentiful. The scenery was very
+beautiful, and numerous waterfalls dashed over the rocky walls with a
+sullen roar. Ducks were plentiful, but <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e632" href="#xd0e632">40</a>]</span>my ammunition being limited, I
+shot only enough to supply us with food. I felt cramped sitting in a
+canoe all day, but I enjoyed myself in spite of the continuous and
+heavy rain.</p>
+
+<p>Late in the afternoon we arrived at the small village of Namuamua,
+on the right bank of the river, with the village of Beka on the other
+side. We were given a small hut all to ourselves, and we fared
+sumptuously on duck and boiled yams. The next morning I was shown a
+curious but ghastly object, viz., a man covered with hair like a
+monkey, and I was told that he had never been able to walk. He dragged
+himself about on his hands and feet, uttering groans and grunts like an
+animal.</p>
+
+<p>I hired two fresh bearers to carry my baggage, and after we had
+crossed the river three or four times we passed over some steep and
+slippery hills for some distance. I managed to shoot a parrot that I
+had not seen on any of the other islands. It was green, with a black
+head and yellow breast. The rain came down in torrents, and I got well
+soaked. We went for miles through woods with small timber, but full of
+bright crotons, <i>drac&aelig;nas,</i> bamboos, and a very sweetscented
+plant somewhat resembling the frangipani, the flower of which covered
+the ground. We passed under the shade of sweet-scented wild lemon and
+shaddock trees, but we got the bad with the good, as a horrible stench
+came from a <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e641" href="#xd0e641">41</a>]</span>small green flowering bush. A beautiful pink
+and white ground orchid (<i>Calanthe</i>) was plentiful.</p>
+
+<p>We travelled along a steep, narrow strip of land with a river on
+each side in the valleys below. We met no one until we arrived at the
+village of Koro Wai-Wai, which is situated on the banks of a good-sized
+river at the entrance to a magnificent gorge of rocky peaks and
+precipices. Here we found the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; of Namosi squatting
+down in a miserable, smoky hut where we rested for a few minutes, and
+the hut was soon filled with a crowd of natives, all anxious to view
+the &ldquo;papalangi&rdquo; (foreigner). The &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; agreed
+to accompany me to Namosi, although his home was in another village.
+Continuing our journey, we had hard work climbing over boulders, and
+along slippery ledges overhanging the foaming river many feet below.
+Steep precipices rose on each side of us, and the gorge grew more
+narrow as we proceeded. The scenery was grand, and rather resembled the
+Yosemite Valley, but had the additional attraction of a wealth of
+tropical foliage. Steep rocky spires topped by misty clouds towered
+above us and little openings between rocky walls revealed dark green
+lanes or vistas of tangled tropical growth which the sun never reached.
+We met many natives, who sat on their haunches when the
+&ldquo;Buli&rdquo; talked to them, and clapped their hands as we
+passed. This was out of respect for the &ldquo;Buli,&rdquo; who was an
+insignificant looking little <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e648"
+href="#xd0e648">42</a>]</span>bearded man and quite naked except for a
+small &ldquo;Sulu.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>We soon arrived at Namosi. It is a large town situated between two
+steep walls of rock, and was by far the prettiest place I had seen in
+Fiji, and that is saying a good deal. The town is on both banks of the
+Waiandina River, with large &ldquo;ivi&rdquo; and other beautiful trees
+overhanging the water; brilliant coloured crotons, <i>
+drac&aelig;nas,</i> and other fine plants imparted a wealth of colour
+to the scene, and many of the grand old trees were heavily laden with
+ferns and orchids. During many years&rsquo; wanderings all the world
+over, I do not think I have ever come across a more beautiful and ideal
+spot.</p>
+
+<p>The &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; was greeted with cries of
+&ldquo;m-m-ka-a&rdquo; in shrill voices by the women, for all the world
+like the caw of an old crow. I learned that the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; had
+not been here for some time, but I seemed to be the chief object of
+interest, and was followed everywhere by an admiring and curious crowd
+of dark brown, shiny boys and girls, the former just as they were born
+and the latter wearing a strip of &ldquo;Sulu.&rdquo; We put up in a
+chief&rsquo;s house, and after getting through the usual boiled yams, I
+went on a tour of inspection around the town, but I soon found that I
+was the one to be inspected. There was a hum of voices in every hut,
+and doorways were darkened with many heads. Groups of young men, women
+and children <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e657" href="#xd0e657">43</a>]</span>assembled to see the sight, but scampered away
+if I approached too near. No white man but the government agent had
+been here for several years, I was told. Thirty-odd years ago they
+would not have been satisfied to &ldquo;look only,&rdquo; but would
+have wished to taste, and many of the present inhabitants would have
+made chops of me, and were no doubt peering out of their huts to see if
+I was fat or lean, and wishing for days gone by but not forgotten.
+Isolated cases of cannibalism still occur in out-of-the-way parts of
+Fiji, and it is only fear of the government that stops them, otherwise
+these mountaineers would at once return to cannibalism. Masirewa came
+out and stood with folded arms among a large crowd talking about me,
+and no doubt taking all the credit for my appearance, and staring at me
+as if he had never seen me before, so that I felt much inclined to kick
+him.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening, as I skinned the parrot I had shot, Masirewa told me
+how one man had said that he would like to eat the parrot, and that he
+had replied: &ldquo;And the white man too.&rdquo; There was a large and
+very interested crowd around me as I worked, and they were very much
+astonished when told that the birds in England were different from
+those in Fiji, and I was inundated with childish questions about
+England. Masirewa seemed to be trying to pass himself off on these
+simple mountaineers as a chief, and was clearly beginning to give <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e661" href="#xd0e661">44</a>]</span>himself
+airs, so that when he started to eat with the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; and
+myself, I had to snub him, and told him sharply to clean my gun and eat
+afterwards.</p>
+
+<p>I slept the next morning till seven o&rsquo;clock, and Masirewa told
+me that the natives could not understand my sleeping so late, and that
+they thought I was drunk on &ldquo;angona,&rdquo; of which I had
+partaken the night before. &ldquo;Angona&rdquo; is the same as
+&ldquo;kava&rdquo; in Samoa, and is the national beverage in Fiji.
+Masirewa now only wore a &ldquo;sulu&rdquo; and discarded his singlet.
+I suppose it was a case of &ldquo;In Rome do as Rome does,&rdquo; but
+he certainly looked better in the dark skin he wore at his birth. I was
+shown the large rock by the river where more than a thousand people had
+been killed for their cannibal feasts. They were usually prisoners
+captured in the Rewa district, also a few white men. They were cut open
+alive and their hearts torn out, and their bodies were then cut up for
+cooking on the rock, which I noticed was worn quite smooth. Sometimes
+they would boil a man alive in a huge cauldron.</p>
+
+<p>While staying at Namosi the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; gave me some lessons
+in throwing native spears, and in using the bow. Whilst practising the
+latter I narrowly missed, by a few inches, shooting a woman who stepped
+out suddenly from behind a hut.</p>
+
+<p>I was out most of the day shooting pigeons <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e669" href="#xd0e669">45</a>]</span>in the woods close by,
+accompanied by the &ldquo;Buli,&rdquo; Masirewa, and several boys. The
+woods were full of a wonderfully beautiful creeper, a delicate pink and
+white <i>clerodendron</i> which grew in large bunches; there was also a
+very pretty <i>hoya</i> (wax flower) scrambling up the trees. We filled
+ourselves with the juicy pink fruit of the &ldquo;kavika,&rdquo; or
+what is generally known as the Malacca or rose-apple. The trees were
+plentiful in the woods, grew to a large size, and were literally loaded
+with fruit, the fallen fruit resembling a pink carpet. Another very
+good fruit was the &ldquo;wi,&rdquo; a golden fruit about the size of a
+large mango. I have seen both cultivated in the West Indies.</p>
+
+<p>On my return to the village I had a most interesting interview with
+these ex-cannibals, one old and two middle-aged men, thanks to
+Masirewa, my interpreter. He first asked them how they liked human
+flesh, and they all shouted &ldquo;Venaka, venaka!&rdquo; (good). Like
+the natives of New Guinea, they said it was far better than pig; they
+also declared that the legs, arms and palms of the hands were the
+greatest delicacies, and that women and children tasted best. The
+brains and eyes were especially good. They would never eat a man who
+had died a natural death. They had eaten white man; he was salty and
+fat, but he was good, though not so good as &ldquo;Fiji man.&rdquo; One
+of them had tasted a certain Mr. &mdash;&mdash;, and the meat on his
+legs was very fat. They chopped his feet <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e679" href="#xd0e679">46</a>]</span>off above the boots, which they
+thought were part of him, and they boiled his feet and boots for days,
+but they did not like the taste of the boots. They often kept some of
+their prisoners and fattened them up, and when the day came for killing
+one, it was the women of Namosi&rsquo;s duty to take him down to the
+large stone by the river, where they cut him open alive and tore his
+heart out. Lastly, I asked if they would still like to eat man if they
+got the chance, and they were not afraid of being punished, and there
+was no hesitation in their reply of &ldquo;Io&rdquo; (yes), uttered
+with one voice like the yelp of a hungry wolf, and it seemed to me that
+their eyes sparkled. They were certainly a very obliging lot of
+cannibals.</p>
+
+<p>Cannibalism is, of course, practically extinct now in Fiji, but in
+recent years I am told that there, have been a few odd cases far back
+in the mountains. On one occasion a man told his wife to build an oven
+and that he was going to cook her. This she did, and he then killed,
+cooked, and ate her. Whilst in Fiji I met an Englishman who in the
+seventies had tasted human meat at a native feast, he believing it was
+pig, and at the time he thought it was very good. I was told that in
+the old days when they wanted to know whether a body was cooked enough
+they looked to see if the head was loose. If the head fell off it was
+thought to be &ldquo;cooked to perfection,&rdquo; but I will not vouch
+for this story being correct. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e683"
+href="#xd0e683">47</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>I gave the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; a box of matches, and he seemed as
+pleased as if it was a purse of gold; they light all their fires here
+by wood friction, Some of the pet pigs around here were very oddly
+marked with stripes and spots of brown, black and white. Whilst in Fiji
+I often came across natives far from any village who were being
+followed by pet pigs, as we in England might be followed by dogs.
+Masirewa amused me more each day by his cheek and self-assurance. Once
+I asked him what he said to the chief of the hut we were in, and he
+replied: &ldquo;Oh! I tell him Get out, you black fellow.&rsquo;
+&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>We left Namosi early the next morning, a large crowd seeing us off,
+and I was sorry to bid farewell to one of the most beautiful spots in
+this wide world. We passed through the villages of Nailili and Waivaka,
+where I called at the chiefs&rsquo; huts and held a kind of &ldquo;at
+home&rdquo; for a few minutes, the people simply swarming in to look at
+me. The &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; of Namosi had sent messengers on in front to
+give notice of my approach, and at each village they had the inevitable
+hot yams ready to eat, which Masirewa made the most of. At the entrance
+to each village there was usually a palisade of bamboo or tree-fern
+trunks, and here a crowd of girls and children would often be waiting,
+and on my approach they would set up loud yells and scamper off, till I
+began to think that I must look a very ferocious kind of
+&ldquo;papalangai.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e688" href="#xd0e688">48</a>]</span>At Dellaisakau the natives looked a very wild
+lot. Some of the men had black patches all over their faces, and some
+had great masses of hair shaped like a parasol. One or two of the women
+wore only the old-time small aprons of coconut fibre.</p>
+
+<p>We followed the Waiandina River amid very fine scenery. The sloping
+hills were covered with woods, and we passed under a canopy of bamboo,
+the large trumpet flowers of the white <i>datura,</i> tree-ferns, large
+&ldquo;ivi,&rdquo; &ldquo;dakua&rdquo; and &ldquo;kavika&rdquo; trees
+loaded with ferns and fine orchids in flower. We crossed the river
+several times, and I was carried across by a huge Fijian whose head and
+neck were covered with lime. Rain soon set in again, and we literally
+wallowed in mud and water. I got drenched by the soaking vegetation, so
+I afterwards waded boldly through rivers and streams, as it was
+impossible to get any wetter.</p>
+
+<p>At Nasiuvou the whole village turned out to greet me, and I held my
+usual reception in the chief&rsquo;s hut. The chief seemed very annoyed
+that I would not stay the night. No doubt he thought that I would prove
+a great attraction for his people. The banks of the Waiandina River
+were crowded as I got into a canoe, and Masirewa, in trying to show off
+with a large paddle, lost his balance and fell into the water, the
+yells of laughter from the crowd showing that they were not lacking in
+humour. Masirewa did <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e697" href="#xd0e697">49</a>]</span>not like it at all, but I was very glad, as he
+had been giving himself too many airs. I dismissed my two bearers and
+took only one canoe man and made Masirewa help him. We went down
+several rapids at a great pace. It was dangerous but exhilarating, and
+we had several narrow escapes of being swamped, as the canoe, being a
+small one, was often half-filled with water. We also had several close
+shaves from striking rocks and tree trunks. Ducks were plentiful, and I
+shot one on the wing as we were tearing down a rapid. The scenery was
+very fine; steep wooded mountains, rocky peaks with odd shapes, steep
+precipices, fine waterfalls, grand forests, and picturesque villages,
+and the scenery as we wound among the mountains was most romantic.</p>
+
+<p>Toward evening we arrived at the large town of Nambukaluku, where we
+disembarked. Except for a few old men and children we found it
+deserted, and we learned that the &ldquo;Buli,&rdquo; who is a very
+important chief, had gone to stay at the village of Natondre for some
+important ceremonies for a few days, and most of the inhabitants had
+gone with him. Thither I determined to go, and we set off along a
+mountain path. The rain was all gone, and it was a lovely, still
+evening. Suddenly I heard distant yells and shouts and the beating of
+the &ldquo;lalis&rdquo; (hollow wooden drums), and I set off running,
+leaving Masirewa and my canoe man carrying my baggage far behind, and
+on turning <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e701" href="#xd0e701">50</a>]</span>a sharp corner I came full upon the village of
+Natondre and a most interesting sight. Hundreds of natives were
+squatting on the ground of the village square, and about one hundred
+men with faces black and in full war paint, swinging war clubs, were
+rushing backward and forward yelling and singing while large wooden
+drums were beaten. They were dressed in most fantastic style, some only
+with fibrous strings round their loins, and others with yards of
+&ldquo;tapa&rdquo; cloth wound around them. Several women were jumping
+about with fibre aprons on, and all had their hair done up in many
+curious ways and sprinkled with red and yellow powders. Huge piles of
+mats were heaped in the open square, speeches were made, and the people
+all responded with a deep &ldquo;Ah-h&rdquo; which sounded most
+effective from the huge multitude. I came up in the growing dusk and
+stood behind a lot of people squatting down. Suddenly some one looked
+round and saw me&mdash;sensation&mdash;whispers of
+&ldquo;papalangai&rdquo; were heard on all sides, and looks of
+astonishment were cast in my direction. Certainly my entrance to
+Natondre could not have been more dramatic, and I believe that they
+almost thought that I had <i>fallen from the skies,</i> which is the
+literal meaning of the word &ldquo;papalangai.&rdquo; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e706" href="#xd0e706">51</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e707" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Mock War-Scene at the Chief&rsquo;s House.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>War Ceremonies and Dances at Natondre Described&mdash;The Great
+Chief of Nambukaluku&mdash;The Dances continued&mdash;A Fijian
+Feast&mdash;A Native Orator&mdash;The Ceremonies concluded&mdash;The
+Journey continued&mdash;A Wonderful Fungus&mdash;The bark of the rare
+Golden Dove leads to its Capture&mdash;Return to more Civilised
+Parts&mdash;The Author as Guest of a high Fijian Prince and
+Princess&mdash;A <i>souvenir</i> of Seddon&mdash;Arrival at Suva.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Masirewa soon arrived and I learned that there were some very
+important ceremonies in which one tribe was giving presents to another
+tribe, in settlement of some disputes that had been carried on since
+the old cannibal fighting days, and as I passed into the
+&ldquo;Buli&rsquo;s&rdquo; hut I noticed that the dancers were
+unwinding all the &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; cloth from around their bodies and
+throwing it on the piles of mats. I immediately went behind a
+&ldquo;tapa&rdquo; screen where the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; slept, and began
+to get into dry clothes. This evidently made some of the crowd in the
+hut angry, as they thought I was lacking in respect to the
+&ldquo;Buli&rdquo; by changing in his private quarters, as in Fiji the
+very high chiefs are looked upon as sacred. One fellow kept shouting at
+me in a very impudent way, so when Masirewa came in, I told him about
+it, and he lectured the crowd and told them that I was a very big
+chief; this seemed to frighten them. Later on, I found that Masirewa
+had complained, and <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e718" href="#xd0e718">52</a>]</span>the impudent man was brought up before one of
+the chiefs, who gave him a lecture before myself and a large crowd in
+the hut I put up in. Masirewa translated for me, how the chief said:
+&ldquo;The white man, who is a big chief, has done us honour in
+visiting our town,&rdquo; and to the man: &ldquo;You will give us a bad
+name in all Fiji for our rudeness to the stranger that comes to
+us.&rdquo; I learned that the man was going to be punished, but as he
+looked very repentant I said that I did not wish him punished, so he
+was allowed to sneak out of the hut, the people kicking him and saying
+angry words as he passed.</p>
+
+<p>I supped with the great &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; that evening, and we
+fared sumptuously on my duck, river oysters and all sorts of native
+dishes. We were waited upon by two warriors in full war paint, and the
+&ldquo;Buli&rsquo;s&rdquo; young and pretty wife, shining with coconut
+oil all over her body, sat by me and fanned me. The &ldquo;Buli&rdquo;
+was an aristocratic-looking old fellow with a large nose and a very
+haughty look. He is a very important chief, but knew no English, and we
+carried on our conversation through the medium of Masirewa. He spoke in
+a kind of mumble, with a very thick voice. Once when he had been
+mumbling worse than usual there was a kind of restrained titter from
+someone in the crowd at the back. The &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; heard it, and
+slowly turning his head he transfixed the crowd with his piercing gaze
+for many seconds <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e722" href="#xd0e722">53</a>]</span>amid a dead silence. I wondered afterwards if
+anything ever happened to the unfortunate one who was so easily amused.
+I learned that besides having an impediment in his speech, the
+&ldquo;Buli&rdquo; was also paralyzed in one leg. I Put up in a
+different hut, the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; apologizing for his hut being
+crowded with the influx of visitors.</p>
+
+<p>I watched a &ldquo;meke-meke&rdquo; or native dance that evening in
+which about a dozen girls covered with oil took part. There was a sound
+of revelry the rest of the night, for there was feasting and dancing in
+several huts, and discordant chanting and the hum of many voices
+followed me into my dreams. The next morning I went out shooting
+pigeons in some thick pathless woods about two miles away, and I also
+shot some flying foxes which I gave to my companions, as the Fijians
+consider them a great delicacy, as do many Europeans. These woods were
+full of pineapples, which in places barred our way. Many of them were
+ripe, and I found they possessed a fine flavour.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon the ceremonies were continued, the
+&ldquo;Buli&rdquo; sending for me to sit by him in the doorway of his
+hut to watch them. First about forty women with &ldquo;tapa&rdquo;
+cloth wound around their bodies went through various evolutions,
+swaying their arms about and chanting in their usual discordant manner.
+They then unwound the &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; from their bodies and threw it
+in a heap on the ground, following this by more man&oelig;uvres. <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e728" href="#xd0e728">54</a>]</span>About
+twenty men came into the square, some with their faces blacked and
+their bodies stained red with some pigment, and wearing only aprons of
+coconut strings, with bracelets of leaves on their arms and carved
+pigs&rsquo; tusks hanging from their necks. They went through some
+splendid dancing, falling down on the ground and bouncing up again like
+india-rubber balls. They sang, or rather chanted, all the time, and so
+did a kind of chorus of men who beat on wood and bamboo, while the
+dancers danced round them in circles, and squares, and then bent
+backward, nearly touching the ground with their heads. As they danced
+they kept splendid time, with their arms, legs and heads.</p>
+
+<p>Then amid shrill yells and cries from the crowd, another procession
+approached from the far end of the village in single file. First came
+several men with spears, which they shook on the ground every now and
+then, shaking their bodies at the same time in a fierce manner. Behind
+them in single file came a lot of women, each bearing a. rolled-up mat,
+which they threw down in a heap. These mats are made from the dried
+&ldquo;pandanus&rdquo; leaf. Then several men appeared bearing enormous
+Fiji baskets full of large rolls of food wrapped up in leaves, also
+smaller baskets made of the fresh leaves of the crimson <i>
+drac&aelig;na,</i> also full of food. From the enormous number of
+baskets, the food supply was enough to feed a large <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e735" href="#xd0e735">55</a>]</span>multitude.
+They were all put down together by the mats.</p>
+
+<p>Then there was dead silence, in which you could almost have heard
+the proverbial pin drop, and an oldish man stepped forward and stood by
+the mats and baskets, his body wound round with &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; till
+it stuck out many feet from his body. The crowd broke silence with an
+ear-piercing yell. He then spoke, and was interrupted from time to time
+with cries of approval or the reverse, and sometimes loud laughter,
+while the &ldquo;Buli,&rdquo; sitting by me, every now and then shouted
+out, or broke into a childish giggle. Then the speaker uttered a lot of
+short sentences very fast, and every one present said
+&ldquo;Venaka&rdquo; (good) at the end of each sentence. Then the old
+man unwound the &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; around him and threw it on the mats,
+as did others.</p>
+
+<p>Silence again, and I began to think all was over, but suddenly there
+was another shrill sort of yell from the crowd, and from the back of
+our hut, amid a tremendous uproar from all present and the beating of
+&ldquo;lalis&rdquo; (drums), appeared a procession of about fifty
+warriors in their usual picturesque get-up, all brandishing large
+war-clubs. They paraded into the square in very stately fashion,
+singing in their curious and savage discords, and then went through
+some grand dances, keeping wonderful time with their clubs and bodies,
+and from time to time giving forth a loud yell which <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e741" href="#xd0e741">56</a>]</span>was really
+thrilling. They next rushed backward and forward brandishing their
+clubs and killing an imaginary foe, and then clapped their hands
+together in even time. Then off came the &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; from around
+them, and the heap was made still larger.</p>
+
+<p>Another yell from the crowd. Then silence, followed by more
+speaking, and every now and then a deep &ldquo;Ah-h&rdquo; from all
+present, which sounded like distant thunder and was most impressive.
+Then all the people clapped their hands and chanted a few words in low
+suppressed voices, and the ceremony, lasting between four or five
+hours, was over. From time to time a man would approach the
+&ldquo;Buli&rdquo; and fall down on all fours and clap his hands before
+he could speak. I felt at times as if I was watching a comic opera or a
+ballet, and there were many amusing incidents. I think honours were
+fairly easy between the big show and myself, as the people kept
+whispering and looking around at me the whole time. I never passed a
+hut without causing excitement, and there would be cries of
+&ldquo;papalangai&rdquo; and a mass of faces would appear at the doors.
+Wherever I went I was followed at a respectful distance by a crowd of
+girls and children, but if I turned to retrace my steps there was a
+panic-stricken rush to get out of my way. On one occasion a little
+child of about two years old yelled with fright when I passed near it.
+I was much astonished that a white <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e745" href="#xd0e745">57</a>]</span>man should make such a stir in
+any part of Fiji, but it is only so in very out-of-the-way villages
+such as these. I was exceedingly lucky to witness these ceremonies, as
+they were the most important ones that had taken place in Fiji for many
+years, and few of the old white residents had seen their equal. I was
+all the more lucky, as I never expected to see them when I started from
+Suva.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning I said &ldquo;Samoce&rdquo;<a class="noteref" id="xd0e749src" href="#xd0e749">1</a> (good-bye) to the great
+&ldquo;Buli,&rdquo; who, though he was a big chief, was not above
+accepting with evident glee the few shillings I pressed into his hand,
+and with Masirewa and two fresh bearers continued my journey in the
+pouring rain. Once we had to swim across a swift and swollen river,
+then we went over steep hills, down deep gullies, wading through
+streams and passing all the time through thick forests. We stopped once
+to feed on wild pineapples, the pink &ldquo;kavika.&rdquo; and the
+golden &ldquo;wi,&rdquo; but Masirewa was a bad bushman and slipped,
+and stumbled, swore and grumbled, and many times I had to wait till he
+came up with me. We followed a deep and beautiful gulch for some
+distance, wading all the way through a shallow stream which flowed over
+a natural slanting pavement with a smooth surface, and I found it hard
+to keep my footing. We got a magnificent view from the top of a high
+hill of the country to the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e752" href="#xd0e752">58</a>]</span>eastward, with large rivers winding among
+beautiful undulating wooded country as far as the eye could reach. We
+passed through but one village, named Naqeldreteki, and from here I saw
+two very fine waterfalls falling side by side over a steep cliff
+several hundred feet straight drop into the forest below. It was about
+here that I came across a most beautiful sort of fungus of a bright
+scarlet and orange, and in the shape of a perfect star.</p>
+
+<p>I heard what I took to be the gruff bark of a dog, when it suddenly
+dawned upon me that there could not be any dogs here, as we were far
+from any village. Upon investigation I discovered that it was a bird
+that was the author of the noise, and I soon brought it down with a
+load of dust-shot, and to my great delight it proved to be the golden
+dove, a bird which I had hunted for in vain in the other islands. It
+was of a very fine metallic golden-yellow colour, and the feathers
+being long and narrow, gave it a very odd appearance. I could only
+mutter &ldquo;venaka, venaka&rdquo; (good), and in spite of the heavy
+rain reverently and slowly rolled it up in cotton wool and paper, to
+the great amusement of my three Fijians. Among the most interesting
+features of bird life in the Samoan and Fijian Islands were the various
+members of the dove family, which looked wonderfully brilliant with
+their metallic greens, and their orange, crimson, purple, yellow, pink,
+cream and olive green. The latter part of the journey was <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e756" href="#xd0e756">59</a>]</span>through bushy
+country dotted about with many large orchid and fern-laden trees.</p>
+
+<p>We arrived toward dusk at the large village of Serea, on the
+Wainimala River, which is a branch of the Rewa River, and I put up in
+the large hut of the &ldquo;Buli.&rdquo; I began to feel like an
+ordinary mortal again, as the people here did not exhibit any great
+surprise on seeing me, no doubt because, being in the Rewa district,
+they see a few Europeans from time to time. After a change into dry
+clothes and a supper off one of the large pigeons I had shot <i>en
+route,</i> I had a large and interested crowd to watch me skin my dove,
+and there were roars of laughter during the process, especially when
+Masirewa told them it would be made to look like a real bird with glass
+eyes. Masirewa at one time spoke sharply to the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; who,
+I thought, looked a bit annoyed, so I asked Masirewa what he said.
+&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; he said airily, &ldquo;I told him to keep his pig of
+a child away from the white chief.&rdquo; Masirewa, was a character,
+and evidently had no respect for chiefs and princes, etc., as he
+treated all the &ldquo;Bulis&rdquo; as his equals, which was very
+different from the generally cringing attitude of the Fijians to their
+chiefs. Even the high and mighty &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; of Nabukaluku<a
+class="noteref" id="xd0e763src" href="#xd0e763">2</a> seemed to like
+his cheek. Masirewa liked to show off his English, though no one
+understood a word, and his favourite way of addressing them when he was
+annoyed was &ldquo;You all black <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e766"
+href="#xd0e766">60</a>]</span>devil pigs.&rdquo; Whilst I was skinning
+my dove, the people brought in a horrible-looking carved figure with
+staring eyes. It was about five feet high, and they waxed very merry,
+whenever I looked up at it from my skinning.</p>
+
+<p>I left early next morning in the pouring rain, and found as I passed
+through Serea that it was quite a town. Quite a large crowd escorted me
+down the steep banks of the river (Wainimala), and we were soon
+spinning down stream in a large canoe. We soon joined another river
+which, together with the Wainimala, formed the Rewa, the largest river
+in Fiji. The scenery was both varied and picturesque, and once I got
+the canoe paddled up a little shady creek where there was a very
+beautiful waterfall, and where I was glad to stretch my legs for a few
+minutes after being cramped up in the canoe. There were many pretty and
+quaint villages on the banks, and the people often rushed out of their
+huts to see us pass. Ducks were plentiful, and I got a fair bag and
+used up my remaining cartridges, and the rest of the way I had to be
+content with pointing my gun at them, which was very tantalizing. We
+arrived about three p.m. at the village of Viria, and I stayed with the
+&ldquo;Buli&rdquo; in his hut almost overhanging the river. In the
+evening I took a stroll with the &ldquo;Buli&rdquo; round the village,
+and then we sat on a log by the river chatting, with Masirewa acting as
+interpreter. We continued our journey <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e770" href="#xd0e770">61</a>]</span>the next morning, and late in
+the day we passed large fields of sugarcane. We had returned to
+civilization once more, and I could not help feeling a pang of regret.
+We arrived at the village of Navuso about four p.m., and I was the
+guest of Andi (princess) Cakobau (pronounced Thakombau) and her
+husband, Ratu (prince) Beni Tanoa. Princess Cakobau is the highest lady
+of rank in Fiji, and belongs to the royal family. She is very stately
+and ladylike, and in her younger days was very beautiful. She does not
+know any English, but she wrote her autograph for me in my note-book to
+paste on her photograph, as she writes a very good hand. Her husband is
+also one of the highest chiefs in Fiji, and speaks good English. They
+proved most hospitable, and presented me with some Fijian fans when I
+left the next morning, and the Princess gave me a buttonhole of flowers
+out of her garden. Dick Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand, had once
+visited them, and I noticed his portrait that he had given them
+fastened to a post in their hut. I left Navuso by steam launch which
+called at the large sugar-mills a little lower down, and reached Suva
+that afternoon, feeling very fit after one of the most enjoyable and
+interesting expeditions that I ever made. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e772" href="#xd0e772">62</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e773" href="#xd0e773">63</a>]</span></p>
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep" />
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e749src" id="xd0e749">1</a></span> Pronounced
+&ldquo;Samothe.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e763src" id="xd0e763">2</a></span> &ldquo;b&rdquo; pronounced
+&ldquo;mb.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="div0" id="xd0e774">
+<h2 class="normal">My Life Among Filipinos and Negritos and a Journey
+in Search of Bearded Women.</h2>
+
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e777" href="#xd0e777">64</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e778" href="#xd0e778">65</a>]</span>
+<div id="xd0e779" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">At Home Among Filipinos and Negritos.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Arrival at Florida Blanca&mdash;The Schoolmaster&rsquo;s House Kept
+by Pupils in their Master&rsquo;s Absence&mdash;Everyday Scenes at
+Florida Blanca&mdash;A Filipino Sunday&mdash;A Visit to the
+Cock-fighting Ring&mdash;A Strange Church Clock and
+Chimes&mdash;Pugnacious Scene at a Funeral&mdash;Strained Relations
+between Filipinos and Americans&mdash;My New Servant&mdash;Victoriano,
+an Ex-officer of Aguinaldo&rsquo;s Army, and his Six Wives&mdash;I
+Start for the Mountains&mdash;&ldquo;Free and easy&rdquo; Progress of
+my Buffalo-cart&mdash;Ascent into the Mountains&mdash;Arrival at my
+Future Abode&mdash;Description of my Hut and Food&mdash;Our Botanical
+Surroundings&mdash;Meetings with the Negritos&mdash;Friendliness and
+Mirth of the Little People&mdash;Negritos may properly be called
+Pigmies&mdash;Their Appearance, Dress, Ornaments and Weapons&mdash;An
+Ingenious Pig-arrow&mdash;Extraordinary Fish-traps&mdash;Their Rude
+Barbaric Chanting&mdash;Their Chief and His House&mdash;Cure of a
+Malarial Fever and its Embarrassing Results&mdash;&ldquo;Agriculture in
+the Tropics&rdquo;&mdash;A Hairbreadth Escape&mdash;Filipino
+Blowpipes&mdash;A Pigmy Hawk in Pigmyland&mdash;The Elusive <i>
+Pitta</i>&mdash;Names of the Birds&mdash;A Moth as Scent
+Producer&mdash;Flying Lizards and other kinds&mdash;A
+&ldquo;Tigre&rdquo; Scare by Night&mdash;Enforced Seclusion of Female
+Hornbill.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>When collecting in the Philippines, I put in most of my time in the
+Florida Blanca Mountains, in the province of Pampanga, Northern Luzon.
+I arrived one evening after dark at the good-sized village of Florida
+Blanca, which is situated a few miles from the foot of the mountain,
+whose name it shares. I carried a letter to the American schoolmaster,
+who was the only white man in the district, and had been a soldier in
+the late war. It seemed to me a curious policy on the part of the
+American government to turn their soldiers into schoolmasters,
+especially as in most cases they are very ignorant themselves. I
+believe, however, the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e790" href="#xd0e790">66</a>]</span>chief object is to teach the young Filipinos
+English, and so turn them into live American citizens. The Americans
+are far from popular in the Philippines, and when in Manila I was
+strongly advised not to wear <i>khaki</i> in the jungle for fear of
+being taken for an American soldier.</p>
+
+<p>The American&rsquo;s house was dark and still when I arrived at
+Florida Blanca, but whilst I was wondering what to do, I was surprised
+to hear a small voice, coming out of a small adjoining house, say in
+good English (though slowly and with a strong accent),
+&ldquo;Thee&mdash;master&mdash;has&mdash;gone&mdash;into&mdash;thee&mdash;mountains&mdash;to&mdash;kill&mdash;deer&mdash;and&mdash;pigs.&rdquo;
+This was from one of the American&rsquo;s own pupils, an intelligent
+little fellow named Camilo. As I learnt that he was not expected back
+for two or three days, there was nothing left but to make myself as
+comfortable as possible in his house until his return. Camilo was soon
+boiling me some water, and I opened some of my provisions, as I had
+eaten nothing for eight hours. The house was an ordinary Filipino one,
+raised fully ten feet from the ground and built of native timber, the
+peaked roof, which had a frame-work of bamboo, being thatched with
+palm-leaves. The divisions between the rooms were of plaited bamboo
+work, and the sliding windows were latticed, each division being fitted
+with pieces of pearl shell. The next morning I was invaded by quite an
+army of small boys, who, to my surprise, all spoke English very <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e797" href="#xd0e797">67</a>]</span>prettily
+in their slow way and with a quaint accent. I have never come across a
+more bright and intelligent set of little fellows, all very friendly
+and not a bit shy, yet most polite and well-mannered. They were manly
+little fellows, with the faces of cherubs, and they were always
+smiling. Though the ages of my five little favourites, Camilo, Nicolas,
+Fernando, Dranquilino and Victorio, ranged only from eleven down to
+seven (the latter being little smiling-faced Victorio), they did all my
+errands for me, bought me little rolls of sweetish bread, eggs and
+fruit, and were most honest. They talked to me as if they had known me
+all their lives, acted as my guides and showed me all there was to see.
+They generally followed me in a row, with their arms round each
+other&rsquo;s neck in a most affectionate way, and I never heard any of
+them use one angry word amongst themselves. The few days that I spent
+here, I wandered through the narrow lanes and collected a few birds and
+butterflies. These lanes were very dusty at the time, and were hemmed
+in with an uninteresting shrubby growth on each side. The country round
+Florida Blanca was for the most part covered with rice-fields, which,
+at the time of my visit, were parched and covered with short stubble,
+this being the dry season. I was not very successful in my collecting,
+and looked forward to my visit to the mountains, which I could see in
+the distance, and which appeared well covered with damp-looking
+forests. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e799" href="#xd0e799">68</a>]</span>I noticed quantities of white egrets, which
+settled on the backs of the water buffaloes. I would often pass these
+water buffaloes with their heads sticking out of a way-side pond of mud
+and water. They were generally used for drawing the curious wagons of
+the country, which were rather like those one sees in Mexico, with
+solid wooden wheels. Generally when I met these water buffaloes out of
+harness, they were horribly afraid of me and stampeded, at the same
+time making the most extraordinary noises, something between a squeak
+and a short blast on a penny trumpet. They are usually stupid-looking
+brutes, but this showed that they were intelligent enough to
+distinguish between me and a Filipino. The pigs here had three pieces
+of wood round their necks fastened together to form a triangle, an
+excellent idea, as it prevented them from breaking through the fences.
+The day following my arrival was a Sunday, and the church, a large
+building of stone and galvanized iron, was almost opposite the
+American&rsquo;s house. I watched the people going to early mass (the
+Filipinos are devout Roman Catholics). All the women wore gauzy veils
+thrown over their heads, white or black were the prevailing colours and
+sometimes red. I thought they looked very nice in them. I had asked
+Camilo to boil me some water, but he begged off very politely, as he
+had to go and put on his cassock and surplice to attend the service in
+the church, where he sang all alone. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e801" href="#xd0e801">69</a>]</span>When he returned, I asked him
+to sing to me what he had sung in the church, and he at once complied,
+singing the &ldquo;Gloria Patri&rdquo; in a very clear and sweet voice.
+After mass was over, the church bell began to toll and an empty lighted
+bier came out of the church. It was preceded by three acolytes bearing
+a long cross and two large lighted candlesticks, and followed by a
+crowd of people. They were no doubt going to call at a house for the
+corpse. Shortly afterwards an old Filipino priest came out and got into
+one of the quaint covered buffalo wagons with solid wooden wheels
+(already mentioned), and drove slowly round by the road. It was hot and
+sultry, and thunder was pealing far away in the mountains. Under a
+clump of trees (of a kind of yellow flowering acacia), which grew just
+outside the large old wooden doors of the church, there was a group of
+village youths and loafers, and two or three men went past with their
+fighting cocks under their arms, Sunday afternoon out here being the
+great day for cock-fighting. There seemed to be a sleepiness in the air
+quite in keeping with the day of the week, and I was nearly dozing off
+when little Nicolas came in. I asked him if he knew where the
+cook-fighting took place, and added, &ldquo;you savez&rdquo; (slang for
+&ldquo;understand&rdquo;). His eyes flashed, and he said, &ldquo;Me no
+savage,&rdquo; but when I explained that I did not call him a
+&ldquo;savage,&rdquo; his eyes, smiled an apology, and he <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e803" href="#xd0e803">70</a>]</span>willingly
+offered to show me the place where the cock-fighting was to be.</p>
+
+<p>On entering the large bamboo shed or theatre where the cock-fighting
+took place, I was met by the old Presidente of the village, to whom I
+had brought a letter from Governor Joven (the Governor of the
+province), whom I had visited at Bacolor on my way hither. He conducted
+me to a seat on a raised clay platform, and sat next to me most of the
+time, but as the fighting progressed he got very excited, and had to go
+down into the ring. I had often witnessed it before in tropical
+America, but here the left feet of the cocks were armed with large
+steel spurs shaped like miniature cutlasses, which before the fight
+began were encased in small leather sheaths. The onlookers worked
+themselves up into a state of great excitement, and there was a great
+deal of chaff, mixed with angry words, and plenty of silver
+&ldquo;pesos&rdquo; were exchanged over the results. But it was cruel
+work, and the crouching spectators were often scattered right and left
+by the furious birds, whilst on one occasion a too venturesome onlooker
+received a rather severe gash on his arm.</p>
+
+<p>The church clock here was a thing to wonder at. It had no dial, and
+struck only about five times a day. When it struck ten there was an
+interval of over twenty seconds between each stroke until the last two
+strokes, these coming quickly together, as if it was tired of such slow
+work! As there was <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e809" href="#xd0e809">71</a>]</span>no face to the clock, I was puzzled to know
+whether to set my watch at the first or last stroke, or to split the
+difference.</p>
+
+<p>There were a great many funerals during my stay here in December,
+there being a regular epidemic of cholera and malaria. This was the
+unhealthy season, and I was told that there were as many deaths in
+Florida Blanca during the months of December and January as during all
+the rest of the year put together.</p>
+
+<p>One day I watched from my window a funeral procession on its way
+from the church to the cemetery. The Padre was not there, and this no
+doubt accounted for the acrobatic display given by the three men in
+cassocks and surplices, who led the way, bearing a cross and two
+candles. They started by playfully kicking each other, and this soon
+developed into angry words, so that I expected a free fight. One of
+them tucked his unbuttoned cassock round his neck, and egged the other
+two on. The coffin followed on a lighted bier, and the string of
+mourners followed meekly behind, no doubt looking upon this display as
+nothing out of the common.</p>
+
+<p>The interior of the church was very cold and bare, and there were no
+seats. I learnt that the American and the Filipino Padre did not hit it
+off together. There were one or two opposition schools in the village,
+run by Filipinos, who did their utmost to prevent the children from
+learning <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e817" href="#xd0e817">72</a>]</span>the language of the hated Americanos. The
+American did not make himself any more popular by pulling down the old
+street sign-boards bearing Spanish names, and substituting ugly
+card-board placards marked in ink with fresh names, such as America
+Street, McKinley Street, and Roosevelt Street; he had also named a
+street after himself! Later on I learnt that this American schoolmaster
+was a kind of spy in the American secret police, and that he had to
+listen outside Filipino houses at night to overhear the conversation of
+suspected insurgents. I was told this by Victoriano, my Filipino
+servant in the mountains, who often accompanied the American in his
+nightly rounds, and was the only man in the secret. This Victoriano,
+whom I always called Vic for short, was the best servant that I have
+had during my wanderings in any part of the world. He spoke Spanish and
+knew a little English, as he had once been a servant to an Englishman
+near Manila. With my small knowledge of Spanish, and his smattering of
+English, we hit it off very well together. He acted as gun-bearer,
+cook, laundry maid, housemaid, interpreter and guide. Later on he told
+me that he had been an officer in the insurgent Aguinaldo&rsquo;s army,
+and that he had been imprisoned by the Spaniards for four years on the
+island of Mindanao for belonging to a revolutionary society. He was a
+tall, thin fellow of only thirty-two years of age, and yet his present
+wife in Florida <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e819" href="#xd0e819">73</a>]</span>Blanca was his sixth, all the others being
+dead. I used to chaff him about having poisoned them, which much amused
+him. After some days the American returned, and he told me of a very
+good spot in which to collect up in the mountains, so one morning I
+started off with Vic for a long stay in these mountain forests. We left
+Florida Blanca before the sun had risen, my luggage being carried in
+one of the curious buffalo wagons. We soon left the dry rice-fields
+behind, and for some distance passed over a wide uninteresting plain of
+tall grass, dotted about with a few trees. After going some distance
+our two buffaloes were unyoked and allowed to soak in a small pond.
+This process was repeated every time we came to any water, and this,
+together with the slow progress of the buffaloes, made the journey
+longer than I had anticipated. After crossing a fair-sized river, we
+began a gradual ascent into the mountains. My luggage was then carried
+for a short distance, and after travelling through some bamboo thickets
+and crossing a rocky stream, I beheld my future abode. It was a small
+grass-thatched hut, with a flooring of split bamboo, raised four feet
+from the ground; up to this we had to climb by means of a single bamboo
+step. About two-thirds of the hut consisted of a flooring of bamboo,
+fairly open on all sides but one; this part did as my bedroom, and to
+get to it I had to crawl through a hole&mdash;one could hardly call it
+a door! It was quite dark <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e821" href="#xd0e821">74</a>]</span>inside, but there was just room enough to lie
+down on the split bamboo floor. All round the hut was a large clearing,
+planted with maize, belonging to a Filipino, who from time to time
+lived in another small hut about one hundred yards away. He also owned
+the one I was living in, and for this I paid him the not very
+exorbitant sum of one peso (two shillings) a month. Tall gaunt trees
+rose out of the corn on all sides, and in the early morning they were
+full of bird-life&mdash;parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, pigeons,
+woodpeckers, gapers and hornbills, etc. A clear rocky stream flowed by
+the side of the hut, the sound of whose rushing waters by night and day
+was like music to the ear in this hot and thirsty land, whilst shaded
+as it was by bamboos and trees, it was a delightful spot to bathe in
+every morning and evening. I was well pleased with my surroundings, and
+looked forward to a successful and interesting stay. I fared well
+though the food was rough, and I subsisted chiefly on rice and papayas,
+together with pigeons, doves, parrots, and the smaller hornbill, called
+here &ldquo;talactic,&rdquo; all of which fell to my gun. The
+surrounding country in these lower mountains was a mixture of forest
+and open grass-country, the grass often growing far over my head. The
+forest, which abounded in clear, rocky streams of cold water, was very
+luxuriant and beautiful, especially in many of the cool, damp ravines
+further back in the mountains. But near my camping ground a <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e823" href="#xd0e823">75</a>]</span>great
+deal of the forest seemed to be half smothered with large thickets of
+bamboo, and consequently the larger trees were rather far apart. There
+was also a climbing variety of bamboo, which scrambled up to the tops
+of the largest trees. The undergrowth in places was most luxuriant and
+consisted of different species of palms, rattans, tree-ferns, <i>
+pandanus,</i> giant ginger, <i>pipers, pothos, begonias,</i> bananas,
+<i>caladiums,</i> ferns, <i>selaginellas</i> and lycopodiums, and many
+variegated plants. Growing on many of the trees were some fine orchids.
+Chief amongst them may be mentioned a very beautiful
+&ldquo;vanda,&rdquo; which grew mostly on trees in the open grass
+country, and which I witnessed in full bloom during my stay here. They
+presented a wonderful sight. Out of the large sheaths of fan-like
+leaves grew two grand flower-spikes, bearing from thirty to forty large
+white, chocolate and crimson flowers. Of these there were two
+varieties, and on one large plant I saw fully a dozen flower-spikes.
+Further back in the mountains I came across some fine species of <i>
+Phalaenopsis.</i></p>
+
+<p>I early made the acquaintance of the little Negritos, the aborigines
+of these mountains, and during my wanderings I would often stumble
+across their huts in small clearings in the forest. They never seemed
+to have any villages, and I hardly ever saw more than one hut in one
+place, and they were nearly always miserable bamboo <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e842" href="#xd0e842">76</a>]</span>hovels. As for
+the little people themselves, they seemed perfectly harmless, and from
+the first treated me with the greatest friendliness, and would often
+pay me a visit at my hut, sometimes bringing me rice and
+&ldquo;papayas&rdquo; or a large hornbill, which had been shot with
+their steel-pointed arrows. They were quite naked except for a very
+small strip of cloth. Their skin was of a very dark brown colour, their
+hair frizzly, and the nose flat. They were by far the smallest race of
+people I had ever seen, and they might quite properly be termed
+pigmies. I certainly never came across a Negrito man over four feet six
+inches, if as tall, and the women were a great deal smaller, coming as
+a rule only up to the men&rsquo;s shoulders; the elderly women looked
+like small children with old faces. Both sexes generally had their
+bodies covered with various patterns cut in their skins, a kind of
+tattooing it might be called, but the skin was very much raised. Many
+of them had the backs of their heads in the centre shaved in a curious
+manner, like a very broad parting. I did not see them wearing many
+ornaments, but the men had tight-fitting fibre bracelets on their arms
+and legs, and the women sometimes wore necklaces of seeds, berries and
+beads; they would also sometimes wear curiously carved bamboo combs in
+their hair. The men used spears and bows and arrows; these latter they
+were rarely without. Their arrows were often works of art, very fine
+and neat patterns being <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e844" href="#xd0e844">77</a>]</span>burnt on the bamboo shafts. The feathers on
+the heads were large, and the steel points were very neatly bound on
+with rattan. These steel points were often cruel-looking things, having
+many fishhook-like barbs set at different angles, so that if they once
+entered a man&rsquo;s body it would be impossible to extract them
+again. A very clever invention was an arrow made for shooting deer and
+pig. The steel point was comparatively small, and it was fitted very
+lightly to a small piece of wood, which was also lightly placed in the
+end of the arrow. Attached at one end to the arrow-head was a long
+piece of stout native cord, which was wound round the shaft, the other
+end being fastened to the main shaft. When the arrow was shot into a
+pig, for instance, the steel head soon fell apart from the small bit of
+wood, which in its turn would also drop off from the main shaft. The
+thick cord would then gradually become unwound, and together with the
+shaft would trail on the ground till at length it would be caught fast
+in the bamboos or other thick growth, and the pig would then be at the
+mercy of its pursuers. The steel head, being barbed, could not be
+pulled out in the pig&rsquo;s struggles to break loose. I had one of
+these arrows presented to me by the chief of these Negritos, but, as a
+rule, they are very hard to get as the Negritos value them very highly.
+An American officer I met in Manila told me that he had been quartered
+for some time in a district <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e846"
+href="#xd0e846">78</a>]</span>where there were many Negritos, and
+though he had offered large rewards for one of these arrows he was not
+successful in getting one. The women manufacture enormous baskets,
+which I often saw them carrying on their backs when I met them in the
+forest. I was much struck with the cleverness of some of their
+fish-traps; these were long cone-like objects tapering to a point, the
+insides being lined with the extraordinary barb-covered stems of a
+rattan or climbing palm, and the thorns or barbs placed (pointing
+inwards) in such a way that the fish could get in easily but not
+out.</p>
+
+<p>These Negritos were splendid marksmen with their bows and arrows,
+and during my stay amongst them I became quite an adept in that art;
+their old chief used to take a great delight in teaching me, and my
+first efforts were met with hearty roars of laughter. They were
+certainly the merriest and yet the dirtiest people I have ever met.
+Whenever I met them they were always smiling. When, as happened on more
+than one occasion, I lost my way in the forest and had at length
+stumbled upon one of their dwellings, I made signs to let them
+understand that I wanted them to show me the way back. This they
+cheerfully did, and led the way singing in their peculiar manner; it
+was a most wild and abandoned and barbaric kind of music, if it could
+really be called music at all. It consisted chiefly of shouting and
+yelling in different scales, as if the singers were <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e850" href="#xd0e850">79</a>]</span>overflowing
+with joy at the mere idea of being alive. I would often hear them
+singing, or yelling like children, in the deep recesses of the forest.
+In fact the contentment and happiness of these little people was quite
+extraordinary, and I had a great affection for them. They would do
+almost anything for me, and their chief and I soon became great
+friends. He was a most amusing old fellow, and nearly always seemed to
+be laughing. Yet they were also the dirtiest people I had ever seen,
+and never washed themselves: consequently they were thick with dirt,
+which even their dark skins could not hide. They grew a little rice and
+tobacco, and the old chief always kept me well supplied with rice,
+which seemed of very fair quality. He also kept a few chickens and
+would often send me a present of some eggs, which were very acceptable.
+In return I would give him an old shirt or two, which he was very proud
+of. By the time I left, these shirts were almost the colour of his
+skin, and he evidently did not wish to follow my advice as to washing
+them. His house was a very large one for a Negrito&rsquo;s, and far
+better built than any others that I saw. When the maize which grew
+round my hut was ripe, the Filipino owner got several men and women up
+from Florida Blanca to help him to harvest it, and many of them slept
+underneath my hut. At nights I would generally have quite a crowd round
+me watching me skin my birds, and although I did not understand a word
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e852" href="#xd0e852">80</a>]</span>of
+their Pampanga dialect, their exclamations of surprise and delight when
+a bird was finished were quite complimentary. Poor Vic had to endure a
+running fire of questions as to what I was going to do with my birds
+and butterflies, but to judge by the way he lectured on me, he no doubt
+enjoyed it, and possibly told them some wonderful yarns about &ldquo;My
+English,&rdquo; as he called me. One day a man at work in the maize had
+a bad attack of &ldquo;calenturas&rdquo; (malarial fever). I gave him
+some quinine and Epsom salts and this treatment evidently had a good
+effect, as the next day I was, besieged by a regular crowd of Filipinos
+of both sexes, who wished to consult me as to their various ills, and
+Vic was called in to act as interpreter. A good many of them, both men
+and women, took off nearly all their clothes to show me bruises and
+sores that they had, and I was in despair as to what treatment to
+recommend. At last when one old woman had parted with most of her
+little clothing to show me some sores, I told Vic to tell her that she
+had better get a good wash in the river (as she was the reverse of
+clean). This prescription raised a laugh, but the old lady was furious,
+and my medical advice was not again asked for. After the maize was cut,
+the owner started to sow a fresh crop without even taking out the old
+stalks, which had been cut off a few inches from the ground. This was
+the way he did it. He made holes in the ground with a hoe in one hand,
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e854" href="#xd0e854">81</a>]</span>and in the other hand he held a roasted cob of
+corn, which he kept chewing from time to time. His wife followed him,
+dropping a grain into each hole and filling in the soil with her feet.
+It would have made a good picture under the heading of
+&ldquo;Agriculture in the Tropics&rdquo;! Vic told me that they got
+four crops a year, so one can hardly wonder at their taking things
+easily. A rough bamboo fence separated the maize from a copse of bamboo
+jungle and forest, in which I was one day collecting with Vic, when I
+attempted to jump over a very low part of the fence. Vic, however,
+called out to me to stop, and it was lucky he did so, as otherwise the
+consequences would have been terrible for me. Just hidden by a few thin
+creepers, there had been arranged there a very neat little pig-trap,
+consisting of a dozen or more sharp bamboo spears firmly planted in the
+ground, and leaning at a slight angle towards the fence. Except for
+Vic&rsquo;s timely warning I should have been stuck through and
+through, as the bamboo points would stand a heavy weight without
+breaking, and if I had escaped being killed, I should certainly have
+been crippled for life. I naturally felt very angry with my neighbour
+for not having asked Vic to tell me about this, as the previous day
+when out alone I had climbed to the top of this fence and then jumped
+down into the creepers below; luckily I had not then noticed this low
+part further down. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e856" href="#xd0e856">82</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>Many of the Filipinos are very good shots with their blowpipes, and
+Vic possessed one. It was about nine feet in length, and possessed a
+sight made of a lump of wax at one end. Like the bows of the Negritos,
+it was made out of the trunk of a very beautiful fan-palm
+(<i>Livistona</i> sp.). Two pieces of the palm-wood are hollowed out
+and then stuck together in a wonderfully clever fashion, so that the
+joins barely show. Vic was fairly good with it when shooting at birds a
+short distance away. His ammunition consisted of round clay pellets,
+which he fashioned to the right size by help of a hole in a small tin
+plate, which he always carried with him.</p>
+
+<p>Birds were fairly plentiful in these mountain forests, and I was
+glad to get one of the interesting racquet-tailed parrots of the genus
+<i>Prioniturus,</i> that are only found in the Philippines and Celebes.
+It was curious that up here amongst the pigmy Negritos I should get a
+pigmy hawk. It was by far the smallest hawk I had ever seen, being not
+much larger than a sparrow. Several species of very beautiful
+honey-suckers, full of metallic colours, used to frequent the bright
+red flowers of a creeper that generally clambered up the trees
+overhanging the streams, and these flowers proved very popular with
+many butterflies, especially the giant gold and black <i>
+Ornithopteras</i> and various rare <i>papilios</i> of great beauty.
+There was one bird I was most anxious to get, and though I saw it once
+I had to leave Luzon without it. It was a <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e873" href="#xd0e873">83</a>]</span><i>pitta,</i> a kind of ground
+thrush. Thrushes of this genus are amongst the most brilliant of all
+birds, and in my own collections I possess a great number of different
+species that I have collected in other countries. This one that I was
+so anxious to get was locally called &ldquo;Tinkalu.&rdquo; Amongst
+both Filipinos and Negritos it has the reputation of being the
+cleverest of all birds, and, as Vic expressed it, &ldquo;like a
+man.&rdquo; It hops away into the thickest undergrowth and hides at the
+least sound. Certainly no bird has ever given me such a lot of worry
+and trouble. Many a weary hour did I spend going through swamps and
+rivers, bamboo and thorny palms, dripping with perspiration and
+tormented by swarms of mosquitos and sand-flies, and all to no
+purpose!</p>
+
+<p>Thanks to Vic, I soon picked up most of the local names of the
+various birds, which were often given on account of the sounds they
+made. The large hornbill was named &ldquo;Gasalo,&rdquo; the smaller
+kind &ldquo;Talactic,&rdquo; the large pigeon &ldquo;Buabu,&rdquo; a
+bee-eater &ldquo;Patirictiric,&rdquo; and other names were
+&ldquo;Pipit,&rdquo; &ldquo;Culiaun,&rdquo; &ldquo;Alibasbas,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Quilaquilbunduc,&rdquo; &ldquo;Papalacul,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Batala,&rdquo; &ldquo;Batubatu,&rdquo; &ldquo;Culasisi.&rdquo;
+Some of the spiders here were of great size, and in these mountain
+forests their webs were a great nuisance. These webs were often of a
+yellow glutinous substance, which stained my clothes, and when they
+caught me in the face, as they often did, it was the reverse of
+pleasant. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e879" href="#xd0e879">84</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>Mosquitos and sandflies were very numerous and ants were in great
+force, so that one evening when I discovered that they were hard at
+work amongst all my bird skins, it took me up to 5 a.m. to separate
+them before I could get to bed.</p>
+
+<p>I discovered a diurnal moth that possessed a most powerful and
+delicious scent. Vic, who had never noticed it before, was delighted,
+and proposed my catching them in quantities and turning them into
+scent. Whilst on the subject of scent, I might mention that in these
+forests I would often come across a good-sized tree which was called
+Ilang-ilang. It was covered with plain-looking green flowers, which
+possessed a wonderful fragrance. I learnt that the Filipinos collected
+the flowers, which were sent to Manila and made into scent, but that
+they generally cut down the tree in order to get the flowers.</p>
+
+<p>I saw here for the first time the curious flying lizards. Their
+partly transparent wings were generally of very bright colours; they
+fly fully twenty yards from one tree to another, and quickly run up the
+trees out of reach. Another quaint lizard, was what is generally known
+as the gecko. It is said to be poisonous in the Philippines, and is
+generally found on trees or bamboos and often in houses. In comparison
+to the size of this lizard the volume of its voice was enormous. I
+generally heard it at night. First would come a preliminary gurgling
+chuckle; then a pause <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e886" href="#xd0e886">85</a>]</span>(between the chuckle and what follows it).
+Then comes loud and clear, &ldquo;Tuck-oo-o,&rdquo; then a slight
+pause, then &ldquo;Tuck-oo-o&rdquo; again repeated six or seven times
+at regular intervals; at other times it sounds like &ldquo;Chuck
+it.&rdquo; When it was calling inside a hollow bamboo, the noise made
+was extraordinary. There were a great number of bamboos in the
+surrounding country, and they were continually snapping with loud
+reports, which I would often imagine to be the reports of a rifle until
+I got used to them. Wild pig were very plentiful, and at night they
+would often grub up the ground a few yards from my hut. One night I was
+skinning a bird, with Vic looking on, when we heard some animal
+growling close by, and Vic without any warning seized my gun (which I
+always kept loaded with buckshot) and fired into the darkness. He said
+that it was a &ldquo;tigre,&rdquo; and called out excitedly that he had
+killed it, but although we hunted about with a light for some time, we
+saw no signs of it. No doubt it was some animal of the cat family. Vic,
+as in fact all Filipinos, had a mortal dread of snakes, and he would
+never venture out at night without a torch made of lighted bamboo, as
+he said they were very plentiful at night. The large hornbills
+(&ldquo;Gasalo&rdquo;) were very hard to stalk, and as they generally
+frequented the tallest trees they were out of shot. They usually flew
+about in flocks, and made a most extraordinary noise, rather like <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e888" href="#xd0e888">86</a>]</span>a whole
+farmyard full of turkeys, guinea fowls and dogs. The whirring noise
+they made with their wings was not unlike the shunting of a locomotive.
+I had often before heard of the curious habit of the male in plastering
+up the female with mud in the hollow of a tree, leaving only a small
+hole through which he fed her until the single egg was hatched and the
+young one was ready to fly. Vic knew this, and further informed me that
+the smaller species, named here &ldquo;Talactic,&rdquo; had the same
+custom of plastering up the female.</p>
+
+<p>Many evenings, when I had finished my work, I would get Vic to teach
+me the Pampanga, dialect, and wrote down a large vocabulary of words,
+and when some years afterwards I compared them word for word with other
+dialects and languages throughout the Malay Archipelago, I found that,
+with a few exceptions, there was not the slightest affinity between
+them. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e892" href="#xd0e892">87</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e893" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">A Chapter of Accidents.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>A Severe Bout of Malaria in the Wilds&mdash;The &ldquo;Seamy
+Side&rdquo; of Exploration&mdash;Unfortunate Shooting of the
+Chief&rsquo;s Dog&mdash;Filipino Credulity&mdash;Stories of the Buquils
+and their Bearded Women&mdash;Expedition Planned&mdash;Succession of
+<i>contretemps</i>&mdash;Start for the Buquil Country&mdash;Scenes on
+the Way&mdash;A Negrito Mother&rsquo;s Method of Giving Drink to Her
+Baby&mdash;Exhausting Marches Amid Striking Scenery&mdash;The Worst
+Over&mdash;A Bolt from the Blue&mdash;Negritos in a Fury&mdash;Violent
+Scenes at a Negrito Council of War&mdash;They Decide on
+Reprisals&mdash;Further Progress Barred in Consequence&mdash;Return to
+Florida Blanca.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>As I mentioned before, this was the unhealthy season in the
+Philippines, and Vic assured me that these lower mountains were even
+more unhealthy than the flat country. I myself soon arrived at a
+similar conclusion, as a regular epidemic of malaria now set in among
+my pigmy friends, the Negritos, and the old chief told us that his
+favourite son was dying with it; next my neighbour and his wife were
+prostrated with it, and when they had slightly recovered, they left
+their hut and returned to Florida Blanca. Vic himself was next laid up
+with it, and seemed to think he was going to die. When I was at work in
+the evening he would shiver and groan under a blanket by my side; this,
+coming night after night, was rather depressing for me, all alone as I
+was. At other times he would imagine we were hunting the wary and
+elusive <i>pitta,</i> and would start up crying, &ldquo;<i>Ah! el
+tinkalu,</i> it is there! <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e910" href="#xd0e910">88</a>]</span><i>por Deos,</i> shoot, my English,
+shoot!&rdquo; or he would imagine we were after butterflies, and would
+cry out, <i>&ldquo;Caramba, mariposa azul muy grande, muy bueno,
+bueno!&rdquo;</i> I was forced to do all the cooking for both of us,
+though it was quite pathetic to see poor Vic&rsquo;s efforts to come to
+my assistance, and his indignation that his &ldquo;English&rdquo;
+should do such work for him. At one time I half expected that he would
+die, but with careful nursing and doctoring I gradually brought him
+round.</p>
+
+<p>During all the time that he was ill. I did but little collecting,
+and no sooner was Vic on the road to recovery than I myself was seized
+with it, and Vic repaid the compliment by nursing me in turn. It was a
+most depressing illness, especially as I was living on the poorest fare
+in a close and dirty hut. When you are ill in civilization, with nurses
+and doctors and a good bed, you feel that you are in good hands, and
+confidence does much to help recovery. But it is a different matter
+being sick in the wilds, without any of these luxuries, and you wonder
+what will happen if it gets serious. Then you long for home and its
+luxuries, with a very great longing, and cordially detest the spot you
+are in, with all those wretched birds and butterflies! It is Eke a long
+nightmare, but as you get better you forget all this, and the jaundiced
+feeling soon wears off, and you start off collecting again as keen as
+ever. One day a small skinny brown dog somehow managed to <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e919" href="#xd0e919">89</a>]</span>climb up the
+bamboo step into my hut during Vic&rsquo;s temporary absence, and I
+suddenly awoke to find it helping itself to the contents of a plate
+that Vic had placed by my side. I was far too ill to do more than
+frighten it away. This happened a second time before I was strong
+enough to move, but the third time I was well enough to seize my small
+collecting gun (which was loaded with very small cartridges), and when
+it was about thirty yards away I fired at it, simply intending to
+frighten it, as at that distance these small cartridges would hardly
+have killed a small bird. It stopped suddenly and, after spinning round
+a few times yelping, it turned over on its back. Even then I thought it
+was shamming, but on going up to it I found it was dead, with only one
+No. 8 shot in its spleen. On Vic&rsquo;s return he was much alarmed, as
+he said the dog belonged to the Negrito chief, who was very fond of it,
+and would be very angry with me if he knew. So we hid the body in the
+middle of a clump of bamboo about a quarter of a mile away from the
+hut. But the following day the sky was thick with a kind of turkey
+buzzard, which had evidently smelt the dog&rsquo;s corpse from some
+distance, and they were soon quarrelling over the remains. Vic worked
+himself up into a state of panic, saying that it would be discovered by
+the Negritos, but a few days later I sent him over to the Negrito
+chief&rsquo;s hut to get me some rice, and the chief <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e921" href="#xd0e921">90</a>]</span>mentioned that
+his chief wife had lost her dog, which she was very fond of, and that
+he thought that I must have killed it. Vic in reply said that that
+could never be, as in the country that I came from the people were so
+fond of dogs that they were very kind to them, and treated them like
+their own fathers. The chief then said that a pig must have killed it,
+and so the incident ended.</p>
+
+<p>About this time Vic asked my permission to return to Florida Blanca
+for a few days, as he had heard that his wife had run away with another
+man, and he offered to send his brother to take his place. His brother
+could also speak English a little, and was assistant schoolmaster to
+the American. He proved, however, an arrant coward, and, like most
+Filipinos, lived in great fear of the Negritos. When out with me in the
+forest he would start, if he heard a twig snap or a bamboo creak, and
+look fearfully about him for a Negrito. He told me that the Negritos
+will kill and rob you if they think there is no chance of being found
+out, and he mentioned a case of an old Filipino being killed and robbed
+by these same Negritos a few months previously. I managed to string
+together the following absurd story from his broken English. He said
+that if you heard a twig break in the forest once or even twice you
+were safe enough, but if a twig snapped a third time, and you did not
+call out that you saw the Negrito, you would get an arrow into you. He
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e925" href="#xd0e925">91</a>]</span>said that once when he heard the stick
+&ldquo;break three time&rdquo; (to use his own words), he called out
+&ldquo;Ah! I see you Negrite, and the Negrite he no shoot, but came out
+like amigo (friend).&rdquo; His English was too limited for me to point
+out the many weak and absurd points of the story, as, for instance, why
+the Negrito should make the twigs break exactly three times, and why he
+should not shoot because he thinks he is seen. I only mention this
+anecdote to illustrate the credulity of the Filipinos. The next day,
+when we were out collecting in the morning, I suddenly saw him start
+when a bamboo snapped, so I called out, &ldquo;Buenos diaz,
+Se&ntilde;or Negrite.&rdquo; This was too much for my man, who ran off
+home and refused to follow me in the forest that afternoon, and when I
+returned that evening he was nowhere to be seen, and I found out later
+that he had returned to Florida Blanca. In consequence I was forced to
+do all my own cooking, which was not pleasant, as I had to do it all in
+the hot sun, and this brought on a return of my fever. At last, one
+morning, as I was endeavouring to light a fire to cook my breakfast,
+and muttering unpleasant things about Vic and his brother, I suddenly
+looked up and Vic stood before me like a. silent ghost. I say like a
+ghost, because he looked like one, thin and gaunt as he still was from
+fever. He, too, had had a return of the fever and had not yet
+recovered, but sooner <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e927" href="#xd0e927">92</a>]</span>than that &ldquo;his English&rdquo; should be
+alone, he had dragged himself over in the cool of the night. The next
+day his wife and two children arrived. She had been on a visit to her
+mother in another village, which accounted for Vic&rsquo;s thinking she
+had run away. They occupied the hut of my late neighbour, and before
+many days had gone they were all bad with fever. It was easy to see
+that the woman hated me, and imagined I was the cause of her having to
+come and live in these lonely and unhealthy mountains. Vic told me that
+there had been so much sickness in Florida Blanca that there was no
+quinine left in the place. My own stock was getting low, and Vic and
+his family, as well as myself, used it daily. I had cured the old
+Negrito chief with it, and he was very grateful to me, and presented me
+with some very fine arrows in return.</p>
+
+<p>For some time past I had heard rumours of an extraordinary tribe of
+Negritos who lived further back in the mountains, and were named
+Buquils, and whose women were reported to have beards. Vic, whom I
+always found to be most truthful in everything, and who rarely
+exaggerated, declared it was true, and furthermore told me that these
+Buquils had long smooth hair, which proved that they could not have
+been Negritos. Besides, I learnt that they were quite a tall people.
+Nowhere in the whole world is there such a diversity of races as in the
+Philippines, and so it would be <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e931"
+href="#xd0e931">93</a>]</span>quite impossible even to guess what they
+were. Vic had once seen some of them himself when they came on a visit
+to the lower mountains. Though I thought the story, as to the women
+having beards, a fable, I determined to visit them before I left these
+mountains, and the old Negrito chief, who also told me that the women
+really did have beards, offered to lend me some of his people to carry
+my things. But one day Vic heard that his lather was dying, and when I
+tried to cheer him up he sobbed in a mixture of broken Spanish and
+English, &ldquo;One thousand se&ntilde;oritas can get, one thousand
+children can get, but lose one father more cannot get.&rdquo; On this
+account I had to return to Florida Blanca, and besides we were all very
+bad with constant attacks of fever, and in this village we could at all
+events get bread, milk and eggs to recuperate us. The American had left
+for a long holiday, so I managed to hire a small house where I could
+sort my collections before returning to Manila, where I intended
+catching a steamer for the south Philippines.</p>
+
+<p>One day the village priest (a Filipino) called on me, and in course
+of conversation we spoke about these Buquils. He was most emphatic that
+it was true about the women having beards, and he also told me that no
+Englishman, American or Spaniard had ever penetrated so far back in the
+mountains as to reach their villages. When he had left I thought it
+over, and decided to go and <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e935"
+href="#xd0e935">94</a>]</span>see them for myself, though I was still
+suffering from fever. Vic, whose father had recovered from his illness,
+declared his willingness to accompany me; in fact I knew that he would
+never allow me to go without him. He was quite miserable at the idea of
+our parting, which was close at hand. As luck would have it, the day
+before we decided to start, Vic was down with fever again, and the
+following day I was seized with it. Never before or since have I been
+amongst so much fever as I was in this district. In any case I had made
+up my mind to see these Buquils, but we had now lost two days, and
+there was only just enough time left to get there and back and to
+journey back to Manila and catch my steamer. The day after my attack we
+started for the mountains once more at about two p.m., my fever being
+still too bad for me to start earlier. It had been very dry lately,
+with not a drop of rain and hardly a cloud to be seen, but just as we
+were starting it came on to rain in torrents and this meant that the
+rainy season had set in. It seemed as if the very elements were against
+us, and even Vic seemed struck with our various difficulties. I was
+sick and feverish, and my head felt like a lump of lead, as I plodded
+mechanically along in the rain through the tall wet grass. I felt no
+keenness to see these people at the time, fever removes all that, but I
+had so got it into my head before the fever that I must go at all
+hazards, that I felt somehow as if I was <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e937" href="#xd0e937">95</a>]</span>obeying someone else. We passed
+my old residence a short way off, and I stayed the night at the Negrito
+chief&rsquo;s hut, which I reached long after dark. He seemed very glad
+to see me again, and turned out most of his family and relations to
+make room for me. My troubles were not yet ended, as the two Filipinos
+whom I had engaged to carry my food and bedding could not start till
+late, and consequently lost their way, and were discovered in the
+forest by some Negritos, who went in search of them about 2 a.m.
+Meanwhile I had to lie on the hard ground in my wet clothes, and as I
+got very cold a fresh attack of fever resulted. I had intended to start
+off again about four a.m., but it was fully four hours later before we
+were well on our way. I managed to eat a little before I left, our rice
+and other food being cooked in bamboo (the regular method of cooking
+amongst the Negritos). I here noticed for the first time the method
+employed by the Negrito mothers for giving their babies water; they
+fill their own mouths with water from a bamboo, and the child drinks
+from its mother&rsquo;s mouth. In the early morning thousands of
+metallic green and cream-coloured pigeons and large green doves came to
+feed on the golden yellow fruit of a species of fig tree
+(<i>Ficus</i>), which grew on the edge of the forest near the
+chief&rsquo;s hut. They made a tremendous noise, fluttering and
+squeaking as they fought over the tempting looking fruit. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e942" href="#xd0e942">96</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>We took five Negritos to carry the rice and my baggage&mdash;two
+men, two women, and a boy. The women, though not much more than girls,
+were apportioned the heaviest loads; the men saw to that, and looked
+indignant when I made them reduce the girls&rsquo; loads. As we
+continued on our journey, I noticed that our five Negrito carriers were
+joined by several others all well armed with bows and extra large
+bundles of arrows, and on my asking Vic the reason, he told me that
+these Buquils we were going to visit were very treacherous, and our
+Negritos would never venture amongst them unless in a strong body. As
+we went along the narrow track in single file some of the Negritos
+would suddenly break forth into song or shouting, and as they would
+yell (as if in answer to each other) all along the line, I could not
+help envying them the extreme health and happiness which the very sound
+of it seemed to express; my own head meanwhile feeling as if about to
+split. I shall never forget that walk up and down the steepest tracks,
+where in some places a slip would have meant a fall far down into a
+gorge below. If Vic was to be believed, I was the first white man to
+try that track, and I would not like to recommend it to any others.
+Deep ravines, that if one could only have spanned with a bridge one
+could have crossed in five minutes or less, took us fully an hour to go
+down and up again, and I could never have got down some of them except
+for being able <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e945" href="#xd0e945">97</a>]</span>to hang on to bushes, trees and long grass.
+Whenever we passed a Negrito hut we took a short rest. My Negritos,
+however, wanted to make it a long one, as they seemed to be very fond
+of yarning, and when I insisted on their hurrying on, Vic got
+frightened and declared they might clear out and leave us, which would
+certainly have been a misfortune. At length we arrived at a
+chief&rsquo;s hut, where we had arranged to spend the night. It was
+situated at the top of a tall, grassy peak, from which I got a
+wonderful view of the surrounding country: steep wooded gorges and
+precipices surrounded us on all sides, and in the distance the flat
+country from whence we had come, and far far away the sea looked like
+glistening silver. The flat country presented an extraordinary contrast
+to the rugged mountains which surrounded me. It was so wonderfully
+flat, not the smallest hill to be seen anywhere, except where the
+lonely isolated peak of Mount Aryat arose in the distance, and far away
+one could just see a long chain of lofty mountains. The effect of the
+shadows of the distant clouds on the flat country was very curious.
+Early the next morning, at sunrise, the view looked very different,
+though just as beautiful. The chief seemed very friendly. He was a
+brother of my old friend, with whom I had stayed the previous night.
+This chief, however, was very different to his brother, being very
+dignified, but he had a very good and kind face, whilst my old friend
+was a <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e947" href="#xd0e947">98</a>]</span>&ldquo;typical comic opera&rdquo; kind of
+character. From what I could understand these two and another brother
+ruled over this tribe of Negritos between them, each being chief of a
+third of the tribe Soon after my arrival I turned in, as I was very
+tired and feverish and had had no sleep the previous night. The
+Negritos, as usual, were very merry and made a great noise for so small
+a people. I never saw such people for laughter whenever anything amused
+them, which is very often; they were a great contrast in this respect
+to the Filipinos. This natural gaiety helps to explain their many and
+varied dances, one of which consists in their running round after each
+other in a circle.</p>
+
+<p>I felt very much better next morning, and we started off very early,
+our numbers being increased by the chief and many of his men, so that I
+now found myself escorted by quite an army. I took note round here of
+the methods used by the Negritos in climbing tall, thick trees to get
+fruit and birds-nests. They had long bamboo poles lashed together,
+which run up to one of the highest branches fully one hundred feet from
+the ground. They often fastened them to the branch of a smaller tree,
+and thence slanting upwards to the top of a tall tree, perhaps as much
+as sixty feet and more away from the smaller tree. These Negritos axe
+splendid climbers, but it seemed wonderful for even a Negrito to trust
+himself on <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e951" href="#xd0e951">99</a>]</span>one of these bamboos stretching like a thread
+from tree to tree so far from the ground. I shall never forget the
+scramble we now had into the deepest gorge of all, and how we followed
+the bed of a dried-up stream, which in the rainy season must be a
+series of cascades and waterfalls, since we had to scramble all the way
+over large slippery boulders covered with ferns and <i>begonias.</i> We
+at length came to a tempting-looking river full of large pools of clear
+water, into which I longed to plunge. The banks were extremely
+beautiful, being overhung by the forest, and the rocky cliffs were half
+hidden by large fleshy-leaved climbers and many other beautiful
+tropical plants. It was one of those indescribably beautiful spots that
+one so often encounters in the tropical wilds, and which it is
+impossible to paint in words. A troop of monkeys were disporting
+themselves on a tree overhanging the river. Vic was most anxious for me
+to allow him to shoot one, but I have only shot one monkey in my life,
+and it is to be the last, and I always try and prevent others from
+doing so. We waded the river in a shallow place, and climbed up the
+steep hill on the other side. We had gone a good distance over hills
+covered with tall grass, and I was now looking forward to a bit of
+decent walking, as hitherto it had been nearly all miserable scrambling
+work, and the Negritos told Vic that the worst was now over. But we
+were approaching a hut, overhanging a rocky cliff, when we heard the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e956" href="#xd0e956">100</a>]</span>sound of angry voices and wailing above us,
+and we soon perceived four Negritos (three men and a woman) approaching
+us. I thought the old woman was mad; she was making more noise than all
+the others put together, shouting and screaming in her fury. At first I
+thought they might be hostile Negritos who resented our intrusion, but
+they belonged to the tribe of the chief who was with me, and they were
+soon talking to him in loud, excited voices. Our own party soon got
+excited, too, and, as may be imagined, I was longing to find out the
+cause of all this excitement. Vic soon told me the reason. It appeared
+that on the previous day a large party of our Negritos had gone into
+the territory of the Buquils in order to get various kinds of forest
+produce (as they had often done in the past), and had been
+treacherously attacked by these Buquils, and many of them killed. One
+of these was the brother of a sub-chief, who now approached us, and who
+was, I believe, the husband of the frenzied woman. It was a very
+excitable scene that followed. I suppose one might call it a council of
+war. It was a mystery to me where all the Negritos came from and how
+they found us out; but they came in ones and twos till there was a huge
+concourse of them present, all gathered round their chief and squatting
+on the ground. About the only one who behaved sensibly was my friend
+the chief. He spoke in a slow and dignified manner, but the rest worked
+themselves <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e958" href="#xd0e958">101</a>]</span>up into a furious rage, and twanged their
+bowstrings, and jumped about and fitted arrows to their bows, and
+pointed them at inoffensive &ldquo;papaya&rdquo; trees, whilst two
+little boys shot small arrows into the green and yellow fruit, seeming
+to catch the fever from their elders. One man actually danced a kind of
+war-dance on his own account, strutting about with his bow and arrow
+pointed, and getting into all sorts of grotesque attitudes, moving
+about with his legs stiffened, and pulling the most hideous faces, till
+I was forced to laugh.</p>
+
+<p>But it seemed to be no laughing matter for the Negritos. The old
+woman beat them all; she did not want anyone to get in a word edgeways,
+but screamed and yelled, almost foaming at the mouth, till I almost
+expected to see her fall down in a fit. I never before witnessed such a
+display of fury.</p>
+
+<p>Vic kept me well advised as to the progress of the proceedings, and
+it was eventually settled that each of the three brother chiefs were to
+gather together three hundred fighting men, making nine hundred
+altogether, and these in a few days&rsquo; time were to go up and
+avenge the deaths of their fellow tribesmen. From the enthusiasm
+displayed amongst the little men, this was evidently carried
+unanimously, but I noticed two young men sitting aloof from the rest of
+the crowd and looking rather sullen and frightened, and as they did not
+join <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e964" href="#xd0e964">102</a>]</span>in the general warlike demonstrations, it was
+evidently their first fight. Here, however, I made Vic interrupt in
+order to draw attention to myself. What Vic translated to me was to the
+effect that it was out of the question for us to go on into the
+enemy&rsquo;s country, which we should have reached in another two
+hours&rsquo; walk. If we did they would certainly kill us all by
+shooting arrows into us from the long grass (in other words, we should
+fall into an ambush), and, in fact, since they had killed some of this
+tribe they would kill anyone that came into their country. By killing
+these men they had declared war. This was the sum total of Vic&rsquo;s
+translation, and I saw at once that it was out of the question for me
+to go on, as no Negrito would go with me, and I could not go alone. In
+any case I should have been killed. Vic told me that very few of these
+Buquils ever leave their mountain valleys, and so most of them had
+never seen a Filipino, much less a white man. And so I met with a very
+great disappointment, and was forced to leave without proving whether
+or no the story of these bearded women was a myth. Lately I heard a
+rumour that an American had visited them and proved the story true. My
+disappointment may well be imagined. I had come over the worst track I
+had ever travelled on in spite of rain and fever, but I at once saw
+that all my labours were in vain and that I could not surmount this
+last difficulty. But I was lucky in one way. The chief told Vic that if
+we had gone yesterday <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e966" href="#xd0e966">103</a>]</span>we should all have been killed, as without
+knowing anything about it, we should have got there just after the
+fight. So for once fever had done me a good turn, a
+&ldquo;providencia,&rdquo; I think Vic called it, as I should have
+reached my destination the previous day if I had not been delayed by
+fever. Out of curiosity to see what the chief would say, I told Vic to
+tell him that I would help him with my gun, but the chief was
+ungrateful and contemptuous, saying that they would shoot me before I
+could see to shoot them. Vic thought I was serious, and said he would
+not go with me, and begged me not to go, saying, in a mixture of
+English and Spanish, &ldquo;What will your father, your sister, and
+your brother say to me when Buquil arrow make you dead?&rdquo; Needless
+to say I was not keen on stalking Buquils who were waiting for me with
+steel arrows in long grass, and, besides, if I went with the gallant
+little nine hundred, I should miss my steamer. I never heard the result
+of that fight, much as I should like to have known it. After the
+meeting had dispersed, we returned to the river and rested. I bathed
+and took a swim in a big, deep pool under a huge tree, which was one
+mass of beautiful white flowers. I have never enjoyed a swim more. Vic
+also took a wash, and to my great surprise one of the Negritos
+proceeded to copy him, and as Vic soaped himself the Negrito tried to
+do the same thing with a stone, with which he succeeded in getting rid
+of a great deal of dirt. It surprised <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e968" href="#xd0e968">104</a>]</span>and amused the other Negritos,
+both men and women, who jeered and roared with laughter at the unusual
+spectacle of a Negrito washing himself.</p>
+
+<p>I signed to them to give our boy carrier a wash, as he seemed the
+noisiest of the party, and two men got hold of him to duck him, but he
+seemed so terrified that I stopped them. The youngster evidently hated
+me for the fright he had received, as later on when I made him a
+present of a silver ten-cent piece to make up for his fright&mdash;this
+is a very handsome present for a Negrito&mdash;he threw it on the
+ground and stamped his foot in anger. The Negritos shot several fish
+and large prawns with a special kind of long pointed arrow; these we
+ate with our rice by the river side before returning. The night I
+stayed with my old friend, the comic chief, I found him actually in
+tears and much cut up at the idea of his two sons having to take part
+in the fight. I suppose it was compulsory for them to fight, but it
+appeared rather odd to me that a chief should object to his sons taking
+part in a fight, as the Negritos are considered very plucky fighters.
+The chief sent four Negritos to carry my things down to Florida Blanca.
+The following day I started back to Manila, where I caught my steamer
+for the southern Philippines. Vic was much distressed at my departure
+and shed many tears as I said good-bye to him, his grief being such
+that even a handsome tip could not assuage it. <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e972" href="#xd0e972">105</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="div0" id="xd0e973">
+<h2 class="normal">In the Jungles of Cannibal Papua.</h2>
+
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e976" href="#xd0e976">106</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e977" href="#xd0e977">107</a>]</span>
+<div id="xd0e978" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">On the War-Trail in Cannibal Papua.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Expedition against the Doboduras&mdash;We hear reports about a
+Web-footed Tribe&mdash;Landing at the Mouth of the Musa River&mdash;A
+Good Bag&mdash;Barigi River Reached&mdash;A Flight of Torres Straits
+Pigeons&mdash;A Tropical Night Scene&mdash;Brilliant Rues of Tropical
+Fish&mdash;Arrival of Supplies&mdash;Prospects of a Stiff
+Fight&mdash;Landing of the Force&mdash;Pigs Shot to Prevent them from
+being Cooked Alive&mdash;Novelty of Firearms&mdash;A Red
+Sunrise&mdash;Beauty of the Forest&mdash;Enemies&rsquo; War Cry First
+Heard&mdash;Rushing a Village&mdash;Revolting Relics of Cannibal
+Feast&mdash;Doboduras eat their Enemies Alive&mdash;Method of
+Extracting the Brains&mdash;Extensive Looting&mdash;Firing at the
+Enemies&rsquo; Scouts&mdash;An Exciting Chase&mdash;When in Doubt Turn
+to the Right&mdash;Another Village Rushed&mdash;Skirmishes with the
+Enemy&mdash;Relics of Cannibalism general in the Villages&mdash;Camp
+Formed at the Largest Village&mdash;Capture of Prisoners&mdash;An
+&ldquo;Object, Lesson&rdquo;&mdash;Carriers ask Leave to Eat one of the
+Slain&mdash;Arigita&rsquo;s Opinion&mdash;Cannibal Surroundings at our
+Supper&mdash;Expectation of a Night Attack.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>We were three white men, Monckton was the resident magistrate, while
+Acland and I myself were <i>non-officio</i> members of the expedition,
+being friends of Monckton.</p>
+
+<p>We had been some time at Cape Nelson, where the residency was, a
+lonely though beautiful spot on the north-east coast of British New
+Guinea. Whilst here I had made good collections of birds and
+butterflies, and had made expeditions into the surrounding and little
+known country, including the mountains at the back, where no white man
+had yet been. And now (September 17th, 1902) we were off on a
+government exploring and punitive expedition into the unknown wilds of
+this fascinating and interesting country.</p>
+
+<p>We three sat on the stern of the large whale <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e993" href="#xd0e993">108</a>]</span>boat, while the twenty
+police and our four boys took turns at the oars. They were fine fellows
+these Papuan police, and their uniforms suited them well, consisting as
+they did of a deep blue serge vest, edged with red braid, and a
+&ldquo;sulu&rdquo; or kilt of the same material, which with their bare
+legs made a sensible costume for the work they had to perform in this
+rough country. As they pulled cheerfully at their oars they seemed in
+splendid spirits, for they felt almost sure that they were in for some
+fighting, and this they dearly love.</p>
+
+<p>Our boys, however, did not look quite so happy, especially my boy
+Arigita, who was a son of old Giwi, chief of the Kaili-kailis.
+He&mdash;old Giwi&mdash;had gone on the previous day with three or four
+large canoes laden with rice and manned by men of the Kaili-kaili and
+Arifamu tribes, and we intended taking more canoes and men from the
+Okeina tribe <i>en route.</i></p>
+
+<p>Our expedition was partly a punitive one, as a tribe named Dobodura
+had been continually raiding and slaughtering the Notu tribe on the
+coast, with no other apparent reason than the filling of their own
+cooking pots.</p>
+
+<p>Although the Notus lived on the coast, little was known of them,
+though they professed friendship to the government. The Doboduras, on
+the other hand, were a strong fighting tribe a short way off in the
+unknown interior, no white men having hitherto penetrated into their
+country: <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1004" href="#xd0e1004">109</a>]</span>hence they knew nothing about the white man
+except by dim report.</p>
+
+<p>After we had settled our account with them we intended going in
+search of a curious swamp-dwelling tribe, whose feet were reported to
+be webbed, like those of a duck, and many were the weird and fantastic
+rumours that reached our ears concerning them.</p>
+
+<p>The sea soon got very &ldquo;choppy,&rdquo; and up went our sail,
+and we flew along pretty fast. We had left behind us Mount Victory (a
+volcano which is always sending forth volumes of dense smoke) some time
+before, and some time afterward we were joined by a fleet of fourteen
+large canoes, most of them belonging to the Okeina tribe, but also
+including the three Kaili-kaili canoes sent off on the previous
+day.</p>
+
+<p>We all then went on together, and late in the afternoon we landed at
+a spot near the mouth of the Musa River. We spent the evening shooting,
+and had splendid sport, our bag consisting of ducks of various species,
+pigeon, spur-winged plover, curlew, sandpipers, etc. We also saw
+wallaby, and numerous tracks of cassowary and wild pig. After some
+supper on the beach, the Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and Okeina carriers,
+numbering over one hundred, were drawn up in line, and Monckton told
+them that he did not want so many carriers. If they (the Okeinas) would
+like to come, he would not give them more than tobacco, and not <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1012" href="#xd0e1012">110</a>]</span>axes
+and knives, which he gave to the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu carriers. They
+unanimously wished to go even without payment, as they were confident
+that we should have some big fighting, and they, being a fighting
+tribe, simply wished to go with us for this reason. Monckton sent off
+the carriers that night, so that they could get a good start of us. It
+was a bright moonlight night, and it was a picturesque scene when the
+fleet of canoes started off amidst a regular pandemonium of shouting
+and chatter. I do not suppose that this quiet spot had ever before
+witnessed such a sight. We were off next morning before sunrise, and
+continued our way in a dead calm and a blazing sun.</p>
+
+<p>We soon caught up with our canoes, which had gone on in advance on
+the previous night. A breeze sprang up and we made good progress under
+sail, and soon left the canoes far behind. We saw plenty of large
+crocodiles, and a persevering but much disappointed shark followed us
+for some distance.</p>
+
+<p>We camped that night just inside the mouth of the Barigi River, on
+the very spot where Monckton was attacked the previous year by the
+Baruga tribe. They had made a night attack upon him as he was encamped
+here with his police, and had evidently expected to take him by
+surprise, as they paddled quietly up. But he was ready for them, and
+gave the leading canoe <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1018" href="#xd0e1018">111</a>]</span>a volley, with the result that the river was
+soon full of dead and wounded men, who were torn to pieces by the
+crocodiles. The rest fled, but he captured their chief, who was
+wounded.</p>
+
+<p>Upon our arrival late in the afternoon Acland and I started out with
+our guns after pigeon, taking our boys and some armed police, as it was
+not safe to venture far from the camp without protection.</p>
+
+<p>The vegetation was very beautiful, and there was a wonderful variety
+of the palm family. We wandered through very thorny and tangled
+vegetation. We espied a fire not far off and went to inspect it, but
+saw no natives, though there were plenty of footprints in the sand.</p>
+
+<p>Towards evening we saw thousands of pigeons settle on a few trees
+close by on a small island, but they were off in clouds before we got
+near. They were what is known as the Torres Straits pigeon, and were of
+a beautiful creamy-white colour. On the banks of this river were
+quantities of the curious <i>nipa</i> palm growing in the water. These
+palms have enormous rough pods which hang down in the water, and there
+were quantities of oysters sticking to the lower parts of their stems.
+We dynamited for fish and got sufficient to supply us all with
+food.</p>
+
+<p>About nine p.m. all the canoes turned up and the camp was soon alive
+with noise and bustle. The carriers had had nothing to eat since the
+day <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1031" href="#xd0e1031">112</a>]</span>before, and poor old Giwi, the chief,
+squeezed his stomach to show how empty he was, but still managed to
+giggle in his usual childish fashion.</p>
+
+<p>They brought with them two runaway carriers who had come from the
+Kumusi district, where many of the miners start inland for the Yodda
+Valley (the gold mining centre). They had travelled for five days along
+the coast, and had hardly eaten anything. They had avoided all villages
+<i>en route,</i> otherwise they themselves would undoubtedly have
+furnished food for others, though there was little enough meat on them.
+There were many different tribes in this neighbourhood, and Monckton
+was far from satisfied as to the safety of our camp if we were
+attacked. We sent off a canoe with Okeina men up the river to get
+provisions from the Baruga tribe who had attacked Monckton the previous
+year, and they now professed friendship to the government. The Okeinas
+were friendly with them, but as they paddled away in the darkness
+Monckton shouted out after them to give him warning when they were
+coming back with the Baruga people, and they shouted back what was the
+Okeina equivalent for &ldquo;You bet we will.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>We pitched our mosquito nets under a rough shelter of palm leaves,
+and I lay awake for some time watching the light of countless
+fire-flies and beetles which flashed around me in the darkness, while
+curious cries of nocturnal birds on the forest-clad<span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1040" href="#xd0e1040">113</a>]</span> banks and
+mangroves from time to time broke the stillness of the tropical night,
+and followed me into the land of dreams, from which I was rudely
+awakened early the next morning by clouds of small sandflies, which my
+mosquito net had failed to keep out.</p>
+
+<p>We stayed here the following day, and put in part of our time
+dynamiting for fish at the mouth of the river. It was a curious sight
+to see the fish blown high into the air as if by a regular geyser. We
+got about three hundred; they were of numerous species, and most of
+them of good size. Many were most brilliantly coloured, indeed the fish
+in these tropical waters are often the most gorgeous objects in nature,
+and would greatly surprise those who are only used to the fish of the
+temperate zone. During the day the Okeinas returned. They were followed
+by several canoes of the Baruga tribe with their chief, who brought us
+four live pigs tied to poles, besides other native food, which,
+together with the fish, saved us from using the rice for the police and
+carriers. New Guinea is not a rice-producing country, and the natives
+not being used to it, are far from appreciating it. A little later some
+of the Notu tribe from further north arrived by canoe. They had again
+been raided by the Dobodura tribe, and many of them killed and
+captured. They said the enemy were very strong, and Monckton told us
+that it was more than likely that they could <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e1044" href="#xd0e1044">114</a>]</span>raise one thousand to
+fifteen hundred fighting men. We determined to resume our journey the
+next day, and go inland and attack their villages. We seemed likely to
+be in for a good fight, and the police especially were highly elated.
+Old Giwi, who bragged so much about his fighting capabilities at
+starting, shook his head and thought it a tall order, and that we were
+not strong enough to tackle them.</p>
+
+<p>We left again early on the morning of September 20th, the canoes
+with our carriers having gone on the previous night. Early in the
+afternoon we passed large villages situated amid groves of coconut
+palms. These belonged to the Notus, who had been suffering such severe
+depredations at the hands of the Doboduras. Shortly before arriving at
+our destination we found the carriers waiting for us on shore, they
+having too much fear of the Notus to reach their villages before
+us.</p>
+
+<p>We determined to land on the far side of one particularly large
+village. Rifles were handed around, and we strapped on our revolvers,
+and all got ready in case of treachery. Then came a scene of excitement
+as we landed in the breakers. Directly we got into shallow water the
+police jumped out, and with loud yells rushed the boat ashore. There
+was still greater excitement getting the canoes ashore amid loud
+shouting, and one of the last canoes to land, filled, but was carried
+ashore safely, and only a few bags of rice got wet. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1050" href="#xd0e1050">115</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>We pitched our camp on a sandy strip of land surrounded on three
+sides by a fresh water lagoon, our position being a good one to defend,
+in case we were attacked. Monckton then took a few police and went off
+to interview the Notus.</p>
+
+<p>After a time he returned with the information that the Notus
+appeared to be quite friendly, and anxious to unite with us against the
+common foe on the morrow.</p>
+
+<p>Several of them visited our camp during the day and brought us
+native food and pigs, which latter Monckton shot with his revolver, to
+prevent our carriers cooking them alive. It was quite amusing to see
+the way the Notus hopped about after each report, some of them running
+away, and small blame to them, seeing that it was the first time that
+they had ever heard the report of a firearm.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning saw us up long before daybreak, and in the dim
+light we could see small groups of Notu warriors wending their way amid
+the tall coconuts in the direction of our camp, till about seventy of
+them had assembled. They were all fully armed with long hardwood
+spears, stone clubs and rattan shields (oblong in shape and of wood
+covered with strips of rattan, with a handle at the back), and led the
+way along the beach. The sun soon rose above the sea a very red colour,
+and a superstitious person might have considered it an omen of
+bloodshed. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1059" href="#xd0e1059">116</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>It was hard work walking in the loose sand, and I was glad when we
+branched off into the bush to walk inland. We passed through alternate
+forests and open grass land, the forest in places being quite
+luxuriant, and new and beautiful plants and rare and gaudy birds and
+butterflies made one long to loiter by the way. Amongst the palm family
+new to me was a very beautiful <i>Licuala,</i> perhaps the most
+beautiful of all fan-leaved palms, and a climbing palm, one of the
+rattans (<i>Korthalzia</i> sp.), with pinkish stems and leaves
+resembling a gigantic maidenhair fern, which looked very beautiful
+scrambling over the trees, together with two or three other species of
+rattans.</p>
+
+<p>Our combined force was over two hundred strong, the Notus leading
+the way, then came most of the police, then we three white men, then
+more police, and our Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and Okeina carriers brought
+up the rear bearing our tents, baggage and bags of rice.</p>
+
+<p>As we wended our way down the narrow track there were several
+moments of excitement, and the Notus several times fell back on to us
+in alarm, but their fears seemed groundless.</p>
+
+<p>We continued our march for many hours, and just as we came to the
+end of a long bit of forest, the Notus came rushing back on to us in
+great confusion. We soon learned the reason. At the end of a grassy
+stretch of country was a village <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1074" href="#xd0e1074">117</a>]</span>surrounded by a thick grove
+of coconut and betel-nut palms, and some of the enemy&rsquo;s scouts
+had been seen, and we heard their distant war-cry, a prolonged
+&ldquo;ooh-h-h, ah-h-h,&rdquo; which was particularly thrilling,
+uttered as it was by great numbers of voices. The Notus all huddled
+together, then replied in like language, but their cry did not seem to
+possess the same defiant ring as that of the Doboduras.</p>
+
+<p>We three took off our helmets and crouched down with the police just
+inside the forest, with our rifles ready for the expected rush of the
+enemy, having sent the Notus out into the open, hoping thereby to draw
+the enemy after them. We meant then to give them a lesson, make some
+captures, and come to terms with their chief. Two or three times the
+Notus came rushing back, and I fully expected to see the Doboduras at
+their heels, but they were evidently aware that the Notus were not
+alone, and all I could see was the distant village and palm-trees
+shimmering in the quivering heated air, and the heads of the Dobodura
+warriors crowned with feather head-dresses bobbing about amid the tall
+grass, while ever and anon their distant war-cry floated over the
+grassy plain.</p>
+
+<p>We decided to rush the village, which we later found was named
+Kanau, but when we got there we found it deserted. In the centre of the
+village was a kind of small raised platform, on which <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1080" href="#xd0e1080">118</a>]</span>were rows
+of human skulls and quantities of bones, the remnants of many a
+gruesome cannibal feast. Many of these skulls were quite fresh, with
+small bits of meat still sticking to them, but for all that they had
+been picked very clean. Every skull had a large hole punched in the
+side of the head, varying in size, but uniform as regards position (to
+quote from Monckton&rsquo;s later report to the government). The
+explanation for this we soon learnt from the Notus, and later it was
+confirmed by our prisoners. When the Doboduras capture an enemy they
+slowly torture him to death, practically eating him alive. When he is
+almost dead they make a hole in the side of the head and scoop out the
+brains with a kind of wooden spoon. These brains, which were eaten warm
+and fresh, were regarded as a great delicacy. No doubt the Notus
+recognised some of their relatives amid the ghastly relics. We rested a
+short time in this village, and our people were soon busy spearing pigs
+and chickens, and looting. The loot consisted of all sorts of household
+articles and implements, including wooden pillows, bowls, and dishes,
+&ldquo;tapa&rdquo; cloth of quaint designs, stone adzes, beautiful
+feather ornaments, &ldquo;bau-baus&rdquo; or native bamboo pipes,
+wooden spears, and a great quantity of shell and dogs&rsquo;-tooth
+necklaces.</p>
+
+<p>We saw three or four of the enemy scouting on the edge of the
+forest, and I was asked to try to <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1084" href="#xd0e1084">119</a>]</span>pick one off, but before I
+could fire they had disappeared. Then several Notus ran out brandishing
+spears, and danced a war-dance in front of the forest, but their
+invitation was not accepted. We next saw several armed scouts on a
+small tree about five hundred yards away, and we all lined up and gave
+them a volley; whether we hit any of them or not it is hard to say, but
+they dropped down immediately into the long grass. At any rate, it must
+have astonished them to hear the bullets whistling round them, even if
+they were not hit, as it was the first time they had ever heard the
+report of a firearm of any description. Some of the police went out to
+sneak through the long grass, and we soon heard shots, and they came
+back with the spears, clubs and shields of two men they had killed.
+They also brought a curious fighting ornament worn on the head, made of
+upper bills of the hornbill.</p>
+
+<p>We continued our march through some thick forest, and at length came
+to the banks of a river, where we suddenly crouched down. An armed man
+was crawling along the river bed, peering in all directions, and
+shouting out to his friends on the opposite bank. We were anxious to
+make a capture. Monckton suddenly gave the word, and up jumped a dozen
+police in front of me and plunged into the river and gave chase. I
+followed hard, but the police in front were gradually leaving me far
+behind. Till then I always fancied <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1088" href="#xd0e1088">120</a>]</span>I could run a bit, but I
+knew better now. Seeing the man&rsquo;s shield, which he had thrown
+away in his flight, I at once collared it as a trophy of the chase.
+Then looking around, I found that I was quite alone, and the thick
+jungle all around me resounded with the loud angry shouts and cries of
+the enemy. I found out afterwards that my friends and the rest had no
+intention of giving chase, but had been highly amused in watching my
+poor effort to keep up with the nimble barefooted police. I shall never
+forget those uncomfortable few minutes as I rushed down the track in
+the direction the police had taken. Visions arose before me of the part
+I should play in a cannibal feast, and I expected every minute to feel
+the sharp point of a spear entering the small of my back, just as I had
+been seeing our people drive their spears clean through some running
+pigs.</p>
+
+<p>To my dismay I found the track divided, and it was impossible to
+tell which way the police had gone. To turn back was out of the
+question. I had come a good way, and I had no idea where the rest were,
+and from the uproar at the back I imagined the Doboduras were coming
+down the track after me. I hastily decided to go by the old saying,
+&ldquo;If you go to the right you are right,&rdquo; and it was well for
+me that I did so, as I found out later from the police that if I had
+gone to the left&mdash;well, there would have been nothing left of me,
+especially after one Dobodura meal, as <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1092" href="#xd0e1092">121</a>]</span>the enemy were there in full
+force. As it was, I soon afterward came up with the police, feeling
+rather shaky and white.</p>
+
+<p>The police had captured a middle-aged woman, whose face and part of
+her body were thickly plastered with clay. This was a sign of mourning.
+We learnt that she was a Notu woman, who had been captured some time
+previously by the Doboduras. She was much alarmed, and whined and beat
+her breasts, and caressed some of the police. We made her come on with
+us, and the rest of the party soon joining us, we came to another
+village, which we &ldquo;rushed,&rdquo; but it, too, was deserted.
+There was more killing of fowls and pigs, and a scene of great
+confusion as our people speared and clubbed them and ran about in all
+directions, looting the houses, picking coconuts, and cutting down
+betel-nut palms, many of them decorating themselves with the
+beautifully variegated leaves of crotons and <i>drac&aelig;nas,</i>
+some of which were of species entirely new to me. It seemed a bit
+curious that these wild cannibals should exhibit such a taste for these
+gay and brilliantly coloured leaves and flowers, which they had
+evidently transplanted from forest and jungle to their own village.</p>
+
+<p>We continued our way through bush and open country, our police
+having slight skirmishes with small bands of natives. One big Dobodura
+rushed at Sergeant Kimi with uplifted club, but Kimi <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1101" href="#xd0e1101">122</a>]</span>coolly
+knelt down and shot him in the stomach when he was only a few yards
+off. The round, sharp stone on the club being an extra fine one, I soon
+exchanged it with Kimi for two sticks of tobacco (the chief article of
+trade in New Guinea, and worth about three half-pence a stick).</p>
+
+<p>Toku, Monckton&rsquo;s boy, and a brother of my boy, Arigita, who
+carried his master&rsquo;s small pea-rifle, shot a man in the back with
+it as the man fled, and thereafter was a hero among the boys. Arigita
+wished to emulate his brother, and begged hard to do some shooting on
+his own account with my twelve-bore shot gun, which he carried, and he
+seemed very much hurt because I would not allow it.</p>
+
+<p>We passed through many more villages, embowered in palm groves, and
+in each village we saw plenty of human skulls and long sticks with
+human jawbones hanging upon them. On one I counted twenty-five; there
+were also long rows of the jawbones of pigs, and a few
+crocodiles&rsquo; heads. These villages were all deserted, the natives
+having fled. At length we came to what appeared, from its great size,
+to be the chief village, which we later learnt was named Dobodura. It
+extended some distance, and stood amid thousands of coconut palms. Here
+we determined to camp, but we found that most of the police had rushed
+on ahead after the Doboduras, much to Monckton&rsquo;s annoyance, for
+it was risky, to <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1107" href="#xd0e1107">123</a>]</span>say the least, as the enemy might easily
+have attacked each party separately. But the police and carriers, now
+that they had &ldquo;tasted blood,&rdquo; seemed to get quite out of
+hand, and their savagery coming to the surface, they rushed about as if
+demented. However, they soon returned with more captured weapons of
+warfare, having killed two more men, and they also brought two
+prisoners, a young man and a young woman. The prisoners looked horribly
+frightened, having never seen a white man before, and they thought they
+would be eaten: so Constable Yaidi told me.</p>
+
+<p>The man was a stupid looking oaf, and seemed too dazed to speak. The
+woman, however, if she had been washed, would have been quite
+good-looking. She had rather the European type of features, and was
+quite talkative. She told us that most of her people had gone off to
+fight a mountain tribe, who had threatened to swoop down on this
+village. These complications were getting exceedingly Gilbertian in
+character. To begin with, the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu carriers were
+afraid of the Okeinas, who in their turn were afraid of the Notus; the
+Notus feared this Dobodura tribe we were fighting, and the Doboduras
+seemed to be in fear of a mountain tribe. We ourselves were by no means
+sure of the Notus, and kept on guard in case of treachery. These
+tribes, we heard, were nearly always fighting, and always have their
+scouts out. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1111" href="#xd0e1111">124</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>To return to the prisoners. We showed them how a bullet could pass
+clean through a coconut tree, and they seemed to be greatly impressed.
+They were then told to tell their chief to come over the next morning
+and interview us, and that we wished to be friendly. We then gave them
+some tobacco and told them they could go, and it was evident that they
+were astonished beyond words at their good fortune. As they passed
+through our police and carriers, I feel sure that they suspected us of
+some trick on them.</p>
+
+<p>A bathe in the cool, clear river close by was delightful after a
+very hard day, but we, of course, had an armed guard of police around
+us, and practically bathed rifle in hand, as the growth was dense on
+the opposite bank.</p>
+
+<p>Our people seemed to be quite enjoying themselves, looting the
+houses, and one of the police was chasing a pig in this village, when
+he was attacked by a man with a club. The policeman was unarmed, but
+immediately wrenched the club from the man&rsquo;s hand and smashed his
+skull in, and the body lay barely one hundred yards from our tent. This
+was too tantalizing for our carriers, who came up and begged permission
+to eat it, although they knew full well that Monckton had given orders
+that there was to be no cannibalism among them. Needless to remark, the
+request was refused, but they had the pluck to ask again before the
+expedition was over. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1118" href="#xd0e1118">125</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>My boy Arigita had often eaten human meat, and as he expressed it in
+his quaint pidgin English, &ldquo;Pig no good, man he very good.&rdquo;
+It can be imagined it must be really good, as the Papuan thinks a great
+deal of pig. We had a good appetite for supper, in spite of the fact
+that we ate it within a few yards of a half-burnt heap of human skulls
+and bones, which appeared quite fresh. Our various tribes were all
+camped separately, and they looked very picturesque round their
+different camp fires, with their spears stuck in the ground in their
+midst, their clubs and shields by their sides, and the firelight
+flickering upon their wild-looking faces.</p>
+
+<p>To our astonishment, our late man prisoner returned and said that
+his chief wished to see us that night. At once there was a great
+commotion among our police and the Notus, who all spoke excitedly
+together, and were unanimous that this implied treachery, and that
+behind the chief would come his men, who would attack us unawares. We
+also learned that it was not their usual habit to make friendly visits
+at night. Monckton thought the same, and told the man that if the chief
+or any of his people came near the camp that night they would be shot.
+The man also informed us that all his tribe had returned; no doubt
+swift messengers went after them to bring them back. The man went, and
+we waited expectantly for what might happen. Everyone <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1123" href="#xd0e1123">126</a>]</span>seemed
+certain that we should be attacked, and if so, we had a very poor
+chance with from a thousand to fifteen hundred well-armed savages
+making a rush on us in the semi-darkness, as there was no moon, and it
+was cloudy.</p>
+
+<p>The enemy would rush up and close with our people, and while we
+should not be able to distinguish friend from foe, we should not be
+able to fire in the darkness at close quarters. They could then spear
+and club us at will. Now we had always heard that Papuans never attack
+at night, but the police and Notus told us that these Doboduras nearly
+always attacked at night, and if we had known this before we should
+most certainly have made ourselves a fortified camp outside the
+village. But it was too late to think of this now, and we knew that we
+were in a very awkward position. The fact that they could gather
+together so large a force as was alleged, was estimated by Monckton
+from the size of these villages, which showed that they were a very
+powerful tribe.</p>
+
+<p>The whole police force were put out on sentry duty, as also four or
+five Kaili-kailis who had been taught at Cape Nelson to use a rifle.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1129" href="#xd0e1129">127</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e1130" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">We Are Attacked By Night.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>A Night Attack&mdash;A Little Mistake&mdash;Horrible Barbarities of
+the Doboduras&mdash;Eating a Man Alive&mdash;A Sinister
+Warning&mdash;Saved by Rain&mdash;Daylight at
+Last&mdash;&ldquo;Prudence the Better Part&rdquo;&mdash;The
+Return&mdash;Welcome by the Notus&mdash;&ldquo;Orakaiba.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>I was busily engaged in writing my notes of the day, with my rifle
+by my side, when suddenly a shot rang out, followed by another and
+another, then a volley from all the sentries on one side of the camp,
+and the darkness was lit up by the flashes of their rifles. Then came
+the thrilling war-cry, &ldquo;Ooh-h-h-h! ah-h-h-h!&rdquo; that made
+one&rsquo;s blood run cold, especially under such surroundings. All the
+camp was now in the utmost confusion, and there was a great panic among
+our carriers, who flung themselves on the ground yelling with fear.
+Never was there such a fiendish noise! I sprang to my feet, flinging my
+note-book away and picking up my rifle, and ran back to where Monckton
+was yelling out: &ldquo;Fall in, fall in, for God&rsquo;s sake fall
+in!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Two houses were hastily set on fire, and instantly became furnaces
+which lit up the surroundings and the tops of the tall coconut palms
+over-head, which even in this moment of danger appeared to me like a
+glimpse of fairyland. I <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1140" href="#xd0e1140">128</a>]</span>noticed a line of fire-sticks waving in the
+darkness outside. They seemed to be slowly advancing, and in the
+excitement of the moment I mistook them for the enemy&mdash;and
+fired!</p>
+
+<p>Luckily, my shot did not take effect, as I soon found out that these
+fire-sticks were held by some of our own carriers, who had been told by
+Monckton to carry them so that we could distinguish them from the enemy
+in case we were attacked. Monckton turned to where the Notus, were, and
+seeing them all decked out in their war plumes, dancing about among the
+prostrate carriers, and waving their clubs and spears, naturally took
+them for Dobodura warriors, and nearly fired at them. He angrily
+ordered them to take off their feathers.</p>
+
+<p>Calmness soon settled down again, and we learned that the police had
+fired at some Doboduras who were creeping up into the camp. How many
+there were we could not tell, but later on we learnt that some of them
+had been killed, and seeing the flash of the rifles, which was a new
+experience to them, the rest had retreated for the time being, but soon
+rallied together for attack that night or in the small hours of the
+morning. Knowing that if they once rushed us in the darkness we should
+all be doomed for their cooking pots, the state of our feelings can be
+imagined.</p>
+
+<p>The first attempt came rather as a shock to a peaceful novice like
+myself, and seeing warriors <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1148"
+href="#xd0e1148">129</a>]</span>in full war paint and feathers rushing
+about with uplifted club and spear amid our prostrate squirming
+carriers, I had a very strong inclination to bury myself in the nearest
+hut and softly hum the lines, &ldquo;I care not for wars and
+quarrels,&rdquo; etc. We sat talking in subdued tones for some time,
+expecting every minute to hear the thrilling war cry of the Doboduras,
+but nothing was to be heard but the crackling of the embers of the
+burning houses, the low murmur of our people around their camp fire,
+and the most dismal falsetto howls of the native dogs in the distance.
+These howls were not particularly exhilarating at such a time, and I
+more than once mistook them for the distant war-cry of the
+Doboduras.</p>
+
+<p>The Papuans, as a rule, do not torture their prisoners for the mere
+idea of torture, though they have often been known to roast a man
+alive, for the reason that the meat is supposed to taste better thus.
+This they also do to pigs, and I myself, on this very expedition,
+caught some of our carriers making preparations to roast a pig alive,
+and just stopped them in time. For this reason Monckton would always
+shoot the pigs brought in for his carriers, but in this case one pig
+was overlooked. I have heard of cases of white men having been roasted
+alive, one case being that of the two miners, Campion and King. But we
+had learnt that this Dobodura tribe had a system of torture that was
+brutal beyond words. In <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1152" href="#xd0e1152">130</a>]</span>the first place they always try to wound
+slightly and capture a man alive, so that they can have fresh meat for
+many days. They keep their prisoner tied up alive in the house and cut
+out pieces of his flesh just when they want it, and we were told,
+incredible as it seems, that they sometimes manage to keep him alive
+for a week or more, and have some preparation which prevents him from
+bleeding to death.</p>
+
+<p>Monckton advised both Acland and myself to shoot ourselves with our
+revolvers if we saw that we were overwhelmed, so as to escape these
+terrible tortures, and he assured us that he should keep the last
+bullet in his own revolver for himself. This was my first taste of
+warfare. Monckton had had many fights with Papuans, and Acland,
+besides, had seen many severe engagements in the Boer war, but he said
+he would rather be fighting the Boers than risking the infernal
+tortures of these cannibals. It all, somehow, seemed unreal to me, and
+I could hardly realise that I was in serious danger of being tortured,
+cooked and eaten. It is impossible to depict faithfully our weird
+surroundings. We chatted on for some time, and tried to cheer each
+other up by making jokes about the matter, such as &ldquo;This time
+to-morrow we shall be laughing over the whole affair,&rdquo; but the
+depressed tone of our voices belied our words, and it proved to be but
+a very feeble attempt at joking. We longed for <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1156" href="#xd0e1156">131</a>]</span>the moon, though that
+would have helped us little, as it was cloudy.</p>
+
+<p>It is quite unnecessary to go into further details of that awful
+night. I know we all owned up afterward that it was the most trying
+night we had ever spent, and for my part I hope I may never spend
+another like it. None of us got a wink of sleep. I tried to sleep, but
+I was too excited to do so; besides, all my pockets were crammed full
+of rifle and revolver cartridges, and I had my revolver strapped to my
+side, ready for an attack, or in case we got separated in the confusion
+that was sure to ensue. At about 3 a.m. it began to rain, the first
+rain we had had in New Guinea for five or six weeks, and that saved us,
+for we learned later on that about that time the Doboduras were
+gathering together for a rush on our camp, when the rain set in, and,
+odd as it may seem, we heard that they had a superstition against
+attacking in the rain. What their reason was, I never got to hear
+fully, but we were unaware of all these things as we silently waited
+and longed for the dawn to break. I never before so wished for
+daylight. It came at length, and what a load it took off our minds! We
+could now see to shoot at all events. We saw the Dobodura scouts in the
+distance on the edge of the forest, but we had made up our minds to
+&ldquo;heau&rdquo; (Papuan for &ldquo;run away&rdquo;) as things were
+too hot for us. There was a scene of great <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e1160" href="#xd0e1160">132</a>]</span>excitement as we left,
+and from the noise our people made they were evidently glad to get
+away.</p>
+
+<p>The Notus led the way, and they started to hop about, brandishing
+their spears. They did excellent scouting work in the long grass,
+rushing ahead with their spears poised. This time the rear guard was
+formed by some of the police. All the villages we passed through were
+again deserted, but we heard the enemy crying out to one another in the
+forest and jungle, telling each other of our whereabouts. We expected
+an attack, and I often nearly mistook the screeches and cries of
+cockatoos and parrots and the loud, curious call of the birds of
+paradise for some distant war-cry, which was quite excusable,
+considering the state of our nerves and the sleepless night we had
+spent.</p>
+
+<p>The Notus were great looters, and as we passed through the various
+villages they took everything they could lay their hands on, and our
+entrance into a village was marked by a scene of great confusion. Pigs
+and chickens were speared, betel-nut palms cut down, and hunting nets,
+bowls, spears and food hauled out of the house, but Monckton was very
+strict in stopping them from cutting houses and coconut palms down. Ere
+long we left the last village behind, and halting just inside the
+forest, sent a man up a tree, who reported the last village we had
+passed through <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1166" href="#xd0e1166">133</a>]</span>to be full of people. The police had a few
+shots, but apparently without success.</p>
+
+<p>When we again reached the coast we knew that we were now safe from
+attack. Monckton was much puzzled that no attack had been made on us
+during the return journey, as he felt sure they were not afraid of us,
+and after we had killed so many of their people he was certain they
+would try for revenge. He also thought they expected us to camp that
+night in their country, and that we were only out hunting for them, as
+we did not hurry away very fast, but stopped a short time in each
+village.</p>
+
+<p>We found the tide high, so we took off our boots and waded most of
+the way, and in time arrived at a creek up which the sea was rushing in
+and out with great violence. We were helped over by police on each side
+of us, who half dragged us across, otherwise we should have been washed
+off our legs, so great was the suction. I was very fond of these
+strong, plucky, good tempered and amusing Papuan police. Often when we
+were encamped for the night, I would hear them chaffing each other in
+pidgin English for the benefit of the &ldquo;taubadas&rdquo; (masters);
+they would slyly turn their heads to see if we were amused, and how
+delighted they were if they saw us smile at their quaint English,</p>
+
+<p>In the evening we found ourselves back in the Notu villages, and
+were met by many Notus <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1174" href="#xd0e1174">134</a>]</span>bearing coconuts, which they opened and
+handed to us. I suppose these were meant as refreshment for the
+victors, for as such they no doubt regarded us, as well as saviours of
+their tribe. I could quite imagine the Notu warriors bragging on their
+return of their own deeds of valour, although all the killing was done
+by the police. Meanwhile, however, as we passed through the squatting
+crowds, we were greeted with loud cries of &ldquo;orakaiba&rdquo;
+(peace). <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1176" href="#xd0e1176">135</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e1177" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">On the War-Trail Once More.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Further Expedition Planned&mdash;Thank-offerings of Notu
+Chiefs&mdash;The Voyage&mdash;A Gigantic Flatfish&mdash;Negotiating a
+Difficult Bar&mdash;Moat Unhealthy Spot in New Guinea&mdash;Hostility
+of Natives&mdash;Precautions at Night&mdash;Catching Ground Sharks and
+a &ldquo;Groper&rdquo;&mdash;Shark-flesh a Delicacy to the
+Natives&mdash;Wakened by a War Cry&mdash;A False Alarm&mdash;A
+Hairbreadth Escape&mdash;Between &ldquo;Devil and Deep
+Sea&rdquo;&mdash;Dangers of the Goldfield&mdash;Two Miners Eaten
+Alive&mdash;Unexpected Visit from a White
+Man&mdash;&ldquo;Where&rsquo;s that Razor?&rdquo;&mdash;Crime of
+Cutting Down a Coconut Tree&mdash;Walsh&rsquo;s Camp&mdash;Torres
+Straits Pigeons&mdash;My Boy an ex-Cannibal&mdash;A Probable
+Trap&mdash;Relapse into Cannibalism of our Own Allies&mdash;Narrow
+Escape from a New Guinea Mantrap&mdash;Attack on a Village&mdash;Second
+Visit to Dobodura&mdash;Toku&rsquo;s Exploit&mdash;Interview with our
+Prisoners&mdash;Reasons for Cannibalism&mdash;The Night Attack on our
+Camp and Enemies&rsquo; Fear of our Rifles described by our
+Prisoners&mdash;Bravery of one of our Carriers&mdash;Treatment of a
+Prisoner.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Monckton on our return to the coast,
+&ldquo;we have got to punish those Doboduras at all costs. They are the
+worst brutes I&rsquo;ve come across in New Guinea.&rdquo; And Monckton
+knew what he was talking about, as he had been a resident magistrate in
+British New Guinea for many years and had travelled all over the
+country, and had a wider experience of the cannibals than any man
+living.</p>
+
+<p>This tribe (as has already been mentioned), when they capture a
+prisoner, tie him to a post, keep him alive for days, and meanwhile
+feed on him slowly by cutting out pieces of flesh, and <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1187" href="#xd0e1187">136</a>]</span>prevent his
+bleeding to death with a special preparation of their own concoction,
+and finally, when he is nearly dead, they make a hole in the side of
+the head and feed on the hot fresh brains.</p>
+
+<p>Both Acland and I myself fully agreed with Monckton, as we were not
+by any means grateful to the Doboduras for giving us the worst fright
+of our lives. We had, it is true, killed a good many of them, but we
+recognised the fact that our force was insufficient to hold its own,
+much less to punish these brutal tribesmen. So we determined to journey
+up north and get help from the magistrate of the Northern Division on
+the Mambare River, before returning to the Dobodura country.</p>
+
+<p>That evening four Notu chiefs came into camp to thank us for killing
+their enemies, and they brought with them presents of dogs&rsquo; teeth
+and shell necklaces, and seemed greatly excited, all talking at once,
+each trying to out-talk his fellows, and wagged their heads at us in
+turn. We left very early the next morning in our whaleboat for the
+Kumusi River, but left all our carriers and stores with most of the
+police behind in one of the Notu villages to await our return, as we
+now felt sure that we could trust the Notu tribe.</p>
+
+<p>It was a hot and uneventful voyage. A fish which looked like an
+enormous sole, but which was larger than the whaleboat, jumped high
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1195" href="#xd0e1195">137</a>]</span>in the air not many yards away. Toward
+evening we arrived opposite the bar of the Kumusi River, and we had a
+very uncomfortable few minutes getting through the breakers into the
+river, for if we had been upset we should soon have become food for the
+sharks and crocodiles, which literally swarmed here. We got through the
+worst part safely, but then stuck fast on a small sand-bank, and one or
+two good-sized breakers half-filled the boat; but we all jumped out and
+hauled her off the sand into the deep, calm waters beyond.</p>
+
+<p>After rowing up the river a short distance, we landed at a spot
+where there was a trader&rsquo;s store, looked after by an Australian
+named Owen. From here miners go up the river to the gold fields in the
+Yodda Valley, and cutters are constantly putting in at this store with
+miners and provisions.</p>
+
+<p>This district has the reputation of being one of the most unhealthy
+spots in New Guinea, and the natives round here are none too friendly,
+and hate the government and their police, so that during the last three
+years, three or four resident magistrates in the locality have either
+been murdered or have died of fever.</p>
+
+<p>We arranged to have our meals with Owen at the store, and we slept
+in a rough palm-thatched shed with a raised flooring of split
+palm-trunks, which was very hard and rough to sleep on, and gave me a
+sleepless night. We got two of our <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1203" href="#xd0e1203">138</a>]</span>police to sleep in front of
+the doorway, as it was more than likely that the natives might attempt
+to murder us. These precautions may have been justified as, in the
+middle of the night both Acland and I myself saw two natives peering
+into the hut.</p>
+
+<p>The next day we sent off a messenger to the northern station for
+more police, and it was fully a week before they arrived. Meanwhile we
+spent our time dynamiting and catching fish. We caught some large
+ground sharks fully four hundred pounds in weight, and also a
+&ldquo;gorupa&rdquo; (&ldquo;groper&rdquo;), a very large fish of about
+three hundred and fifty pounds. This fish is the terror of divers in
+these parts they fear it more than any shark. Both shark and fish
+proved most acceptable to our police; they are especially fond of
+shark.</p>
+
+<p>One morning about five o&rsquo;clock I was aroused by hearing a
+shrill war-cry close by. The police rushed up with their rifles and
+told us we were attacked. It can be imagined it did not take us long to
+buckle on our revolvers and seize our rifles and run, half-asleep as we
+were, in the direction of the noise, which was repeated from time to
+time in a very ferocious manner. On turning a sharp corner by the
+river, instead of warlike warriors, we beheld about a dozen natives
+hauling in the sharkline we had left baited in the water the previous
+evening, with a very large shark at the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1209" href="#xd0e1209">139</a>]</span>end of it. Being greatly
+excited they had from time to time yelled out their war-cry. We felt
+very foolish at being roused from our slumbers for nothing, but still
+there was some slight consolation in knowing that even the police were
+deceived.</p>
+
+<p>Owen, the Australian, not long before had had rather an amusing, and
+at the same time exciting, adventure with a large crocodile in a swamp
+close to the store. He noticed it fast asleep in the swamp, and so
+waded out to it through the mud, making no noise whatever. When within
+a few yards of the saurian, he threw a double charge of dynamite close
+up to it, and then turned to fly. He found he could not move, but was
+stuck firmly in the mud. His struggles and yells for help had meanwhile
+awoke the crocodile, which came for him with open jaws. It looked as if
+it was a case of either being blown to pieces by the dynamite or
+furnishing a meal for the crocodile.</p>
+
+<p>Luckily the fuse was a long one, and the crocodile floundered about
+a good deal in the mud ere it could reach him. Some friendly natives
+rushed in and dragged him out just as the crocodile reached him. The
+crocodile fled in one direction and the dynamite went off in another,
+but Owen and the natives only just avoided the explosion.</p>
+
+<p>Owen told me that there were about fifty miners <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1217" href="#xd0e1217">140</a>]</span>in the
+goldfields of the Yodda Valley, but that most of them were beginning to
+leave, although there is plenty of gold to be got. The climate is a bad
+one, and provisions, etc., are very dear, and so gold has to be got in
+very large quantities to pay. As the miners decrease, there is bound to
+be trouble with the natives, who are very treacherous. The miners, who
+are nearly all Australians or New Zealanders, have generally to work in
+strong bands with their rifles close at hand.</p>
+
+<p>Only a short time ago the two miners, Campion and King (whom I have
+elsewhere mentioned), while working in the bed of a creek, had just
+traded with some apparently friendly natives for a pig and some yams,
+and sat down for a smoke and a rest, thinking that the natives had
+left, but these cunning cannibals were awaiting just such an
+opportunity, and were lying hid amidst the thick foliage clothing the
+steep banks of the creek. Suddenly, making a rush, they got between the
+miners and their rifles, and speared both in the legs, taking care not
+to kill them, as the cannibals in this part of New Guinea consider that
+meat tastes better, be it pig or man, when cooked alive. They then tied
+them with ropes of rattan to long poles and carried them off to their
+village, where they were both roasted alive over a slow fire. These
+facts were gathered from some prisoners afterwards captured by a
+government <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1221" href="#xd0e1221">141</a>]</span>force. A strong band of miners also attacked
+their villages, and gave no quarter.</p>
+
+<p>On the fifth day of our stay here one of our police came rushing up
+to us excitedly with the information that a whaleboat was in sight, and
+we knew that a white man would be in it. There was at once a cry from
+Monckton, &ldquo;After you with the razor, Acland.&rdquo; Now it had
+been understood that none of us were to shave during the expedition,
+and consequently we had grown large crops of beards and whiskers, and
+looked a veritable trio of cut-throats. However, it appeared that
+Acland had smuggled away a razor-possibly for all we knew to enable him
+to captivate some fair Amazon, who might otherwise have thought he was
+only good for her cooking pot. Half-an-hour later three clean-shaven
+individuals met a tall unshaven man as he stepped out of his boat on to
+the beach, and his first remark was, &ldquo;Oh, I say, (reproachfully)
+you fellows, where&rsquo;s that razor!&rdquo; It was Walsh, Assistant
+Resident Magistrate for the Northern Division, and none of us had met
+him before.</p>
+
+<p>He and another Englishman, a celebrated trader named Clark (he was
+an old resident, well-known in New Guinea), with a force of police,
+were returning from an expedition down the coast, and were at present
+encamped about sixteen miles south of here, near some small islands
+known as Mangrove Islands. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1227"
+href="#xd0e1227">142</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>Leaving Clark in charge, Walsh had come over with a small cutter,
+which we promptly hired to carry the extra stores of rice and
+provisions which we had purchased from Owen. It is astonishing the
+amount of rice it takes to feed one hundred carriers and twenty-five
+native police during a six weeks&rsquo; exploring expedition.</p>
+
+<p>Two days later ten police arrived, sent down at Monckton&rsquo;s
+request from the Mambare or Northern Station. These, with Walsh&rsquo;s
+nine, made an addition of nineteen police to our force. A celebrated
+old Mambare chief named Busimaiwa arrived at the same time, together
+with many of his tribe, which was friendly to the government. I say
+celebrated because he was the leader in the murder of the resident
+magistrate of the Northern Division, the late Mr. &mdash;&mdash;,
+together with all his police. But he has since been pardoned by the
+government. The magistrate and his police were killed through
+treachery, being unarmed at the time. They were all eaten, but
+&mdash;&mdash;&rsquo;s skull was afterwards recovered. Old Busimaiwa,
+had a son in our police force.</p>
+
+<p>We were off early the next morning, we four white men and most of
+the police going in the two whaleboats, while the rest walked along the
+shore. These latter had to pass through many small villages on the way,
+but the inhabitants did not wait to find out whether they were friends
+or foes, and the police found the villages empty. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1234" href="#xd0e1234">143</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>From the whaleboat I suddenly noticed a tall coconut palm come
+falling to the ground, and I immediately called Monckton&rsquo;s <span
+class="corr" id="xd0e1237" title="Source: atttention">attention</span>
+to the fact. He was very much annoyed, as he knew that it was cut down
+by some of our party, contrary to regulations. According to government
+laws, to cut down a coconut tree in New Guinea is a crime, and a
+serious one at that. Even when attacking a hostile village it is
+strictly forbidden, though one may loot houses, kill pigs, out down
+betel-nut palms, and even kill the inhabitants. But the coconut-palm is
+sacred in their eyes.</p>
+
+<p>However, the government has an eye to the future of the country, as,
+besides being the main article of food in a country whose food supply
+is limited, the coconut tree means wealth to the country, when it gets
+more settled and the natives are able to do a large business in copra
+with the white traders.</p>
+
+<p>That evening, when in camp, we discovered the culprit to be no less
+a personage than the sergeant of Walsh&rsquo;s police, who was in
+command of the shore party, his sole excuse for breaking the law being
+that he thought it too much trouble to climb the tree after the
+coconuts. When the whole of the police force had been drawn up in line
+Monckton, as leader of the expedition, cut the red stripes from the
+blue tunic of the sergeant, and he was reduced to the ranks.</p>
+
+<p>After a rough voyage, there being a good swell <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1246" href="#xd0e1246">144</a>]</span>on, we
+arrived at Walsh&rsquo;s camp on the mainland, opposite the Mangrove
+Islands, and here we found Clark, whom I had met before in Samarai. The
+camp was situated in the midst of a small native village, and later on
+the inhabitants and others turned up armed with their stone clubs,
+spears and shields, and offered to help us. They also wanted us to go
+and fight their enemies a short way inland from here. Monckton&rsquo;s
+reply was not over polite. He ended by ordering them at once to clear
+out of their village, as he had no use for them.</p>
+
+<p>Toward evening we all went pigeon shooting, as thousands of Torres
+Straits pigeons flock round here at twilight and settle chiefly on the
+small islands close to the mainland. We had excellent sport. The birds
+flew overhead, and we shot a great number between us.</p>
+
+<p>Three of us white men were down with fever that evening. As the
+cutter had not arrived with the rice, etc., from the Kumusi River, we
+had to remain here the whole of the next day.</p>
+
+<p>Toward evening we again went pigeon shooting, each of us taking
+possession of a small island, but the birds were not nearly as
+plentiful as yesterday, and small bags were the result. On these
+islands were plenty of houses, which we heard were deserted a few weeks
+ago, owing to the frequent attacks of hungry cannibals on the
+mainland.</p>
+
+<p>On my island I discovered several very fresh-looking <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1256" href="#xd0e1256">145</a>]</span>human
+skulls and bones. My boy, Arigita, regaled me with yarns while we
+waited for the pigeons. He told me he had often eaten human meat, and
+expressed the same opinion on the matter as the ex-cannibals I had met
+in the interior of Fiji had done. I had good reason for suspecting the
+young rascal of having partaken of human meat since he had been my
+servant.</p>
+
+<p>I noticed plenty of double red hibiscus bushes on these islands, and
+I came across a new and curious <i>drac&aelig;na</i> with extremely
+short and broad red and green leaves, that was certainly worth
+introducing into cultivation.</p>
+
+<p>We continued our journey in the whaleboats the next morning, and
+after going some distance we heard a shout, and saw a man on the beach
+frantically waving to us, but as he would not venture near enough, we
+had to go on without finding out what was the matter. Shortly afterward
+we heard three loud blasts on a conch shell, which is always used to
+call natives together, but the bush being thick, we could see nothing.
+I myself believe it was a trap, the man evidently trying to get us
+ashore, so that his tribe might attack us. However, our shore party,
+who came along later, saw no sign of any natives.</p>
+
+<p>Towards evening we landed at the spot where we had started inland
+last time against the Doboduras. Here we determined to camp. We
+immediately sent down to Notu for our carriers <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1267" href="#xd0e1267">146</a>]</span>and the rest of the
+police, who arrived after dark, all seeming delighted and relieved to
+be with us once more. We learned that after we had left the Notu people
+killed and ate two runaway carriers from the Kumusi, and after
+indulging in a great feast, fled and deserted their villages, so our
+late cannibalistic allies evidently feared retribution at our
+hands.</p>
+
+<p>These carriers, belonging to the miners in the Kumusi and Mambare
+districts, are constantly running away, and they then try to work their
+way down the coast to Samarai, from whence they are shipped. But they
+never get there, being always killed and eaten on the way. One of our
+own carriers had died at Notu, but the police had seen to it that he
+was properly buried. However, it is more than likely that he was dug up
+after they had left, and eaten.</p>
+
+<p>The cutter arrived early the next morning.. The rice was soon
+landed, and we started off along the same track as before. We now had
+over forty police, and although we did not this time have the
+assistance of the Notus, we had many more carriers.</p>
+
+<p>During this march our police luckily discovered in time some
+slanting spears set as a man trap, which projected from the tall grass
+over the narrow track. Such spears are hard to see, especially for
+anyone travelling at a good speed, and I was told that the points were
+poisoned. Another trap, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1275" href="#xd0e1275">147</a>]</span>common in New Guinea, is to place a fallen
+tree across the track and dig a deep pit on the other side from which
+the enemy is expected to come. This pit is filled with sharp upright
+spears, and then lightly covered over so that a man stepping over the
+tree, which hides the ground on the other side, will fall into the
+pit.</p>
+
+<p>After marching for some distance, we came to the end of a bit of
+forest, from whence we could see the first hostile village. We
+frightened away several armed scouts. The village appeared to be full
+of armed men in full war-paint and plumes, so we divided our force into
+two parties, each cutting round through the forest on both sides of the
+village, in an endeavour to surprise the enemy. We were only partially
+successful, as the Doboduras discovered our plans just in time. Though
+we rushed the village, and a few shots were fired, we only succeeded in
+capturing two old men and a small boy, who were not able to get away in
+time. The houses were full of household goods, in spite of our previous
+raid, when this and other villages were well looted by our people, so
+we were evidently not expected to return.</p>
+
+<p>We did not stay long here, but soon resumed our march. It was a very
+hot day, and after walking through the open bits of grass country, it
+was always pleasant to get into the cool and shady forest, full of
+delicate ferns, rare palms and orchid-laden trees. We passed on through
+two other <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1281" href="#xd0e1281">148</a>]</span>villages, with their gruesome platforms of
+grinning skulls as the only vestige of humanity.</p>
+
+<p>At length we came to the large village, which is named Dobodura,
+after the tribe, and in which we had spent such a horrible night on our
+last visit. The village was full of yelling warriors. Rushing up, we
+shot several who showed fight. Most of them, however, fled before us.
+Toku, Monckton&rsquo;s boy, and brother of my boy Arigita, again made
+use of his master&rsquo;s pea-rifle, but this time he did not meet with
+any success, and very narrowly escaped getting a spear through him.</p>
+
+<p>A short time before, when Monckton was out on an expedition, Toku
+was carrying his master&rsquo;s revolver, but happened to lag behind
+the rest of the party without being noticed, when a man jumped out of
+the jungle and picked young Toku up in his arms, covering up his mouth
+so that he could not cry out, and proceeded to carry him off, no doubt
+intending to have a live roast. But Toku, managing to draw
+Monckton&rsquo;s revolver, shot him dead right through the head, and
+Monckton, hearing the shot, turned back, and soon discovered young Toku
+calmly sitting on his enemy&rsquo;s dead body. But, alas! the hero had
+to suffer in the hour of his triumph, as Monckton ordered him to be
+flogged for lagging behind the rear guard of police.</p>
+
+<p>Besides killing several of the Doboduras, we also took several
+prisoners, both men and women. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1289"
+href="#xd0e1289">149</a>]</span>We rested here, but several of the
+police, whose fighting blood was now fully roused, went out with some
+of our armed natives, skirmishing in one or two parties till late, and
+we could hear shots in all directions. As we found out later, they had
+slain several more of the enemy, with no loss to themselves.</p>
+
+<p>We chose a splendid camp, with the river (which we were informed was
+the Tamboga River) on one side.</p>
+
+<p>The forest trees were felled on the other side, forming a strong
+barrier, very different from our last camp here in the centre of the
+village, and without any defences at all. We had a most refreshing
+bathe in the river, but kept our rifles close at hand, as the enemy
+could have easily speared us from the reeds on the opposite bank.</p>
+
+<p>After supper we interviewed the prisoners, and we now learned the
+real sequel to our last visit and what a narrow escape we had that
+night from being all massacred. It appeared that our fighting during
+the daytime astonished them much, as they could not understand how we
+could kill at such a distance, rifles being quite new to them. Our fame
+soon reached a large village much further on, and they said to the
+Dobodura people: &ldquo;Ye are all cowards; we will show you that we
+can destroy these strange people.&rdquo; They started off that night
+and surrounding our camp on all sides, crept up for a rush; but,
+luckily for us, our sentries <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1297"
+href="#xd0e1297">150</a>]</span>saw some of them and fired. The first
+shot killed one of them, and others were hit. Then came the blaze of
+many rifles. This terrified them and they fled. The horrible noise of
+the rifles and the flashes of fire in the darkness astonished them, but
+what made them depart for good was seeing one of their men fall at the
+first shot. It was a very lucky shot, and it probably saved our lives
+that night. When asked why they raided the Notus, the prisoners said
+that they were friends until two years ago, when they quarrelled, and
+had been constantly fighting since. In particular they now blamed the
+Notus for the late drought, which they said was due to their sorcery,
+the result being that they were forced to live on sago alone, and to
+vary this diet were compelled to get human meat.</p>
+
+<p>I was the only one out of five white men not down with fever, but I
+was glad that we passed a quiet night, with no attack on the camp. In
+the morning one of our carriers, who ventured less than fifty yards
+beyond the barrier, received a spear through his left arm and another
+through his side, and though I am almost afraid to relate it for fear
+of being thought guilty of exaggeration, the man plucked the spear out
+of his side in a moment, and, hurling it back, killed his opponent. I
+ventured outside and proved the truth of the man&rsquo;s story, by
+finding the Dobodura man transfixed with his own spear. Both our
+man&rsquo;s wounds <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1301" href="#xd0e1301">151</a>]</span>were bad ones, but he did not seem to mind
+them at all, and was for some time surrounded by a crowd of admiring
+natives.</p>
+
+<p>We started off early in search of a large village of which a
+prisoner told us, but had not gone far when a man jumped out of the
+long grass and threw a spear at one of our carriers, only a few paces
+in front of me. Fortunately he missed him, but only by a few inches. As
+he was preparing to throw another spear, one of our men, whom he had
+not noticed, owing to an abrupt bend in the narrow track, which brought
+him close to the spearman, sprang forward and buried his stone club in
+the man&rsquo;s head, who sank down without a groan.</p>
+
+<p>It was cloudy, but very close, and we passed through open grass
+country, bounded on each side by tall forest, in which bird-life seemed
+plentiful, cockatoos and parrots making a great noise. Birds of
+paradise were also calling out with their very noticeable and peculiar
+falsetto cry.</p>
+
+<p>After going some distance we catechized the prisoners, and while an
+old man declared that there was a large village ahead, the two women
+prisoners said that the track was only a hunting one and led to the
+mountains.</p>
+
+<p>The old man evidently wanted to get us away from his village, to
+enable his tribe to return, but the women, not being so loyal, told us
+the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1311" href="#xd0e1311">152</a>]</span>truth, no doubt because they found the
+forced marching on a hot day a little too much for them. We sat down
+for a consultation, but hearing a loud outcry in the rear, I suddenly
+came across about a dozen of the now indignant police pelting the old
+man with darts made out of a peculiar kind of grass, which grew around
+here. The old man, who was handcuffed, hopped high in the air, uttering
+loud yells every time a dart hit him, so I imagined they hurt, and
+though I, too, felt much annoyed, I had to put a stop to this cruel
+sport, when one of the aggrieved policemen cried out to me:
+&ldquo;Taubada (master), why you stop him get hurt? This fellow he
+ki-ki (eat) you if he get chance.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1313" href="#xd0e1313">153</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e1314" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">The Return From Dobodura.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Horrible Fate of one of our Enemies&mdash;Collecting in
+Cannibal&mdash;Haunted Forest&mdash;I Shoot a new Kingfisher, and a
+Bird of Paradise&mdash;Natives&rsquo; Interest in
+Bird-Stuffing&mdash;Return Journey begun&mdash;Tree-house in a Notu
+Village&mdash;Peacemaking Ceremonies&mdash;Notu Village
+described&mdash;Our Allies sentenced for Cannibalism&mdash;Parting with
+Walsh and Clark.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>We decided to return, and sent off a strong body of police in
+advance to surprise some of the surrounding villages. On the way back
+we found the man who was brained by one of our carriers still
+breathing. He was a ghastly sight, with his brains projecting out, and
+he was being eaten alive by swarms of red ants, which almost hid his
+body and found their way into his eyes, ears and nose. By the
+convulsions that from time to time shook the man&rsquo;s body, he was
+evidently still conscious, but could not possibly have lived for more
+than a few hours at most, after our thus finding him. New Guinea, like
+most tropical countries, had its full share of these pests (ants), some
+species of which actually make webs, and, by way of supplementing the
+web itself, work leaves in.</p>
+
+<p>Acland, who had been suffering all day long from bad fever, now
+collapsed and could walk no further, but had to be carried in a
+hammock. When we got back to our old camping ground, I <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1324" href="#xd0e1324">154</a>]</span>took an
+armed guard of police and went in search of birds for my collection, in
+the adjoining forest, and shot a new kingfisher (<i>Tanysiptera</i>)
+and a bird of paradise (<i>Paradisea intermedia</i>). It was rather
+exciting work, as one went warily through the thick growth, from whence
+might issue a spear any minute, and I held on to my rifle all the time,
+except, of course, when I saw a bird, and then I made a quick change to
+my shotgun, lest I should prove a case of the hunter hunted.</p>
+
+<p>On my return I had a large crowd of carriers around me watching me
+skin my birds, while Arigita explained everything to them in lordly
+fashion, only too pleased to get the chance of being listened to, while
+he expounded to them his superior knowledge. What he told them I, of
+course, could not tell, but he informed me that when I put the final
+stitch in the nostrils of the birds, my audience declared that I did
+this to prevent the birds from breathing and so one day coming to life
+again. When the wise Arigita asked them how this could be, since they
+had seen me take out the body and brains, they scoffed at him and said
+that spirits would come inside the skins so that they could sing
+again.</p>
+
+<p>Monckton, meanwhile, had made a raid on the native gardens and
+brought in quite a lot of taro. The police had killed several more
+Doboduras, and in one place they had quite a fight. Our <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1336" href="#xd0e1336">155</a>]</span>old man
+prisoner escaped in the night, although he was handcuffed.</p>
+
+<p>We returned to the coast the next day, as there seemed no chance of
+our coming to terms with these Doboduras. Our only chance would have
+been to defeat them in a big engagement. They seemed too frightened of
+us to stand up for a big fight, but hid themselves in the bush, and
+were thus hard to get at. We left ten police behind to trap the
+natives, and, thinking we had left, a few of them returned to the
+village, and the police shot four more of them and soon caught up with
+us, bringing in the shields, stone clubs and spears of the slain.</p>
+
+<p>During both these expeditions we had killed a good many of these
+people, and it ought to be a lesson to them to leave the Notus alone in
+future, although there is little doubt that the Notus themselves make
+cannibalistic raids on some of their weaker neighbours. I did not like
+the looks of the Notus, and they, as well as the Doboduras, have a most
+repellent type of features, and look capable of any kind of cruelty and
+treachery. They are very different from the gentle-looking
+Kaili-kailis.</p>
+
+<p>The sea was very rough, and it was exciting work launching the
+canoes. One was thrown clean out of the water by a breaker. The
+majority of the carriers and half the police went round by the beach,
+but we in the two whaleboats had some <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1344" href="#xd0e1344">156</a>]</span>exciting moments in the
+rough sea, though with the sails up we made good progress. We passed
+two of the canoes partially wrecked, and apparently in great
+difficulties.</p>
+
+<p>We eventually landed long after dark in Eoro Bay, some distance the
+other side of the large Notu village, near which we had previously
+camped. We landed opposite a good-sized village belonging to the Notu
+tribe, from which all the inhabitants fled on our approach. We wandered
+about the village with flaming torches, looking out for huts to pass
+the night in, as it was too late to pitch camp. But unhappily the huts
+were full of lice, and it was impossible to get any sleep.</p>
+
+<p>I saw here for the first time one of the curious native tree houses.
+It was high up in a tall pandanus tree, and had a very odd appearance.
+We spent the whole of the next day in this village, while our carriers
+brought in and mended their canoes. They, too, had a very rough time of
+it, but no lives were lost.</p>
+
+<p>During the day I witnessed a very interesting ceremony, which I take
+the liberty of describing in Monckton&rsquo;s own words, given in his
+report to the Government. He says: &ldquo;October 7th. Found that some
+of the mountain people had been out to Notu and wished to make peace
+with them. The Notu people had also ascertained that the Dobodura had
+retreated into the large sago swamp, and were quite certain that they
+had <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1352" href="#xd0e1352">157</a>]</span>no danger to fear from them for some time to
+come. They also said that after the police had departed they would very
+likely be able to re-establish their ancient friendly relations with
+the Dobodura. A peace-offering was brought from the mountain people,
+which the Notu people asked me to receive for them. The ceremony was
+strange to me, and had several peculiar features. Two minor chiefs came
+to where I was sitting and sat down. About twenty men then approached
+and drove their spears into the ground in a circle with the butts all
+leaning inwards. Many of the spears had a small piece broken off at the
+butt end. From these spears were then hung clubs, spears and shields,
+and native masks and fighting ornaments. An old chief then said they
+had given me their arms. Next they placed cloth, fishing nets and
+spears and other native ornaments inside the circle, and the same old
+chief said they had given me their property. After this ten pigs, five
+male and five female, were brought and placed inside the ring with a
+quantity of sago and a little other food. Then followed cooking vessels
+full of cooked food. The old chief then said, &lsquo;We have given you
+all we have as a sign we are now the people of the Government.&rsquo; I
+gave them a good return present, and told them that they were at
+liberty to take any articles they wanted or their pigs back again, but
+this they absolutely refused to do, saying that it would destroy the
+effect of what <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1354" href="#xd0e1354">158</a>]</span>they had done. The female prisoners were now
+sent back to Dobodura with a message to the Dobodura, that I should
+return in a few months and make peace with them, should they in the
+meantime refrain from murdering the coastal people, but should they
+persist in their raiding I should return and handle them still more
+severely.&rdquo; In return we gave them presents of axes, knives,
+beads, tobacco, etc., which were laid down on the top of each pig.</p>
+
+<p>Monckton very kindly presented Acland and myself with all the clubs,
+native masks, &ldquo;tapa&rdquo; cloth and ornaments, and the pigs and
+other food came in very useful for our police and carriers, as our rice
+supply was getting low.</p>
+
+<p>This was a very picturesque village, shaded by thousands of coconut
+and betel nut palms and large spreading trees, among which was a very
+fine tree, with very beautiful green and yellow variegated leaves
+(<i>Erythrina</i> sp.). There was also a great variety of <i>
+drac&aelig;nas,</i> striped and spotted with green, crimson, white,
+pink and yellow.</p>
+
+<p>In most of these villages there were many curious kinds of
+trophies&mdash;crossed sticks, standing in the middle of the village,
+with a centre pole carved and painted in various patterns, and with a
+fringe of fibre placed near the top. Hanging on these sticks were the
+skulls and jawbones of men, pigs and crocodiles. I went out in the
+afternoon with gun and rifle, and saw several wallabies, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1368" href="#xd0e1368">159</a>]</span>but could
+not get a shot at them on account of the tall grass.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening the chiefs of the large Notu village who had in our
+absence killed and eaten the two runaway carriers, visited us in fear
+and trembling. Monckton told them they must give up to us the actual
+murderers and send them up to the residency at Cape Nelson (or Tufi)
+within the next three weeks. He did not ask for those that ate them.
+Possibly one hundred or more partook of the feast, and for this they
+could hardly be blamed, as, being cannibals, it is quite natural that
+they should eat fresh meat when they got the chance. Indeed, our own
+carriers could not understand why we would not allow them to eat the
+bodies of those we had slain.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning we five white men parted company, Walsh and Clark,
+with the Mambare and their own police, returning to the north, while
+Monckton, Acland and I went southward again to continue our
+explorations in another direction. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1374" href="#xd0e1374">160</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e1375" href="#xd0e1375">161</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="div0" id="xd0e1376">
+<h2 class="normal">Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.</h2>
+
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1379" href="#xd0e1379">162</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1380"
+href="#xd0e1380">163</a>]</span>
+<div id="xd0e1381" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>Rumours at Cape Nelson of a &ldquo;Duckfooted&rdquo; People in the
+Interior&mdash;Conflicting Opinions&mdash;Views of a Confirmed
+Sceptic&mdash;Start of the Expedition&mdash;Magnificence of the
+Vegetation&mdash;Friendliness of the Barugas&mdash;The
+&ldquo;Orakaibas&rdquo; (<span class="corr" id="xd0e1387" title=
+"Source: Cryers">Criers</span> of &ldquo;Peace&rdquo;)&mdash;Tree-huts
+eighty feet from the ground-Loveliness of this part of the
+Jungle&mdash;Description of its Plants&mdash;A Dry Season&mdash;First
+Glimpse of Agai Ambu Huts&mdash;Remarkable Scene on the
+Lake&mdash;Flight of the Agai Ambu in Canoes&mdash;Success at
+Last&mdash;A Voluntary Surrender&mdash;The Agai Ambu Flat-footed, not
+Web-footed&mdash;Sir Francis Winter&rsquo;s subsequent Visit and fuller
+Description of these People&mdash;Their Physical Appearance, Houses,
+Canoes, Food, Speech and Customs&mdash;My Account Resumed&mdash;Making
+Friends with the Agai Ambu&mdash;A Country of Swamps&mdash;Second Agai
+Ambu Village&mdash;Extraordinary Abundance and Variety of
+Water-fowl&mdash;Strange Behaviour of an Agai Ambu Women&mdash;Disposal
+of the Dead in Mid-lake Food of the Agai Ambu&mdash;Their Method of
+Catching Ducks by Diving for them&mdash;An Odd
+Experience&mdash;Mosquitos and Fever&mdash;Last View of Agai
+Ambu&mdash;An Amusing <i>Finale.</i></p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Many were the wild and fantastic rumours we had heard at the
+Residency at Cape Nelson, on the north-east coast of British New
+Guinea, concerning a curious tribe of natives whose feet were reported
+to be webbed like those of a duck, and who lived in a swamp a short way
+in the interior, some distance to the north of us. I myself had at
+first been inclined to sneer at these reports, but Monckton, the
+Resident Magistrate, with his superior knowledge of the Papuans, as the
+natives of New Guinea are called, was sure that there was some truth in
+the reports, as the Papuan who has not come much in contact with the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1394" href="#xd0e1394">164</a>]</span>white man is singularly truthful though
+guilty of exaggeration.</p>
+
+<p>I knew this, but I had in mind the case of the Doriri tribe, who
+lived in the interior a little to the south of us. These Doriri (who
+had had the kindly forethought to send us word that they were coming
+down to pay us a visit to eat us, for the Papuan, though a savage, is
+often most suave and courteous and by no means lacking in humour), were
+reported to us as having many tails, but needless to say when we made
+some prisoners, we were scarcely disappointed to find that the said
+tails protruded from the back of the head (in much the same fashion as
+the Chinaman&rsquo;s pigtail); in this case each man had many tails,
+which were fashioned by rolling layers of bark from a certain
+tree&mdash;closely allied, I believe to the &ldquo;paper tree&rdquo; of
+Australia&mdash;round long strands of hair.</p>
+
+<p>We three white men had many a long talk as to whether these
+swamp-dwellers were worth going in search of, but I soon came round to
+Monckton&rsquo;s way of thinking. Acland, alone, however, maintained to
+the last that the whole thing was a myth, and jokingly said to
+Monckton: &ldquo;When you find these duck-footed people, you had better
+see that Walker does not take them for birds, and shoot and skin a
+couple of specimens of each sex and add them to his collection.&rdquo;
+(For my chief hobby in this and many other countries <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1400" href="#xd0e1400">165</a>]</span>all over
+the world consisted in adding to my fine collections of birds and
+butterflies in the old country.)</p>
+
+<p>As we three, with our twenty-five native police and four servant
+boys, rowed up the Barigi River in our large government whaleboat, on
+our way to search for these &ldquo;duck-footed&rdquo; people, I could
+not help being struck with the very great beauty of the scene. Giant
+trees laden with their burden of orchids, parasites and dangling
+lianas, surrounded us on both sides, their wide-spreading branches
+forming a leafy arcade far over our heads, while palms in infinite
+variety, intermixed with all sorts of tropical forms of vegetation, and
+rare ferns, grew thickly on the banks.</p>
+
+<p>Some distance behind us came our large fleet of canoes, bearing our
+bags of rice and over one hundred carriers, and as they paddled down
+the dark green oily waters of this natural arcade, with much shouting
+and the splashing of many paddles, it made a scene which is with me yet
+and is never to be forgotten. As we proceeded, the river got more
+narrow, and fallen trees from time to time obstructed our way. We at
+length landed at a spot where we were met by a large number of the
+Baruga tribe, who brought us several live pigs tied to poles, and great
+quantities of sago, plantains and yams. They had expected us, as we had
+camped in their country the previous night. They had been
+&ldquo;licked&rdquo; into friendliness <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1406" href="#xd0e1406">166</a>]</span>by Monckton, who less than a
+year ago (as elsewhere mentioned) had sunk their canoes, and together
+with the aid of the crocodiles, which swarm in this river, had
+annihilated a large force of them. And now to show their friendliness
+they were prepared to do us a good turn, by helping us to find these
+duck-footed people, with whom (they told us) they were well
+acquainted.</p>
+
+<p>Oyogoba, the chief of the Baruga tribe, came to meet us. He assured
+us of the friendliness of his people, and himself offered to accompany
+us. His arm had been broken in the encounter with Monckton and his
+police, and Monckton had immediately afterwards set it himself. It now
+seemed quite sound.</p>
+
+<p>We soon resumed our journey, on foot, passing through very varied
+country, plains covered with tall grass and bounded by forest, through
+which at times we passed. At other times we had to force our way
+through thick swamps in which the sago-palm abounded, from the trunks
+of which the natives extract sago in great quantities.</p>
+
+<p>About mid-day we arrived at a fair-sized village belonging to the
+Baruga tribe. It was surrounded by a tall stockade of poles, and as we
+entered it, the women sitting in their huts greeted us with their
+incessant cries of &ldquo;orakaiba, orakaiba&rdquo; (peace). On this
+account the natives of this part of New Guinea are generally termed
+&ldquo;Orakaibas&rdquo; by other tribes. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1414" href="#xd0e1414">167</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>The houses here seemed larger and better built than most Papuan
+houses that I had hitherto seen, and there were many curious
+tree-houses high up among the branches of some very large, trees in the
+village, some being fully eighty feet from the ground. They had broad
+ladders reaching up to them, and looked very curious and picturesque.
+These ladders are made of long rattans from various climbing palms.
+These rattans, of which there were three double strings, are twisted in
+such a way as to support the pieces of wood which form the steps. In
+one case a ladder led from the ground in the usual way to a house built
+in a small tree about thirty feet from the ground, but a second ladder
+connected this house with another one in a much larger tree about
+eighty feet off the ground. I climbed the first ladder, but the second
+one swayed too much.</p>
+
+<p>These tree-houses axe built partly as look-out houses, from which
+the approach of the enemy is discovered, and partly as vantage points
+from which the natives hurl down spears at their opponents below when
+attacked.</p>
+
+<p>Resuming our journey, after a brief halt in this village, we soon
+came to the Barigi River again, which we crossed, camping in a small
+deserted village close by. Here I noticed several more tree-houses in
+the larger trees. This had been a very hot day, even for New Guinea,
+and I could not resist taking a most refreshing bathe <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1421" href="#xd0e1421">168</a>]</span>in the
+river, though I must confess I was glad to get out again, having rather
+a dread of the crocodiles, which infest parts of this river, though
+they were not nearly so numerous up here as in the lower reaches of the
+river which we had traversed in the morning.</p>
+
+<p>We were up the following morning before sunrise, and were all much
+excited at the prospect before us of discovering this curious tribe.
+This day would show whether or no our journey was to prove fruitless.
+Soon after leaving the village we entered a dense forest, the growth of
+which was wonderfully beautiful. Tall <i>pandanus</i> trees, some of
+them supported by a hundred and more long stilted roots, which rose
+many feet above our heads, reared their crowns of ribbon-like leaves
+above even some of the giants of the forest. Palms of all shapes and
+sizes, dwarfed, tall, slender and thick, surrounded us on every side,
+and at least three different species of climbing palms scrambled over
+the tallest trees. The tree trunks were hidden by climbing ferns and by
+a white variegated fleshy-leafed <i>pothos.</i> Orchids, though not
+numerous, were by no means scarce on the branches of some of the larger
+trees, and were intermixed with many curious and beautiful ferns. There
+were many large-leafed tropical plants somewhat resembling the <i>
+heliconias</i> and <i>marantas</i> of tropical America.</p>
+
+<p>Flowers were not very plentiful, but here and <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1439" href="#xd0e1439">169</a>]</span>there the forest
+would be literally ablaze with what is said to be the most showy
+flowering creeper in the world, huge bunches of large flowers of so
+vivid a scarlet that Monckton and I agreed no painting could do them
+justice. It is sometimes known as the <i>Dalbertia,</i> but its
+botanical name is <i>Mucuna bennetti.</i> It has been found impossible
+to introduce it into cultivation. Among other flowers were some very
+large sweet-scented <i>Crinum</i> lilies and some very pretty pink
+flowering <i>begonias,</i> with their leaves beautifully mottled with
+silver. Here and there we would notice a variegated <i>croton</i> or
+pink-leafed <i>drac&aelig;na,</i> but these were uncommon.</p>
+
+<p>As we proceeded, I noticed that in spite of the very dry weather we
+had been having, the ground each moment became more moist, which
+indicated that we were approaching the swamps we had heard about. It
+was a rough track over fallen trees and dry streams, but before long we
+passed along the banks of a creek full of stagnant water.</p>
+
+<p>We at length left the forest and found ourselves in open country,
+covered with reeds and rank grass, through which we slowly wended our
+way. Suddenly, however, we halted, and looking through the tall grass,
+saw some of the houses of the Agai Ambu tribe close at hand. Down we
+all crouched, hiding ourselves among the grass, while two of our Baruga
+guides, who speak the language of the Agai Ambu, went forward to try
+and parley with <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1463" href="#xd0e1463">170</a>]</span>them and induce them to be friendly with us.
+We soon heard them yelling out to the Agai Ambu, who yelled back in
+reply. This went on for some minutes, when the Baruga men called out to
+us to come on.</p>
+
+<p>Jumping up, we rushed forward through the grass and witnessed a
+remarkable scene. In front of us was a lake thickly covered with
+water-lilies, most of them long-stemmed and of a very beautiful blue,
+with a yellow centre, and with large leaves, the edges of which were
+covered with a kind of thorn; there were also some white ones with
+yellow centre.</p>
+
+<p>On the other side of the lake were several curious houses built on
+long poles in the water, the houses themselves being a good height
+above the water. The lake presented a scene of great confusion. The
+inhabitants were fleeing away from us in their curious canoes, which,
+unlike most Papuan canoes, had no outrigger whatever. Their paddles
+also were peculiar, the blades being very broad. Close to us were our
+two Baruga guides in a canoe with one of the Agai Ambu tribe, who
+directly he saw us plunged into the lake and disappeared under the
+tangled masses of water lilies.</p>
+
+<p>He remained under some time, but on his coming to the surface again,
+one of the Baruga men plunged in after him, and we witnessed an
+exciting wrestling match in the water. The Baruga man <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1471" href="#xd0e1471">171</a>]</span>was by far
+the more powerful of the two, but he was no match for the almost
+amphibious Agai Ambu, who slipped away from his grasp like an eel, and
+swam away, with the Baruga man in close pursuit. All this time a canoe
+full of the Agai Ambu was rapidly approaching to the rescue, waving
+their paddles over their heads, and the Baruga man, seeing this,
+climbed back into his canoe and paddled back to us.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the police had made a rush for a canoe which was close at
+hand; but it at once upset, having no outrigger and being exceedingly
+light and thin; it was, in fact, a species of canoe quite new to our
+police. In any case they would not have had the slightest chance of
+overtaking the fleet Agai Ambu in their own canoes. It looked very much
+as if after all we were not to have the chance of verifying the strange
+reports about the formation of these people. As a last resource we sent
+over our two Baruga guides in a canoe to speak with those of the tribe
+who had not fled. As the guides approached they shouted out that we
+were friends, and that as we were friends of the Baruga tribe, we must
+be friends of the Agai Ambu tribe as well.</p>
+
+<p>We held up various tempting trade goods, including a calico known as
+Turkey-red, bottles of beads, etc. This and a long conversation with
+the Baruga men seemed to carry some weight with them, for the Baruga
+soon returned with one of <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1477" href="#xd0e1477">172</a>]</span>their number, who turned round in the canoe
+with his arms outstretched to his friends and cried or rather chanted,
+in a sobbing voice, what sounded like a very weird song, which seemed
+quite in keeping with the mournful surroundings and lonely life of
+these people.</p>
+
+<p>This weird song, heard under such circumstances, quite thrilled me,
+and wild and savage though the singer was, the song appealed to me more
+than any other song has ever done. It looked as if he might be a
+ne&rsquo;er-do-weel or an idiot whom his friends could afford to
+experiment with before taking the risk of coming over themselves, but
+his song was no doubt a farewell to his friends, whom he possibly never
+expected to see again.</p>
+
+<p>He certainly looked horribly frightened as he stepped out of the
+canoe. We at once saw that there was some truth in the reports about
+the physical formation of these people, although there had been
+exaggeration in the descriptions of their feet as &ldquo;webbed.&rdquo;
+There was, between the toes, an epidermal growth more distinct than in
+the case of other peoples, though not so conspicuous as to permit of
+the epithet &ldquo;half-webbed,&rdquo; much less &ldquo;webbed,&rdquo;
+being applied to them. The most noticeable difference was that their
+legs below the knee were distinctly shorter than those of the ordinary
+Papuan, and that their feet seemed much broader and shorter and very
+flat, so that <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1483" href="#xd0e1483">173</a>]</span>altogether they presented a most
+extraordinary appearance. The Agai Ambu hardly ever walk on dry land,
+and their feet bleed if they attempt to do so. They appeared to be
+slightly bowlegged and walk with a mincing gait, lifting their feet
+straight up, as if they were pulling them out of the mud.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Francis Winter, the acting Governor of British New Guinea, was
+so interested in our discovery, that he himself made another expedition
+with Monckton to see these people, while I was still in New Guinea. On
+his return I stayed with him for some time at Government House, Port
+Moresby, and he gave me a copy of his report on the Agai Ambu, which
+explains the curious physical formation of these people better than I
+could do.</p>
+
+<p>He says: &ldquo;On the other side of this mere, and close to a bed
+of reeds and flags, was a little village of the small Ahgai-ambo tribe,
+and about three-quarters of a mile off was a second village. After much
+shouting our Baruga followers induced two men and a woman to come
+across to us from the nearest village. Each came in a small canoe,
+which, standing up, they propelled with a long pole. One man and the
+woman ventured on shore to where we were standing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Ahgai-ambo have for a period that extends beyond native
+traditions lived in this swamp. At one time they were fairly numerous,
+but a few <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1491" href="#xd0e1491">174</a>]</span>years ago some epidemic reduced them to
+about forty. They never leave their morass, and the Baruga assured us
+that they are not able to walk properly on hard ground, and that their
+feet soon bleed if they try to do so. The man that came on shore was
+for a native middle-aged. He would have been a fair-sized native, had
+his body from the hips downward been proportionate to the upper part of
+his frame. He had a good chest and, for a native, a thick neck; and his
+arms matched his trunk. His buttocks and thighs were disproportionately
+small, and his legs still more so. His feet were short and broad, and
+very thin and flat, with, for a native, weak-looking toes. This last
+feature was still more noticeable in the woman, whose toes were long
+and slight and stood out rigidly from the foot as though they possessed
+no joints. The feet of both the man and the woman seemed to rest on the
+ground something as wooden feet would do. The skin above the knees of
+the man was in loose folds, and the sinews and muscles around the knee
+were not well developed. The muscles of the shin were much better
+developed than those of the calf. In the ordinary native the skin on
+the loins is smooth and tight, and the anatomy of the body is clearly
+discernible; but the Ahgai-ambo man had several folds of thick skin or
+muscle across the loins, which concealed the outline of his frame. On
+placing one of our natives, of the same height, alongside the marsh
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1493" href="#xd0e1493">175</a>]</span>man, we noticed that our native was about
+three inches higher at the hips.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I had a good view of our visitor, while he was standing
+sideways towards me, and in figure and carriage he looked to me more
+ape-like than any human being that I have seen. The woman, who was of
+middle age, was much more slightly formed than the man, but her legs
+were short and slender in proportion to her figure, which from the
+waist to the knees was clothed in a wrapper of native cloth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The houses of the near village were built on piles, at a
+height of about twelve feet from the surface of the water, but one
+house at the far village must have been three or four feet more
+elevated. Their canoes, which are small, long, and narrow, and have no
+outrigger, axe hollowed out to a mere shell to give them buoyancy.
+Although the open water was several feet deep, it was so full of
+aquatic plants that a craft of any width, or drawing more than a few
+inches, would make but slow progress through it. Needless to say that
+these craft, which retain the round form of the log, are exceedingly
+unstable, but their owners stand up in them and, pole them along
+without any difficulty.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;These people are very expert swimmers, and can glide through
+beds of reeds or rushes, or over masses of floating vegetable matter,
+with ease. They live on wild fowl, fish, sago and marsh plants, <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1501" href="#xd0e1501">176</a>]</span>and
+on vegetables procured from the Baruga in exchange for fish and sago.
+They keep a few pigs on platforms built underneath or alongside their
+houses. Their dead they place on small platforms among the reeds, and
+cover the corpse over with a roof of rude matting. Their dialect is
+almost the same as that of the Baruga. Probably their ancestors at one
+time lived close to the swamp, and in order to escape from their
+enemies were driven to seek a permanent refuge in it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thus it will be seen that Sir Francis was much impressed with these
+people, and he heartily congratulated me upon our discovery.</p>
+
+<p>To resume my personal account. We soon gave the man confidence by
+presenting him with an axe, some calico and beads, and a small
+looking-glass, which was held in front of him. He gazed in stupefied
+wonderment at his own features so plainly depicted before him. He was
+taken back to the other side, and soon returned with two more of his
+tribe, who brought us a live pig, which they hauled out from a raised
+flooring beneath one of their houses.</p>
+
+<p>The country all round us seemed to be one large swamp, and we stood
+upon a springy foundation of reeds and mud; except for these, we should
+undoubtedly have soon sunk out of sight in the mud. As it was, we stood
+in a foot of water most of the time, and in places we had to wade
+through mud over our knees. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1509"
+href="#xd0e1509">177</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>The lake swarmed with many kinds of curious water-birds, the most
+common being a red-headed kind of plover; there was also a great
+variety of duck and teal. The swamps were full of large spiders, which
+crawled all over us; we had to keep continually brushing them off.</p>
+
+<p>Farther down the lake we saw another small village, and we were told
+that these two villages comprised the whole of this curious tribe.
+Whether they axe the remnants of a once powerful tribe it is impossible
+to say, but their position is well-nigh impregnable in case they are
+ever attacked, as their houses are surrounded by swamps and water on
+all sides, and no outsider could very well get through the swamps to
+their villages. The only possible way to get there would be to cross
+the water in their shell-like canoes, a feat which no man of any other
+tribe would ever be able to manage.</p>
+
+<p>Monckton thought that these swamps and lake were formed by an
+overflow of the Musa River. This had been a phenomenally dry season for
+New Guinea, so these swamps in an ordinary wet season must be under
+water to the depth of many feet.</p>
+
+<p>We camped close by on the borders of the forest amid a jungle of
+rank luxuriant vegetation, over which hovered large and brilliant
+butterflies, among them a very large metallic green and black species
+(<i>Ornithoptera priamus</i>) and a large one of <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1521" href="#xd0e1521">178</a>]</span>a bright blue
+(<i>Papilio ulyses</i>). The same afternoon we three went out shooting
+on the lake. Two of the Agai Ambu canoes were lashed together and a
+raft of split bamboo put across them, and two Agai Ambu men punted and
+paddled us about. Before starting we had first educated them up to the
+report of our guns, and after a few shots they soon got over their
+fright.</p>
+
+<p>The lake positively swarmed with water-fowl, including several
+varieties of duck, also shag, divers, pigmy geese, small teal, grebe,
+red-headed plover, spur-wing plover, curlew, sandpipers, snipe, swamp
+hen, water-rail, and many other birds. The red-headed plover were
+especially numerous, and ran about on the surface of the lake, which
+was covered with the water-lily leaves and a thick sort of mossy weed.
+All the birds seemed remarkably tame, and we got a good assorted bag,
+chiefly duck&mdash;enough to supply most of our large force with.</p>
+
+<p>I stopped most of the time on the raised platform of one of the
+houses and shot the duck, which Acland and Monckton put up, as they
+flew over my head. I had a companion in old Giwi, the chief of the
+Kaili-kailis, many of whom were among our carriers. He seemed to be on
+very friendly terms with one of the Agai Ambu on whose hut I was.
+Presently a woman came over in a canoe from one of the houses in the
+far village, and climbed up on to the platform where we were. <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1530" href="#xd0e1530">179</a>]</span>Directly she saw old Giwi, she caught hold
+of him and hugged and kissed him all over and rubbed her face against
+his body, covering him with the black pigment with which she had
+smeared her face. She was sobbing all the time and chanting a very
+mournful but not unmusical kind of song. This exhibition lasted over
+half an hour, and poor old Giwi looked quite bewildered, and gazed up
+at me in a most piteous way, as much as to say: &ldquo;Awful nuisance,
+this woman&mdash;but what am I to do?&rdquo; He understood the meaning
+of this performance as little as I did. Possibly the woman was
+frightened of us, and seeing a stranger of her own colour in old Giwi,
+appealed to him for protection. The Baruga, however, had previously
+told us that the Agai Ambu had recently captured one of their women,
+and I have since thought that this might possibly have been the woman,
+and am sorry I did not make inquiries at the time. At all events, old
+Giwi was too courteous to shake her off, though to me it was a most
+amusing sight, and it was all I could do to refrain from laughing
+aloud.</p>
+
+<p>We saw the dead body of a man half-wrapped in mats tied to poles in
+the middle of the lake. They always dispose of their dead thus, and I
+suppose leave them there till they rot or dry up.</p>
+
+<p>The chief food of these people seemed to be the bulbs of the
+water-lilies, fish and shellfish. They catch plenty of water-fowl by
+diving under them <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1536" href="#xd0e1536">180</a>]</span>and pulling them under the water by the legs
+before they have time to make any noise. By this method they do not
+frighten the rest away, and this accounts for the birds&rsquo; extreme
+tameness.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed odd that we should be paddled about the lake, to shoot
+wild fowl, by these people, who until to-day had never seen a white man
+before and had fled from us in the morning. However, most of them had
+fled and would not return until we had left their country.</p>
+
+<p>There is little doubt that this part of the country is most
+unhealthy. Many of our police and carriers were two days later down
+with fever, and a few weeks later I had a bad attack of fever, with
+which I was laid up in Samarai for some time, and which I feel sure I
+got into my system in this swamp. The mosquitoes were certainly very
+plentiful and vicious.</p>
+
+<p>We spent the following day here, duck-shooting on the lake, and I
+did a little natural-history collecting in the adjacent forest. We had
+intended to try and induce two of the Agai Ambu to accompany us back to
+Cape Nelson, but most unfortunately they understood that we were going
+to take them forcibly away. They became alarmed and all disappeared,
+and we were not able to get into communication with them again.</p>
+
+<p>When Sir Francis Winter visited them about a month later they were
+evidently quite friendly again, but on the second day of his visit his
+native <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1546" href="#xd0e1546">181</a>]</span>followers demanded a pig of the Agai Ambu in
+his, Sir Francis&rsquo;s, name. At this they became alarmed and
+retreated to the further village, and he was unable to see any more of
+them. Since then I believe nothing more has been seen of these
+flat-footed people.</p>
+
+<p>We returned to our old camping ground in the Baruga village on the
+banks of the Barigi River, and the friendly Baruga people brought us a
+big supply of pigs, sago and other native food. The next day we
+continued our journey to the coast, and camped at the mouth of the
+Barigi River. We had intended making an expedition into the
+Hydrographer range of mountains, which we could see from here, and
+which were unexplored, but Monckton and Acland were far from well, and
+most of our carriers and police were down with fever, and so, greatly
+to my disappointment, this had to be abandoned. We resumed our homeward
+journey in the whaleboat early the following morning. We started with a
+fair breeze, but this changed after a time to a head wind, against
+which it was quite impossible to make any headway, so we landed at a
+place where there was a small inlet leading into a lagoon. We stayed
+here till six p.m., when the wind dropped sufficiently to enable us to
+start off again, and, passing the mouth of the Musa River, we landed
+about one a.m. in Porlock Bay, where we camped for the night. <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1550" href="#xd0e1550">182</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>We spent the following day shooting, which entailed a lot of wading
+amongst the shallow streams, lagoons and small lakes. I had a bit of a
+fright here, as I suddenly stepped into some quicksands and felt myself
+sinking fast, but, thanks to Arigita and the branch of a tree, I was
+able to pull myself out after a great deal of trouble and anxiety,
+though if I had not had Arigita with me I should most certainly have
+gone under. We got a splendid bag between us of various birds, chiefly
+duck and pigeon. One of the police shot a large cassowary, and also a
+large wild pig and a wallaby, so there was plenty of food for all. We
+sailed again that night at eleven p.m., and got six of the Okeina
+canoes to tow us along. This they did not seem to relish, and before
+they got into line there was a great deal of angry talking and
+shouting, and Monckton had to call them to order by firing a rifle in
+the air. It was amusing to see the way the long line of canoes pulled
+us round and round in the form of the letter &ldquo;S,&rdquo; and they
+would often bump against each other, and plenty of angry words were
+exchanged. It was an amusing <i>finale</i> to the expedition. They left
+us for their homes when we got near the Okeina country. We landed in
+the early morning on the beach, where we had breakfast, and then rowed
+on, followed by the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu canoes, and eventually
+landed again at the station at Tufi, Cape Nelson, about two p.m. <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1556" href="#xd0e1556">183</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>In conclusion I should mention that Mr. Oelrechs, Monckton&rsquo;s
+assistant, had heard rumours that we had all been massacred, and he
+told me that he had been seriously thinking of gathering together a
+large army of friendly natives to go down and avenge us, though I think
+he would have found it no easy matter, but, as can be seen, we saved
+him the trouble, and so our expedition ended. <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e1559" href="#xd0e1559">184</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e1560" href="#xd0e1560">185</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="div0" id="xd0e1561">
+<h2 class="normal">Wanderings and Wonders in Borneo.</h2>
+
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1564" href="#xd0e1564">186</a>]</span><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1565"
+href="#xd0e1565">187</a>]</span>
+<div id="xd0e1566" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">On the War-Path in Borneo.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>The &ldquo;Orang-utan&rdquo; and the &ldquo;Man of the
+Jungle&rdquo;&mdash;Voyage to Sarawak&mdash;The Borneo Company,
+Limited&mdash;Kuching, a Picturesque Capital&mdash;Independence of
+Sarawak&mdash;I meet the Rajah and the Chief Officials&mdash;Etiquette
+of the Sarawak Court&mdash;The &ldquo;Club&rdquo;&mdash;The
+&ldquo;Rangers&rdquo; of Sarawak and their Trophies&mdash;Execution by
+means of the Long Kris&mdash;Degeneracy of the Land Dayaks&mdash;Ascent
+of the Rejang River&mdash;Mud Banks and Crocodiles&mdash;Dr. Hose at
+his Sarawak Home&mdash;The Fort at Sibu&mdash;Enormous length of Dayak
+Canoes&mdash;A Brush with Head-Hunters&mdash;Dayak Vengeance on
+Chinamen&mdash;First Impressions of the Sea Dayak, &ldquo;picturesque
+and interesting&rdquo;&mdash;A Head-Hunting raid, Dayaks attack the
+Punans&mdash;I accompany the Punitive Expedition&mdash;Voyage
+Upstream&mdash;A Clever &ldquo;Bird Scare&rdquo;&mdash;Houses on the
+top of Tree-stumps&mdash;The Kelamantans&mdash;Kanawit
+Village&mdash;The Fort at Kapit&mdash;Capture of a notorious
+Head-Hunting Chief&mdash;I inspect the &ldquo;Heads&rdquo; of the
+Victims&mdash;Cause of Head-Hunting&mdash;Savage Revenge of a Dayak
+Lover and its Sequel&mdash;Hose&rsquo;s stem Ultimatum&mdash;Accepted
+by the Head-Hunters&mdash;I return to Sibu&mdash;A Fatal
+Misconception.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>I had spent about seven months in the forests of British North
+Borneo, going many days&rsquo; journey into the heart of the country,
+had made fine natural-history collections and had come across a great
+deal of game, including elephant, rhinoceros, bear, and
+&ldquo;tembadu&rdquo; or wild cattle, huge wild pig and deer of three
+species being especially plentiful. But above all I had come across a
+great many &ldquo;orang-utan&rdquo; (Malay for
+&ldquo;jungle-man&rdquo;) and had been able to study their habits. One
+of these great apes has the strength of eight men and possesses an
+extraordinary amount of vitality. One that I shot lived for nearly
+three hours with five soft-nosed Mauser bullets in its body. <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1574" href="#xd0e1574">188</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>But I had not yet seen the <i>real</i> jungle-man in his native
+haunts&mdash;the head-hunting Dayak, as the Dayaks are rarely to be
+found in North Borneo, whereas the people on the Kinabatangan River
+(where I spent most of my time) were a sort of Malay termed
+&ldquo;Orang Sungei&rdquo; (River People). So, as I was anxious to see
+the real head-hunting Dayak, I determined to go to Sarawak, which is in
+quite a different part of Borneo. To do this, I had to return to
+Singapore, and thence, after a two days&rsquo; voyage, I arrived at
+Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. Except for a Chinese towkay, I was the
+only saloon passenger, as strangers rarely visit this country.</p>
+
+<p>Kuching is about twenty-five miles up the Sarawak River, and
+contains about thirty thousand inhabitants, chiefly Malays and Chinese,
+with about fifty Europeans, who are for the most part government
+officials or belong to the Borneo Company, Limited. This company is
+very wealthy and owns the only steamship line, plying between Singapore
+and Kuching. It has several gold mines and a great quantity of land
+planted to pepper, gambier, gutta percha and rubber. The Rajah will not
+allow any other company or private individual to buy lands or open up
+an estate, neither will he allow any traders in the country.</p>
+
+<p>It would be difficult to imagine a more picturesque town than
+Kuching. It chiefly consists of substantial Chinese dwellings of brick
+and <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1584" href="#xd0e1584">189</a>]</span>plaster, with beautiful tile-work of quaint
+figures, while temples glittering with gold peep out of thick,
+luxuriant, tropical growth. Two miles out of the city you can lose
+yourself in a dense tropical forest of the greatest beauty, and in the
+background is a chain of mountains, some of them of extraordinary
+shape. The reigning monarch or Rajah is an Englishman, Sir Charles
+Brooke, a nephew of Sir James Brooke, the first Rajah, who was an
+officer in the British Navy and who, after conquering Malay pirates,
+was made Rajah of the country by the grateful Dayaks.</p>
+
+<p>Though Sarawak is supposed to be under British protection, and
+though all his officials are Britishers, Rajah Brooke considers his
+country independent and will not allow the Union Jack to be flown in
+his dominions. He possesses his own flag, a mixture of red, black and
+yellow, and his own national anthem; moreover his officials refer to
+him as the King, and to his son, the heir to the throne, as the
+&ldquo;young King&rdquo; (or &ldquo;Rajah Muda&rdquo;).</p>
+
+<p>Two days after my arrival, the Rajah left on his steam yacht for
+England, but the day before he left, he held a great reception at his
+&ldquo;palace&rdquo; (or &ldquo;astana,&rdquo; as it is called in
+Malay). It was attended by all his officials, by high Malay chiefs and
+the chief Chinese merchants. The reins of government were formally
+handed over to his son, the Rajah Muda, after which champagne was <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1590" href="#xd0e1590">190</a>]</span>passed round. The chief resident, Sir Percy
+Cunninghame, then introduced me to the Rajah. He is a fine-looking old
+man with a white moustache and white hair, and is greatly beloved by
+every one. He conversed with me for some time, and asked me many
+questions about the Chartered Company in British North Borneo. It was
+rather embarrassing for me, with every one silently and respectfully
+standing around listening to every word. He wished me success in my
+travels in the interior, and told his officials to do all in their
+power to help me. When you talk about the Rajah you say &ldquo;His
+Highness,&rdquo; but when you address him, you simply say
+&ldquo;Rajah&rdquo; after every few words&mdash;&ldquo;Yes,
+Rajah,&rdquo; or &ldquo;No, Rajah.&rdquo; The native chiefs, I noticed,
+kissed the hands of both the Rajah and the Rajah Muda.</p>
+
+<p>There is no hotel in Kuching, so I put up at the rather dilapidated
+government Rest-House, part of which I had to myself, the other half
+being occupied by two government officers. The club in Kuching seems a
+most popular institution with all the officials, and &ldquo;gin
+pahits&rdquo; (or &ldquo;bitters&rdquo;) the popular drink of this part
+of the world; billiards and pool help to pass many a pleasant evening,
+the Rajah Muda often joining us at a game of black pool, like any
+ordinary mortal.</p>
+
+<p>The Rajah&rsquo;s troops, the Rangers, are a fine body of men; they
+are chiefly recruited from the Malays and Dayaks, and have an English
+sergeant <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1596" href="#xd0e1596">191</a>]</span>to drill them. I was told that when they go
+fighting the wild head-hunters, they are allowed to bring in as
+trophies the heads of those they kill, in the same way that the Dayaks
+themselves do. The method of execution here is the same as in other
+Malay countries, the criminal being taken down to the banks of the
+river, where a long &ldquo;kris&rdquo; is thrust down through the
+shoulder into the heart, and is then twisted about till the man is
+dead.</p>
+
+<p>After a visit to Bau, further up the Sarawak River, where the Borneo
+Company, whose guest I was, have a gold mine (the clay being treated by
+the &ldquo;cyanide&rdquo; process), I collected specimens for some time
+in the beautiful forests at the foot of the limestone mountains of
+Poak. Here I saw something of the Land Dayaks, but they are a poor
+degenerate breed, and not to be compared to the Sea Dayaks, who are
+born fighters, and whose predatory head-hunting instincts give a great
+deal of trouble to the government. These latter were the Dayaks I was
+anxious to meet, and I soon made arrangements to visit their country,
+which is a good way from Kuching, the real Sea Dayak rarely visiting
+the capital.</p>
+
+<p>So one morning early I found myself with my two servants, a Chinese
+cook and a civilized Dayak named Dubi (Mr. R. Shelford also going), on
+board a government paddle-wheel steamer which was bound for Sibu, on
+the Rejang River. Twenty-five<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1602"
+href="#xd0e1602">192</a>]</span> miles&rsquo; descent of the Sarawak
+River brought us to the sea. We did not skirt the coast, but cut across
+a large open expanse of sea for about ninety miles. We then came to the
+delta of the Rejang River, and went up one of its many mouths, which
+was of great width, though the scenery all the way was monotonous, and
+consisted of nothing but mangroves, <i>pandanus,</i> the feathery <i>
+nipa</i> palm and the tall, slender &ldquo;nibong&rdquo; palm, with
+here and there a crocodile lying, out on the mud banks&mdash;a dismal
+scene.</p>
+
+<p>At nightfall we anchored a short way up the river, as the government
+will not allow their boats to travel up the river by night, it being
+unsafe. We were off again at daylight the next morning, the scenery
+improving as the interminable mangroves gave place to the forest. Sixty
+miles up the river found us at Sibu, where I put up with Dr. Hose, the
+Resident, the celebrated Bornean explorer and naturalist. The only
+other Europeans here were two junior officials, Messrs. Johnson and
+Bolt. And yet there is a club at Sibu, a club for three, and here these
+three officials meet every evening and play pool.</p>
+
+<p>There is a fort in Sibu, as indeed there is at most of the river
+places in Sarawak. It is generally a square-shaped wooden building,
+perforated all round with small holes for rifles, while just below the
+roof is a slanting grill-work through which it is easy to shoot,
+though, as it is on the slant, it is <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1614" href="#xd0e1614">193</a>]</span>hard for spears to enter
+from the outside. There are one or two cannons in most of these forts.
+The fort at Sibu was close to Dr. Hose&rsquo;s house and was attacked
+by Dayaks only a few years ago. Johnson, one of Dr. Hose&rsquo;s
+assistants, showed me a very long Dayak canoe capable of seating over
+one hundred men. It was made out of one tree, but large as it was, it
+did not equal some of the Kayan canoes on this river, one of which was
+one hundred and forty-five feet in length. This Dayak canoe was
+literally riddled with bullets, and Johnson told me that a few
+weeks&rsquo; ago he was fighting some Dayaks on the Kanawit, a branch
+river near here, when he was attacked by some Dayaks in this very
+canoe. As they came up throwing spears he told his men to fire, with
+the result that eighteen Dayaks were killed. The river at Sibu was of
+great width, over a mile across, in fact, and close to the bank is a
+Malay village, and a bazaar where the wily Chinaman does a thriving
+trade in the wild produce of the country, and makes huge profits out of
+the Dayaks and other natives on this river. But the Dayaks often have
+their revenge and attack the Chinamen with great slaughter, the result
+being that they take home with them plenty of yellow-skinned heads with
+nice long pig-tails to hang them up by. During my stay on this river
+there were two or three cases of Chinamen being slaughtered by the
+Dayaks, and if it were not for the forts on these <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1616" href="#xd0e1616">194</a>]</span>rivers,
+every Chinaman would be wiped out of existence.</p>
+
+<p>My first real acquaintance with the Sea Dayak was in the long bazaar
+at Sibu, and I was by no means disappointed in my first impressions, as
+I found him a most picturesque and interesting individual. The men
+usually have long black hair hanging down their backs, often with a
+long fringe on their foreheads. Their skin is brown, they have snub
+noses but resolute eyes, and they are of fine proportions, though they
+rarely exceed five feet five inches in height. Beyond the
+&ldquo;jawat,&rdquo; a long piece of cloth which hangs down between
+their legs, they wear nothing, if I except their many and varied
+ornaments. They wear a great variety of earrings. These are often
+composed of heavy bits of brass, which draw the lobes of the ears down
+below the shoulder. When they go on the war-path they generally wear
+war-coats made from the skins of various wild animals, and these are
+often padded as a protection against the small poisonous darts of the
+&ldquo;sumpitan&rdquo; or blow-pipe which, together with the
+&ldquo;parang&rdquo; (a kind of sword) and long spears with broad steel
+points constitute their chief weapons. They also have large shields of
+light wood; often fantastically painted in curious patterns, or
+ornamented with human hair.</p>
+
+<p>I had been at Sibu only three or four days, when word was brought
+down to Dr. Hose that the Ulu <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1622"
+href="#xd0e1622">195</a>]</span>Ai Dayaks, near Fort Kapit, about one
+hundred miles up the river, had attacked and killed a party of Punans
+for the sake of their heads. These Punans are a nomadic tribe who
+wander about through the great forests with no settled dwelling-places,
+but build themselves rough huts and hunt the wild game of the forest
+and feed on the many wild fruits that are found in these forests. Hose
+at once decided to go up to Fort Kapit and punish these Dayaks, and
+gave me leave to accompany him and Shelford. So one morning at six
+o&rsquo;clock we boarded a large steam launch with a party of the
+Rangers, mentioned above, as the Rajah&rsquo;s troops. We took, from
+near Sibu, several friendly Dayaks, who were armed to the teeth with
+spears, &ldquo;parangs,&rdquo; &ldquo;sumpitans,&rdquo; shields and war
+ornaments, all highly elated at the prospect of the fighting in store
+for them.</p>
+
+<p>In a short account like this, it is of course impossible to describe
+the many interesting things that I saw on the journey up the river. We
+passed many of the long, curious Dayak houses and plenty of canoes full
+of these picturesque people, and at some of the villages little Dayak
+children hurriedly pushed out small canoes from the shore so as to get
+rocked by the waves made by our launch. This they seemed to enjoy, to
+judge from the delighted yells they gave forth. I several times saw a
+most ingenious invention for frightening away the birds and monkeys
+from the large fruit <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1626" href="#xd0e1626">196</a>]</span>trees which surrounded every Dayak village.
+At one end of a large rattan cord was a sort of wooden rattle, fixed on
+the top of one of the largest fruit trees. The other end of the rattan
+was fastened to a slender bamboo stick which was stuck into the river,
+and the action of the stream caused the bamboo to sway to and fro, thus
+jerking the rattan which in turn set the rattle going. We passed
+several small houses built on the tops of large tree-stumps. These, Dr.
+Hose informed me, were built by Kanawits, of a race of people known as
+Kelamantans. These Kelamantans are supposed to be the oldest residents
+of Borneo, being here long before the Dayaks and Kayans, but they axe
+fast dying out, as are the Punans, I believe chiefly owing to the raids
+of the warlike Dayaks. They were once ferocious head-hunters, but now
+they are a very inoffensive people.</p>
+
+<p>About mid-day we stopped at the village of Kanawit, at the mouth of
+the river of that name. This village, like Sibu, is composed entirely
+of Chinese and Malays. They are all traders and do a thriving business
+with the Dayaks and other natives. Here also was a fort with its
+cannon, with a Dayak or Malay sergeant and a dozen men in charge. As we
+proceeded up river, the scenery became rather monotonous. There was
+little tall forest, the country being either cleared for planting
+&ldquo;padi&rdquo; (rice) or in secondary forest growth or <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1630" href="#xd0e1630">197</a>]</span>jungle, a
+sure sign of a thick population. We saw many Dayaks burning the felled
+jungle for planting their &ldquo;padi,&rdquo; and the air was full of
+ashes and smoke, which obscured the rays of the sun and cast a reddish
+glare on the surrounding country.</p>
+
+<p>Toward evening we reached the village of Song and stayed here all
+night, fastening our launch to the bank. In spite of the fort here, we
+learned that the Chinamen were in great fear of an attack by the
+Dayaks, which they daily expected. Leaving Song at half-past five the
+next morning, we arrived at Kapit about ten a.m. and put up at the
+fort, which was a large one. A long, narrow platform from the top of
+the fort led to a larger platform on which, overlooking the river,
+there was a large cannon which could be turned round so as to cover all
+the approaches from the river in case there was an attack on the fort.
+We learned that the day before we arrived at Kapit, Mingo, the
+Portuguese in charge of the fort, had captured the worst ringleader of
+the head-hunters in the bazaar at Kapit, and small parties of loyal
+Dayaks were at once sent off to the homes of the other head-hunters
+with strict injunctions to bring back the guilty ones, and, failing
+persuasion and threats, to attack them.<a class="noteref" id="xd0e1634src" href="#xd0e1634">1</a> In most cases they were
+successful, and I saw many of the prisoners brought in, together with
+some of the heads of their victims.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning Hose suddenly called out to <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1639" href="#xd0e1639">198</a>]</span>me that if I wished
+to inspect the heads I would find them hanging up under the cannon
+platform by the river, and he sent a Dayak to undo the wrappings of
+native cloth and mats in which they were done up. They were a sickening
+sight, and all the horrors of head-hunting were brought before me with
+vivid and startling reality far more than could have been done by any
+writer, and I pictured those same heads full of life only a few days
+before, and then suddenly a rush from the outside amid the unprepared
+Punans in their rude huts in the depths of the forest, a woman&rsquo;s
+scream of terror, followed by the sickening sound of hacking blows from
+the sharp Dayak &ldquo;parangs,&rdquo; and the Dayak war-cry,
+&ldquo;Hoo-hah! hoo-hah!&rdquo; ringing through the night air, as every
+single Punan man, woman and child, who has not had time to escape, is
+cut down in cold blood. When all are dead, the proud Dayaks, proceed to
+hack off the heads of their victims and bind them round with rattan
+strings with which to carry them, and then, returning in triumph, are
+hailed with shouts of delight by their envious fellow-villagers, for
+this means wives, a Dayak maiden thinking as much of heads as a white
+girl would of <span class="corr" id="xd0e1641" title="Source: jewelry">
+jewellery</span>. The old Dayak who undid the wrappings pretended to be
+horrified, but I felt sure that the old hypocrite wished that he owned
+them himself.</p>
+
+<p>Only seven of the heads had been brought in, <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1646" href="#xd0e1646">199</a>]</span>and two of them were
+heads of women, and although they had been smoked, I could easily see
+that one of them was that of a quite young, good-looking girl, with
+masses of long, dark hair. She had evidently been killed by a blow from
+a &ldquo;parang,&rdquo; as the flesh on the head had been separated by
+a large cut which had split the skull open. In one of the men&rsquo;s
+heads there were two small pieces of wood inserted in the nose. They
+were all ghastly sights to look at, and smelt a bit, and I was not
+sorry to be able to turn my back on them.</p>
+
+<p>As in the present case, the brass-encircled young Dayak women are
+generally the cause of these head-hunts, as they often refuse to marry
+a man unless he has one or more heads, and in many cases a man is
+absolutely driven to get a head if he wishes to marry. The heads are
+handed down from father to son, and the rank of a Dayak is generally
+determined by the number of heads he or his ancestors have collected. A
+Dayak goes on the war-path more for the sake of the heads he may get,
+than for the honour and glory of the fighting. Generally, though, there
+is precious little fighting, as the Dayak attacks only when his victims
+are unprepared.</p>
+
+<p>While I was in Borneo I heard the following story of Dayak
+barbarity, which is a good example of the way the women incite their
+men to go on these head-hunting expeditions. In a certain district
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1652" href="#xd0e1652">200</a>]</span>where some missionaries were doing good work
+among the Dayaks, a Dayak young man named Hathnaveng had been persuaded
+by the missionaries to give up the barbaric custom of headhunting. One
+day, however, he fell in love with a Dayak maiden. The girl, although
+returning his passion, disdained his offer of marriage, because he no
+longer indulged in the ancient practice of cutting off and bringing
+home the heads of the enemies of the tribe. Hathnaveng, goaded by the
+taunts of the girl, who told him to dress in women&rsquo;s clothes in
+the future, as he no longer had the courage of a man, left the village
+and remained away for some time. When he returned, he entered his
+sweetheart&rsquo;s hut, carrying a sack on his shoulders. He opened it,
+and four human heads rolled upon the bamboo floor. At the sight of the
+trophies, the girl at once took him back into her favour, and flinging
+her arms round his neck, embraced him passionately.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You wanted heads,&rdquo; declared her lover. &ldquo;I have
+brought them. Do you not recognize them?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then to her horror she saw they were the heads of her father, her
+mother, her brother and of a young man who was Hathnaveng&rsquo;s rival
+for her affections. Hathnaveng was immediately seized by some of the
+tribesmen, and by way of punishment was placed in a small bamboo
+structure such as is commonly used by the Dayaks for pigs, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1658" href="#xd0e1658">201</a>]</span>and allowed
+to starve to death.<a class="noteref" id="xd0e1660src" href="#xd0e1660">2</a> This is a true story, and occurred while I was still
+in Borneo.</p>
+
+<p>The day after we arrived at Kapit a great crowd of Dayaks, belonging
+to the tribe of those implicated in the attack on the Punans, assembled
+at the fort to talk with Dr. Hose on the matter, and the upshot of it
+all was startling in its severity. This was Hose&rsquo;s ultimatum:
+They must give up the rest of those that took part in the raid, and
+they would all get various terms of imprisonment. They must return the
+rest of the heads. They must pay enormous fines, and, lastly, those
+villages which had men who took part in the raid, must move down the
+river opposite Sibu, and thus be under Hose&rsquo;s eye as well as
+under the guns of the fort. I watched the faces of the crowd, and it
+was interesting to witness their various emotions. Some looked
+stupefied, others looked very angry, and that they could not agree
+among themselves was plainly evident from their angry squabbling. They
+were a curious crowd with their long black hair and fringes and round
+tattoo marks on their bodies. They finally agreed to these terms, as
+Hose told them that if they did not do so, he would come and make them,
+even if he had to kill them all. The following days I witnessed large
+bands of Dayaks bringing to the fort their fines, which consisted of
+large jars and brass gongs, which are the Dayak forms of <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1665" href="#xd0e1665">202</a>]</span>currency.
+The total fine amounted to $5,200, and the jars were carefully
+examined, the gongs weighed and their values assessed. Some of the jars
+were very old, but the older they are the more they are worth. Three of
+the poorest looking ones were valued at $1,400 (the dollar in Borneo is
+about two of our shillings). Of the total, $1,200 was later paid to the
+Punans as compensation (&ldquo;pati nyawa&rdquo;). I watched some
+Dayaks&mdash;who had just brought in their fines&mdash;as they went
+away in one of their large canoes, and they crossed the river with a
+quick, short stroke of their paddles in splendid time, so that one
+heard the sound of their paddles, as they beat against the side of the
+canoe, come in one short tr-r-up. They seemed to be very angry, all
+talking at once, and I still heard the sound of their angry voices
+above the paddles&rsquo; beat, long after they had disappeared up a
+narrow creek on the other side.</p>
+
+<p>I had intended going with my two servants further up the river and
+living for some time among the Dayaks, but Dr. Hose made objections to
+my doing so. He said it would be very unsafe for me to live among these
+Kapit Dayaks at the present time, as they were naturally in a very
+excitable state, and would have thought little of killing one of the
+&ldquo;orang puteh&rdquo; (white men), whom they no doubt considered
+the cause of all their trouble. They would be sure to take me for a
+government official. Hose instead advised <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1669" href="#xd0e1669">203</a>]</span>me to go up a small
+unexplored branch river below Sibu, so as the launch was returning to
+Sibu I determined to return in her, leaving Hose and Shelford at
+Kapit.</p>
+
+<p>During my short stay at Kapit I added very few new specimens to my
+collections of birds and butterflies; in fact, it was the worst
+collecting-ground that I struck during more than a year&rsquo;s
+wanderings in Borneo. I, however, made a fine collection of Dayak
+weapons, shields and war ornaments from our friendly Dayaks, who seemed
+very low-spirited now that there was to be no fighting, and on this
+account traded some of their property to me which at other times
+nothing would have induced them to part with, at a very low figure.</p>
+
+<p>I returned to Sibu with Mingo, and we took with us the ringleader of
+the head-hunters. He was kept handcuffed in the hold, and he worked
+himself up into a pitiable state of fright. He thought he was going to
+be killed, and the whole of the voyage he was chanting a most mournful
+kind of song, a regular torrent of words going to one note. My Dayak
+servant Dubi informed me that he was singing about the heads he had
+taken, and for which he thought he was now going to die.</p>
+
+<p>After a day&rsquo;s stay in Sibu I went up the Sarekei River with my
+two servants, and made a long stay in a Dayak house. I will try to
+describe my life among the Dayaks in the next chapter. In <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1677" href="#xd0e1677">204</a>]</span>conclusion,
+I must tell the tragic story of a fatal mistake, which was told me by
+Johnson, one of the officials at Sibu, which serves to illustrate the
+superstitious beliefs of the Malays. A Chinese prisoner at Sibu had
+died, at least Johnson and Bolt both thought so, and they sent some of
+the Malay soldiers to bury the body on the other side of the river. A
+few days later one of them casually remarked to Johnson that they had
+often heard it said that the spirit of a man sometimes returned to his
+body again for a short time after death (a Malay belief), but he (this
+Malay) had not believed it before, but he now knew that it was true.
+Johnson, much amused, asked him how that was. &ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said
+the Malay, &ldquo;when the Tuan (Johnson) sent us across the river to
+bury the dead man the other day, his spirit came back to him and his
+body sat up and talked, and we were much afraid, and seized hold of the
+body; which gave us much trouble to put it into the hole we had digged,
+and when we had quickly filled in the hole so that the body could not
+come out again, we fled away quickly, so now we know that the saying is
+true.&rdquo; It thus transpired that they had buried a live Chinaman
+without being aware of the fact. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1679" href="#xd0e1679">205</a>]</span></p>
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep" />
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e1634src" id="xd0e1634">1</a></span> R. Shelford&rsquo;s
+Report.</p>
+
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e1660src" id="xd0e1660">2</a></span> From a Singapore Paper.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e1680" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Home-Life Among Head-Hunting Dayaks.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>I leave the Main Stream and journey up the Sarekei&mdash;A Stream
+overarched by Vegetation&mdash;House 200 feet long&mdash;I make Friends
+with the Chief&mdash;My New Quarters&mdash;Rarity of White
+Men&mdash;Friendliness of my New Hosts&mdash;Embarrassing Request from
+a Lady, &ldquo;like we your skin&rdquo;&mdash;Similar Experience of
+Wallace&mdash;Crowds to see me Undress&mdash;Dayak&rsquo;s interest in
+Illustrated Papers&mdash;Waist-rings of Dayak Women&mdash;Teeth filled
+with brass&mdash;Noisiness of a Dayak House&mdash;Dayak Dogs&mdash;A
+well-meant Blow and its Sequel&mdash;Uproarious Amusement of the
+Dayaks&mdash;Dayak Fruit-Trees&mdash;The Durian as King of all
+Fruits&mdash;Dayak &ldquo;Bridges&rdquo; across the Swamp-Dances of the
+Head-Hunters&mdash;A Secret &ldquo;Fishing&rdquo; Expedition&mdash;A
+Spear sent by way of defiance to the Government&mdash;I
+&ldquo;score&rdquo; off the Pig-Hunters&mdash;Dayak
+Diseases&mdash;Dayak Women and Girls&mdash;Two &ldquo;Broken
+Hearts&rdquo;&mdash;I Raffle my Tins&mdash;&ldquo;Cookie&rdquo; and the
+Head-Hunters, their Jokes and Quarrels&mdash;My Adventure with a
+Crocodile.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>The Rejang is one of the many large rivers which abound in Borneo,
+and its tributaries are numerous and for the most part unexplored. The
+Rejang is tidal for fully one hundred and fifty miles, and at Sibu is
+over a mile in width. The banks of this river are inhabited by a large
+population of Malays, Chinese, Dayaks, Kayans, Kanawits, Punans and
+numerous other tribes. Thus it is a highly interesting region for an
+ethnologist.</p>
+
+<p>It was with feelings of pleasant anticipation that I started down
+the river in the government steam-launch from Sibu just as dawn was
+breaking, on my way to spend several weeks among the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1690" href="#xd0e1690">206</a>]</span>wild Dayaks
+on the unexplored Sarekei River. I took with me my two servants, Dubi,
+a civilized Dayak, and my Chinese cook. After a journey of four hours
+we arrived at a large Malay village near the mouth of the Sarekei
+River. Here I disembarked and sought out the chief of the village and
+demanded the loan of two canoes, with some men to paddle them, and in
+return I offered liberal payment. Accordingly, an hour after my arrival
+I found myself with all my belongings and servants on board the two
+canoes, with a crew of nine Malays. Soon after leaving the Malay
+village we branched off to the left up the Sarekei River. It was very
+monotonous at first, as the giant plumes of the <i>nipa</i> palm hid
+everything from my view. My Malays worked hard at their paddles, and
+late in the afternoon we left the main Sarekei River and paddled up a
+small and extremely narrow stream. There we found ourselves in the
+depth of a most luxuriant vegetation. We were in a regular tunnel
+formed by arching ferns and orchid-laden trees, giant <i>pandanus,</i>
+various palms and arborescent ferns and <i>caladiums.</i> Here grew the
+largest <i>crinum</i> lilies I had ever seen. They literally towered
+over me, and the sweet-scented white and pink flowers grew in huge
+bunches on stems nearly as thick as my arm.</p>
+
+<p>After the bright sun on the main river, the dark, gloomy depths of
+this side-stream were very <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1706"
+href="#xd0e1706">207</a>]</span>striking. It was so narrow that
+sometimes the vegetation on both sides was forced into the canoes, and
+the &ldquo;atap&rdquo; (palm-thatched) roof of my canoe came in for
+severe treatment as it brushed against prickly <i>pandanus</i> and
+thorny rattans.</p>
+
+<p>The entrance to this stream was completely hidden from view, and no
+one but these Malays, who had been up here before, trading with the
+Dayaks, could have discovered it. I had told the Malay chief that I
+wished to visit a Dayak village where no white man had ever been and
+where they were head-hunters. He had smiled slyly and nodded as if he
+understood. Thereupon he said, &ldquo;Baik (good), Tuan,&rdquo; and
+said he would help me. Just as darkness was setting in we arrived at a
+Dayak village, consisting of one very long house, which I afterwards
+found to exceed two hundred feet in length. It was situated about one
+hundred yards from the stream. No sooner had we sighted it than the air
+resounded with the loud beating of large gongs and plenty of shouting.
+There was a great commotion among the Dayaks.</p>
+
+<p>I at first felt doubtful as to the kind of reception I should get,
+and immediately made my way to the house with Dubi, who explained to
+the Dayak chief that I was no government official, but had come to see
+them and also to get some &ldquo;burong&rdquo; (birds) and
+&ldquo;kopo-kopo&rdquo; (butterflies). I forthwith <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1715" href="#xd0e1715">208</a>]</span>presented
+the old chief with a bottle of gin, such as they often get from the
+Malay traders, and some Javanese tobacco, and his face was soon
+wreathed in smiles.</p>
+
+<p>The Dayaks soon brought all my baggage into the house and I paid off
+my Malays and proceeded to make myself as comfortable as I could for my
+stay of several weeks, the chief giving me a portion of his own
+quarters and spreading mats for me over the bamboo floor. On the latter
+I put my camp-bed and boxes. I occupied a portion of the open corridor
+or main hall, which ran the length of the house and where the unmarried
+men sleep. This long corridor was just thirty feet in width, and formed
+by far the greater portion of the house; small openings from this
+corridor led on to a kind of unsheltered platform twenty-five feet in
+width, which ran the length of the house and on which the Dayaks
+generally dry their &ldquo;padi&rdquo; (rice).</p>
+
+<p>The other side of the house was divided into several rooms, each of
+which belonged to a separate family. Here they store their wealth,
+chiefly huge jars and brass gongs. The house was raised on piles fully
+ten to twelve feet from the ground, the space underneath being fenced
+in for the accommodation of their pigs and chickens. The smells that
+came up through the half-open bamboo and &ldquo;bilian&rdquo;-wood
+flooring were the reverse of pleasant. The entrance at each end <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1721" href="#xd0e1721">209</a>]</span>was
+by means of a very steep and slippery sort of ladder made out of one
+piece of wood with notches cut in it, the steps being only a few inches
+in width. One of these ladders had a rough bamboo hand-rail on each
+side, and the top part of the steps was roughly carved into the
+semblance of a human face.</p>
+
+<p>In the rafters over my head I noticed a great quantity of spears,
+shields, &ldquo;sumpitans&rdquo; or blowpipes, paddles, fish-traps,
+baskets and rolls of mats piled up indiscriminately, while just over my
+head where I slept was a rattan basket containing two human heads,
+though Dubi told me he thought the Dayaks had hidden most of their
+heads on my arrival. This description of the house I resided in for
+some time, applies more or less to all the Dayak houses I saw in
+Borneo.</p>
+
+<p>This house or village was called Menus, and the old chief&rsquo;s
+name was Usit. In spelling these names one has to be entirely guided by
+the sounds and write them after the fashion of the English method of
+spelling Malay. The village or house of Menus seemed to contain about
+one hundred inhabitants, not counting small children. Upon my arrival I
+was soon surrounded by a most curious throng, many of whom gazed at me
+with open mouths, in astonishment at the sight of an &ldquo;orang
+puteh&rdquo; (white man), as of course no white man had ever been here
+before and but very <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1727" href="#xd0e1727">210</a>]</span>few of the people had ever seen one. One old
+woman remembered having seen a white man, and some of the older men had
+from time to time seen government officials on the Rejang River, but
+except to these few I was a complete novelty. Considering this, I was
+greatly astonished at their friendliness, as not only the men, but the
+women and children squatted around me in the most amicable fashion, and
+sometimes even became a decided nuisance. My first evening among them,
+however, I found extremely amusing, and as my Chinese cook placed the
+food he had cooked before me, and as I ate it with knife, fork and
+spoon, they watched every mouthful I took amid a loud buzz of comments
+and exclamations of delight.</p>
+
+<p>Though by no means the first time I have had to endure this sort of
+popularity, or rather notoriety, in various countries of the world, I
+do not think I have ever come across a people so full of friendly
+curiosity as were these Dayaks. About midnight I began to feel a bit
+sleepy, but the admiring multitude did not seem inclined to move, so I
+told Dubi to tell them that I wanted to change my clothes and go to
+sleep. No one moved. &ldquo;Tell the ladies to go, Dubi,&rdquo; I said,
+but on his translating my message a woman in the background called out
+something that met with loud cries of approval.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What does she say, Dubi?&rdquo; I asked. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1733" href="#xd0e1733">211</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She says, Tuan,&rdquo; replied Dubi, &ldquo;they like see
+your skin, if white the same all over.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This was rather embarrassing, and I told Dubi to insist upon their
+going; but Dubi, whose advice I generally took, replied, &ldquo;I
+think, Tuan (master), more better you show to them your skin.&rdquo; I
+therefore submitted with as good a grace as possible, and took my shirt
+off, while some of them, especially the women, pinched and patted the
+skin on my back amid cries of approval and delight.</p>
+
+<p>They asked if the skin of the Tuan Muda (the Rajah) was as white,
+and, on being told that it was, a long and serious conversation took
+place among them, during which the name of the Tuan Muda kept
+constantly cropping up.</p>
+
+<p>The great naturalist, Wallace, met with much the same experience
+among the Dayaks, and as the natives of many other countries among whom
+I have lived never seemed to display the same curiosity about my white
+skin, I put it down to the Dayaks wishing to see what kind of a skin
+the great white Rajah, who rules over them, possesses.</p>
+
+<p>The next two or three nights the crowd that waited to see me change
+into my pyjamas was, if anything, still larger, a good many Dayaks from
+neighbouring villages coming over to see the sight. But gradually the
+novelty wore off, to my great joy, as I was getting a bit tired of the
+whole <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1744" href="#xd0e1744">212</a>]</span>performance. I had come here to see the
+Dayaks, but it appeared that they were even more anxious to see me.</p>
+
+<p>For the next two or three weeks an odd Dayak would from time to time
+ask to see my skin, so that at length I had absolutely to refuse to
+exhibit myself any longer.</p>
+
+<p>I had luckily brought several illustrated magazines with me to use
+as papers for my butterflies, and these were a source of endless
+delight to the crowds around me in the evenings. They behaved like a
+lot of small children, and roared with laughter over the pictures. They
+generally looked at the pictures upside down, and even then they seemed
+to find something amusing about them. With Dubi as my interpreter I
+used to make up stories about the pictures, and, pointing to the
+portrait of some well-known actress, described the number of husbands
+she had killed, and I&rsquo;m afraid I grossly libelled many a
+well-known politician, general, or divine in telling the Dayaks how
+many heads they possessed or how many wives they owned, till it was
+quite a natural thing for me to join in their uproarious merriment, as
+I pictured in my mind some venerable bishop on the war-path.</p>
+
+<p>As is well known, the Dayak women all wear rings of brass around
+their waists. They are called &ldquo;gronong,&rdquo; and they are made
+of pliable rattan inside, with small brass rings fastened <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1752" href="#xd0e1752">213</a>]</span>around the
+rattan. In the centre of each ring there are generally two or three
+small red and black rings of coloured rattan between the brass ones.
+Some wore only four or five, while others possessed twenty or more, and
+then they rather resembled a corset. Even the little girls of four or
+five wore two or three of them.</p>
+
+<p>I noticed on my first arrival that the women and some of the men
+seemed to have their teeth plentifully filled with gold, but I soon
+found out that it was brass that they had ornamented their teeth with,
+a small piece being inserted in some way in the centre of each tooth.
+Their teeth are generally black from the continual chewing of the
+betel-nut, and I noticed small children of four or five years of age
+going in for this dirty habit, and still younger <span class="corr" id="xd0e1756" title="Source: childen">children</span> smoking cigarettes,
+the covering of which is made out of the dried leaf of the sago-palm.
+The Dayaks are almost as dirty as the Negritos in the Philippines, and
+yet they are both certainly the merriest people I have ever met with.
+The heartiest and most unaffected laughter I have ever heard proceeded
+from the throats of Dayaks and Negritos. It almost seems as if dirt in
+some cases constitutes true happiness.</p>
+
+<p>The Dayak women seemed to bathe more often than the men, but they
+never seemed to take off their brass waist-rings when bathing in the
+river. The women also have their wrists covered with brass bangles,
+which are all fastened together in <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1761" href="#xd0e1761">214</a>]</span>one piece. The noise in the
+house was deafening at times, especially in the evening, when all come
+home from working in their &ldquo;padi&rdquo; fields, where the women
+are supposed to do most of the work, the men generally going hunting.
+The continual hum of conversation and loud laughter, with the noise
+made by the pigs and chickens under the house, the dogs and chickens in
+the house, and the beating of deep-toned gongs at times nearly drove me
+frantic, especially when I was writing.</p>
+
+<p>They resembled a lot of small children and would beat their gongs
+simply to amuse themselves. Very often a Dayak, on returning from his
+work or a hunt in the jungle, would walk straight up to a large gong
+that was hanging up and hammer on it for a few minutes in a most
+businesslike way, looking all the time as if it bored him. Then he
+would walk away in much the same way as a man would leave the telephone
+(as if he had just got through some business). I suppose it soothed
+them after their day&rsquo;s work, but it irritated me.</p>
+
+<p>The Dayak dogs are fearful and wonderful animals, both as regards
+shape and colour, and I could get very little sleep on account of the
+noise they made; yet the Dayaks seemed to sleep through it all.</p>
+
+<p>One night I woke up after a particularly noisy fight, and saw what
+appeared to me to be a dog sitting calmly by my bed with its back
+turned to <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1769" href="#xd0e1769">215</a>]</span>me. Lifting my mosquito net, therefore, very
+quietly, I let drive with my fist at it, putting all my pent-up
+indignation and anger for sleepless nights into the blow. Alas! it was
+a very solid dog that I struck against, being nothing more nor less
+than the side of one of my boxes, and I barked my knuckles rather
+badly. The laughter of the Dayaks was loud and prolonged when Dubi
+translated the yarn to them next day, and they remembered it long
+afterwards. Until I heard the roar of laughter that went up, the story
+had not struck me as being so very amusing!</p>
+
+<p>All around the house for some distance was a forest of tall
+fruit-trees. They had of course all been planted in times past by the
+Dayaks&rsquo; ancestors, and every tree had its owner, but they had
+become mixed up with many beautiful wild tropic growths which had
+sprung up between the trees. Some of these fruit-trees, such as the
+&ldquo;durian,&rdquo; &ldquo;rambutan,&rdquo; mango, mangosteen,
+&ldquo;tamadac&rdquo; or jackfruit, &ldquo;lansat&rdquo; and bananas,
+were familiar to me, but there were a great number of fruits that I had
+never heard of before, and I got their names from my Dayak friends.<a
+class="noteref" id="xd0e1773src" href="#xd0e1773">1</a></p>
+
+<p>Needless to say, I never before tasted so many fruits that were
+entirely new to me, and most of them were ripe at the time of my visit.
+The &ldquo;durian&rdquo; comes easily first. It is without doubt <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1778" href="#xd0e1778">216</a>]</span>the
+king of all fruit in both the tropic and temperate zones, and is
+popular alike with man and beast, the orang-utan being a great culprit
+in robbing the Dayaks of their &ldquo;durians.&rdquo; I never saw the
+&ldquo;good&rdquo; &ldquo;durian&rdquo; growing wild in Sarawak, but I
+tasted here a small wild kind with an orange centre which made me
+violently sick. No description of the &ldquo;durian&rdquo; taste can do
+it justice. But its smell is also past description. It is so bad that
+many people refuse to taste it. It is a very large and heavy fruit,
+covered with strong, sharp spines, and as it grows on a very tall tree,
+it is dangerous to walk underneath in the fruiting season when they are
+falling, accidents being common among the Dayaks through this cause. I
+myself had a narrow escape one windy day. I was sitting at the foot of
+one of these trees eating some of the fallen fruit, when a large
+&ldquo;durian&rdquo; fell from above and buried itself in the mud not
+half a yard from me.</p>
+
+<p>Danna, the second chief, would always leave one or two of the fruit
+for me on a box close by my head where I slept, before he went off to
+his &ldquo;padi &ldquo;-planting early in the morning, so that I got
+quite used to the bad smell.</p>
+
+<p>The Dayak house was surrounded on three sides by a horrible swamp,
+the roads through which consisted of fallen trees laid end to end, or
+else of two or three thick poles, laid side by side, and kept in place
+by being lashed here and there to <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1784" href="#xd0e1784">217</a>]</span>two upright stakes, so that
+I had to balance myself well or come to grief in the thick mud. The
+Dayak bridges, made chiefly of poles and bamboos, were in many cases
+awkward things to negotiate, and I had one or two rather nasty falls
+from them. While the Dayak women and children never showed any fear of
+me in the house, whenever I met them out in the woods or jungle they
+would run from me as if I were some kind of wild animal.</p>
+
+<p>I saw several Dayak dances. The men put on their war-plumes and with
+shield and &ldquo;parang&rdquo; (mentioned above) twirl round and round
+and cut with their &ldquo;parangs&rdquo; at an imaginary foe, the women
+all the time accompanying them with the beating of gongs. Dubi one
+night showed them a Malay dance, which consisted of a sort of gliding
+motion and a graceful waving of the hands, quite the reverse of the
+Dayak dance. One night I noticed a general bustle in the house. The
+women seemed greatly excited, and the men passed to and fro with their
+&ldquo;parangs&rdquo; and &ldquo;sumpitans&rdquo; (blowpipes), and cast
+anxious looks in my direction as they passed me. They told Dubi they
+were going fishing; but it seemed strange that they should go fishing
+with these warlike weapons, and I told Dubi so. He himself thought they
+were going head-hunting, and I felt sure of it, as they left only the
+old men, youths, women and children behind. I did not see them again
+till the following <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1788" href="#xd0e1788">218</a>]</span>evening, nor did I then see signs of any
+fish. I told Dubi that I thought it best that he should not ask them
+any questions, as it might be awkward if they thought we suspected
+them. At the same time, I am bound to admit that there was no direct
+proof to show that they had been headhunting; and for this I was glad,
+as there was no cause for me to say anything to the Government about
+it, and so get my kind hosts into trouble. Some months later I read in
+a Singapore paper that &ldquo;the Dayaks in this district,&rdquo;
+between Sibu and Kuching, were restless and inclined to join form with
+the Dayaks at Kapit, who had sent Dr. Hose a spear, signifying their
+defiance of the Sarawak Government.</p>
+
+<p>One evening, when out looking for birds, Dubi and I came across two
+Dayaks, who were perched up in trees, waiting for wild pigs that came
+to feed on the fallen fruit, when they would spear them from above.
+They seemed rather annoyed with us for coming and frightening the pigs
+away, and that evening they told everyone that we were the cause of
+their not getting a pig. I rather scored them off, by telling Dubi in
+an angry voice to ask them what &ldquo;the dickens&rdquo; they meant by
+getting up in trees and frightening all my birds away. This highly
+amused all the other Dayaks, who laughed loud and long, and my two
+pig-hunting friends retired into the background discomfited. I myself
+went out one evening with a party of Dayaks after <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1792" href="#xd0e1792">219</a>]</span>wild pig,
+and stayed for two hours upon a platform in a tree while they climbed
+other trees close by. However, no pigs turned up, although two
+&ldquo;plandok&rdquo; (mouse-deer) did, though I did not shoot them for
+fear of frightening the pigs away. I took my revolver with me, to the
+great amusement of the Dayaks, who, of course, had not seen one before,
+and ridiculed the idea of so small a weapon being able to kill a pig.
+The Dayaks told me that there were plenty of bears here, but I never
+saw any myself in this part of Borneo. They told me the bears were very
+fierce, and had often nearly killed some of their friends. The Dayak
+dogs are fearful cowards, and I was told that they run away at the
+sight of a wild pig.</p>
+
+<p>Animal life here was not plentiful, and quite the reverse of what I
+had seen in the forests of North Borneo, where it was very
+plentiful.</p>
+
+<p>I noticed the prevalence of that horrible scurvy-like skin-disease
+among several of the Dayaks. It was common in New Guinea among the
+Papuans, where it was termed &ldquo;supuma.&rdquo; I cured two little
+Dayak children of intermittent fever by giving them quinine and
+Eno&rsquo;s fruit salts. The result was that I was greatly troubled by
+demands on my limited stock of medicines. One old man had been growing
+blind for the last two years, and another was troubled with aches all
+over him, and they would hardly believe me when I said that I could not
+cure them. They told Dubi that they <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1798" href="#xd0e1798">220</a>]</span>thought that the white
+people who could make such things as I possessed could do anything. So
+much of my property seemed to amuse and astonish them, that it was a
+treat to show them such things as my looking-glass, hair-brush, socks,
+guns, umbrella, watch, etc. I showed them that child&rsquo;s trick of
+making the lid of my watch fly open, and they were delighted.</p>
+
+<p>The Dayak women can hardly be considered good-looking. I saw one or
+two that were rather pretty, but they were very young and unmarried.
+Dubi fell madly in love with one of them and she with him, and when I
+left there were two broken hearts. Many of the little girls of about
+five and six years old would have been regular pictures if they had
+only been cleaner. I made the discovery that some of my Dayak friends
+were addicted to the horrible habit of eating clay, and actually found
+a regular little digging in the side of a hill where they worked to get
+these lumps of reddish grey clay, and soon caught some of the old men
+eating it. They declared that they enjoyed it. All my empty tins (from
+tinned meats, etc.) were in great demand, and so to save jealousy I
+actually demoralized the Dayaks to the extent of introducing the
+raffling system among them. Great was the excitement every evening when
+I raffled old tins and bottles. Dubi would hand the bits of paper and
+they would be a long time making up their minds which to take. One
+night Dubi <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1802" href="#xd0e1802">221</a>]</span>overheard my Chinese cook telling some of
+the Dayaks that &ldquo;the white tuan had no use for these tins
+himself, that is why he gives them to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This cook, whom I used to call Cookie, was a great nuisance to me,
+but he was the most amusing character I ever came across, and he was
+the source of endless delight to the Dayaks, who enjoyed teasing him
+and jokingly threatened to cut off his head, until he was almost
+paralyzed with fright and came and begged me to leave, as we should all
+have our heads cut off. After a week or two his courage returned and I
+learned that when I was out of the house he would stand on his head for
+the amusement of the women and children, though he was by no means a
+young man. He soon became quite popular with the women, who found him
+highly amusing, and who were always in fits of laughter whenever he
+talked. In the evenings he sometimes joined a group of Dayak youths and
+would start to air his opinions. Then it was not long before they were
+all jeering and mimicking him, and poor old Cookie would look very
+foolish and a sickly smile would spread over his yellow features.
+Finally he would go off and sulk, and when I asked him what the matter
+was, he would reply, &ldquo;Damn Dayak no wantee.&rdquo; Whenever I
+called out for Cookie, the whole house would resound with jeering Dayak
+cries of &ldquo;Cookie, Cookie.&rdquo; He and Dubi were always
+quarrelling, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1806" href="#xd0e1806">222</a>]</span>and Cookie would work himself up into such a
+state of excitement that the place would be full of Dayak laughter,
+though the Dayak understood not a word of what they were talking about.
+In my later wanderings in Borneo the quarrel between my two servants,
+Dayak and Chinaman, grew to such an extent that I feared it would end
+in murder.</p>
+
+<p>The foregoing account, short as it is, will, I trust, give some idea
+of what my long stay among head-hunting Dayaks was like. All things
+must have an ending, however, and having finished my collecting in this
+neighbourhood I said good-bye to my Dayak friends, with deep regret,
+and I think the sorrow was mutual. I know well that Dubi and his little
+Dayak sweetheart were almost heartbroken. The Dayaks begged me to stay
+longer, but I had already stayed longer than I had at first
+intended.</p>
+
+<p>Old Usit, the chief, and his crew of Dayaks paddled me all the way
+to Sibu. There is little to relate about the journey there, except that
+the canoe leaked very badly and the Dayaks had to keep bailing her out.
+At night we tied the canoe up to a small wooden platform outside a
+Malay house on the Rejang River, to await the change of the tide, and
+one of the Dayaks knocked at the door of the house so that we could
+cook some food, but the Malays thought that we were head-hunters, and
+there was great lamentation, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1812"
+href="#xd0e1812">223</a>]</span>and for some time they refused to open.
+While eating my food, with my legs dangling over the side of the wooden
+platform, I noticed a dark object that glistened in the moonlight
+noiselessly swimming toward me, and I pulled up my legs pretty quickly.
+It was a large crocodile, attracted, no doubt, by the smell of my
+dinner. The only objection I had was that it might have taken me for
+the dinner. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1814" href="#xd0e1814">224</a>]</span></p>
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep" />
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e1773src" id="xd0e1773">1</a></span> Some of these names that I
+got were &ldquo;kudong&rdquo; &ldquo;blimbing,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;mawang,&rdquo; &ldquo;sima&rdquo; &ldquo;lakat,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;kamayan,&rdquo; &ldquo;nika,&rdquo; &ldquo;esu,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;kubal,&rdquo; &ldquo;padalai&rdquo; and
+&ldquo;rambai.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div id="xd0e1815" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Visit to the Birds&rsquo;-nest Caves of
+Gomanton.</h2>
+
+<div class="argument">
+<p>My stay in British North Borneo&mdash;Visit to a Tobacco Estate
+(Batu Puteh)&mdash;Start for the Birds&rsquo;-nest Caves&mdash;News of
+the Local Chief&rsquo;s Death&mdash;Applicants for the
+Panglima-ship&mdash;We Visit the late Chief&rsquo;s House-Widows in
+white&mdash;The Hadji &ldquo;who longed to be
+King&rdquo;&mdash;Extraordinary Grove of Banyan-trees&mdash;Pigs,
+Crocodiles and Monkeys&mdash;Astonishing Swimming Performance of a
+Monkey&mdash;Water Birds Feeding on the Carcase of a Stag&mdash;The
+Hadji and his Men pray at a Native Grave-shrine&mdash;An Elephant
+charges past us&mdash;Arrival at the Caves&mdash;The Entrance&mdash;A
+Cave of enormous Height, description of the Interior&mdash;Return to
+the Village&mdash;Visit to the Upper Caves&mdash;Beautiful Climbing
+Plants&mdash;We reach the Largest Cave of all: its Extreme
+Grandeur&mdash;&ldquo;White&rdquo; Nests and &ldquo;Black&rdquo; Nests
+secured&mdash;Distinctions between the two kinds of Swallows by whom
+the Nests are made&mdash;Millions of small Bats: an Astonishing
+Sight&mdash;Methods of Securing the Nests described&mdash;Perilous
+Climbing Feats&mdash;Report of numerous Large
+Snakes&mdash;Cave-coffins, and their (traditional) rich
+contents&mdash;Dangers of the Descent&mdash;All&rsquo;s well that ends
+well.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>I had just returned down the river with Richardson from Tangkulap.
+Tangkulap is a journey of several days up the Kinabatangan River in
+British North Borneo. Richardson was the magistrate for this district,
+and his rule extended over practically the whole of this river,
+Tangkulap being his headquarters. Only three or four white men had ever
+been up the river as far as Tangkulap, it being a very lonely spot in
+the midst of dense forests, with no other white man living anywhere
+near. I had stayed with him for two months, making large natural
+history collections and seeing a great deal of both native and animal
+life. We had then returned down the river in <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e1823" href="#xd0e1823">225</a>]</span>Richardson&rsquo;s
+&ldquo;gobang&rdquo; (canoe) to Batu Puteh, a large tobacco estate, and
+the only one on this river. Here we were the guests of Paul Brietag,
+the manager, a most hospitable German. He and his three German, French,
+and Dutch assistants were the only other white men on the whole of this
+great river.</p>
+
+<p>While here, Richardson and I determined to visit the wonderful
+Gomanton birds&rsquo;-nest caves, from which great quantities of edible
+birds&rsquo; nests are annually taken. Very few Europeans had ever
+visited them, though they are considered among the wonders of the
+world.</p>
+
+<p>We left Batu Puteh in Richardson&rsquo;s canoe early one morning,
+and, although we had a strong stream with us going down, we did not
+reach Bilit till evening. Bilit is a large village made up of Malays,
+Orang Sungei, and Sulus. Quite a crowd met us on our arrival, and they
+seemed not a little excited. It appeared that their late Panglima
+(chief), who was also a Hadji, had been on a second voyage to Mecca,
+and they had just heard that he had died on his way back. &ldquo;That
+was quite right,&rdquo; they said; &ldquo;his time had come, and,
+besides, it had been foretold that he would die if he tried to go to
+Mecca again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Two men were most anxious to gain favour with Richardson&mdash;viz.,
+the dead man&rsquo;s son and another Hadji, who was the richest man in
+Bilit, and who had a large share in the Gomanton <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1831" href="#xd0e1831">226</a>]</span>caves. The reason was
+that Richardson had the power to appoint whom he liked as the new
+Panglima, provided, of course, that the man was of some standing and
+fairly popular. Richardson sent for one of the most influential men in
+the village to come and talk the matter over, but he lived on the other
+side of the river, and, it being late, they said he dared not cross in
+his small &ldquo;gobang,&rdquo; as the crocodiles are very bad indeed
+here, and at night they often help themselves to a man out of his
+canoe. We went to the late Panglima&rsquo;s house and had a chat, but
+nothing was said about the new Panglima. I caught sight of one of the
+widows swathed in white, going through all sorts of contortions by way
+of mourning for her late husband. We found that the people were going
+to the caves in two or three days to collect the black nests. The white
+nests had been collected earlier in the year, but the influential Hadji
+&ldquo;who would be king&rdquo; offered to go with us on the morrow and
+start work earlier than he at first intended if his dreams were
+favourable, and thus we should be able to see them at work collecting
+the nests. Here was luck both for ourselves and the Hadji: it meant a
+step in his hopes of the much-desired Panglima-ship by thus gaining
+favour with the magistrate over his younger rival. He was a tall,
+haughty-looking man, with an orange-coloured turban, worn only by
+Hadjis, and the people <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1833" href="#xd0e1833">227</a>]</span>seemed to stand in great awe of him and
+addressed him as &ldquo;Tuan&rdquo; or &ldquo;Tuan Hadji,&rdquo; the
+word &ldquo;Tuan&rdquo; being usually used only when addressing
+Europeans like ourselves; still, his house in which we spent the night
+was little better than a pigsty, although he was a very wealthy
+man.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning we were off before sunrise. After leaving the
+village we had a walk of about an hour and a half over a very steep
+hill through luxuriant, tall forest, and on the other side came to a
+small river, the Menungal, on the banks of which was a shed full of
+&ldquo;gobangs&rdquo; (canoes) which were speedily launched, we both
+getting into the leading one. We were followed by three others, in one
+of which was the Hadji. Most of the way was through fine forest, the
+trees arching overhead to shade us from the hot sun, the only exception
+being when we passed through a stretch of swamps, with low, tangled
+growth, when the river broadened out, but in the shady forest it was
+delightful, gliding along to the music of the even dip of the
+paddles.</p>
+
+<p>The most striking feature about the forest on this Menungal River
+was the extraordinary growth of a species of banyan trees (<i>Ficus</i>
+sp.). I have seen many curious stilted trees of this <i>Ficus</i>
+family in various tropical countries I have visited, but these I think
+were more curious than any I had ever seen. One hardly knew where they
+began and where they ended, for they all seemed <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1845" href="#xd0e1845">228</a>]</span>joined together, and
+roots and branches seemed one and the same thing. It was the acme of
+vegetable confusion. Even the river could not stop their progress, and
+we were constantly gliding between their roots and branches. The growth
+of ferns, orchids and parasites on the branches and roots of these
+trees was luxuriant to a degree and formed veritable hanging
+gardens.</p>
+
+<p>On these Bornean rivers one is constantly seeing pigs, crocodiles
+and monkeys, but I noticed on this river an abundance of a monkey which
+one seldom sees on the large Kinabatangan River. I refer to the very
+curious proboscis or long-nosed monkey (<i>Nasalis larvatus</i>). These
+animals often sat still overhead and stared down at us in the most
+contemptuous and indifferent manner, and they looked so human and yet
+so comical with their enormous red noses that I found myself laughing
+aloud, our scullers doing the same, till the monkeys actually grinned
+with indignation. They axe large monkeys with long tails, and are
+beautifully marked with various shades of grey and brown, and their
+large, fleshy, red noses give them an extraordinary appearance.</p>
+
+<p>One of them did a performance that astonished me. We saw a group of
+them on a branch over the river about forty yards ahead of us, when one
+of them jumped into the middle of the river and coolly swam to a
+hanging creeper up which it climbed, none the worse for its voluntary
+bath. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1854" href="#xd0e1854">229</a>]</span>This was the only time that I had ever seen
+a monkey swim, but the natives assured me that these monkeys are very
+good swimmers. It struck me as being a very risky performance, as this
+river was full of crocodiles.</p>
+
+<p>I saw on this river a wonderful orchid growing on large trees. This
+was a <i>Grammatophyllum</i> with bulbs some times over eight feet in
+length. The length of the name is certainly suitable for so large an
+orchid. I saw plenty of water-birds, including white egrets and a
+long-necked diver which is called the &ldquo;snake-bird,&rdquo; owing
+to its long neck projecting lout of the water and thus greatly
+resembling a snake. I shot several of each kind of bird, plucking the
+fine plumes from the backs of the egrets. We ate some of the divers
+that evening and found them first-class food, tasting much like goose.
+We later in the day disturbed a whole colony of these water-birds
+feeding on the carcase of a large stag in the river, and the smell was
+very strong for some distance. I did not attempt to shoot any more mock
+geese till we had put a good many miles between ourselves and the dead
+stag. We passed several canoes slowly wending their way to the eaves,
+the people taking it easy and camping on the banks and fishing. They
+dried the fish on the roofs of their thatched canoes. Some of these
+people had very curious rattan pyramid-shaped hats gaily ornamented
+with strips of bright-coloured cloth. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1861" href="#xd0e1861">230</a>]</span></p>
+
+<p>Toward evening the river got exceedingly narrow, and fallen trees
+obstructed our way, so that we had sometimes to lie flat on our backs
+to pass under them, and at other times we had to get out while our
+canoe was hauled over the mud at the side.</p>
+
+<p>Just before we reached our destination for the night, we came to a
+spot where the bank was hung with bits of coloured cloth and calico
+fastened to sticks, I also noticed some bananas and dried fish tied to
+the sticks. This signified that there was a native burial ground close
+by, and all the canoes were stopped, the scullers putting their paddles
+down, while the Hadji and all his men proceeded to wash their faces in
+the river. This they did to ensure success in their
+nest-collecting.</p>
+
+<p>We stayed the night in one of two raised half-thatched huts used
+only by the natives in the collecting seasons, a ladder from the river
+leading into them. It was almost dark when we arrived, and hardly were
+we under shelter when rain came down in torrents. It poured all night,
+and when we started off on foot at sunrise the next morning we found
+the track in the forest a regular quagmire; in places we waded through
+mud up to our knees. As we scrambled and floundered through the mud at
+our best pace we heard a great crashing noise just in front of us, and
+the air resounded with cries of &ldquo;Gajah, gajah!&rdquo; (elephant).
+I was just in time to see a large elephant tear by. It literally <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1868" href="#xd0e1868">231</a>]</span>seemed to fly, and knocked down small trees
+as if they were grass. It seemed greatly frightened, and made a sort of
+coughing noise. It went by so quickly that I was unable to see whether
+it had tusks or not.</p>
+
+<p>After about three hours&rsquo; hard tramping, I caught sight of a
+high mass of white limestone gleaming through the trees. It made a
+pretty picture in the early morning, the white rock peeping out of
+luxuriant creepers and foliage. It rises very abruptly from the
+surrounding forest, and at a distance looked quite inaccessible to a
+climber.</p>
+
+<p>We waded through a stream of clear water, washing the horrible
+forest mud from off us, and soon found ourselves in a most picturesque
+village at the very base of the rock. We disturbed quite a crowd of
+native girls bathing in a spring, and they seemed very much alarmed and
+surprised at seeing two Europeans suddenly turn the corner. Out of
+season I don&rsquo;t believe any one lives in this village except some
+watchers at the mouths of the eaves to guard against thieves. The Hadji
+gave us a rough hut with a flooring of split bamboo and kept us
+provided with chickens. All this no doubt was in his estimation part of
+the necessary steps to securing that much-desired Panglima-ship.</p>
+
+<p>The two days we were here, people kept flocking into the village,
+most of the men carrying long steel-pointed spears, in many cases
+beautifully mounted with engraved silver: others carried <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1876" href="#xd0e1876">232</a>]</span>long
+&ldquo;parangs&rdquo; and &ldquo;krises&rdquo; in rough wooden sheaths,
+but the handles were often of carved ivory and silver.</p>
+
+<p>After some breakfast we started off to see the near lower cave,
+which was one of the smaller ones. We followed a very pretty ferny
+track by the side of a rocky stream for a short distance, the forest
+being partially cleared and open, with large boulders scattered around.
+The sky overhead was thick with swallows, in fact one could almost say
+the air was black with them. These of course were the birds that make
+the nests. The mouth of the cave partly prepared me for what I was to
+see. I had expected a small entrance, but here it was, I should say,
+sixty feet in height and of great width, the entrance being partly
+overhung with a curtain of luxuriant creepers. The smell of guano had
+been strong before, but here it was overpowering.</p>
+
+<p>Extending inside the cave for about one hundred yards was a small
+village of native huts used chiefly by the guards or watchers of these
+caves. Compared with the vastness of the interior of the cave&mdash;I
+believe about four hundred and eighty feet in height&mdash;one could
+almost imagine that one was looking at the small model of a village. A
+small stream ran out of a large hill of guano, and if you left the
+track you sank over your knees in guano. The vastness of the interior
+of this cave impressed me beyond words. It was stupendous, and to
+describe it properly <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1882" href="#xd0e1882">233</a>]</span>would take a better pen than mine. One could
+actually see the very roof overhead, as there were two or three
+openings near the top (reminding one of windows high up in a cathedral)
+through which broad shafts of light forced their way, making some old
+hanging rattan ladders high up appear like silvery spider webs. Of
+course there were recesses overhead where the light could not
+penetrate, and these were the homes of millions of small bats, of which
+more presently. As for the birds themselves, this was one of their
+nesting seasons, and the cave was full of myriads of them. The
+twittering they made resembled the whisperings of a multitude. The
+majority of them kept near the roof, and as they flew to and fro
+through the shafts of light they presented a most curious effect and
+looked like swarms of gnats; lower down they resembled silvery
+butterflies. Where the light shone on the rocky walls and roofs one
+could distinguish masses upon masses of little silver black specks.
+These were their nests, as this was a black-nest cave. Somewhere below
+in the bowels of the earth rumbled an underground river with a noise
+like distant thunder. This cavernous roar far below and the twittering
+whisper of the swallows far overhead, combined to add much to the
+mysteriousness of these wonderful caves.</p>
+
+<p>On the ground in the guano I picked up several eggs, unbroken. How
+they could fall that distance <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1886"
+href="#xd0e1886">234</a>]</span>and yet not get smashed is hard to
+understand, unless it is that they fell in the soft guano on their
+ends. We were told that when a man fell from the top he was smashed
+literally into jelly. I also picked up a few birds which had been
+stunned when flying against the rocks. This saved me from shooting
+any.</p>
+
+<p>Spread out on the ground in the cave and also drying outside, raised
+from the ground on stakes, were coil after coil of rattan ropes and
+ladders used for collecting the nests. These always have to be new each
+season, and are first carefully tested. The ladders are made of well
+twisted strands of rattan with steps of strong, hard wood, generally
+&ldquo;bilian.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On our return to the village we bathed in a shady stream of clear
+water, the banks of which I noted were composed chiefly of guano. In
+the afternoon we started off in search of the upper eaves. After a
+short, stiff climb amid natural rockeries of jagged limestone, we
+passed under a rock archway or bridge, under which were perched
+frail-looking raised native huts of the watchers. As we stood under
+this curious archway we looked down a precipice on our left. It was
+very steep at our feet, but from the far side it took the form of a
+slanting shaft, which terminated in a little window or inlet into the
+lower cave we had visited in the morning. In our ascent we had to climb
+up very rough, steep ladders fastened against the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1892" href="#xd0e1892">235</a>]</span>rocky
+ledges. The rocks were in many places gay with variegated plants, the
+most notable being a very pretty-leafed begonia, covered with pink and
+silver spots, the spots being half pink, half white. The natives with
+us seemed to enjoy eating these leaves; they certainly looked tempting
+enough.</p>
+
+<p>Another fine plant growing among these rocks was a climbing <i>
+pothos,</i> with very dark green leaves, ornamented with a silver band
+across each leaf, but the finest of all was a fine velvet-leafed
+climber, veined with crimson, pink, or white (<i>Cissus</i> sp.).</p>
+
+<p>We at length came to the entrance of a long chain of eaves, through
+which we passed, going down a very steep grade, and our guides had to
+carry lights. After a climb down some steep rocks in semi-darkness, we
+at length found ourselves in the largest cave of all, supposed to be
+about five hundred and sixty feet in height.<a class="noteref" id="xd0e1904src" href="#xd0e1904">1</a> It, too, had two or three natural
+windows, through which the light penetrated. One of them was on the
+top, in the very centre of the cave, and from down below it looked like
+a distant star. This opening was on the very summit of the Gomanton
+rock. This cave greatly resembled the smaller one I have already
+described, except that it was of much grander dimensions. As in the
+first cave, one could hear the roar of an underground torrent, and the
+swallows seemed even more numerous. On the rocky walls I noticed plenty
+of large spiders and a curious insect, with a long body and long, thin
+legs, which ran very <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1907" href="#xd0e1907">236</a>]</span>fast, and whose bite we were told was very
+poisonous.</p>
+
+<p>On the way back, when passing through some very low caves, the Hadji
+got some of his men to knock down for me a few of the white nests from
+the sides of the cave with long poles, and in another cave they got me
+some black nests. The difference between these white and black nests is
+this: they are made by two different kinds of swallows. The white nest
+is made by a very small bird, but the bird that builds the black nest
+is twice the size of the other. The white nest looks something like
+pure white gelatine, and is very clean, and has no feathers in it. The
+black nest, on the contrary, is plentifully coated with feathers, and
+it is, in consequence, not worth nearly as much as the white nest. The
+nests are made from the saliva of the birds. Both are very plain
+coloured birds; an ordinary swallow is brilliant in comparison. This is
+unusual in a country so full of brilliant-plumaged birds as Borneo is;
+but, as they spend most of their lives in the depths of these sombre
+caves, I suppose it is only natural that their plumage should be
+obscure and plain. These birds&rsquo;-nest caves are found all over
+Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, and also in Java and other parts of the
+Malay archipelago, but these are by far the largest. The revenue from
+these caves alone brings the Government a very large sum. By far the
+greatest number of these nests are sent to China, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1911" href="#xd0e1911">237</a>]</span>where
+birds&rsquo;-nest soup is an expensive luxury. The natives of Borneo do
+not eat them. For myself, I found the soup rather tasteless.</p>
+
+<p>We were told that if they missed one season&rsquo;s nest collecting,
+most of the birds would forsake these caves, possibly because there
+would be so little room for them to build again. I learned that they
+build and lay four times a year, but I think that they meant that both
+the black and the white-nest birds lay twice each. The white kind build
+their first nests about March, and the black kind in May, and, as these
+nests are all collected before they have time to hatch their eggs,
+there are no young birds till later in the year, when the nests are not
+disturbed, but the old nests are collected with the new ones the
+following year. If the guano could be easily transported to the coast
+it would be a paying proposition, but the Government fears that it
+might frighten the birds away.</p>
+
+<p>About dusk that evening after we had returned to our hut, I heard a
+noise like the whistling of the wind, and, going outside, I saw a truly
+wonderful sight, in fact a sight that filled me with amazement. The
+millions of small bats which share these caves with the birds were
+issuing forth for the night from the small hole I spoke about on the
+very top of the rock leading into the large cave, but what a sight it
+was! As far as the eye could see they stretched in one even unbroken
+column across the sky. They issued from the cave in a compact <span
+class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1917" href="#xd0e1917">238</a>]</span>mass
+and preserved the same even formation till they disappeared in the far
+distance. As far as I could see there were no stragglers. They rather
+resembled a thick line of smoke coming out of the funnel of a steamer,
+with this exception that they kept the same thick line till they went
+out of sight. The most curious thing about it was that the thick line
+twisted and wriggled across the sky for all the world like a giant
+snake, as if it were blown about by gusts of wind, of which, however,
+there was none. Even with these strange man&oelig;uvres the bats kept
+the same unbroken solid formation. They were still coming forth in the
+same manner till darkness set in, and then I could only hear the
+beating of myriads of wings like the sighing of the wind in the
+tree-tops.</p>
+
+<p>They return in early morning in much the same fashion. I heard that
+the swallows usually did the same thing, only the other way about; when
+the bats came out, the swallows entered the eaves, and when the bats
+went in, the swallows came out, but it being now their nesting season,
+they went in and out of the eaves irregularly all day, but I was quite
+satisfied to see the bats go through the performance, as it was one of
+the most wonderful sights I have ever seen.</p>
+
+<p>We had been told that it would be three or four more days before the
+collecting would take place, and also that they had to wait for a good
+omen in the shape of a good dream coming to one of the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1923" href="#xd0e1923">239</a>]</span>chief
+owners of the caves. Our pleasure was great, therefore, when the Hadji
+and some of his followers paid us a visit that night and told us that
+work should start in the largest cave the next morning for our benefit.
+That was good news, indeed, as Richardson could not wait more than
+another day. It was another good move for the Hadji and his
+Panglima-ship, and I told Richardson he ought to give it him
+forthwith.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning we climbed to the top of the rock. It was hard work
+climbing over the brittle rocks and up perpendicular and shaky ladders.
+On reaching the summit we got a splendid view of the surrounding
+country, and could plainly see the distant sea; but all else was thick,
+billowy forest, dotted at long intervals with limestone ridges, also
+covered with forest. Here we found the hole on the top of the large
+cave, and stretching across it were two long, thick
+&ldquo;bilian&rdquo; logs, to which the natives were now fastening
+their long rattan ladders before descending them to collect the nests.
+We crept along the logs and listened to the everlasting twittering far
+below; but, although we could see nothing but pitchy darkness, the
+thought of what was below made me soon crawl back with a very shaky
+feeling in my legs.</p>
+
+<p>We then descended again till we came to the mouth of a curious cave,
+which was practically a dark chasm at our feet. We climbed down into
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd0e1929" href="#xd0e1929">240</a>]</span>the depths on a straight, swaying ladder,
+which required a good grip, and then, after a climb over slanting,
+slippery rocks, we found ourselves in the large cave, on a sort of
+ledge, within perhaps sixty feet of the roof. We were told that we were
+the first Europeans who had ever descended on to this ledge. From here
+we watched the natives collecting the nests. In a short account of this
+description it is impossible for me to detail all the wonderful methods
+the natives had for collecting the nests, but the chief method was by
+descending rattan ladders, which were let down through the hole on the
+top of the cave. It made one quite giddy even to watch the men
+descending these frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of
+space below them. The man on the nearest ladder had a long rattan rope
+attached low down to his ladder, with a kind of wooden anchor at the
+end of it. At the second attempt he succeeded with a wonderful throw in
+getting the anchor to stick in the soft guano on the edge of the
+slanting ledge where we were. It was then seized by several men waiting
+there; by these it was hauled up until they were enabled to catch hold
+of the end of the ladder, which they dragged higher and higher up the
+steep, slanting rocks we had come down by. This in time brought the
+flexible ladder, at least the part on which the man was, level with the
+roof, and he, lying on his back on the thin <span class="pagenum">[<a
+id="xd0e1931" href="#xd0e1931">241</a>]</span>ladder, pulled the nests
+off the rocky roof, putting them into a large rattan basket fastened
+about his body.</p>
+
+<p>We saw many other methods they have of collecting these nests by the
+aid of long bamboo poles and rattan ropes, up which they climbed to
+dizzy heights.</p>
+
+<p>These eaves, we were told, were full of very large harmless snakes,
+but we did not come across them. If I had had a good head and plenty of
+skill and pluck as a climber, I might have come away a wealthy man, as
+the Hadji told us that in a sort of side cave high up in the large cave
+were the coffins of the men that first discovered these caves, and with
+them were large jars of gold and jewels, but no one dared touch them,
+as they said it would be certain death to the man who did so. A man
+once did take some, but a few days later was taken violently ill and so
+had them put back and thus recovered. It was not for any scruples of
+this kind that I declined the Hadji&rsquo;s offer to help myself when
+he pointed out to me the spot where they were, but I think he must have
+guessed that I would not have trusted myself on one of those frail
+swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space beneath me.</p>
+
+<p>On the way back we scrambled up to a small cave where there were
+numerous carved coffins and bones which belonged to some of the former
+owners of the caves, but alas! no jars of gold; <span class="pagenum">
+[<a id="xd0e1939" href="#xd0e1939">242</a>]</span>possibly poor men,
+they did not realize good prices. We returned down the rocks a
+different way, which made Richardson indulge in some hearty language at
+the Hadji&rsquo;s expense, who must have had fears that the
+Panglima-ship was at the last moment slipping away from him. It
+certainly was awkward and dangerous work climbing down the steep
+precipices, and we could never have done it, but that the rocks were
+quite honeycombed with small holes which enabled us to get a good hold
+for our hands.</p>
+
+<p>That night was a busy one for me, skinning my numerous birds and
+blowing the eggs by a dim light to the accompaniment of
+Richardson&rsquo;s snores, and I did not get to bed till 2 a.m. We were
+up again at 4 a.m. for the return journey. But I had seen one of the
+most wonderful sights in the world, and to me it seemed extraordinary
+that until I came to Borneo I had never even heard of the Gomanton
+eaves. Some day, perhaps within our time, they will become widely
+advertised, and swarms of noisy tourists will come over in airships
+from London and New York, but there will be one thing lacking&mdash;all
+romance will have gone from these lonely wilds and forests, and that is
+the chief thing. The Hadji returned with us to Bilit, and got his
+desire, the Panglima-ship, and well he deserved it.</p>
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep" />
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" href="#xd0e1904src" id="xd0e1904">1</a></span> These were the heights given
+me by the Malays.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="back">
+<div id="xd0e1944" class="div1">
+<h2 class="normal">Plates</h2>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p02"><img src="images/p02.jpg" alt=
+"A Chief&rsquo;s Daughter and a Daughter of the People" width="512"
+height="345" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Chief&rsquo;s Daughter and a Daughter of the
+People</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p03"><img src="images/p03.jpg" alt=
+"A &ldquo;Meke-Meke,&rdquo; or Fijian Girls&rsquo; Dance" width="512"
+height="328" />
+<p class="figureHead">A &ldquo;Meke-Meke,&rdquo; or Fijian Girls&rsquo;
+Dance</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p04"><img src="images/p04.jpg" alt=
+"Interior of a large Fijian Hut" width="512" height="359" />
+<p class="figureHead">Interior of a large Fijian Hut</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p05"><img src="images/p05.jpg" alt=
+"A Fijian Mountaineer&rsquo;s House" width="345" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Fijian Mountaineer&rsquo;s House</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p06"><img src="images/p06.jpg" alt=
+"At the Door of a Fijian House" width="359" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">At the Door of a Fijian House</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p07"><img src="images/p07.jpg" alt=
+"A Fijian Girl" width="378" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Fijian Girl</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p08"><img src="images/p08.jpg" alt=
+"Spearing Fish in Fiji" width="512" height="316" />
+<p class="figureHead">Spearing Fish in Fiji</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p09"><img src="images/p09.jpg" alt=
+"A Fijian Fisher Girl" width="373" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Fijian Fisher Girl</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p10"><img src="images/p10.jpg" alt=
+"A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in Fiji" width="512"
+height="340" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in
+Fiji</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p11"><img src="images/p11.jpg" alt=
+"Making Fire by Wood Friction" width="512" height="337" />
+<p class="figureHead">Making Fire by Wood Friction</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p12"><img src="images/p12.jpg" alt=
+"An Old ex-Cannibal" width="263" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">An Old ex-Cannibal</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p13"><img src="images/p13.jpg" alt=
+"A Fijian War-Dance" width="512" height="330" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Fijian War-Dance</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p14"><img src="images/p14.jpg" alt=
+"Adi Cakobau (pronounced &ldquo;Andi Thakombau&rdquo;), the highest Princess in Fiji, at her house at Navuso"
+ width="351" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Adi Cakobau (pronounced &ldquo;Andi
+Thakombau&rdquo;), the highest Princess in Fiji, at her house at
+Navuso</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p15"><img src="images/p15.jpg" alt=
+"A Filipino Dwelling" width="512" height="347" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Filipino Dwelling</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p16"><img src="images/p16.jpg" alt=
+"A Village Street in the Philippines" width="512" height="338" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Village Street in the Philippines</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p17"><img src="images/p17.jpg" alt=
+"A River Scene in the Philippines" width="512" height="358" />
+<p class="figureHead">A River Scene in the Philippines</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p18"><img src="images/p18.jpg" alt=
+"A Negrito Family" width="369" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Negrito Family</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p19"><img src="images/p19.jpg" alt=
+"Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back)" width="286" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back)</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p20"><img src="images/p20.jpg" alt=
+"A Negrito Shooting" width="353" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Negrito Shooting</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p21"><img src="images/p21.jpg" alt=
+"Tree Climbing by Negritos" width="329" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Tree Climbing by Negritos</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p22"><img src="images/p22.jpg" alt=
+"A Negrito Dance" width="512" height="330" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Negrito Dance</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p23"><img src="images/p23.jpg" alt=
+"Arigita and his Wife" width="317" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Arigita and his Wife</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p24"><img src="images/p24.jpg" alt=
+"Three Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War Attire" width="419" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Three Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War Attire</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p25"><img src="images/p25.jpg" alt=
+"Kaili-Kaili House on the edge of a Precipice" width="512" height="360" />
+<p class="figureHead">Kaili-Kaili House on the edge of a Precipice</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p26"><img src="images/p26.jpg" alt=
+"&ldquo;A Great Joke&rdquo;" width="512" height="479" />
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;A Great Joke&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p27"><img src="images/p27.jpg" alt=
+"A Ghastly Relic" width="333" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Ghastly Relic</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p28"><img src="images/p28.jpg" alt=
+"Cannibal Trophies" width="512" height="415" />
+<p class="figureHead">Cannibal Trophies</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p29"><img src="images/p29.jpg" alt=
+"A Woman and her Baby" width="345" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Woman and her Baby</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p30"><img src="images/p30.jpg" alt=
+"A Papuan Girl" width="331" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Papuan Girl</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p31"><img src="images/p31.jpg" alt=
+"The Author with Kaili-Kaili Followers" width="400" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">The Author with Kaili-Kaili Followers</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p32"><img src="images/p32.jpg" alt=
+"Wives of Native Armed Police" width="348" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Wives of Native Armed Police</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p33"><img src="images/p33.jpg" alt=
+"A Papuan Damsel" width="348" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Papuan Damsel</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p34"><img src="images/p34.jpg" alt=
+"Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife and Son (in the Police)"
+ width="512" height="424" />
+<p class="figureHead">Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife
+and Son (in the Police)</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p35"><img src="images/p35.jpg" alt=
+"A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise " width="512" height="333" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p36"><img src="images/p36.jpg" alt=
+"The Author starting on an Expedition" width="512" height="275" />
+<p class="figureHead">The Author starting on an Expedition</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p37"><img src="images/p37.jpg" alt=
+"A New Guinea River Scene" width="512" height="334" />
+<p class="figureHead">A New Guinea River Scene</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p38"><img src="images/p38.jpg" alt=
+"Papuan Tree-Houses" width="512" height="304" />
+<p class="figureHead">Papuan Tree-Houses</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p39"><img src="images/p39.jpg" alt=
+"A Village of the Agai Ambu" width="512" height="383" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Village of the Agai Ambu</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p40"><img src="images/p40.jpg" alt=
+"H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W. Monckton" width="387"
+height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W.
+Monckton</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p41"><img src="images/p41.jpg" alt=
+"View of Kuching from the Rajah&rsquo;s Garden" width="512" height="323" />
+<p class="figureHead">View of Kuching from the Rajah&rsquo;s Garden</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p42"><img src="images/p42.jpg" alt=
+"Dayaks and Canoes" width="512" height="361" />
+<p class="figureHead">Dayaks and Canoes</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p43"><img src="images/p43.jpg" alt=
+"Dayak in War-Coat" width="295" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">Dayak in War-Coat</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p44"><img src="images/p44.jpg" alt=
+"Dayak Women and Children on the Platform outside a long House" width=
+"512" height="369" />
+<p class="figureHead">Dayak Women and Children on the Platform outside
+a long House</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p45"><img src="images/p45.jpg" alt=
+"Dayaks Catching Fish" width="512" height="350" />
+<p class="figureHead">Dayaks Catching Fish</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p46"><img src="images/p46.jpg" alt=
+"A Dayak Woman with Mourning Ornaments round waist" width="238" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">A Dayak Woman with Mourning Ornaments round
+waist</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p47"><img src="images/p47.jpg" alt=
+"On a Tobacco Estate" width="512" height="360" />
+<p class="figureHead">On a Tobacco Estate</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" id="p48"><img src="images/p48.jpg" alt=
+"On a Bornean River" width="413" height="512" />
+<p class="figureHead">On a Bornean River</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="transcribernote">
+
+<h2>Colophon</h2>
+
+<h3>Encoding</h3>
+
+<h3>Revision History</h3>
+
+<ol class="lsoff">
+<li>05-OCT-2000 Added TEI Header.</li>
+
+<li>23-JUL-2005 Last Revision.</li>
+
+<li>04-NOV-2009 Regenerated HTML, added colophon.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h3>External References</h3>
+
+<p>This Project Gutenberg eBook contains external references. These
+links may not work for you.</p>
+
+<h3>Corrections</h3>
+
+<p>The following corrections have been applied to the text:</p>
+
+<table width="75%" summary="Overview of corrections applied to the
+text.">
+<tr>
+<th>Page</th>
+<th>Source</th>
+<th>Correction</th>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td><a class="pageref" href="#xd0e544">27</a></td>
+<td>semed</td>
+<td>seemed</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td><a class="pageref" href="#xd0e571">30</a></td>
+<td>One</td>
+<td>On</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td><a class="pageref" href="#xd0e624">39</a></td>
+<td>mosquitos</td>
+<td>mosquitoes</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td><a class="pageref" href="#xd0e1237">143</a></td>
+<td>atttention</td>
+<td>attention</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td><a class="pageref" href="#xd0e1387">163</a></td>
+<td>Cryers</td>
+<td>Criers</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td><a class="pageref" href="#xd0e1641">198</a></td>
+<td>jewelry</td>
+<td>jewellery</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td><a class="pageref" href="#xd0e1756">213</a></td>
+<td>childen</td>
+<td>children</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***</div>
+<div style='text-align:left'>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Updated editions will replace the previous one&#8212;the old editions will
+be renamed.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
+law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
+so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
+States without permission and without paying copyright
+royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
+of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG&#8482;
+concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
+and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
+the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
+of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
+copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
+easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
+of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
+Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may
+do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
+by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
+license, especially commercial redistribution.
+</div>
+
+<div style='margin:0.83em 0; font-size:1.1em; text-align:center'>START: FULL LICENSE<br />
+<span style='font-size:smaller'>THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE<br />
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+To protect the Project Gutenberg&#8482; mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase &#8220;Project
+Gutenberg&#8221;), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
+Project Gutenberg&#8482; License available with this file or online at
+www.gutenberg.org/license.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'>
+Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
+destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works in your
+possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
+Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
+by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
+or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.B. &#8220;Project Gutenberg&#8221; is a registered trademark. It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
+paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works if you follow the terms of this
+agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (&#8220;the
+Foundation&#8221; or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
+of Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works. Nearly all the individual
+works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
+States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
+United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
+claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
+displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
+all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
+that you will support the Project Gutenberg&#8482; mission of promoting
+free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
+Project Gutenberg&#8482; name associated with the work. You can easily
+comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
+same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg&#8482; License when
+you share it without charge with others.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
+in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
+check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
+agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
+distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
+other Project Gutenberg&#8482; work. The Foundation makes no
+representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
+country other than the United States.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
+immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg&#8482; License must appear
+prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg&#8482; work (any work
+on which the phrase &#8220;Project Gutenberg&#8221; appears, or with which the
+phrase &#8220;Project Gutenberg&#8221; is associated) is accessed, displayed,
+performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
+</div>
+
+<blockquote>
+  <div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
+    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
+    of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
+    at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you
+    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
+    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
+  </div>
+</blockquote>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic work is
+derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
+contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
+copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
+the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
+redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase &#8220;Project
+Gutenberg&#8221; associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
+either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
+obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
+additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
+will be linked to the Project Gutenberg&#8482; License for all works
+posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
+beginning of this work.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg&#8482;.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; License.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
+any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
+to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg&#8482; work in a format
+other than &#8220;Plain Vanilla ASCII&#8221; or other format used in the official
+version posted on the official Project Gutenberg&#8482; website
+(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
+to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
+of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original &#8220;Plain
+Vanilla ASCII&#8221; or other form. Any alternate format must include the
+full Project Gutenberg&#8482; License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg&#8482; works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works
+provided that:
+</div>
+
+<div style='margin-left:0.7em;'>
+    <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'>
+        &#8226; You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+        the use of Project Gutenberg&#8482; works calculated using the method
+        you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
+        to the owner of the Project Gutenberg&#8482; trademark, but he has
+        agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
+        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
+        within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
+        legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
+        payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
+        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
+        Section 4, &#8220;Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
+        Literary Archive Foundation.&#8221;
+    </div>
+
+    <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'>
+        &#8226; You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+        you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+        does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+        License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
+        copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
+        all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+        works.
+    </div>
+
+    <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'>
+        &#8226; You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
+        any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+        electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
+        receipt of the work.
+    </div>
+
+    <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'>
+        &#8226; You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+        distribution of Project Gutenberg&#8482; works.
+    </div>
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; electronic work or group of works on different terms than
+are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
+from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
+the Project Gutenberg&#8482; trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
+forth in Section 3 below.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.F.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
+contain &#8220;Defects,&#8221; such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
+or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
+intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
+other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
+cannot be read by your equipment.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the &#8220;Right
+of Replacement or Refund&#8221; described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
+with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
+with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
+lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
+or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
+opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
+the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
+without further opportunities to fix the problem.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you &#8216;AS-IS&#8217;, WITH NO
+OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
+LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
+damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
+violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
+agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
+limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
+unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
+remaining provisions.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works in
+accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
+production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
+including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
+the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
+or any Project Gutenberg&#8482; work, (b) alteration, modification, or
+additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg&#8482; work, and (c) any
+Defect you cause.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'>
+Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg&#8482;
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Project Gutenberg&#8482; is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
+computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
+exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
+from people in all walks of life.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg&#8482;&#8217;s
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg&#8482; collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg&#8482; and future
+generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
+Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'>
+Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service. The Foundation&#8217;s EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
+U.S. federal laws and your state&#8217;s laws.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+The Foundation&#8217;s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
+Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
+to date contact information can be found at the Foundation&#8217;s website
+and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'>
+Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Project Gutenberg&#8482; depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
+public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
+DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
+visit <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/donate/">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
+donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'>
+Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg&#8482; electronic works
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
+Gutenberg&#8482; concept of a library of electronic works that could be
+freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
+distributed Project Gutenberg&#8482; eBooks with only a loose network of
+volunteer support.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Project Gutenberg&#8482; eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
+the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
+necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
+edition.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
+facility: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>.
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+This website includes information about Project Gutenberg&#8482;,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+</div>
+
+</div>
+
+</body>
+</html>
+
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p01.jpg b/2564-h/images/p01.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02c2682
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p01.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p02.jpg b/2564-h/images/p02.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7932659
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p02.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p03.jpg b/2564-h/images/p03.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8000e6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p03.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p04.jpg b/2564-h/images/p04.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15b0ea7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p04.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p05.jpg b/2564-h/images/p05.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad1b449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p05.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p06.jpg b/2564-h/images/p06.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..634b60b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p06.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p07.jpg b/2564-h/images/p07.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f96d4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p07.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p08.jpg b/2564-h/images/p08.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e528675
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p08.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p09.jpg b/2564-h/images/p09.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..063cf0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p09.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p10.jpg b/2564-h/images/p10.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..554b23f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p10.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p11.jpg b/2564-h/images/p11.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6564f69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p11.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p12.jpg b/2564-h/images/p12.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45fd5f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p12.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p13.jpg b/2564-h/images/p13.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c8a7af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p13.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p14.jpg b/2564-h/images/p14.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30a88ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p14.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p15.jpg b/2564-h/images/p15.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7801be5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p15.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p16.jpg b/2564-h/images/p16.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0adc165
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p16.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p17.jpg b/2564-h/images/p17.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef637c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p17.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p18.jpg b/2564-h/images/p18.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1645568
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p18.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p19.jpg b/2564-h/images/p19.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..136c64b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p19.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p20.jpg b/2564-h/images/p20.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32b18a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p20.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p21.jpg b/2564-h/images/p21.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a66a42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p21.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p22.jpg b/2564-h/images/p22.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f259563
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p22.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p23.jpg b/2564-h/images/p23.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18d1c23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p23.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p24.jpg b/2564-h/images/p24.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c91b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p24.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p25.jpg b/2564-h/images/p25.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2105ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p25.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p26.jpg b/2564-h/images/p26.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a87fcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p26.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p27.jpg b/2564-h/images/p27.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75690af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p27.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p28.jpg b/2564-h/images/p28.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a78f06f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p28.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p29.jpg b/2564-h/images/p29.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4849fd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p29.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p30.jpg b/2564-h/images/p30.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e3ff59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p30.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p31.jpg b/2564-h/images/p31.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b454871
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p31.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p32.jpg b/2564-h/images/p32.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d67f49d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p32.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p33.jpg b/2564-h/images/p33.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2ec7e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p33.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p34.jpg b/2564-h/images/p34.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fdc2138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p34.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p35.jpg b/2564-h/images/p35.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4560b44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p35.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p36.jpg b/2564-h/images/p36.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a332b1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p36.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p37.jpg b/2564-h/images/p37.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae4e6dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p37.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p38.jpg b/2564-h/images/p38.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..afba985
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p38.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p39.jpg b/2564-h/images/p39.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f879e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p39.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p40.jpg b/2564-h/images/p40.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a16af1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p40.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p41.jpg b/2564-h/images/p41.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ccfbbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p41.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p42.jpg b/2564-h/images/p42.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..278048a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p42.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p43.jpg b/2564-h/images/p43.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f243c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p43.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p44.jpg b/2564-h/images/p44.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a585437
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p44.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p45.jpg b/2564-h/images/p45.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03d88d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p45.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p46.jpg b/2564-h/images/p46.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd277a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p46.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p47.jpg b/2564-h/images/p47.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..65d3e01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p47.jpg
diff --git a/2564-h/images/p48.jpg b/2564-h/images/p48.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1643f98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2564-h/images/p48.jpg
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2aa6bd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #2564 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2564)
diff --git a/old/2564-8.txt b/old/2564-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ef37ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/2564-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5892 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in
+Borneo and the Philippines, by H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+Author: H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+Release Date: March, 2001  [Etext #2564]
+Posting Date November 4, 2009 [EBook #2564]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                   Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
+                   And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+
+                                   By
+                           H. Wilfrid Walker
+                Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
+   With forty-eight plates from photographs by the author and others
+
+
+
+                                 London
+                             Witherby & Co.
+                                  1909
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                                   To
+                           My brother Charles
+                      This record of my wanderings
+                 in which he took so deep an interest,
+                      is affectionately dedicated.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+In a book of this kind it is often the custom to begin by making
+apologies. In my case I feel it to be a sheer necessity. In the first
+place what is here printed is for the greater part copied word for
+word from private letters that I wrote in very simple language in
+Dayak or Negrito huts, or in the lonely depths of tropical forests, in
+the far-off islands of the Southern Seas. I purposely made my letters
+home as concise as possible, so that they could be easily read, and in
+consequence have left out much that might have been interesting. It is
+almost unnecessary to mention that when I wrote these letters I had
+no thought whatever of writing a book. If I had thought of doing so,
+I might have mentioned more about the customs, ornaments and weapons of
+the natives and have written about several other subjects in greater
+detail. As it is, a cursory glance will show that this book has not
+the slightest pretence of being "scientific." Far from its being
+so, I have simply related a few of the more interesting incidents,
+such as would give a _general impression_ of my life among savages,
+during my wanderings in many parts of the world, extending over
+nearly a score of years. I should like to have written more about
+my wanderings in North Borneo, as well as in Samoa and Celebes and
+various other countries, but the size of the book precludes this. My
+excuse for publishing this book is that certain of my relatives
+have begged me to do so. Though I was for the greater part of the
+time adding to my own collections of birds and butterflies, I have
+refrained as much as possible from writing on these subjects for
+fear that they might prove tedious to the general reader. I have
+also touched but lightly on the general customs of the people, as
+this book is not for the naturalist or ethnologist, nor have I made
+any special study of the languages concerned, but have simply jotted
+down the native words here used exactly as I heard them. As regards
+the photographs, some of them were taken by myself while others were
+given me by friends whom I cannot now trace. In a few cases I have
+no note from whom they were got, though I feel sure they were not
+from anyone who would object to their publication. In particular,
+I may mention Messrs. G. R. Lambert, Singapore; John Waters, Suva,
+Fiji; Kerry & Co., Sydney; and G. O. Manning, New Guinea. To these
+and all others who have helped me I now tender my heartiest thanks. I
+have met with so much help and kindness during my wanderings from
+Government officials and others that if I were here to mention all,
+the list would be a large one. I shall therefore have to be content
+with only mentioning the principal names of those in the countries
+I have here written about.
+
+In Fiji:--Messrs. Sutherland, John Waters, and McOwan.
+
+In New Guinea:--Sir Francis Winter, Mr. C. A. W. Monckton, R.M., The
+Hon. A. Musgrave, Capt. Barton, Mr. Guy O. Manning, and Dr. Vaughan.
+
+In the Philippines:--Governor Taft, afterwards President of the United
+States, and Mr. G. d'E. Browne.
+
+In British North Borneo:--Messrs. H. Walker, Richardson, Paul Brietag,
+F. Dur�ge, J. H. Molyneux, and Dr. Davies.
+
+In Sarawak:--H.H. The Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, Sir Percy Cunninghame,
+Dr. Hose, Archdeacon Sharpe, Mr. R. Shelford, and the officials of
+The Borneo Company, Ltd.
+
+To all of these and many others in other countries I take this
+opportunity of publicly tendering my cordial thanks for their unfailing
+kindness and hospitality to a wanderer in strange lands.
+
+H. Wilfrid Walker.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+    _Frontispiece_--Belles of Papua.
+    A Chief's Daughter and a Daughter of the People
+    A "Meke-Meke," or Fijian Girls' Dance
+    Interior of a large Fijian Hut
+    A Fijian Mountaineer's House
+    At the Door of a Fijian House
+    A Fijian Girl
+    Spearing Fish in Fiji
+    A Fijian Fisher Girl
+    A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in Fiji
+    Making Fire by Wood Friction
+    An Old ex-Cannibal
+    A Fijian War-Dance
+    Adi Cakobau (pronounced "Andi Thakombau"), the highest Princess
+    in Fiji, at her house at Navuso
+    A Filipino Dwelling
+    A Village Street in the Philippines
+    A River Scene in the Philippines
+    A Negrito Family
+    Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back)
+    A Negrito Shooting
+    Tree Climbing by Negritos
+    A Negrito Dance
+    Arigita and his Wife
+    Three Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War Attire
+    Kaili-Kaili House on the edge of a Precipice
+    "A Great Joke"
+    A Ghastly Relic
+    Cannibal Trophies
+    A Woman and her Baby
+    A Papuan Girl
+    The Author with Kaili-Kaili Followers
+    Wives of Native Armed Police
+    A Papuan Damsel
+    Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife and Son (in
+    the Police)
+    A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise
+    The Author starting on an Expedition
+    A New Guinea River Scene
+    Papuan Tree-Houses
+    A Village of the Agai Ambu
+    H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W. Monckton
+    View of Kuching from the Rajah's Garden
+    Dayaks and Canoes
+    Dayak in War-Coat
+    Dayak Women and Children on the Platform outside a long House
+    Dayaks Catching Fish
+    A Dayak Woman with Mourning Ornaments round waist
+    On a Tobacco Estate
+    On a Bornean River
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART I
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+    Journey to Taviuni--Samoan Songs--Whistling for the Wind--Landing
+    on Koro--Nabuna--Samoans and Fijians Compared--Fijian Dances and
+    Angona Drinking--A Hurricane in the Southern Seas--Arrival at
+    Taviuni--First Impressions of Ratu Lala's Establishment--Character
+    of Ratu Lala--Prohibition of Cricket--Ratu Lala Offended--The
+    Prince's Musical Box.
+
+
+Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my
+two months' stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni,
+ranks highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my
+life with this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow
+seems unreal and an existence far apart from the commonplace life of
+civilization. When I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary
+gave me a letter of introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I
+sailed from Suva on an Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle
+outfit and a case of whisky, the latter a present for the Prince,--and
+a more acceptable present one could not have given him.
+
+After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on
+the island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a
+small schooner which carried copra from several of the Outlying
+islands to Levuka. Her name was the _Lurline,_ and her captain
+was a Samoan, whilst his crew was made up of two Samoans and four
+Fijians. The captain seemed to enjoy yelling at his men in the
+Fijian language, with a strong flavouring of English "swear words,"
+and spoke about the Fijians in terms of utter contempt, calling them
+"d----d cannibals." The cabin wag a small one with only two bunks, and
+swarmed with green beetles and cockroaches. Our meals were all taken
+together on deck, and consisted of yams, ship's biscuit and salt junk.
+
+We had a grand breeze to start with, but toward evening it died down
+and we lay becalmed. All hands being idle, the Samoans spent the time
+in singing the catchy songs of Samoa, most of which I was familiar with
+from my long stay in those islands, and their delight was great when
+I joined in. About midnight a large whale floated calmly alongside,
+not forty yards from our little schooner, and we trembled to think what
+would happen if it was at all inclined to be playful. We whistled all
+the next day for a breeze, but our efforts were not a success until
+toward evening, when we were rewarded in a very liberal manner, and
+arrived after dark at the village of Cawa Lailai, [1] on the island
+of Koro. On our landing quite a crowd of wild-looking men and women,
+all clad only in sulus, met us on the beach. Although it is a large
+island, there is only one white man on it, and he far away from here,
+so no doubt I was an interesting object. I put up at the hut of the
+"Buli" or village chief, and after eating a dish of smoking yams, I was
+soon asleep, in spite of the mosquitoes. It dawned a lovely morning and
+I was soon afoot to view my surroundings. It was a beautiful village,
+surrounded by pretty woods on all sides, and I saw and heard plenty
+of noisy crimson and green parrots everywhere. I also learnt that
+a few days previously there had been a wholesale marriage ceremony,
+when nearly all the young men and women had been joined in matrimony.
+
+Taking a guide with me, I walked across the island till I came to the
+village of Nabuna, [2] on the other coast, the _Lurline_ meanwhile
+sailing around the island. It was a hard walk, up steep hills and down
+narrow gorges, and then latterly along the coast beneath the shade
+of the coconuts. Fijian bridges are bad things to cross, being long
+trunks of trees smoothed off on the surface and sometimes very narrow,
+and I generally had to negotiate them by sitting astride and working
+myself along with my hands. In the village of Nabuna lived the wife
+and four daughters of the Samoan captain. He told me he had had five
+wives before, and when I asked if they were all dead, he replied that
+they were still alive, but he had got rid of them as they were no good.
+
+The daughters were all very pretty girls, especially the youngest, a
+little girl of nine years old. I always think that the little Samoan
+girls, with their long wavy black hair, are among the prettiest
+children in the world.
+
+We had an excellent supper of native oysters, freshwater prawns and
+eels, fish, chicken, and many other native dishes. That evening
+a big Fijian dance ("meke-meke"), was given in my honour. Two of
+the captain's daughters took part in it. The girls sit down all the
+time in a row, and wave their hands and arms about and sing in a low
+key and in frightful discord. It does not in any way come up to the
+very pretty "siva-siva" dancing of the Samoans, and the Fiji dance
+lacks variety. There is a continual accompaniment of beating with
+sticks on a piece of wood. All the girls decorate themselves with
+coloured leaves, and their bodies, arms and legs glisten as in Samoa
+with coconut-oil, really a very clean custom in these hot countries,
+though it does not look prepossessing. Our two Samoans in the crew were
+most amusing; they came in dressed up only in leaves, and took off
+the Fijians to perfection with the addition of numerous extravagant
+gestures. I laughed till my sides ached, but the Fijians never even
+smiled. However, our Samoans gave them a bit of Samoan "siva-siva"
+and plenty of Samoan songs, and it was amusing to see the interest
+the Fijians took in them. It was, of course, all new to them. I drank
+plenty of "angona," that evening. It is offered you in a different way
+in Samoa. In Fiji, the man or girl, who hands you the coconut-shell
+cup on bended knee, crouches at your feet till you have finished. In
+Fijian villages a sort of crier or herald goes round the houses every
+night crying the orders for the next day in a loud resonant voice, and
+at once all talking ceases in the hut outside which he happens to be.
+
+The next two days it blew a regular hurricane, and the captain dared
+not venture out to sea, our schooner lying safely at anchor inside the
+coral reef. I have not space to describe my stay here, but it proved
+most enjoyable, and the captain's pretty Samoan daughters gave several
+"meke-mekes" (Fijian dances) in my honour, and plenty of "angona"
+was indulged in, and what with feasts, native games and first-class
+fishing inside the coral reef, the time passed all too quickly. I
+called on the "Buli" or village chief, with the captain. He was a
+boy of fifteen, and seemed a very bashful youth.
+
+We sailed again about five a.m. on the third morning, as the storm
+seemed to be dying down and the captain was anxious to get on. We
+had not gone far, however, before the gale increased in fury until it
+turned into a regular hurricane. First our foresheet was carried away;
+this was followed by our staysail, and things began to look serious,
+in fact, most unpleasantly so. The captain almost seemed to lose his
+head, and cursed loud and long. He declared that he had been a fool
+to put out to sea before the storm had gone down, and the _Lurline,_
+being an old boat, could not possibly last in such a storm, and
+added that we should all be drowned. This was not pleasant news,
+and as the cabin was already half-full of water, and we expected
+each moment to be our last, I remained on deck for ten weary hours,
+clinging like grim death to the ropes, while heavy seas dashed over
+me, raking the little schooner fore and aft.
+
+Toward evening, however, the wind subsided considerably, which enabled
+us to get into the calm waters of the Somo-somo Channel between the
+islands of Vanua Levu and Taviuni.
+
+The wreckage was put to rights temporarily, the Samoans, who had
+previously made up their minds that they were going to be drowned,
+burst forth into their native songs, and we broke our long fast
+of twenty-four hours, as we had eaten nothing since the previous
+evening. It was an experience I am not likely to forget, as it was the
+worst storm I have ever been in, if I except the terrible typhoon of
+October, 1903, off Japan, when I was wrecked and treated as a Russian
+spy. On this occasion a large Japanese fishing fleet was entirely
+destroyed. I was, of course, soaked to the skin and got badly bruised,
+and was once all but washed overboard, one of the Fijians catching
+hold of me in the nick of time. We cast anchor for the night, though
+we had only a few miles yet to go, but this short distance took us
+eight or nine hours next day, as this channel is nearly always calm. We
+had light variable breezes, and tacked repeatedly, but gained ground
+slowly. These waters seemed full of large turtles, and we passed them
+in great numbers. We overhauled a large schooner, and on hailing them,
+the captain, a white man, came on deck. He would hardly believe that
+we had been all through the storm. He said that he had escaped most of
+it by getting inside the coral reef round Vanua Levu, but even during
+the short time he had been out in the storm, he had had to throw the
+greater part of his cargo overboard. From the way he spoke, he had
+evidently been drinking, possibly trying to forget his lost cargo.
+
+Before I left Fiji I heard that the _Lurline_ had gone to her last
+berth. She was driven on to a coral reef in a bad storm off the coast
+of Taviuni. The captain seemed to stand in much fear of Ratu Lala. He
+told me many thrilling yarns about him; said he robbed his people
+badly, and added that he did not think that I would get on well with
+him, and would soon be anxious to leave.
+
+I landed at the large village of Somo-somo, glad to be safely on _terra
+firma_ once more. It was a pretty village, with a large mountain
+torrent dashing over the rocks in the middle of it. The huts were
+dotted about irregularly on a natural grass lawn, and large trees,
+clumps of bamboo, coconuts, bread-fruit trees, and bright-coloured
+"crotons" added a great deal to the picturesqueness of the village. At
+the back the wooded hills towered up to a height of nearly 4,000 feet,
+and white streaks amid the mountain woods showed where many a fine
+waterfall tumbled over rocky precipices.
+
+Ratu Lala lived in a wooden house, built for him (as "Roko" for
+Taviuni), by the government, on the top of a hill overlooking the
+village, and thither on landing I at once made my way. I found the
+Prince slowly recovering from an attack of fever, and lying on a heap
+of mats (which formed his bed) on the floor of his own private room,
+which, however, greatly resembled an old curiosity shop. Everything
+was in great disorder, and piles of London Graphics and other papers
+littered the ground, and on the tables were piled indiscriminately
+clocks, flasks, silver cups, fishing rods, guns, musical boxes, and
+numerous other articles which I discovered later on were presents
+from high officials and other Europeans, and which he did not know
+what to do with. Nearly every window in the house had a pane of glass
+[3] broken, the floors were devoid of mats or carpets, and in places
+were rotten and full of holes. This will give some idea of the state
+of chaos that reigned in the Prince's "palace."
+
+Ratu Lala himself was a tall, broad-shouldered man of about forty, his
+hair slightly grey, with a bristly moustache and a very long sloping
+forehead. Though dignified, he wore an extremely fierce expression,
+so much so that I instinctively felt his subjects had good cause to
+treat him with the respect and fear that I had heard they gave him. He
+belongs to the Fijian royal family, and though he does not rank as
+high as his cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, whom I also visited at Bau,
+he is infinitely more powerful, and owns more territory. His father
+was evidently a "much married man" since Ratu Lala himself told me
+that he had had "exactly three hundred wives." But in spite of this
+he had been a man of prowess, as the Fijians count it, and I received
+as a present from Ratu Lala a very heavy hardwood war-club that had
+once belonged to his father, and which, he assured me, had killed a
+great many people. Ratu Lala also told me that he himself had offered
+to furnish one hundred warriors to help the British during the last
+Egyptian war, but that the government had declined his offer. One of
+the late Governors of Fiji, Sir John Thurston, was once his guardian
+and, godfather. He was educated for two years in Sydney, Australia,
+and spoke English well, though in a very thick voice. Not only does
+he hold sway over the island of Taviuni, but also over some smaller
+islands and part of the large island of Vanua Levu. He also holds
+the rank of "Roko" from the government, for which he is well paid.
+
+After reading my letter of introduction he asked me to stay as long
+as I liked, and he called his head servant and told him to find me
+a room. This servant's name was Tolu, and as he spoke English fairly
+well, I soon learned a great deal about Ratu Lala and his people.
+
+Ratu Lala was married to a very high-caste lady who was closely related
+to the King of Tonga, and several of whose relatives accompanied us
+on our expeditions. By her he had two small children named Tersi (boy)
+and Moe (girl), both of whom, during my stay (as will hereafter appear)
+were sent to school at Suva, amid great lamentations on the part of
+the women of Ratu Lala's household. Two months before my visit Ratu
+Lala had lost his eldest daughter (by his Tongan wife). She was twelve
+years old, and a favourite of his, and her grave was on a bluff below
+the house, under a kind of tent, hung round with fluttering pieces
+of "tapa" cloth. Spread over it was a kind of gravel of bright green
+Stones which he had had brought from a long distance. Little Moe and
+Tersi were always very interested in watching me skin my birds, and
+their exclamation of what sounded like "Esa!" ("Oh look!") showed their
+enjoyment. They were two of the prettiest little children I think I
+have ever seen, but they did not know a word of English, and called me
+"Misi Walk." They and their mother always took their meals sitting on
+mats in the verandah. Ratu Lala had two grown-up daughters by other
+wives, but they never came to the house, living in an adjoining hut
+where I often joined them at a game of cards. They were both very
+stately and beautiful young women, with a haughty bearing which made
+me imagine that they were filled with a sense of their own importance.
+
+As is well known all over Fiji, Ratu Lala, a few years before my stay
+with him, had been deported in disgrace for a term of several months,
+to the island of Viti Levu, where he would be under the paternal eye
+of the government. This was because he had punished a woman, who had
+offended him, by pegging her down on an ants' nest, first smearing
+her all over with honey, so that the ants would the more readily eat
+her. [4] She recovered afterwards, but was badly eaten. As regards
+his punishment, he told me that he greatly enjoyed his exile, as he
+had splendid fishing, and some of the white people sent him champagne.
+
+His people were terribly afraid of him, and whenever they passed him
+as he sat on his verandah, they would almost go down on all fours. He
+told me how on one occasion when he was sitting on the upper verandah
+of the Club Hotel in Suva with two of his servants squatting near by,
+the whisky he had drunk had made him feel so sleepy, that he nearly
+fell into the street below, but his servants dared not lay hands on him
+to pull him back into safety, as his body was considered sacred by his
+people, and they dared not touch him. He declared to me that he would
+have been killed if a white man had not arrived just in time. He was
+very fond of telling me this story, and always laughed heartily over
+it. I noticed that Ratu Lala's servants treated me with a great deal
+of respect, and whenever they passed me in the house they would walk
+in a crouching attitude, with their heads almost touching the ground.
+
+Ratu Lala's cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, is a very enthusiastic
+cricketer, and has a very good cricket club with a pavilion at his
+island of Bau. He plays many matches against the white club in Suva,
+and only last year he took an eleven over to Australia to tour that
+country. I learned that previous to my visit he had paid a visit
+to Ratu Lala, and while there had got up a match at Somo-somo in
+which he induced Ratu Lala to play, but on Ratu Lala being given
+out first ball for nought, he (Ratu Lala) pulled up the stumps and
+carried them off the ground, and henceforth forbade any of his people
+to play the game on the island of Taviuni. I was not aware of this,
+and as I had brought a bat and ball with me, I got up several games
+shortly after my arrival. However, one evening all refused to play,
+but gave no reasons for their refusal, but Tolu told me that his
+master did not like to have them play. Then I learned the reason, and
+from that time I noticed a decided coolness on the part of Ratu Lala
+toward me. The fact, no doubt, is that Ratu Lala being exceptionally
+keen on sport, this very keenness made him impatient of defeat, or
+even of any question as to a possible want of success on his part,
+as I afterwards learnt on our expedition to Ngamia.
+
+I intended upon leaving Taviuni to return to Levuka, and from thence
+go by cutter to the island of Vanua Levu, and journey up the Wainunu
+River, plans which I ultimately carried out. Ratu Lala, however,
+wished me to proceed in his boat straight across to the island of
+Vanua Levu, and walk across a long stretch of very rough country to
+the Wainunu River. My only objection was that I had a large and heavy
+box, which I told Ratu Lala I thought was too large to be carried
+across country. He at once flew into a violent passion and declared
+that I spoke as if I considered he was no prince. "For," said he,
+"if ten of my subjects cannot carry your box I command one hundred
+to do so, and if one hundred of my subjects cannot carry your box
+I tell fifteen thousand of my subjects to do so." When I tried to
+picture fifteen thousand Fijians carrying my wretched box, it was
+altogether too much for my sense of humour, and I burst forth into
+a hearty roar of laughter, which so incensed the Prince that he shut
+himself up in his own room during the few remaining days of my stay.
+
+He had a musical box, which he was very fond of, and he had a man to
+keep it going at all hours of the day and night. It played four tunes,
+among them "The Village Blacksmith," "Strolling 'Round the Town," and
+"Who'll Buy my Herrings" till at times they nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I wanted to write or sleep. Night after night the
+tunes followed each other in regular routine till I thought I should
+get them on the brain. How he could stand it was a puzzle to me,
+especially as he had possessed it for many years. I often blessed
+the European who gave it him, and wished he could take my place.
+
+Whenever a man wished to speak to Ratu Lala he would crouch at his
+feet and softly clap his hands, and sometimes Ratu Lala would wait
+several minutes before he deigned to notice him.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+My Further Adventures with Ratu Lala.
+
+    Fijian Huts--Abundance of Game and Fish--Methods of Capture--A
+    Fijian Practical Joke--Fijian Feasts--Fun after Dinner--A Court
+    Jester in Fiji--Drinking, Dress, and Methods of Mourning--A
+    Bride's Ringlets--Expedition to Vuna--Tersi and Moe Journey to
+    School--Their Love of Sweets--Rough Reception of Visitors to
+    Vuna--Wonderful Fish Caught--Exhibition of Surf-board Swimming by
+    Women--Impressive Midnight Row back to Taviuni--A Fijian Farewell.
+
+
+In comparison with Samoan huts, the Fijian huts were very comfortable,
+though they are not half as airy, Samoan huts being very open; but in
+most of the Fijian huts I visited the only openings were the doors,
+and, as can be imagined, the interior was rather dark and gloomy. In
+shape they greatly resembled a haystack, the sides being composed of
+grass or bunches of leaves, more often the latter. They are generally
+built on a platform of rocks, with doors upon two or more sides,
+according to the size of the hut; and a sloping sort of rough plank
+with notches on it leads from the ground to each door. In the interior,
+the sides of the walls are often beautifully lined with the stems of
+reeds, fashioned very neatly, and in some cases in really artistic
+patterns, and tied together with thin ropes of coconut fibre, dyed
+various colours, and often ornamented with rows of large white cowry
+shells. The floor of these huts is much like a springy mattress,
+being packed to a depth of several feet with palm and other leaves,
+and on the top are strips of native mats permanently fastened, whereas
+in Samoa the floor is made up of small pieces of brittle white coral,
+over which are loose mats, which can be moved at will. In Fijian
+huts there is always a sort of raised platform at one end of the hut,
+on which are piles of the best native mats, and, being the guest, I
+generally got this to myself. The roof inside is very finely thatched,
+the beams being of "Niu sau," a native palm, [5] the cross-pieces and
+main supports being enormous bits of hard wood. The smaller supports of
+the sides are generally the trunks of tree-ferns. The doors in most of
+the huts are a strip of native matting or fantastically-painted "tapa"
+cloth, fastened to two posts a few feet inside the hut. In some huts
+there are small openings in the walls which answer for windows. The
+hearth was generally near one of the doors in the centre of the hut,
+and fire was produced by rubbing a piece of hard wood on a larger
+piece of soft wood, and working it up and down in a groove till a
+spark was produced. I have myself successfully employed this method
+when out shooting green pigeon ("rupe") in the mountains.
+
+With regard to food, I at first fared very well, although we had our
+meals at all hours, as Ratu Lala was very irregular in his habits. Our
+chief food was turtle. We had it so often that I soon loathed the
+taste of it. The turtles, when brought up from the sea were laid
+on their backs under a tree close by the house, and there the poor
+brutes were left for days together. Ratu Lala's men often brought in
+a live wild pig, which they captured with the aid of their dogs. At
+other times they would run them down and spear them; this was hard
+and exciting work, as I myself found on several occasions that I went
+pig hunting. One of the most remarkable things that I saw in Taviuni,
+from a sporting point of view, was the heart of a wild pig, which,
+when killed, was found to have lived with the broken point of a
+wooden spear fully four inches in length buried in the very centre
+of its heart. It had evidently lived for many years afterwards,
+and a curious kind of growth had formed round the point.
+
+As for other game, every time I went out in the mountain woods I had
+splendid sport with the wild chickens or jungle fowl and pigeons,
+and I would often return with my guide bearing a long pole loaded
+at both ends with the birds I had shot. The pigeons, which were
+large birds, settled on the tops of the tallest trees and made a
+very peculiar kind of growling noise. Many years ago (as Ratu Lala
+told me) the natives of Taviuni had been in the habit of catching
+great quantities of pigeons by means of large nets suspended from
+the trees. The chickens would generally get up like a pheasant,
+and it was good sport taking a snap shot at an old cock bird on
+the wing. It was curious to hear them crowing away in the depths of
+the forest, and at first I kept imagining that I was close to some
+village. I also obtained some good duck shooting on a lake high up in
+the mountains, and Ratu Lala described to me what must be a species
+of apteryx, or wingless bird (like the Kiwi of New Zealand), which
+he said was found in the mountains and lived in holes in the ground,
+but I never came across it, though I had many a weary search. Ratu
+Lala also assured me that the wild chickens were indigenous in Fiji,
+and were not descended from the domestic fowl. We had plenty of fish,
+both salt and fresh water, and the mountain streams were full of
+large fish, which Ratu Lala, who is a keen fisherman, caught with
+the fly or grasshoppers. He sometimes caught over one hundred in
+a day, some of them over three pounds in weight. The streams were
+also full of huge eels and large prawns, and a kind of oyster was
+abundant in the sea, so what with wild pig, wild chickens, pigeons,
+turtles, oysters, prawns, crabs, eels, and fish of infinite variety,
+we fared exceedingly well. Oranges, lemons, limes, large shaddocks,
+"kavika," and other wild fruits were plentiful everywhere.
+
+During my stay here in August and September the climate was delightful,
+and it was remarkably cool for the tropics. I often accompanied Ratu
+Lala on his fishing excursions, and he would often recount to me
+many of his escapades. On one occasion he told me that he had put
+a fish-hook through the lip of his jester, a little old man of the
+name of Stivani, and played him about with rod and reel like a fish,
+and had made him swim about in the water until he had tired him out,
+and then he added, "I landed the finest fish I ever got."
+
+I added a good many interesting birds to my collection during my stay
+here, among them a dove of intense orange colour, one of the most
+striking birds I have ever seen. Plant life here was exceedingly
+beautiful and interesting, especially high up in the mountains,
+palms, _pandanus,_ cycads, crotons, _acalyphas, loranths,_ aroids,
+_freycinetias,_ ferns and orchids being strongly represented, and
+among the latter may be mentioned a fine orange _dendrobium_ and a pink
+_calanthe._ I found in flower a celebrated creeper, which Ratu Lala had
+told me to look out for. It had very showy red, white and blue flowers,
+and in the old days Ratu Lala told me that the Tongan people would
+come over in their canoes all the way from the Tonga Islands, nearly
+four hundred miles away, simply to get this flower for their dances,
+and when gathered, it would last a very long time without fading. I
+tried to learn the traditions about this flower, but Ratu Lala either
+did not know of any or else he was not anxious to tell me about them.
+
+The coastal natives, like most South Sea Islanders, were splendid
+swimmers, but, so far as I was concerned, it was dangerous work bathing
+in the sea here, as man-eating sharks were very numerous, and during my
+stay I saw a Fijian carried ashore with both his legs bitten clean off.
+
+Usually, when out on expeditions, we occupied the "Buli's" hut and
+lived on the fat of the land. At meal times quite a procession of men
+and women, glistening all over with coconut oil, would enter our hut
+bearing all sorts of native food, including fish in great variety,
+yams, octopus, turtle, sucking-pig, chicken, prawns, etc. They were
+brought in on banana and other large leaves, and we, of course, ate
+them with our fingers. Good as the food undoubtedly was, I was always
+glad when the meal was over, as it is very far from comfortable to
+sit with your legs doubled up under you. Afterwards I could hardly
+stand up straight, owing to cramp. I found it especially trying in
+Samoa, where one had to sit in this manner for hours during feasts,
+"kava"-drinking and "siva-sivas" (dances). Sometimes a glistening
+damsel would fan us with a large fan made out of the leaf of a fan
+palm, [6] which at times got rather in the way. I never got waited
+on better in my life. Directly I had finished one course a dozen
+girls were ready to hand me other dishes, and when I wanted a drink
+a girl immediately handed me a cup made out of the half-shell of a
+coconut filled with a kind of soup. We generally had an audience of
+fully fifty people, and when we had finished eating, a wooden bowl of
+water was handed to us in which to wash our hands. Ratu Lala would
+generally hand the bowl to me first, and I would wash my hands in
+silence, but directly he started to wash his hands, everyone present,
+including chiefs and attendants, would start clapping their hands
+in even time, then one man would utter a deep and prolonged "Ah-h,"
+when the crowd would all shout together what sounded like "Ai on
+dwah," followed by more even clapping. I never learned what the
+words meant. In this respect Ratu Lala was most curiously secretive,
+and always evaded questions. Whenever he took a drink, a clapping of
+hands made me aware of the fact.
+
+One day, when they had chanted after a meal as usual, Ratu Lala turned
+around to me and mimicked the way his jester or clown repeated it,
+and there was a general laugh. This jester, whose name was Stivani,
+was a little old man who was also jester to Ratu Lala's father. Ratu
+Lala had given him the nickname of "Punch," and made him do all sorts
+of ridiculous things--sing and dance and go through various contortions
+dressed up in bunches of "croton" leaves. He kept us all much amused,
+and was the life and soul of our party, but at times I caught the old
+fellow looking very weary and sad, as if he was tired of his office
+as jester.
+
+The "angona" root (_Piper methysticum_) is first generally pounded,
+but is sometimes grated, and more rarely chewed by young maidens. It
+is then mixed with water in a large wooden bowl, and the remains of
+the root drawn out with a bunch of fibrous material. It is then ready
+for drinking.
+
+On gala and festal occasions the Fijians were wonderfully and
+fantastically dressed up, their huge heads of hair thickly covered with
+a red or yellow powder, and they themselves wearing large skirts or
+"sulus" of coloured "tapa" and _pandanus_ ribbons and necklaces of
+coloured seeds, shells, and pigs'-tusks. In out-of-the-way parts the
+"sulus" are still made of "tapa" cloth, and the women sometimes wear
+small fibrous aprons. They also often wear wild pigs'-tusks round
+their necks.
+
+I noticed that many Fijian women were tattooed on the hands and arms,
+and at each corner of the mouth (a deep blue colour). Both men and
+women gave themselves severe wounds about the body, generally as a sign
+of grief on the death of some near relative. I once noticed a young
+girl of sixteen or seventeen with a very bad unhealed wound below
+one of her breasts, which was self-inflicted. Her father, a chief,
+had died only a short time previously. They often also cut off the
+little finger for similar reasons. Like the Samoans, the Fijians often
+cover their hair with white lime, and the effect of the sun bleaches
+the hair and changes it from black to a light gold or brown colour.
+
+A marriageable young lady in Fiji would generally have a great
+quantity of long braided ringlets hanging down on _one_ side of her
+head. This looked odd, considering that the rest of her hair was
+erect or frizzly. It was a great insult to have these ringlets cut. I
+heard of it once being done by a white planter, and great trouble
+and fighting were the result.
+
+I accompanied Ratu Lala on several expeditions to various parts
+of the island, and we also visited several smaller islands within
+his dominions. On these occasions we always took possession of the
+"Buli's," or village chief's, hut, turning him out, and feeding on
+all the delicacies the village could produce. After we had practically
+eaten them out of house and home we would move on and take possession
+of another village. The inhabitants did not seem to mind this; in fact,
+they seemed to enjoy our visit, as it was an excuse for big feasts,
+"meke-mekes" (dances) and "angona" drinking.
+
+One of the most enjoyable expeditions that I made with Ratu Lala
+was to Vuna, about twenty miles away to the south. A small steamer,
+the _Kia Ora,_ which made periodical visits to the island to collect
+the government taxes in copra, arrived one day in the bay. Ratu Lala
+thought this would be a good opportunity for us to make a fishing
+expedition to Vuna. We went on board the steamer while our large boat
+was towed behind.
+
+At the same time Ratu Lala's two little children, Moe and Tersi,
+started off, in charge of Ratu Lala's Tongan wife and other women,
+to be educated in Suva. It was the first time they had ever left home,
+but I agreed with Ratu Lala, that it was time they went, as they did
+not know a word of English, and, for the matter of that, neither did
+his Tongan wife. When we all arrived at the beach to get into the
+boat, we found a large crowd, chiefly women, sitting on the ground,
+and as Ratu Lala walked past them, they greeted him with a kind of
+salutation which they chanted as with one voice. I several times
+asked him what it meant, but he always evaded the question somehow,
+and seemed too modest to tell me. I came to the conclusion that it
+ran something like "Hail, most noble prince, live for ever." The
+next minute all the women started to howl as if at a given signal,
+and they looked pictures of misery. Several of them waded out into
+the sea and embraced little Tersi and Moe. This soon set the children
+crying as well, so that I almost began to fear that the combined tears
+would sink our boat. Their old grandmother waded out into the sea
+up to her neck and stayed there, and we could hear her howling long
+after we had got on board the steamer. When we got into Ratu Lala's
+boat at Vuna there was another very affecting farewell. Some months
+later when I returned to Suva, I asked a young chief, Ratu Pope,
+to show me where they were at school, and I found them at a small
+kindergarten for the children of the Europeans in Suva.
+
+They seemed quite glad to see their old friend again, and still more
+so when I promised to bring them some lollies (the term used for
+sweets in Australasia) that afternoon.
+
+When I returned I witnessed a pretty and interesting sight The two
+little children were standing out in the school yard while several
+Fijian men and women of noble families who had been paying the little
+prince and princess a visit, were just taking their leave. It was a
+curious sight to see these old people go in turn up to these two little
+mites and go down on their knees and kiss their little hands reverently
+in silence. All this homage seemed to bore the small high-born ones,
+and hardly was the ceremony over when they caught sight of me, and,
+rushing toward me with cries of "Misi Walk siandra, lollies," they
+nearly knocked over some of their visitors, who no doubt were greatly
+scandalized at such undignified behaviour.
+
+To return to our visit to Vuna. Sometime previously, Ratu Lala had
+warned me that whenever he landed at this place with a visitor it
+was an old custom for the women to catch the visitor and throw him
+into the sea from the top of a small rocky cliff. To this I raised
+serious objections, but arrayed myself in very old thin clothes
+ready for the fray. However, upon landing, very much on the alert,
+I was agreeably surprised to find that the women left me alone. Yet in
+part Ratu Lala's story was true, as he assured me that quite recently
+he had been forced to put a stop to the custom, as one of his last
+visitors was a European of much importance who was greatly incensed
+at such treatment, and complained to the government, who told Ratu
+Lala that the custom must end.
+
+We came to fish, and fish we did, just off the coral reef, but
+it would take space to describe even one-half of the curious and
+beautiful fish we caught. When I took the lead in the number of
+fish caught, Ratu Lala seemed greatly annoyed, and I was not sorry
+to let him get ahead, when he was soon in a good temper again. The
+Fijians generally fished with nets and a many-pronged fish-spear,
+with which they are very expert, and I saw them do wonderful work
+with them. They also used long wicker-work traps. Ratu Lala, on the
+contrary, being half-civilized, used an English rod and reel or line
+like a white man. Ratu Lala told the women here to give an exhibition
+of surf-board swimming for my benefit. As they rode into shore on the
+crest of a wave I many times expected to see them dashed against the
+rocks which fringed the coast. I had seen the natives in Hawaii perform
+seventeen years before, but it was tame in comparison to the wonderful
+performances of these Fijian women on this dangerous rock-girt coast.
+
+A great many "meke-mekes" or dances were got up in our honour, but Ratu
+Lala detested them, and rarely attended, but preferred staying in the
+"Buli's" hut, lying on the floor smoking or sleeping. He, however,
+always begged me to attend them in his place. After a time I found the
+performances rather wearisome, and not nearly so varied and interesting
+as the "siva-sivas" in Samoa. There the girls sang in soft, pleasing
+voices, the words being full of liquid vowels. Here in Fiji the singing
+was harsh and discordant, as k's and r's abound in the language.
+
+When it came to the ceremony of drinking "angona" I worthily did
+my part of the performance. Drinking "angona" is a taste not easily
+acquired, but when one has once got used to it, there is not a more
+refreshing drink, and I speak from long experience. In Fiji I was
+often presented with a large "angona" root, but it would be considered
+exceedingly bad form did you not return it to the giver and tell him
+to have it at once prepared for himself and his people, you yourself,
+of course, taking part in the drinking ceremony.
+
+After a stay of several days at Vuna we rowed back by night. It was
+a perfect, calm night, and with the full moon, was almost as bright
+as day. We rowed all the way close to shore, passing under the gloomy
+shade of dense forests or by countless coconuts, the only sound besides
+the plash of our oars being the cry of water fowl or some night bird,
+while the light beetles [7] flashed their green lights against the
+dark background of the forest, looking much like falling stars. There
+are certain moments in life that have made a lasting impression on me,
+and that moonlight row was one of them.
+
+We made several expeditions together that were every bit as interesting
+and enjoyable as the one to Vuna. On one occasion we visited the north
+part of the island, as well as Ngamia and other islands. We rowed
+nearly all the way close into shore and saw plenty of turtles. Ratu
+Lala started to troll with live bait, as we had come across several
+women fishing with nets, and on our approach they chanted out a
+greeting to Ratu Lala, and in return he helped himself to a lot of
+their fish. Ratu Lala had fully a dozen large fish after his bait,
+and some he hooked for a few seconds. This only made him the keener,
+and after leaving the calm Somo-somo Channel, although we encountered
+a very rough sea, he had the sail hoisted and we travelled at a great
+rate in and out amongst a lot of rocky islets, shipping any amount of
+water which soaked us and our baggage, and half-filled the boat. I
+expected we should be swamped every moment, and from the frightened
+looks of our crew I knew they expected the same thing. Hence, I was
+not reassured when Ratu Lala remarked that it was in just such a sea,
+and in the same place, that he lost his schooner (which the government
+had given him) and that on that occasion he and all his crew remained
+in the water for five hours. When I explained that I had no wish to be
+upset, he said, "I suppose you can swim?" I said "Yes! but I do not
+wish to lose my gun and other property," to which he replied, "Well,
+I lost more than that when my schooner went down." I was therefore
+not a little relieved when he had the sail lowered. He explained that
+he never liked being beaten, even if he drowned us all, and all this
+was because I had bet him one shilling (by his own desire) that he
+would not get a fish. I mention this to show what foolhardy things
+he was capable of doing, never thinking of the consequences. I could
+mention many such cases. We at length came to some shallows between
+a lot of small and most picturesque islands, and as it was low tide,
+and we could not pass, we, viz., Ratu Lala, myself, and the other
+chiefs, got out to walk, leaving the boat and crew to come on when
+they could (they arrived at 4 a.m. the next morning). I was glad to
+get an opportunity to dry myself, and we started off at a good rate
+for our destination, but unfortunately we came to a spot where grew
+a small weed that the Fijians consider a great luxury when cooked,
+and Ratu Lala and his people stayed here fully two hours, till they
+had picked all the weed in sight, in spite of the heavy rain. It
+was amusing to see all these high-caste Fijians and old Stivani, the
+jester, running to and fro with yells of delight like so many children,
+all on account of a weed which I myself afterwards failed to enjoy.
+
+On the way I shot three duck, and later, when it was too dark to shoot,
+we could see the beach between the mangroves and the sea was almost
+black with them. On the other side of us there was a regular chorus of
+wild chickens crowing and pigeons "howling" in the woods. After four
+hours' hard walking we arrived at our destination, Qelani, long after
+dark, dead tired, and soaked to the skin. We put up at the "Buli's"
+hut; he was a cousin of Ratu Lala, and was a hideous and sulky-looking
+fellow, but his hut was one of the finest and neatest I had seen in
+Fiji. As I literally had not had a mouthful of food since the previous
+evening, I was glad when about a dozen women entered bearing banana
+leaves covered with yams, fish, octopus, chickens, etc. We stayed here
+some days, but we had miserable, wet weather. There was excellent
+fishing in the stream here, and Ratu Lala especially had very good
+sport. Many of the fish averaged one-and-a-half pounds and more, but
+he told me that they often run to five pounds. There were three kinds,
+and all excellent eating. The commonest was a beautiful silvery fish,
+and another was of a golden colour with bright red stripes. During the
+latter part of my stay in Qelani I suffered from a slight attack of
+dysentery, and it was dull lying ill on the floor of a native hut with
+no one to talk to, as Ratu Lala always tried to avoid speaking English
+whenever possible, and would often only reply in monosyllables. It
+would often seem as if he were annoyed at something, but I found that
+he did this to all white men, and meant nothing by it. I soon cured
+myself by eating a lot of raw leaves of some bush plant, also a great
+quantity of native arrow-root.
+
+In spite of my sickness I managed to shoot a fair number of duck,
+wild chickens and pigeon, and also a few birds for my collection. One
+day, in spite of the rain, I was rowed over to Ngamia, which is
+a wonderfully beautiful island, about three hours from Qelani. It
+was thickly covered with a fine cycad which grows amongst the rocks
+overhanging the sea. The natives call it "loga-loga," [8] and eat the
+fruit. I landed and botanized a bit, finding some new and interesting
+plants, and then rowed on a few miles to call on the only white man
+on the island, an Australian named Mitchell, who has a large coconut
+property. He was astonished and pleased to see me, and introduced me
+to his Fijian wife, and his two pretty half-caste daughters soon got
+together a good breakfast for me. He seemed glad to see a white man
+again, and nearly talked my head off, and was full of anecdotes about
+the fighting they had with the Fijian cannibals in 1876. He told me
+that in the last great hurricane his house was blown over on to a
+small island which he owned nearly half-a-mile away.
+
+To describe all the incidents of my long visit would fill a book,
+but I think I have written enough to show what a very interesting
+time I spent with this Fijian Prince. It was without doubt one of
+the most curious experiences of all my travels in different parts
+of the globe. With all his faults, Ratu Lala was a good fellow, and
+he certainly was a sportsman. All Fiji knows his failings, otherwise
+I should not have alluded to them. The old blood of the Fijians ran
+in his veins, his ancestors were kings who had been used to command
+and to tyrannise; therefore he could never see any harm in the many
+stories of his escapades that he told me, and he seemed much offended
+and surprised when I advised him not to talk about them to other
+Europeans. When I started off to Levuka I was greatly surprised to
+see all the women of Somo-somo sitting on the beach waiting to see me
+depart, and as I walked down alone they greeted me in much the same
+way as they often greeted Ratu Lala, in a kind of chanting shout that
+sounded most effective. It was a Fijian farewell!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART II
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+    Journey into the Interior of Great Fiji--A Guide Secured--The
+    Start--Arrival at Navua--Extraction of Sago--Grandeur of
+    Scenery--A Man covered with Monkey-like Hair--A Strangely Coloured
+    Parrot--Wild Lemon and Shaddock Trees--A Tropical "Yosemite
+    Valley"--Handclapping as a Native Form of Salute--Beauty of
+    Namosi--The Visitor inspected by ex-Cannibals--Reversion to
+    Cannibalism only prevented by fear of the Government--A Man who
+    would like to Eat my Parrot "and the White Man too"--The Scene
+    of Former Cannibal Feasts--Revolting Accounts of Cannibalism as
+    Formerly Practised--Sporadic Cases in Recent Years--An Instance
+    of Unconscious Cannibalism by a White--Reception at Villages _en
+    route_--Masirewa Upset--Descent of Rapids--Dramatic Arrival at
+    Natondre ("Fallen from the Skies").
+
+
+Toward the end of my stay in the Fijian Islands I determined to make
+a journey far into the interior of Viti Levu (Great Fiji), the largest
+island of the great Fijian archipelago. Suva, the chief town in Fiji,
+and the headquarters of the government, is on this island, but very few
+Europeans travel far beyond the coast, and my friends in Suva declared
+that I would have a fit of repentance before I had travelled very far,
+as the interior of the island is extremely mountainous and rough. After
+a great deal of trouble I managed to get an interpreter named Masirewa,
+who came from the small island of Bau. He was a fine-looking fellow,
+and, like most Fijians, possessed a tremendous mop of hair. His stock
+of English was limited, and we often misunderstood each other, but he
+proved a most amusing companion, if only on account of his unlimited
+"cheek."
+
+I ought here to mention that Fijians vary a great deal, both in colour
+and language. Fiji is the part of the Pacific where various types meet,
+viz., Papuan, Malayan, and Polynesian. The mountaineers around Namosi,
+which I visited, who were all cannibals twenty-five years ago, are
+much darker in colour than the coast natives, and they are undoubtedly
+of Papuan origin.
+
+I left Suva with Masirewa on the morning of October 12th, and after
+a short sea voyage of three or four hours on a small steam launch,
+we arrived at the village of Navua. I had a letter to Mr. McOwan,
+the government commissioner for that district. He put me up for the
+night, and we played several games of tennis, and my stay, though
+short, was an exceedingly pleasant one. The whites in Fiji are the
+most hospitable people in the world. They are of the old _r�gime_
+that is dying out fast everywhere.
+
+The next day I set out on my journey into the interior, Masirewa and
+another Fijian carrying my baggage (which was wrapped up in waterproof
+cloth) on a long bamboo pole. We followed the course of the Navua River
+for some distance. In the swamps bordering the river grew quantities
+of a variety of sago palm (_Sagus vitiensis_) called by the natives
+Songo. They extract the sago from the trunk, and the palm always dies
+after flowering. After passing through about four miles of sugar cane,
+with small villages of the Indian coolies who work in the cane fields,
+we left behind us the last traces of civilization. We next came to
+a very beautiful bit of hilly country, densely wooded on the hills,
+though bordering the broad gravelly beaches of the river were long
+stretches of beautiful grassy pastures. Darkness set in as we ascended
+some thickly wooded hills. The atmosphere was damp and close, and
+mosquitoes plentiful, and small phosphorescent lumps seemed to wink at
+us out of the darkness on every side. I had to strike plenty of matches
+to discover the track, and continually bumped myself against boulders
+and the trunks of tree-ferns. It was late when we arrived at the
+village of Nakavu, on the banks of the Navua River, where I was soon
+asleep on a pile of mats in the hut of the "Buli," or village chief.
+
+The next morning I resumed my journey with Masirewa and two canoe-men
+in a canoe, and we were punted and hauled over numerous dangerous
+rapids, at some of which I had to get out. We passed between two
+steep, rocky cliffs the whole way, and they were densely clothed
+with tree-ferns and other rank tropical vegetation, the large white
+sweet-scented _datura_ being very plentiful. The scenery was very
+beautiful, and numerous waterfalls dashed over the rocky walls with
+a sullen roar. Ducks were plentiful, but my ammunition being limited,
+I shot only enough to supply us with food. I felt cramped sitting in
+a canoe all day, but I enjoyed myself in spite of the continuous and
+heavy rain.
+
+Late in the afternoon we arrived at the small village of Namuamua,
+on the right bank of the river, with the village of Beka on the
+other side. We were given a small hut all to ourselves, and we fared
+sumptuously on duck and boiled yams. The next morning I was shown
+a curious but ghastly object, viz., a man covered with hair like a
+monkey, and I was told that he had never been able to walk. He dragged
+himself about on his hands and feet, uttering groans and grunts like
+an animal.
+
+I hired two fresh bearers to carry my baggage, and after we had
+crossed the river three or four times we passed over some steep and
+slippery hills for some distance. I managed to shoot a parrot that I
+had not seen on any of the other islands. It was green, with a black
+head and yellow breast. The rain came down in torrents, and I got
+well soaked. We went for miles through woods with small timber, but
+full of bright crotons, _drac�nas,_ bamboos, and a very sweetscented
+plant somewhat resembling the frangipani, the flower of which covered
+the ground. We passed under the shade of sweet-scented wild lemon
+and shaddock trees, but we got the bad with the good, as a horrible
+stench came from a small green flowering bush. A beautiful pink and
+white ground orchid (_Calanthe_) was plentiful.
+
+We travelled along a steep, narrow strip of land with a river on
+each side in the valleys below. We met no one until we arrived at
+the village of Koro Wai-Wai, which is situated on the banks of a
+good-sized river at the entrance to a magnificent gorge of rocky peaks
+and precipices. Here we found the "Buli" of Namosi squatting down
+in a miserable, smoky hut where we rested for a few minutes, and the
+hut was soon filled with a crowd of natives, all anxious to view the
+"papalangi" (foreigner). The "Buli" agreed to accompany me to Namosi,
+although his home was in another village. Continuing our journey,
+we had hard work climbing over boulders, and along slippery ledges
+overhanging the foaming river many feet below. Steep precipices rose on
+each side of us, and the gorge grew more narrow as we proceeded. The
+scenery was grand, and rather resembled the Yosemite Valley, but had
+the additional attraction of a wealth of tropical foliage. Steep rocky
+spires topped by misty clouds towered above us and little openings
+between rocky walls revealed dark green lanes or vistas of tangled
+tropical growth which the sun never reached. We met many natives,
+who sat on their haunches when the "Buli" talked to them, and clapped
+their hands as we passed. This was out of respect for the "Buli,"
+who was an insignificant looking little bearded man and quite naked
+except for a small "Sulu."
+
+We soon arrived at Namosi. It is a large town situated between two
+steep walls of rock, and was by far the prettiest place I had seen
+in Fiji, and that is saying a good deal. The town is on both banks
+of the Waiandina River, with large "ivi" and other beautiful trees
+overhanging the water; brilliant coloured crotons, _drac�nas,_
+and other fine plants imparted a wealth of colour to the scene,
+and many of the grand old trees were heavily laden with ferns and
+orchids. During many years' wanderings all the world over, I do not
+think I have ever come across a more beautiful and ideal spot.
+
+The "Buli" was greeted with cries of "m-m-ka-a" in shrill voices by the
+women, for all the world like the caw of an old crow. I learned that
+the "Buli" had not been here for some time, but I seemed to be the
+chief object of interest, and was followed everywhere by an admiring
+and curious crowd of dark brown, shiny boys and girls, the former just
+as they were born and the latter wearing a strip of "Sulu." We put up
+in a chief's house, and after getting through the usual boiled yams,
+I went on a tour of inspection around the town, but I soon found that I
+was the one to be inspected. There was a hum of voices in every hut,
+and doorways were darkened with many heads. Groups of young men,
+women and children assembled to see the sight, but scampered away
+if I approached too near. No white man but the government agent had
+been here for several years, I was told. Thirty-odd years ago they
+would not have been satisfied to "look only," but would have wished
+to taste, and many of the present inhabitants would have made chops
+of me, and were no doubt peering out of their huts to see if I was
+fat or lean, and wishing for days gone by but not forgotten. Isolated
+cases of cannibalism still occur in out-of-the-way parts of Fiji, and
+it is only fear of the government that stops them, otherwise these
+mountaineers would at once return to cannibalism. Masirewa came out
+and stood with folded arms among a large crowd talking about me, and no
+doubt taking all the credit for my appearance, and staring at me as if
+he had never seen me before, so that I felt much inclined to kick him.
+
+In the evening, as I skinned the parrot I had shot, Masirewa told
+me how one man had said that he would like to eat the parrot, and
+that he had replied: "And the white man too." There was a large and
+very interested crowd around me as I worked, and they were very much
+astonished when told that the birds in England were different from
+those in Fiji, and I was inundated with childish questions about
+England. Masirewa seemed to be trying to pass himself off on these
+simple mountaineers as a chief, and was clearly beginning to give
+himself airs, so that when he started to eat with the "Buli" and
+myself, I had to snub him, and told him sharply to clean my gun and
+eat afterwards.
+
+I slept the next morning till seven o'clock, and Masirewa told me that
+the natives could not understand my sleeping so late, and that they
+thought I was drunk on "angona," of which I had partaken the night
+before. "Angona" is the same as "kava" in Samoa, and is the national
+beverage in Fiji. Masirewa now only wore a "sulu" and discarded his
+singlet. I suppose it was a case of "In Rome do as Rome does," but
+he certainly looked better in the dark skin he wore at his birth. I
+was shown the large rock by the river where more than a thousand
+people had been killed for their cannibal feasts. They were usually
+prisoners captured in the Rewa district, also a few white men. They
+were cut open alive and their hearts torn out, and their bodies were
+then cut up for cooking on the rock, which I noticed was worn quite
+smooth. Sometimes they would boil a man alive in a huge cauldron.
+
+While staying at Namosi the "Buli" gave me some lessons in throwing
+native spears, and in using the bow. Whilst practising the latter I
+narrowly missed, by a few inches, shooting a woman who stepped out
+suddenly from behind a hut.
+
+I was out most of the day shooting pigeons in the woods close by,
+accompanied by the "Buli," Masirewa, and several boys. The woods
+were full of a wonderfully beautiful creeper, a delicate pink and
+white _clerodendron_ which grew in large bunches; there was also a
+very pretty _hoya_ (wax flower) scrambling up the trees. We filled
+ourselves with the juicy pink fruit of the "kavika," or what is
+generally known as the Malacca or rose-apple. The trees were plentiful
+in the woods, grew to a large size, and were literally loaded with
+fruit, the fallen fruit resembling a pink carpet. Another very good
+fruit was the "wi," a golden fruit about the size of a large mango. I
+have seen both cultivated in the West Indies.
+
+On my return to the village I had a most interesting interview
+with these ex-cannibals, one old and two middle-aged men, thanks
+to Masirewa, my interpreter. He first asked them how they liked
+human flesh, and they all shouted "Venaka, venaka!" (good). Like the
+natives of New Guinea, they said it was far better than pig; they also
+declared that the legs, arms and palms of the hands were the greatest
+delicacies, and that women and children tasted best. The brains and
+eyes were especially good. They would never eat a man who had died a
+natural death. They had eaten white man; he was salty and fat, but he
+was good, though not so good as "Fiji man." One of them had tasted a
+certain Mr. ----, and the meat on his legs was very fat. They chopped
+his feet off above the boots, which they thought were part of him,
+and they boiled his feet and boots for days, but they did not like
+the taste of the boots. They often kept some of their prisoners and
+fattened them up, and when the day came for killing one, it was the
+women of Namosi's duty to take him down to the large stone by the
+river, where they cut him open alive and tore his heart out. Lastly,
+I asked if they would still like to eat man if they got the chance,
+and they were not afraid of being punished, and there was no hesitation
+in their reply of "Io" (yes), uttered with one voice like the yelp
+of a hungry wolf, and it seemed to me that their eyes sparkled. They
+were certainly a very obliging lot of cannibals.
+
+Cannibalism is, of course, practically extinct now in Fiji, but in
+recent years I am told that there, have been a few odd cases far back
+in the mountains. On one occasion a man told his wife to build an oven
+and that he was going to cook her. This she did, and he then killed,
+cooked, and ate her. Whilst in Fiji I met an Englishman who in the
+seventies had tasted human meat at a native feast, he believing it
+was pig, and at the time he thought it was very good. I was told
+that in the old days when they wanted to know whether a body was
+cooked enough they looked to see if the head was loose. If the head
+fell off it was thought to be "cooked to perfection," but I will not
+vouch for this story being correct.
+
+I gave the "Buli" a box of matches, and he seemed as pleased as if it
+was a purse of gold; they light all their fires here by wood friction,
+Some of the pet pigs around here were very oddly marked with stripes
+and spots of brown, black and white. Whilst in Fiji I often came
+across natives far from any village who were being followed by pet
+pigs, as we in England might be followed by dogs. Masirewa amused
+me more each day by his cheek and self-assurance. Once I asked him
+what he said to the chief of the hut we were in, and he replied:
+"Oh! I tell him Get out, you black fellow.' "
+
+We left Namosi early the next morning, a large crowd seeing us off, and
+I was sorry to bid farewell to one of the most beautiful spots in this
+wide world. We passed through the villages of Nailili and Waivaka,
+where I called at the chiefs' huts and held a kind of "at home"
+for a few minutes, the people simply swarming in to look at me. The
+"Buli" of Namosi had sent messengers on in front to give notice of my
+approach, and at each village they had the inevitable hot yams ready
+to eat, which Masirewa made the most of. At the entrance to each
+village there was usually a palisade of bamboo or tree-fern trunks,
+and here a crowd of girls and children would often be waiting, and on
+my approach they would set up loud yells and scamper off, till I began
+to think that I must look a very ferocious kind of "papalangai." At
+Dellaisakau the natives looked a very wild lot. Some of the men had
+black patches all over their faces, and some had great masses of hair
+shaped like a parasol. One or two of the women wore only the old-time
+small aprons of coconut fibre.
+
+We followed the Waiandina River amid very fine scenery. The sloping
+hills were covered with woods, and we passed under a canopy of bamboo,
+the large trumpet flowers of the white _datura,_ tree-ferns, large
+"ivi," "dakua" and "kavika" trees loaded with ferns and fine orchids in
+flower. We crossed the river several times, and I was carried across
+by a huge Fijian whose head and neck were covered with lime. Rain
+soon set in again, and we literally wallowed in mud and water. I
+got drenched by the soaking vegetation, so I afterwards waded boldly
+through rivers and streams, as it was impossible to get any wetter.
+
+At Nasiuvou the whole village turned out to greet me, and I held my
+usual reception in the chief's hut. The chief seemed very annoyed that
+I would not stay the night. No doubt he thought that I would prove
+a great attraction for his people. The banks of the Waiandina River
+were crowded as I got into a canoe, and Masirewa, in trying to show
+off with a large paddle, lost his balance and fell into the water, the
+yells of laughter from the crowd showing that they were not lacking
+in humour. Masirewa did not like it at all, but I was very glad, as
+he had been giving himself too many airs. I dismissed my two bearers
+and took only one canoe man and made Masirewa help him. We went down
+several rapids at a great pace. It was dangerous but exhilarating, and
+we had several narrow escapes of being swamped, as the canoe, being a
+small one, was often half-filled with water. We also had several close
+shaves from striking rocks and tree trunks. Ducks were plentiful, and I
+shot one on the wing as we were tearing down a rapid. The scenery was
+very fine; steep wooded mountains, rocky peaks with odd shapes, steep
+precipices, fine waterfalls, grand forests, and picturesque villages,
+and the scenery as we wound among the mountains was most romantic.
+
+Toward evening we arrived at the large town of Nambukaluku,
+where we disembarked. Except for a few old men and children we
+found it deserted, and we learned that the "Buli," who is a very
+important chief, had gone to stay at the village of Natondre for
+some important ceremonies for a few days, and most of the inhabitants
+had gone with him. Thither I determined to go, and we set off along
+a mountain path. The rain was all gone, and it was a lovely, still
+evening. Suddenly I heard distant yells and shouts and the beating
+of the "lalis" (hollow wooden drums), and I set off running, leaving
+Masirewa and my canoe man carrying my baggage far behind, and on
+turning a sharp corner I came full upon the village of Natondre
+and a most interesting sight. Hundreds of natives were squatting
+on the ground of the village square, and about one hundred men with
+faces black and in full war paint, swinging war clubs, were rushing
+backward and forward yelling and singing while large wooden drums
+were beaten. They were dressed in most fantastic style, some only
+with fibrous strings round their loins, and others with yards of
+"tapa" cloth wound around them. Several women were jumping about
+with fibre aprons on, and all had their hair done up in many curious
+ways and sprinkled with red and yellow powders. Huge piles of mats
+were heaped in the open square, speeches were made, and the people
+all responded with a deep "Ah-h" which sounded most effective from
+the huge multitude. I came up in the growing dusk and stood behind
+a lot of people squatting down. Suddenly some one looked round and
+saw me--sensation--whispers of "papalangai" were heard on all sides,
+and looks of astonishment were cast in my direction. Certainly my
+entrance to Natondre could not have been more dramatic, and I believe
+that they almost thought that I had _fallen from the skies,_ which
+is the literal meaning of the word "papalangai."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+Mock War-Scene at the Chief's House.
+
+    War Ceremonies and Dances at Natondre Described--The Great
+    Chief of Nambukaluku--The Dances continued--A Fijian Feast--A
+    Native Orator--The Ceremonies concluded--The Journey continued--A
+    Wonderful Fungus--The bark of the rare Golden Dove leads to its
+    Capture--Return to more Civilised Parts--The Author as Guest of a
+    high Fijian Prince and Princess--A _souvenir_ of Seddon--Arrival
+    at Suva.
+
+
+Masirewa soon arrived and I learned that there were some very important
+ceremonies in which one tribe was giving presents to another tribe,
+in settlement of some disputes that had been carried on since
+the old cannibal fighting days, and as I passed into the "Buli's"
+hut I noticed that the dancers were unwinding all the "tapa" cloth
+from around their bodies and throwing it on the piles of mats. I
+immediately went behind a "tapa" screen where the "Buli" slept, and
+began to get into dry clothes. This evidently made some of the crowd
+in the hut angry, as they thought I was lacking in respect to the
+"Buli" by changing in his private quarters, as in Fiji the very high
+chiefs are looked upon as sacred. One fellow kept shouting at me in
+a very impudent way, so when Masirewa came in, I told him about it,
+and he lectured the crowd and told them that I was a very big chief;
+this seemed to frighten them. Later on, I found that Masirewa had
+complained, and the impudent man was brought up before one of the
+chiefs, who gave him a lecture before myself and a large crowd in
+the hut I put up in. Masirewa translated for me, how the chief said:
+"The white man, who is a big chief, has done us honour in visiting
+our town," and to the man: "You will give us a bad name in all Fiji
+for our rudeness to the stranger that comes to us." I learned that
+the man was going to be punished, but as he looked very repentant I
+said that I did not wish him punished, so he was allowed to sneak out
+of the hut, the people kicking him and saying angry words as he passed.
+
+I supped with the great "Buli" that evening, and we fared sumptuously
+on my duck, river oysters and all sorts of native dishes. We were
+waited upon by two warriors in full war paint, and the "Buli's" young
+and pretty wife, shining with coconut oil all over her body, sat by me
+and fanned me. The "Buli" was an aristocratic-looking old fellow with
+a large nose and a very haughty look. He is a very important chief,
+but knew no English, and we carried on our conversation through the
+medium of Masirewa. He spoke in a kind of mumble, with a very thick
+voice. Once when he had been mumbling worse than usual there was a
+kind of restrained titter from someone in the crowd at the back. The
+"Buli" heard it, and slowly turning his head he transfixed the crowd
+with his piercing gaze for many seconds amid a dead silence. I wondered
+afterwards if anything ever happened to the unfortunate one who was
+so easily amused. I learned that besides having an impediment in
+his speech, the "Buli" was also paralyzed in one leg. I Put up in a
+different hut, the "Buli" apologizing for his hut being crowded with
+the influx of visitors.
+
+I watched a "meke-meke" or native dance that evening in which about a
+dozen girls covered with oil took part. There was a sound of revelry
+the rest of the night, for there was feasting and dancing in several
+huts, and discordant chanting and the hum of many voices followed
+me into my dreams. The next morning I went out shooting pigeons in
+some thick pathless woods about two miles away, and I also shot some
+flying foxes which I gave to my companions, as the Fijians consider
+them a great delicacy, as do many Europeans. These woods were full of
+pineapples, which in places barred our way. Many of them were ripe,
+and I found they possessed a fine flavour.
+
+In the afternoon the ceremonies were continued, the "Buli" sending
+for me to sit by him in the doorway of his hut to watch them. First
+about forty women with "tapa" cloth wound around their bodies went
+through various evolutions, swaying their arms about and chanting in
+their usual discordant manner. They then unwound the "tapa" from their
+bodies and threw it in a heap on the ground, following this by more
+manoeuvres. About twenty men came into the square, some with their
+faces blacked and their bodies stained red with some pigment, and
+wearing only aprons of coconut strings, with bracelets of leaves on
+their arms and carved pigs' tusks hanging from their necks. They went
+through some splendid dancing, falling down on the ground and bouncing
+up again like india-rubber balls. They sang, or rather chanted, all the
+time, and so did a kind of chorus of men who beat on wood and bamboo,
+while the dancers danced round them in circles, and squares, and then
+bent backward, nearly touching the ground with their heads. As they
+danced they kept splendid time, with their arms, legs and heads.
+
+Then amid shrill yells and cries from the crowd, another procession
+approached from the far end of the village in single file. First came
+several men with spears, which they shook on the ground every now and
+then, shaking their bodies at the same time in a fierce manner. Behind
+them in single file came a lot of women, each bearing a. rolled-up
+mat, which they threw down in a heap. These mats are made from the
+dried "pandanus" leaf. Then several men appeared bearing enormous Fiji
+baskets full of large rolls of food wrapped up in leaves, also smaller
+baskets made of the fresh leaves of the crimson _drac�na,_ also full of
+food. From the enormous number of baskets, the food supply was enough
+to feed a large multitude. They were all put down together by the mats.
+
+Then there was dead silence, in which you could almost have heard
+the proverbial pin drop, and an oldish man stepped forward and stood
+by the mats and baskets, his body wound round with "tapa" till it
+stuck out many feet from his body. The crowd broke silence with an
+ear-piercing yell. He then spoke, and was interrupted from time to time
+with cries of approval or the reverse, and sometimes loud laughter,
+while the "Buli," sitting by me, every now and then shouted out,
+or broke into a childish giggle. Then the speaker uttered a lot
+of short sentences very fast, and every one present said "Venaka"
+(good) at the end of each sentence. Then the old man unwound the
+"tapa" around him and threw it on the mats, as did others.
+
+Silence again, and I began to think all was over, but suddenly there
+was another shrill sort of yell from the crowd, and from the back of
+our hut, amid a tremendous uproar from all present and the beating of
+"lalis" (drums), appeared a procession of about fifty warriors in their
+usual picturesque get-up, all brandishing large war-clubs. They paraded
+into the square in very stately fashion, singing in their curious and
+savage discords, and then went through some grand dances, keeping
+wonderful time with their clubs and bodies, and from time to time
+giving forth a loud yell which was really thrilling. They next rushed
+backward and forward brandishing their clubs and killing an imaginary
+foe, and then clapped their hands together in even time. Then off
+came the "tapa" from around them, and the heap was made still larger.
+
+Another yell from the crowd. Then silence, followed by more speaking,
+and every now and then a deep "Ah-h" from all present, which sounded
+like distant thunder and was most impressive. Then all the people
+clapped their hands and chanted a few words in low suppressed voices,
+and the ceremony, lasting between four or five hours, was over. From
+time to time a man would approach the "Buli" and fall down on all
+fours and clap his hands before he could speak. I felt at times as
+if I was watching a comic opera or a ballet, and there were many
+amusing incidents. I think honours were fairly easy between the big
+show and myself, as the people kept whispering and looking around at
+me the whole time. I never passed a hut without causing excitement,
+and there would be cries of "papalangai" and a mass of faces would
+appear at the doors. Wherever I went I was followed at a respectful
+distance by a crowd of girls and children, but if I turned to retrace
+my steps there was a panic-stricken rush to get out of my way. On
+one occasion a little child of about two years old yelled with
+fright when I passed near it. I was much astonished that a white
+man should make such a stir in any part of Fiji, but it is only so
+in very out-of-the-way villages such as these. I was exceedingly
+lucky to witness these ceremonies, as they were the most important
+ones that had taken place in Fiji for many years, and few of the
+old white residents had seen their equal. I was all the more lucky,
+as I never expected to see them when I started from Suva.
+
+The next morning I said "Samoce" [9] (good-bye) to the great "Buli,"
+who, though he was a big chief, was not above accepting with evident
+glee the few shillings I pressed into his hand, and with Masirewa and
+two fresh bearers continued my journey in the pouring rain. Once we
+had to swim across a swift and swollen river, then we went over steep
+hills, down deep gullies, wading through streams and passing all the
+time through thick forests. We stopped once to feed on wild pineapples,
+the pink "kavika." and the golden "wi," but Masirewa was a bad bushman
+and slipped, and stumbled, swore and grumbled, and many times I had
+to wait till he came up with me. We followed a deep and beautiful
+gulch for some distance, wading all the way through a shallow stream
+which flowed over a natural slanting pavement with a smooth surface,
+and I found it hard to keep my footing. We got a magnificent view
+from the top of a high hill of the country to the eastward, with
+large rivers winding among beautiful undulating wooded country as
+far as the eye could reach. We passed through but one village, named
+Naqeldreteki, and from here I saw two very fine waterfalls falling
+side by side over a steep cliff several hundred feet straight drop
+into the forest below. It was about here that I came across a most
+beautiful sort of fungus of a bright scarlet and orange, and in the
+shape of a perfect star.
+
+I heard what I took to be the gruff bark of a dog, when it suddenly
+dawned upon me that there could not be any dogs here, as we were
+far from any village. Upon investigation I discovered that it was a
+bird that was the author of the noise, and I soon brought it down
+with a load of dust-shot, and to my great delight it proved to be
+the golden dove, a bird which I had hunted for in vain in the other
+islands. It was of a very fine metallic golden-yellow colour, and
+the feathers being long and narrow, gave it a very odd appearance. I
+could only mutter "venaka, venaka" (good), and in spite of the heavy
+rain reverently and slowly rolled it up in cotton wool and paper, to
+the great amusement of my three Fijians. Among the most interesting
+features of bird life in the Samoan and Fijian Islands were the various
+members of the dove family, which looked wonderfully brilliant with
+their metallic greens, and their orange, crimson, purple, yellow,
+pink, cream and olive green. The latter part of the journey was through
+bushy country dotted about with many large orchid and fern-laden trees.
+
+We arrived toward dusk at the large village of Serea, on the Wainimala
+River, which is a branch of the Rewa River, and I put up in the large
+hut of the "Buli." I began to feel like an ordinary mortal again,
+as the people here did not exhibit any great surprise on seeing me,
+no doubt because, being in the Rewa district, they see a few Europeans
+from time to time. After a change into dry clothes and a supper off
+one of the large pigeons I had shot _en route,_ I had a large and
+interested crowd to watch me skin my dove, and there were roars of
+laughter during the process, especially when Masirewa told them it
+would be made to look like a real bird with glass eyes. Masirewa at one
+time spoke sharply to the "Buli" who, I thought, looked a bit annoyed,
+so I asked Masirewa what he said. "Oh," he said airily, "I told him
+to keep his pig of a child away from the white chief." Masirewa, was
+a character, and evidently had no respect for chiefs and princes,
+etc., as he treated all the "Bulis" as his equals, which was very
+different from the generally cringing attitude of the Fijians to
+their chiefs. Even the high and mighty "Buli" of Nabukaluku [10]
+seemed to like his cheek. Masirewa liked to show off his English,
+though no one understood a word, and his favourite way of addressing
+them when he was annoyed was "You all black devil pigs." Whilst I
+was skinning my dove, the people brought in a horrible-looking carved
+figure with staring eyes. It was about five feet high, and they waxed
+very merry, whenever I looked up at it from my skinning.
+
+I left early next morning in the pouring rain, and found as I passed
+through Serea that it was quite a town. Quite a large crowd escorted
+me down the steep banks of the river (Wainimala), and we were soon
+spinning down stream in a large canoe. We soon joined another river
+which, together with the Wainimala, formed the Rewa, the largest
+river in Fiji. The scenery was both varied and picturesque, and once
+I got the canoe paddled up a little shady creek where there was a very
+beautiful waterfall, and where I was glad to stretch my legs for a few
+minutes after being cramped up in the canoe. There were many pretty
+and quaint villages on the banks, and the people often rushed out of
+their huts to see us pass. Ducks were plentiful, and I got a fair bag
+and used up my remaining cartridges, and the rest of the way I had to
+be content with pointing my gun at them, which was very tantalizing. We
+arrived about three p.m. at the village of Viria, and I stayed with the
+"Buli" in his hut almost overhanging the river. In the evening I took a
+stroll with the "Buli" round the village, and then we sat on a log by
+the river chatting, with Masirewa acting as interpreter. We continued
+our journey the next morning, and late in the day we passed large
+fields of sugarcane. We had returned to civilization once more, and
+I could not help feeling a pang of regret. We arrived at the village
+of Navuso about four p.m., and I was the guest of Andi (princess)
+Cakobau (pronounced Thakombau) and her husband, Ratu (prince)
+Beni Tanoa. Princess Cakobau is the highest lady of rank in Fiji,
+and belongs to the royal family. She is very stately and ladylike,
+and in her younger days was very beautiful. She does not know any
+English, but she wrote her autograph for me in my note-book to paste
+on her photograph, as she writes a very good hand. Her husband is
+also one of the highest chiefs in Fiji, and speaks good English. They
+proved most hospitable, and presented me with some Fijian fans when
+I left the next morning, and the Princess gave me a buttonhole of
+flowers out of her garden. Dick Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand,
+had once visited them, and I noticed his portrait that he had given
+them fastened to a post in their hut. I left Navuso by steam launch
+which called at the large sugar-mills a little lower down, and reached
+Suva that afternoon, feeling very fit after one of the most enjoyable
+and interesting expeditions that I ever made.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART III
+
+My Life Among Filipinos and Negritos and a Journey in Search of
+Bearded Women.
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+At Home Among Filipinos and Negritos.
+
+    Arrival at Florida Blanca--The Schoolmaster's House Kept by
+    Pupils in their Master's Absence--Everyday Scenes at Florida
+    Blanca--A Filipino Sunday--A Visit to the Cock-fighting
+    Ring--A Strange Church Clock and Chimes--Pugnacious Scene at a
+    Funeral--Strained Relations between Filipinos and Americans--My
+    New Servant--Victoriano, an Ex-officer of Aguinaldo's Army,
+    and his Six Wives--I Start for the Mountains--"Free and easy"
+    Progress of my Buffalo-cart--Ascent into the Mountains--Arrival at
+    my Future Abode--Description of my Hut and Food--Our Botanical
+    Surroundings--Meetings with the Negritos--Friendliness and
+    Mirth of the Little People--Negritos may properly be called
+    Pigmies--Their Appearance, Dress, Ornaments and Weapons--An
+    Ingenious Pig-arrow--Extraordinary Fish-traps--Their Rude Barbaric
+    Chanting--Their Chief and His House--Cure of a Malarial Fever
+    and its Embarrassing Results--"Agriculture in the Tropics"--A
+    Hairbreadth Escape--Filipino Blowpipes--A Pigmy Hawk in
+    Pigmyland--The Elusive _Pitta_--Names of the Birds--A Moth as
+    Scent Producer--Flying Lizards and other kinds--A "Tigre" Scare
+    by Night--Enforced Seclusion of Female Hornbill.
+
+
+When collecting in the Philippines, I put in most of my time in
+the Florida Blanca Mountains, in the province of Pampanga, Northern
+Luzon. I arrived one evening after dark at the good-sized village of
+Florida Blanca, which is situated a few miles from the foot of the
+mountain, whose name it shares. I carried a letter to the American
+schoolmaster, who was the only white man in the district, and had
+been a soldier in the late war. It seemed to me a curious policy
+on the part of the American government to turn their soldiers into
+schoolmasters, especially as in most cases they are very ignorant
+themselves. I believe, however, the chief object is to teach the young
+Filipinos English, and so turn them into live American citizens. The
+Americans are far from popular in the Philippines, and when in Manila
+I was strongly advised not to wear _khaki_ in the jungle for fear of
+being taken for an American soldier.
+
+The American's house was dark and still when I arrived at Florida
+Blanca, but whilst I was wondering what to do, I was surprised
+to hear a small voice, coming out of a small adjoining house,
+say in good English (though slowly and with a strong accent),
+"Thee--master--has--gone--into--thee--mountains--to--kill--deer--and--pigs."
+This was from one of the American's own pupils, an intelligent little
+fellow named Camilo. As I learnt that he was not expected back for
+two or three days, there was nothing left but to make myself as
+comfortable as possible in his house until his return. Camilo was
+soon boiling me some water, and I opened some of my provisions,
+as I had eaten nothing for eight hours. The house was an ordinary
+Filipino one, raised fully ten feet from the ground and built of
+native timber, the peaked roof, which had a frame-work of bamboo,
+being thatched with palm-leaves. The divisions between the rooms were
+of plaited bamboo work, and the sliding windows were latticed, each
+division being fitted with pieces of pearl shell. The next morning
+I was invaded by quite an army of small boys, who, to my surprise,
+all spoke English very prettily in their slow way and with a quaint
+accent. I have never come across a more bright and intelligent set
+of little fellows, all very friendly and not a bit shy, yet most
+polite and well-mannered. They were manly little fellows, with the
+faces of cherubs, and they were always smiling. Though the ages of my
+five little favourites, Camilo, Nicolas, Fernando, Dranquilino and
+Victorio, ranged only from eleven down to seven (the latter being
+little smiling-faced Victorio), they did all my errands for me,
+bought me little rolls of sweetish bread, eggs and fruit, and were
+most honest. They talked to me as if they had known me all their
+lives, acted as my guides and showed me all there was to see. They
+generally followed me in a row, with their arms round each other's
+neck in a most affectionate way, and I never heard any of them use
+one angry word amongst themselves. The few days that I spent here,
+I wandered through the narrow lanes and collected a few birds and
+butterflies. These lanes were very dusty at the time, and were hemmed
+in with an uninteresting shrubby growth on each side. The country
+round Florida Blanca was for the most part covered with rice-fields,
+which, at the time of my visit, were parched and covered with short
+stubble, this being the dry season. I was not very successful in my
+collecting, and looked forward to my visit to the mountains, which
+I could see in the distance, and which appeared well covered with
+damp-looking forests. I noticed quantities of white egrets, which
+settled on the backs of the water buffaloes. I would often pass these
+water buffaloes with their heads sticking out of a way-side pond of
+mud and water. They were generally used for drawing the curious wagons
+of the country, which were rather like those one sees in Mexico, with
+solid wooden wheels. Generally when I met these water buffaloes out
+of harness, they were horribly afraid of me and stampeded, at the
+same time making the most extraordinary noises, something between
+a squeak and a short blast on a penny trumpet. They are usually
+stupid-looking brutes, but this showed that they were intelligent
+enough to distinguish between me and a Filipino. The pigs here had
+three pieces of wood round their necks fastened together to form a
+triangle, an excellent idea, as it prevented them from breaking through
+the fences. The day following my arrival was a Sunday, and the church,
+a large building of stone and galvanized iron, was almost opposite
+the American's house. I watched the people going to early mass (the
+Filipinos are devout Roman Catholics). All the women wore gauzy veils
+thrown over their heads, white or black were the prevailing colours
+and sometimes red. I thought they looked very nice in them. I had
+asked Camilo to boil me some water, but he begged off very politely,
+as he had to go and put on his cassock and surplice to attend the
+service in the church, where he sang all alone. When he returned,
+I asked him to sing to me what he had sung in the church, and he at
+once complied, singing the "Gloria Patri" in a very clear and sweet
+voice. After mass was over, the church bell began to toll and an
+empty lighted bier came out of the church. It was preceded by three
+acolytes bearing a long cross and two large lighted candlesticks,
+and followed by a crowd of people. They were no doubt going to call
+at a house for the corpse. Shortly afterwards an old Filipino priest
+came out and got into one of the quaint covered buffalo wagons with
+solid wooden wheels (already mentioned), and drove slowly round by
+the road. It was hot and sultry, and thunder was pealing far away in
+the mountains. Under a clump of trees (of a kind of yellow flowering
+acacia), which grew just outside the large old wooden doors of the
+church, there was a group of village youths and loafers, and two
+or three men went past with their fighting cocks under their arms,
+Sunday afternoon out here being the great day for cock-fighting. There
+seemed to be a sleepiness in the air quite in keeping with the day of
+the week, and I was nearly dozing off when little Nicolas came in. I
+asked him if he knew where the cook-fighting took place, and added,
+"you savez" (slang for "understand"). His eyes flashed, and he said,
+"Me no savage," but when I explained that I did not call him a
+"savage," his eyes, smiled an apology, and he willingly offered to
+show me the place where the cock-fighting was to be.
+
+On entering the large bamboo shed or theatre where the cock-fighting
+took place, I was met by the old Presidente of the village, to
+whom I had brought a letter from Governor Joven (the Governor of
+the province), whom I had visited at Bacolor on my way hither. He
+conducted me to a seat on a raised clay platform, and sat next to me
+most of the time, but as the fighting progressed he got very excited,
+and had to go down into the ring. I had often witnessed it before
+in tropical America, but here the left feet of the cocks were armed
+with large steel spurs shaped like miniature cutlasses, which before
+the fight began were encased in small leather sheaths. The onlookers
+worked themselves up into a state of great excitement, and there was
+a great deal of chaff, mixed with angry words, and plenty of silver
+"pesos" were exchanged over the results. But it was cruel work,
+and the crouching spectators were often scattered right and left by
+the furious birds, whilst on one occasion a too venturesome onlooker
+received a rather severe gash on his arm.
+
+The church clock here was a thing to wonder at. It had no dial, and
+struck only about five times a day. When it struck ten there was an
+interval of over twenty seconds between each stroke until the last
+two strokes, these coming quickly together, as if it was tired of
+such slow work! As there was no face to the clock, I was puzzled to
+know whether to set my watch at the first or last stroke, or to split
+the difference.
+
+There were a great many funerals during my stay here in December,
+there being a regular epidemic of cholera and malaria. This was the
+unhealthy season, and I was told that there were as many deaths in
+Florida Blanca during the months of December and January as during
+all the rest of the year put together.
+
+One day I watched from my window a funeral procession on its way
+from the church to the cemetery. The Padre was not there, and this
+no doubt accounted for the acrobatic display given by the three men
+in cassocks and surplices, who led the way, bearing a cross and two
+candles. They started by playfully kicking each other, and this soon
+developed into angry words, so that I expected a free fight. One
+of them tucked his unbuttoned cassock round his neck, and egged the
+other two on. The coffin followed on a lighted bier, and the string
+of mourners followed meekly behind, no doubt looking upon this display
+as nothing out of the common.
+
+The interior of the church was very cold and bare, and there were no
+seats. I learnt that the American and the Filipino Padre did not hit it
+off together. There were one or two opposition schools in the village,
+run by Filipinos, who did their utmost to prevent the children from
+learning the language of the hated Americanos. The American did
+not make himself any more popular by pulling down the old street
+sign-boards bearing Spanish names, and substituting ugly card-board
+placards marked in ink with fresh names, such as America Street,
+McKinley Street, and Roosevelt Street; he had also named a street
+after himself! Later on I learnt that this American schoolmaster
+was a kind of spy in the American secret police, and that he had to
+listen outside Filipino houses at night to overhear the conversation
+of suspected insurgents. I was told this by Victoriano, my Filipino
+servant in the mountains, who often accompanied the American in his
+nightly rounds, and was the only man in the secret. This Victoriano,
+whom I always called Vic for short, was the best servant that I
+have had during my wanderings in any part of the world. He spoke
+Spanish and knew a little English, as he had once been a servant
+to an Englishman near Manila. With my small knowledge of Spanish,
+and his smattering of English, we hit it off very well together. He
+acted as gun-bearer, cook, laundry maid, housemaid, interpreter and
+guide. Later on he told me that he had been an officer in the insurgent
+Aguinaldo's army, and that he had been imprisoned by the Spaniards for
+four years on the island of Mindanao for belonging to a revolutionary
+society. He was a tall, thin fellow of only thirty-two years of age,
+and yet his present wife in Florida Blanca was his sixth, all the
+others being dead. I used to chaff him about having poisoned them,
+which much amused him. After some days the American returned, and he
+told me of a very good spot in which to collect up in the mountains,
+so one morning I started off with Vic for a long stay in these mountain
+forests. We left Florida Blanca before the sun had risen, my luggage
+being carried in one of the curious buffalo wagons. We soon left
+the dry rice-fields behind, and for some distance passed over a wide
+uninteresting plain of tall grass, dotted about with a few trees. After
+going some distance our two buffaloes were unyoked and allowed to soak
+in a small pond. This process was repeated every time we came to any
+water, and this, together with the slow progress of the buffaloes,
+made the journey longer than I had anticipated. After crossing a
+fair-sized river, we began a gradual ascent into the mountains. My
+luggage was then carried for a short distance, and after travelling
+through some bamboo thickets and crossing a rocky stream, I beheld my
+future abode. It was a small grass-thatched hut, with a flooring of
+split bamboo, raised four feet from the ground; up to this we had to
+climb by means of a single bamboo step. About two-thirds of the hut
+consisted of a flooring of bamboo, fairly open on all sides but one;
+this part did as my bedroom, and to get to it I had to crawl through
+a hole--one could hardly call it a door! It was quite dark inside,
+but there was just room enough to lie down on the split bamboo
+floor. All round the hut was a large clearing, planted with maize,
+belonging to a Filipino, who from time to time lived in another small
+hut about one hundred yards away. He also owned the one I was living
+in, and for this I paid him the not very exorbitant sum of one peso
+(two shillings) a month. Tall gaunt trees rose out of the corn on all
+sides, and in the early morning they were full of bird-life--parrots,
+parakeets, cockatoos, pigeons, woodpeckers, gapers and hornbills,
+etc. A clear rocky stream flowed by the side of the hut, the sound of
+whose rushing waters by night and day was like music to the ear in this
+hot and thirsty land, whilst shaded as it was by bamboos and trees,
+it was a delightful spot to bathe in every morning and evening. I was
+well pleased with my surroundings, and looked forward to a successful
+and interesting stay. I fared well though the food was rough, and I
+subsisted chiefly on rice and papayas, together with pigeons, doves,
+parrots, and the smaller hornbill, called here "talactic," all of which
+fell to my gun. The surrounding country in these lower mountains was
+a mixture of forest and open grass-country, the grass often growing
+far over my head. The forest, which abounded in clear, rocky streams
+of cold water, was very luxuriant and beautiful, especially in many
+of the cool, damp ravines further back in the mountains. But near my
+camping ground a great deal of the forest seemed to be half smothered
+with large thickets of bamboo, and consequently the larger trees
+were rather far apart. There was also a climbing variety of bamboo,
+which scrambled up to the tops of the largest trees. The undergrowth
+in places was most luxuriant and consisted of different species of
+palms, rattans, tree-ferns, _pandanus,_ giant ginger, _pipers, pothos,
+begonias,_ bananas, _caladiums,_ ferns, _selaginellas_ and lycopodiums,
+and many variegated plants. Growing on many of the trees were some
+fine orchids. Chief amongst them may be mentioned a very beautiful
+"vanda," which grew mostly on trees in the open grass country, and
+which I witnessed in full bloom during my stay here. They presented
+a wonderful sight. Out of the large sheaths of fan-like leaves grew
+two grand flower-spikes, bearing from thirty to forty large white,
+chocolate and crimson flowers. Of these there were two varieties,
+and on one large plant I saw fully a dozen flower-spikes. Further back
+in the mountains I came across some fine species of _Phalaenopsis._
+
+I early made the acquaintance of the little Negritos, the aborigines of
+these mountains, and during my wanderings I would often stumble across
+their huts in small clearings in the forest. They never seemed to have
+any villages, and I hardly ever saw more than one hut in one place,
+and they were nearly always miserable bamboo hovels. As for the little
+people themselves, they seemed perfectly harmless, and from the first
+treated me with the greatest friendliness, and would often pay me a
+visit at my hut, sometimes bringing me rice and "papayas" or a large
+hornbill, which had been shot with their steel-pointed arrows. They
+were quite naked except for a very small strip of cloth. Their skin
+was of a very dark brown colour, their hair frizzly, and the nose
+flat. They were by far the smallest race of people I had ever seen,
+and they might quite properly be termed pigmies. I certainly never
+came across a Negrito man over four feet six inches, if as tall,
+and the women were a great deal smaller, coming as a rule only up to
+the men's shoulders; the elderly women looked like small children
+with old faces. Both sexes generally had their bodies covered with
+various patterns cut in their skins, a kind of tattooing it might
+be called, but the skin was very much raised. Many of them had
+the backs of their heads in the centre shaved in a curious manner,
+like a very broad parting. I did not see them wearing many ornaments,
+but the men had tight-fitting fibre bracelets on their arms and legs,
+and the women sometimes wore necklaces of seeds, berries and beads;
+they would also sometimes wear curiously carved bamboo combs in their
+hair. The men used spears and bows and arrows; these latter they were
+rarely without. Their arrows were often works of art, very fine and
+neat patterns being burnt on the bamboo shafts. The feathers on the
+heads were large, and the steel points were very neatly bound on with
+rattan. These steel points were often cruel-looking things, having
+many fishhook-like barbs set at different angles, so that if they once
+entered a man's body it would be impossible to extract them again. A
+very clever invention was an arrow made for shooting deer and pig. The
+steel point was comparatively small, and it was fitted very lightly
+to a small piece of wood, which was also lightly placed in the end
+of the arrow. Attached at one end to the arrow-head was a long piece
+of stout native cord, which was wound round the shaft, the other end
+being fastened to the main shaft. When the arrow was shot into a pig,
+for instance, the steel head soon fell apart from the small bit of
+wood, which in its turn would also drop off from the main shaft. The
+thick cord would then gradually become unwound, and together with
+the shaft would trail on the ground till at length it would be caught
+fast in the bamboos or other thick growth, and the pig would then be
+at the mercy of its pursuers. The steel head, being barbed, could
+not be pulled out in the pig's struggles to break loose. I had one
+of these arrows presented to me by the chief of these Negritos, but,
+as a rule, they are very hard to get as the Negritos value them very
+highly. An American officer I met in Manila told me that he had been
+quartered for some time in a district where there were many Negritos,
+and though he had offered large rewards for one of these arrows he was
+not successful in getting one. The women manufacture enormous baskets,
+which I often saw them carrying on their backs when I met them in
+the forest. I was much struck with the cleverness of some of their
+fish-traps; these were long cone-like objects tapering to a point,
+the insides being lined with the extraordinary barb-covered stems of
+a rattan or climbing palm, and the thorns or barbs placed (pointing
+inwards) in such a way that the fish could get in easily but not out.
+
+These Negritos were splendid marksmen with their bows and arrows, and
+during my stay amongst them I became quite an adept in that art; their
+old chief used to take a great delight in teaching me, and my first
+efforts were met with hearty roars of laughter. They were certainly
+the merriest and yet the dirtiest people I have ever met. Whenever
+I met them they were always smiling. When, as happened on more than
+one occasion, I lost my way in the forest and had at length stumbled
+upon one of their dwellings, I made signs to let them understand
+that I wanted them to show me the way back. This they cheerfully did,
+and led the way singing in their peculiar manner; it was a most wild
+and abandoned and barbaric kind of music, if it could really be called
+music at all. It consisted chiefly of shouting and yelling in different
+scales, as if the singers were overflowing with joy at the mere idea
+of being alive. I would often hear them singing, or yelling like
+children, in the deep recesses of the forest. In fact the contentment
+and happiness of these little people was quite extraordinary, and I
+had a great affection for them. They would do almost anything for me,
+and their chief and I soon became great friends. He was a most amusing
+old fellow, and nearly always seemed to be laughing. Yet they were
+also the dirtiest people I had ever seen, and never washed themselves:
+consequently they were thick with dirt, which even their dark skins
+could not hide. They grew a little rice and tobacco, and the old chief
+always kept me well supplied with rice, which seemed of very fair
+quality. He also kept a few chickens and would often send me a present
+of some eggs, which were very acceptable. In return I would give him
+an old shirt or two, which he was very proud of. By the time I left,
+these shirts were almost the colour of his skin, and he evidently did
+not wish to follow my advice as to washing them. His house was a very
+large one for a Negrito's, and far better built than any others that
+I saw. When the maize which grew round my hut was ripe, the Filipino
+owner got several men and women up from Florida Blanca to help him
+to harvest it, and many of them slept underneath my hut. At nights I
+would generally have quite a crowd round me watching me skin my birds,
+and although I did not understand a word of their Pampanga dialect,
+their exclamations of surprise and delight when a bird was finished
+were quite complimentary. Poor Vic had to endure a running fire of
+questions as to what I was going to do with my birds and butterflies,
+but to judge by the way he lectured on me, he no doubt enjoyed it,
+and possibly told them some wonderful yarns about "My English," as
+he called me. One day a man at work in the maize had a bad attack of
+"calenturas" (malarial fever). I gave him some quinine and Epsom salts
+and this treatment evidently had a good effect, as the next day I was,
+besieged by a regular crowd of Filipinos of both sexes, who wished to
+consult me as to their various ills, and Vic was called in to act as
+interpreter. A good many of them, both men and women, took off nearly
+all their clothes to show me bruises and sores that they had, and I
+was in despair as to what treatment to recommend. At last when one
+old woman had parted with most of her little clothing to show me some
+sores, I told Vic to tell her that she had better get a good wash in
+the river (as she was the reverse of clean). This prescription raised
+a laugh, but the old lady was furious, and my medical advice was not
+again asked for. After the maize was cut, the owner started to sow
+a fresh crop without even taking out the old stalks, which had been
+cut off a few inches from the ground. This was the way he did it. He
+made holes in the ground with a hoe in one hand, and in the other
+hand he held a roasted cob of corn, which he kept chewing from time
+to time. His wife followed him, dropping a grain into each hole and
+filling in the soil with her feet. It would have made a good picture
+under the heading of "Agriculture in the Tropics"! Vic told me that
+they got four crops a year, so one can hardly wonder at their taking
+things easily. A rough bamboo fence separated the maize from a copse
+of bamboo jungle and forest, in which I was one day collecting with
+Vic, when I attempted to jump over a very low part of the fence. Vic,
+however, called out to me to stop, and it was lucky he did so, as
+otherwise the consequences would have been terrible for me. Just
+hidden by a few thin creepers, there had been arranged there a very
+neat little pig-trap, consisting of a dozen or more sharp bamboo
+spears firmly planted in the ground, and leaning at a slight angle
+towards the fence. Except for Vic's timely warning I should have been
+stuck through and through, as the bamboo points would stand a heavy
+weight without breaking, and if I had escaped being killed, I should
+certainly have been crippled for life. I naturally felt very angry
+with my neighbour for not having asked Vic to tell me about this,
+as the previous day when out alone I had climbed to the top of this
+fence and then jumped down into the creepers below; luckily I had
+not then noticed this low part further down.
+
+Many of the Filipinos are very good shots with their blowpipes, and
+Vic possessed one. It was about nine feet in length, and possessed a
+sight made of a lump of wax at one end. Like the bows of the Negritos,
+it was made out of the trunk of a very beautiful fan-palm (_Livistona_
+sp.). Two pieces of the palm-wood are hollowed out and then stuck
+together in a wonderfully clever fashion, so that the joins barely
+show. Vic was fairly good with it when shooting at birds a short
+distance away. His ammunition consisted of round clay pellets, which
+he fashioned to the right size by help of a hole in a small tin plate,
+which he always carried with him.
+
+Birds were fairly plentiful in these mountain forests, and I was
+glad to get one of the interesting racquet-tailed parrots of the
+genus _Prioniturus,_ that are only found in the Philippines and
+Celebes. It was curious that up here amongst the pigmy Negritos I
+should get a pigmy hawk. It was by far the smallest hawk I had ever
+seen, being not much larger than a sparrow. Several species of very
+beautiful honey-suckers, full of metallic colours, used to frequent the
+bright red flowers of a creeper that generally clambered up the trees
+overhanging the streams, and these flowers proved very popular with
+many butterflies, especially the giant gold and black _Ornithopteras_
+and various rare _papilios_ of great beauty. There was one bird I was
+most anxious to get, and though I saw it once I had to leave Luzon
+without it. It was a _pitta,_ a kind of ground thrush. Thrushes of
+this genus are amongst the most brilliant of all birds, and in my own
+collections I possess a great number of different species that I have
+collected in other countries. This one that I was so anxious to get
+was locally called "Tinkalu." Amongst both Filipinos and Negritos it
+has the reputation of being the cleverest of all birds, and, as Vic
+expressed it, "like a man." It hops away into the thickest undergrowth
+and hides at the least sound. Certainly no bird has ever given me
+such a lot of worry and trouble. Many a weary hour did I spend going
+through swamps and rivers, bamboo and thorny palms, dripping with
+perspiration and tormented by swarms of mosquitos and sand-flies,
+and all to no purpose!
+
+Thanks to Vic, I soon picked up most of the local names of the various
+birds, which were often given on account of the sounds they made. The
+large hornbill was named "Gasalo," the smaller kind "Talactic," the
+large pigeon "Buabu," a bee-eater "Patirictiric," and other names
+were "Pipit," "Culiaun," "Alibasbas," "Quilaquilbunduc," "Papalacul,"
+"Batala," "Batubatu," "Culasisi." Some of the spiders here were of
+great size, and in these mountain forests their webs were a great
+nuisance. These webs were often of a yellow glutinous substance,
+which stained my clothes, and when they caught me in the face, as
+they often did, it was the reverse of pleasant.
+
+Mosquitos and sandflies were very numerous and ants were in great
+force, so that one evening when I discovered that they were hard at
+work amongst all my bird skins, it took me up to 5 a.m. to separate
+them before I could get to bed.
+
+I discovered a diurnal moth that possessed a most powerful and
+delicious scent. Vic, who had never noticed it before, was delighted,
+and proposed my catching them in quantities and turning them into
+scent. Whilst on the subject of scent, I might mention that in
+these forests I would often come across a good-sized tree which was
+called Ilang-ilang. It was covered with plain-looking green flowers,
+which possessed a wonderful fragrance. I learnt that the Filipinos
+collected the flowers, which were sent to Manila and made into scent,
+but that they generally cut down the tree in order to get the flowers.
+
+I saw here for the first time the curious flying lizards. Their
+partly transparent wings were generally of very bright colours; they
+fly fully twenty yards from one tree to another, and quickly run up
+the trees out of reach. Another quaint lizard, was what is generally
+known as the gecko. It is said to be poisonous in the Philippines,
+and is generally found on trees or bamboos and often in houses. In
+comparison to the size of this lizard the volume of its voice was
+enormous. I generally heard it at night. First would come a preliminary
+gurgling chuckle; then a pause (between the chuckle and what follows
+it). Then comes loud and clear, "Tuck-oo-o," then a slight pause, then
+"Tuck-oo-o" again repeated six or seven times at regular intervals;
+at other times it sounds like "Chuck it." When it was calling inside
+a hollow bamboo, the noise made was extraordinary. There were a
+great number of bamboos in the surrounding country, and they were
+continually snapping with loud reports, which I would often imagine
+to be the reports of a rifle until I got used to them. Wild pig were
+very plentiful, and at night they would often grub up the ground a few
+yards from my hut. One night I was skinning a bird, with Vic looking
+on, when we heard some animal growling close by, and Vic without any
+warning seized my gun (which I always kept loaded with buckshot) and
+fired into the darkness. He said that it was a "tigre," and called
+out excitedly that he had killed it, but although we hunted about
+with a light for some time, we saw no signs of it. No doubt it was
+some animal of the cat family. Vic, as in fact all Filipinos, had
+a mortal dread of snakes, and he would never venture out at night
+without a torch made of lighted bamboo, as he said they were very
+plentiful at night. The large hornbills ("Gasalo") were very hard
+to stalk, and as they generally frequented the tallest trees they
+were out of shot. They usually flew about in flocks, and made a most
+extraordinary noise, rather like a whole farmyard full of turkeys,
+guinea fowls and dogs. The whirring noise they made with their wings
+was not unlike the shunting of a locomotive. I had often before heard
+of the curious habit of the male in plastering up the female with mud
+in the hollow of a tree, leaving only a small hole through which he
+fed her until the single egg was hatched and the young one was ready to
+fly. Vic knew this, and further informed me that the smaller species,
+named here "Talactic," had the same custom of plastering up the female.
+
+Many evenings, when I had finished my work, I would get Vic to teach
+me the Pampanga, dialect, and wrote down a large vocabulary of words,
+and when some years afterwards I compared them word for word with
+other dialects and languages throughout the Malay Archipelago,
+I found that, with a few exceptions, there was not the slightest
+affinity between them.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+A Chapter of Accidents.
+
+    A Severe Bout of Malaria in the Wilds--The "Seamy
+    Side" of Exploration--Unfortunate Shooting of the Chief's
+    Dog--Filipino Credulity--Stories of the Buquils and their Bearded
+    Women--Expedition Planned--Succession of _contretemps_--Start for
+    the Buquil Country--Scenes on the Way--A Negrito Mother's Method
+    of Giving Drink to Her Baby--Exhausting Marches Amid Striking
+    Scenery--The Worst Over--A Bolt from the Blue--Negritos in a
+    Fury--Violent Scenes at a Negrito Council of War--They Decide
+    on Reprisals--Further Progress Barred in Consequence--Return to
+    Florida Blanca.
+
+
+As I mentioned before, this was the unhealthy season in the
+Philippines, and Vic assured me that these lower mountains were even
+more unhealthy than the flat country. I myself soon arrived at a
+similar conclusion, as a regular epidemic of malaria now set in among
+my pigmy friends, the Negritos, and the old chief told us that his
+favourite son was dying with it; next my neighbour and his wife were
+prostrated with it, and when they had slightly recovered, they left
+their hut and returned to Florida Blanca. Vic himself was next laid
+up with it, and seemed to think he was going to die. When I was at
+work in the evening he would shiver and groan under a blanket by my
+side; this, coming night after night, was rather depressing for me,
+all alone as I was. At other times he would imagine we were hunting the
+wary and elusive _pitta,_ and would start up crying, "_Ah! el tinkalu,_
+it is there! _por Deos,_ shoot, my English, shoot!" or he would imagine
+we were after butterflies, and would cry out, _"Caramba, mariposa azul
+muy grande, muy bueno, bueno!"_ I was forced to do all the cooking for
+both of us, though it was quite pathetic to see poor Vic's efforts to
+come to my assistance, and his indignation that his "English" should
+do such work for him. At one time I half expected that he would die,
+but with careful nursing and doctoring I gradually brought him round.
+
+During all the time that he was ill. I did but little collecting,
+and no sooner was Vic on the road to recovery than I myself was seized
+with it, and Vic repaid the compliment by nursing me in turn. It was
+a most depressing illness, especially as I was living on the poorest
+fare in a close and dirty hut. When you are ill in civilization, with
+nurses and doctors and a good bed, you feel that you are in good hands,
+and confidence does much to help recovery. But it is a different matter
+being sick in the wilds, without any of these luxuries, and you wonder
+what will happen if it gets serious. Then you long for home and its
+luxuries, with a very great longing, and cordially detest the spot
+you are in, with all those wretched birds and butterflies! It is Eke
+a long nightmare, but as you get better you forget all this, and the
+jaundiced feeling soon wears off, and you start off collecting again
+as keen as ever. One day a small skinny brown dog somehow managed to
+climb up the bamboo step into my hut during Vic's temporary absence,
+and I suddenly awoke to find it helping itself to the contents of a
+plate that Vic had placed by my side. I was far too ill to do more
+than frighten it away. This happened a second time before I was strong
+enough to move, but the third time I was well enough to seize my small
+collecting gun (which was loaded with very small cartridges), and
+when it was about thirty yards away I fired at it, simply intending to
+frighten it, as at that distance these small cartridges would hardly
+have killed a small bird. It stopped suddenly and, after spinning
+round a few times yelping, it turned over on its back. Even then I
+thought it was shamming, but on going up to it I found it was dead,
+with only one No. 8 shot in its spleen. On Vic's return he was much
+alarmed, as he said the dog belonged to the Negrito chief, who was
+very fond of it, and would be very angry with me if he knew. So we
+hid the body in the middle of a clump of bamboo about a quarter of
+a mile away from the hut. But the following day the sky was thick
+with a kind of turkey buzzard, which had evidently smelt the dog's
+corpse from some distance, and they were soon quarrelling over the
+remains. Vic worked himself up into a state of panic, saying that it
+would be discovered by the Negritos, but a few days later I sent him
+over to the Negrito chief's hut to get me some rice, and the chief
+mentioned that his chief wife had lost her dog, which she was very
+fond of, and that he thought that I must have killed it. Vic in reply
+said that that could never be, as in the country that I came from
+the people were so fond of dogs that they were very kind to them,
+and treated them like their own fathers. The chief then said that a
+pig must have killed it, and so the incident ended.
+
+About this time Vic asked my permission to return to Florida Blanca
+for a few days, as he had heard that his wife had run away with another
+man, and he offered to send his brother to take his place. His brother
+could also speak English a little, and was assistant schoolmaster to
+the American. He proved, however, an arrant coward, and, like most
+Filipinos, lived in great fear of the Negritos. When out with me
+in the forest he would start, if he heard a twig snap or a bamboo
+creak, and look fearfully about him for a Negrito. He told me that
+the Negritos will kill and rob you if they think there is no chance
+of being found out, and he mentioned a case of an old Filipino being
+killed and robbed by these same Negritos a few months previously. I
+managed to string together the following absurd story from his broken
+English. He said that if you heard a twig break in the forest once or
+even twice you were safe enough, but if a twig snapped a third time,
+and you did not call out that you saw the Negrito, you would get an
+arrow into you. He said that once when he heard the stick "break three
+time" (to use his own words), he called out "Ah! I see you Negrite,
+and the Negrite he no shoot, but came out like amigo (friend)." His
+English was too limited for me to point out the many weak and absurd
+points of the story, as, for instance, why the Negrito should make the
+twigs break exactly three times, and why he should not shoot because
+he thinks he is seen. I only mention this anecdote to illustrate the
+credulity of the Filipinos. The next day, when we were out collecting
+in the morning, I suddenly saw him start when a bamboo snapped, so I
+called out, "Buenos diaz, Se�or Negrite." This was too much for my man,
+who ran off home and refused to follow me in the forest that afternoon,
+and when I returned that evening he was nowhere to be seen, and I
+found out later that he had returned to Florida Blanca. In consequence
+I was forced to do all my own cooking, which was not pleasant, as I
+had to do it all in the hot sun, and this brought on a return of my
+fever. At last, one morning, as I was endeavouring to light a fire to
+cook my breakfast, and muttering unpleasant things about Vic and his
+brother, I suddenly looked up and Vic stood before me like a. silent
+ghost. I say like a ghost, because he looked like one, thin and gaunt
+as he still was from fever. He, too, had had a return of the fever
+and had not yet recovered, but sooner than that "his English" should
+be alone, he had dragged himself over in the cool of the night. The
+next day his wife and two children arrived. She had been on a visit
+to her mother in another village, which accounted for Vic's thinking
+she had run away. They occupied the hut of my late neighbour, and
+before many days had gone they were all bad with fever. It was easy
+to see that the woman hated me, and imagined I was the cause of her
+having to come and live in these lonely and unhealthy mountains. Vic
+told me that there had been so much sickness in Florida Blanca that
+there was no quinine left in the place. My own stock was getting low,
+and Vic and his family, as well as myself, used it daily. I had cured
+the old Negrito chief with it, and he was very grateful to me, and
+presented me with some very fine arrows in return.
+
+For some time past I had heard rumours of an extraordinary tribe of
+Negritos who lived further back in the mountains, and were named
+Buquils, and whose women were reported to have beards. Vic, whom
+I always found to be most truthful in everything, and who rarely
+exaggerated, declared it was true, and furthermore told me that
+these Buquils had long smooth hair, which proved that they could not
+have been Negritos. Besides, I learnt that they were quite a tall
+people. Nowhere in the whole world is there such a diversity of races
+as in the Philippines, and so it would be quite impossible even to
+guess what they were. Vic had once seen some of them himself when they
+came on a visit to the lower mountains. Though I thought the story,
+as to the women having beards, a fable, I determined to visit them
+before I left these mountains, and the old Negrito chief, who also told
+me that the women really did have beards, offered to lend me some of
+his people to carry my things. But one day Vic heard that his lather
+was dying, and when I tried to cheer him up he sobbed in a mixture
+of broken Spanish and English, "One thousand se�oritas can get, one
+thousand children can get, but lose one father more cannot get." On
+this account I had to return to Florida Blanca, and besides we were
+all very bad with constant attacks of fever, and in this village we
+could at all events get bread, milk and eggs to recuperate us. The
+American had left for a long holiday, so I managed to hire a small
+house where I could sort my collections before returning to Manila,
+where I intended catching a steamer for the south Philippines.
+
+One day the village priest (a Filipino) called on me, and in course
+of conversation we spoke about these Buquils. He was most emphatic
+that it was true about the women having beards, and he also told me
+that no Englishman, American or Spaniard had ever penetrated so far
+back in the mountains as to reach their villages. When he had left I
+thought it over, and decided to go and see them for myself, though I
+was still suffering from fever. Vic, whose father had recovered from
+his illness, declared his willingness to accompany me; in fact I knew
+that he would never allow me to go without him. He was quite miserable
+at the idea of our parting, which was close at hand. As luck would
+have it, the day before we decided to start, Vic was down with fever
+again, and the following day I was seized with it. Never before or
+since have I been amongst so much fever as I was in this district. In
+any case I had made up my mind to see these Buquils, but we had now
+lost two days, and there was only just enough time left to get there
+and back and to journey back to Manila and catch my steamer. The day
+after my attack we started for the mountains once more at about two
+p.m., my fever being still too bad for me to start earlier. It had
+been very dry lately, with not a drop of rain and hardly a cloud to
+be seen, but just as we were starting it came on to rain in torrents
+and this meant that the rainy season had set in. It seemed as if the
+very elements were against us, and even Vic seemed struck with our
+various difficulties. I was sick and feverish, and my head felt like a
+lump of lead, as I plodded mechanically along in the rain through the
+tall wet grass. I felt no keenness to see these people at the time,
+fever removes all that, but I had so got it into my head before the
+fever that I must go at all hazards, that I felt somehow as if I was
+obeying someone else. We passed my old residence a short way off, and
+I stayed the night at the Negrito chief's hut, which I reached long
+after dark. He seemed very glad to see me again, and turned out most
+of his family and relations to make room for me. My troubles were not
+yet ended, as the two Filipinos whom I had engaged to carry my food
+and bedding could not start till late, and consequently lost their
+way, and were discovered in the forest by some Negritos, who went in
+search of them about 2 a.m. Meanwhile I had to lie on the hard ground
+in my wet clothes, and as I got very cold a fresh attack of fever
+resulted. I had intended to start off again about four a.m., but it
+was fully four hours later before we were well on our way. I managed
+to eat a little before I left, our rice and other food being cooked
+in bamboo (the regular method of cooking amongst the Negritos). I here
+noticed for the first time the method employed by the Negrito mothers
+for giving their babies water; they fill their own mouths with water
+from a bamboo, and the child drinks from its mother's mouth. In the
+early morning thousands of metallic green and cream-coloured pigeons
+and large green doves came to feed on the golden yellow fruit of a
+species of fig tree (_Ficus_), which grew on the edge of the forest
+near the chief's hut. They made a tremendous noise, fluttering and
+squeaking as they fought over the tempting looking fruit.
+
+We took five Negritos to carry the rice and my baggage--two men,
+two women, and a boy. The women, though not much more than girls,
+were apportioned the heaviest loads; the men saw to that, and looked
+indignant when I made them reduce the girls' loads. As we continued
+on our journey, I noticed that our five Negrito carriers were joined
+by several others all well armed with bows and extra large bundles of
+arrows, and on my asking Vic the reason, he told me that these Buquils
+we were going to visit were very treacherous, and our Negritos would
+never venture amongst them unless in a strong body. As we went along
+the narrow track in single file some of the Negritos would suddenly
+break forth into song or shouting, and as they would yell (as if in
+answer to each other) all along the line, I could not help envying them
+the extreme health and happiness which the very sound of it seemed to
+express; my own head meanwhile feeling as if about to split. I shall
+never forget that walk up and down the steepest tracks, where in some
+places a slip would have meant a fall far down into a gorge below. If
+Vic was to be believed, I was the first white man to try that track,
+and I would not like to recommend it to any others. Deep ravines, that
+if one could only have spanned with a bridge one could have crossed in
+five minutes or less, took us fully an hour to go down and up again,
+and I could never have got down some of them except for being able
+to hang on to bushes, trees and long grass. Whenever we passed a
+Negrito hut we took a short rest. My Negritos, however, wanted to
+make it a long one, as they seemed to be very fond of yarning, and
+when I insisted on their hurrying on, Vic got frightened and declared
+they might clear out and leave us, which would certainly have been
+a misfortune. At length we arrived at a chief's hut, where we had
+arranged to spend the night. It was situated at the top of a tall,
+grassy peak, from which I got a wonderful view of the surrounding
+country: steep wooded gorges and precipices surrounded us on all
+sides, and in the distance the flat country from whence we had come,
+and far far away the sea looked like glistening silver. The flat
+country presented an extraordinary contrast to the rugged mountains
+which surrounded me. It was so wonderfully flat, not the smallest
+hill to be seen anywhere, except where the lonely isolated peak of
+Mount Aryat arose in the distance, and far away one could just see
+a long chain of lofty mountains. The effect of the shadows of the
+distant clouds on the flat country was very curious. Early the next
+morning, at sunrise, the view looked very different, though just as
+beautiful. The chief seemed very friendly. He was a brother of my old
+friend, with whom I had stayed the previous night. This chief, however,
+was very different to his brother, being very dignified, but he had
+a very good and kind face, whilst my old friend was a "typical comic
+opera" kind of character. From what I could understand these two and
+another brother ruled over this tribe of Negritos between them, each
+being chief of a third of the tribe Soon after my arrival I turned in,
+as I was very tired and feverish and had had no sleep the previous
+night. The Negritos, as usual, were very merry and made a great noise
+for so small a people. I never saw such people for laughter whenever
+anything amused them, which is very often; they were a great contrast
+in this respect to the Filipinos. This natural gaiety helps to explain
+their many and varied dances, one of which consists in their running
+round after each other in a circle.
+
+I felt very much better next morning, and we started off very early,
+our numbers being increased by the chief and many of his men, so that
+I now found myself escorted by quite an army. I took note round here
+of the methods used by the Negritos in climbing tall, thick trees to
+get fruit and birds-nests. They had long bamboo poles lashed together,
+which run up to one of the highest branches fully one hundred feet
+from the ground. They often fastened them to the branch of a smaller
+tree, and thence slanting upwards to the top of a tall tree, perhaps
+as much as sixty feet and more away from the smaller tree. These
+Negritos axe splendid climbers, but it seemed wonderful for even a
+Negrito to trust himself on one of these bamboos stretching like
+a thread from tree to tree so far from the ground. I shall never
+forget the scramble we now had into the deepest gorge of all, and
+how we followed the bed of a dried-up stream, which in the rainy
+season must be a series of cascades and waterfalls, since we had to
+scramble all the way over large slippery boulders covered with ferns
+and _begonias._ We at length came to a tempting-looking river full of
+large pools of clear water, into which I longed to plunge. The banks
+were extremely beautiful, being overhung by the forest, and the rocky
+cliffs were half hidden by large fleshy-leaved climbers and many
+other beautiful tropical plants. It was one of those indescribably
+beautiful spots that one so often encounters in the tropical wilds,
+and which it is impossible to paint in words. A troop of monkeys were
+disporting themselves on a tree overhanging the river. Vic was most
+anxious for me to allow him to shoot one, but I have only shot one
+monkey in my life, and it is to be the last, and I always try and
+prevent others from doing so. We waded the river in a shallow place,
+and climbed up the steep hill on the other side. We had gone a good
+distance over hills covered with tall grass, and I was now looking
+forward to a bit of decent walking, as hitherto it had been nearly all
+miserable scrambling work, and the Negritos told Vic that the worst was
+now over. But we were approaching a hut, overhanging a rocky cliff,
+when we heard the sound of angry voices and wailing above us, and we
+soon perceived four Negritos (three men and a woman) approaching us. I
+thought the old woman was mad; she was making more noise than all the
+others put together, shouting and screaming in her fury. At first I
+thought they might be hostile Negritos who resented our intrusion,
+but they belonged to the tribe of the chief who was with me, and they
+were soon talking to him in loud, excited voices. Our own party soon
+got excited, too, and, as may be imagined, I was longing to find out
+the cause of all this excitement. Vic soon told me the reason. It
+appeared that on the previous day a large party of our Negritos had
+gone into the territory of the Buquils in order to get various kinds
+of forest produce (as they had often done in the past), and had been
+treacherously attacked by these Buquils, and many of them killed. One
+of these was the brother of a sub-chief, who now approached us, and
+who was, I believe, the husband of the frenzied woman. It was a very
+excitable scene that followed. I suppose one might call it a council
+of war. It was a mystery to me where all the Negritos came from and
+how they found us out; but they came in ones and twos till there was
+a huge concourse of them present, all gathered round their chief and
+squatting on the ground. About the only one who behaved sensibly
+was my friend the chief. He spoke in a slow and dignified manner,
+but the rest worked themselves up into a furious rage, and twanged
+their bowstrings, and jumped about and fitted arrows to their bows,
+and pointed them at inoffensive "papaya" trees, whilst two little
+boys shot small arrows into the green and yellow fruit, seeming to
+catch the fever from their elders. One man actually danced a kind of
+war-dance on his own account, strutting about with his bow and arrow
+pointed, and getting into all sorts of grotesque attitudes, moving
+about with his legs stiffened, and pulling the most hideous faces,
+till I was forced to laugh.
+
+But it seemed to be no laughing matter for the Negritos. The old woman
+beat them all; she did not want anyone to get in a word edgeways,
+but screamed and yelled, almost foaming at the mouth, till I almost
+expected to see her fall down in a fit. I never before witnessed such
+a display of fury.
+
+Vic kept me well advised as to the progress of the proceedings, and
+it was eventually settled that each of the three brother chiefs were
+to gather together three hundred fighting men, making nine hundred
+altogether, and these in a few days' time were to go up and avenge
+the deaths of their fellow tribesmen. From the enthusiasm displayed
+amongst the little men, this was evidently carried unanimously,
+but I noticed two young men sitting aloof from the rest of the
+crowd and looking rather sullen and frightened, and as they did not
+join in the general warlike demonstrations, it was evidently their
+first fight. Here, however, I made Vic interrupt in order to draw
+attention to myself. What Vic translated to me was to the effect that
+it was out of the question for us to go on into the enemy's country,
+which we should have reached in another two hours' walk. If we did
+they would certainly kill us all by shooting arrows into us from the
+long grass (in other words, we should fall into an ambush), and, in
+fact, since they had killed some of this tribe they would kill anyone
+that came into their country. By killing these men they had declared
+war. This was the sum total of Vic's translation, and I saw at once
+that it was out of the question for me to go on, as no Negrito would
+go with me, and I could not go alone. In any case I should have been
+killed. Vic told me that very few of these Buquils ever leave their
+mountain valleys, and so most of them had never seen a Filipino, much
+less a white man. And so I met with a very great disappointment, and
+was forced to leave without proving whether or no the story of these
+bearded women was a myth. Lately I heard a rumour that an American had
+visited them and proved the story true. My disappointment may well be
+imagined. I had come over the worst track I had ever travelled on in
+spite of rain and fever, but I at once saw that all my labours were
+in vain and that I could not surmount this last difficulty. But I was
+lucky in one way. The chief told Vic that if we had gone yesterday we
+should all have been killed, as without knowing anything about it,
+we should have got there just after the fight. So for once fever
+had done me a good turn, a "providencia," I think Vic called it,
+as I should have reached my destination the previous day if I had
+not been delayed by fever. Out of curiosity to see what the chief
+would say, I told Vic to tell him that I would help him with my gun,
+but the chief was ungrateful and contemptuous, saying that they
+would shoot me before I could see to shoot them. Vic thought I was
+serious, and said he would not go with me, and begged me not to go,
+saying, in a mixture of English and Spanish, "What will your father,
+your sister, and your brother say to me when Buquil arrow make you
+dead?" Needless to say I was not keen on stalking Buquils who were
+waiting for me with steel arrows in long grass, and, besides, if I
+went with the gallant little nine hundred, I should miss my steamer. I
+never heard the result of that fight, much as I should like to have
+known it. After the meeting had dispersed, we returned to the river
+and rested. I bathed and took a swim in a big, deep pool under a huge
+tree, which was one mass of beautiful white flowers. I have never
+enjoyed a swim more. Vic also took a wash, and to my great surprise
+one of the Negritos proceeded to copy him, and as Vic soaped himself
+the Negrito tried to do the same thing with a stone, with which he
+succeeded in getting rid of a great deal of dirt. It surprised and
+amused the other Negritos, both men and women, who jeered and roared
+with laughter at the unusual spectacle of a Negrito washing himself.
+
+I signed to them to give our boy carrier a wash, as he seemed the
+noisiest of the party, and two men got hold of him to duck him, but
+he seemed so terrified that I stopped them. The youngster evidently
+hated me for the fright he had received, as later on when I made him a
+present of a silver ten-cent piece to make up for his fright--this is
+a very handsome present for a Negrito--he threw it on the ground and
+stamped his foot in anger. The Negritos shot several fish and large
+prawns with a special kind of long pointed arrow; these we ate with
+our rice by the river side before returning. The night I stayed with
+my old friend, the comic chief, I found him actually in tears and
+much cut up at the idea of his two sons having to take part in the
+fight. I suppose it was compulsory for them to fight, but it appeared
+rather odd to me that a chief should object to his sons taking part
+in a fight, as the Negritos are considered very plucky fighters. The
+chief sent four Negritos to carry my things down to Florida Blanca. The
+following day I started back to Manila, where I caught my steamer for
+the southern Philippines. Vic was much distressed at my departure and
+shed many tears as I said good-bye to him, his grief being such that
+even a handsome tip could not assuage it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART IV
+
+In the Jungles of Cannibal Papua.
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+On the War-Trail in Cannibal Papua.
+
+    Expedition against the Doboduras--We hear reports about a
+    Web-footed Tribe--Landing at the Mouth of the Musa River--A Good
+    Bag--Barigi River Reached--A Flight of Torres Straits Pigeons--A
+    Tropical Night Scene--Brilliant Rues of Tropical Fish--Arrival of
+    Supplies--Prospects of a Stiff Fight--Landing of the Force--Pigs
+    Shot to Prevent them from being Cooked Alive--Novelty of
+    Firearms--A Red Sunrise--Beauty of the Forest--Enemies' War Cry
+    First Heard--Rushing a Village--Revolting Relics of Cannibal
+    Feast--Doboduras eat their Enemies Alive--Method of Extracting
+    the Brains--Extensive Looting--Firing at the Enemies' Scouts--An
+    Exciting Chase--When in Doubt Turn to the Right--Another Village
+    Rushed--Skirmishes with the Enemy--Relics of Cannibalism general
+    in the Villages--Camp Formed at the Largest Village--Capture of
+    Prisoners--An "Object, Lesson"--Carriers ask Leave to Eat one
+    of the Slain--Arigita's Opinion--Cannibal Surroundings at our
+    Supper--Expectation of a Night Attack.
+
+
+We were three white men, Monckton was the resident magistrate, while
+Acland and I myself were _non-officio_ members of the expedition,
+being friends of Monckton.
+
+We had been some time at Cape Nelson, where the residency was,
+a lonely though beautiful spot on the north-east coast of British
+New Guinea. Whilst here I had made good collections of birds and
+butterflies, and had made expeditions into the surrounding and little
+known country, including the mountains at the back, where no white
+man had yet been. And now (September 17th, 1902) we were off on a
+government exploring and punitive expedition into the unknown wilds
+of this fascinating and interesting country.
+
+We three sat on the stern of the large whale boat, while the twenty
+police and our four boys took turns at the oars. They were fine
+fellows these Papuan police, and their uniforms suited them well,
+consisting as they did of a deep blue serge vest, edged with red
+braid, and a "sulu" or kilt of the same material, which with their
+bare legs made a sensible costume for the work they had to perform
+in this rough country. As they pulled cheerfully at their oars they
+seemed in splendid spirits, for they felt almost sure that they were
+in for some fighting, and this they dearly love.
+
+Our boys, however, did not look quite so happy, especially my boy
+Arigita, who was a son of old Giwi, chief of the Kaili-kailis. He--old
+Giwi--had gone on the previous day with three or four large canoes
+laden with rice and manned by men of the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu
+tribes, and we intended taking more canoes and men from the Okeina
+tribe _en route._
+
+Our expedition was partly a punitive one, as a tribe named Dobodura
+had been continually raiding and slaughtering the Notu tribe on the
+coast, with no other apparent reason than the filling of their own
+cooking pots.
+
+Although the Notus lived on the coast, little was known of them,
+though they professed friendship to the government. The Doboduras,
+on the other hand, were a strong fighting tribe a short way off in
+the unknown interior, no white men having hitherto penetrated into
+their country: hence they knew nothing about the white man except by
+dim report.
+
+After we had settled our account with them we intended going in search
+of a curious swamp-dwelling tribe, whose feet were reported to be
+webbed, like those of a duck, and many were the weird and fantastic
+rumours that reached our ears concerning them.
+
+The sea soon got very "choppy," and up went our sail, and we flew along
+pretty fast. We had left behind us Mount Victory (a volcano which
+is always sending forth volumes of dense smoke) some time before,
+and some time afterward we were joined by a fleet of fourteen large
+canoes, most of them belonging to the Okeina tribe, but also including
+the three Kaili-kaili canoes sent off on the previous day.
+
+We all then went on together, and late in the afternoon we landed
+at a spot near the mouth of the Musa River. We spent the evening
+shooting, and had splendid sport, our bag consisting of ducks of
+various species, pigeon, spur-winged plover, curlew, sandpipers,
+etc. We also saw wallaby, and numerous tracks of cassowary and wild
+pig. After some supper on the beach, the Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and
+Okeina carriers, numbering over one hundred, were drawn up in line,
+and Monckton told them that he did not want so many carriers. If they
+(the Okeinas) would like to come, he would not give them more than
+tobacco, and not axes and knives, which he gave to the Kaili-kaili and
+Arifamu carriers. They unanimously wished to go even without payment,
+as they were confident that we should have some big fighting, and
+they, being a fighting tribe, simply wished to go with us for this
+reason. Monckton sent off the carriers that night, so that they could
+get a good start of us. It was a bright moonlight night, and it was a
+picturesque scene when the fleet of canoes started off amidst a regular
+pandemonium of shouting and chatter. I do not suppose that this quiet
+spot had ever before witnessed such a sight. We were off next morning
+before sunrise, and continued our way in a dead calm and a blazing sun.
+
+We soon caught up with our canoes, which had gone on in advance on the
+previous night. A breeze sprang up and we made good progress under
+sail, and soon left the canoes far behind. We saw plenty of large
+crocodiles, and a persevering but much disappointed shark followed
+us for some distance.
+
+We camped that night just inside the mouth of the Barigi River, on the
+very spot where Monckton was attacked the previous year by the Baruga
+tribe. They had made a night attack upon him as he was encamped here
+with his police, and had evidently expected to take him by surprise,
+as they paddled quietly up. But he was ready for them, and gave the
+leading canoe a volley, with the result that the river was soon full
+of dead and wounded men, who were torn to pieces by the crocodiles. The
+rest fled, but he captured their chief, who was wounded.
+
+Upon our arrival late in the afternoon Acland and I started out with
+our guns after pigeon, taking our boys and some armed police, as it
+was not safe to venture far from the camp without protection.
+
+The vegetation was very beautiful, and there was a wonderful variety
+of the palm family. We wandered through very thorny and tangled
+vegetation. We espied a fire not far off and went to inspect it,
+but saw no natives, though there were plenty of footprints in the sand.
+
+Towards evening we saw thousands of pigeons settle on a few trees
+close by on a small island, but they were off in clouds before we got
+near. They were what is known as the Torres Straits pigeon, and were
+of a beautiful creamy-white colour. On the banks of this river were
+quantities of the curious _nipa_ palm growing in the water. These palms
+have enormous rough pods which hang down in the water, and there were
+quantities of oysters sticking to the lower parts of their stems. We
+dynamited for fish and got sufficient to supply us all with food.
+
+About nine p.m. all the canoes turned up and the camp was soon alive
+with noise and bustle. The carriers had had nothing to eat since
+the day before, and poor old Giwi, the chief, squeezed his stomach
+to show how empty he was, but still managed to giggle in his usual
+childish fashion.
+
+They brought with them two runaway carriers who had come from the
+Kumusi district, where many of the miners start inland for the Yodda
+Valley (the gold mining centre). They had travelled for five days
+along the coast, and had hardly eaten anything. They had avoided
+all villages _en route,_ otherwise they themselves would undoubtedly
+have furnished food for others, though there was little enough meat
+on them. There were many different tribes in this neighbourhood, and
+Monckton was far from satisfied as to the safety of our camp if we
+were attacked. We sent off a canoe with Okeina men up the river to get
+provisions from the Baruga tribe who had attacked Monckton the previous
+year, and they now professed friendship to the government. The Okeinas
+were friendly with them, but as they paddled away in the darkness
+Monckton shouted out after them to give him warning when they were
+coming back with the Baruga people, and they shouted back what was
+the Okeina equivalent for "You bet we will."
+
+We pitched our mosquito nets under a rough shelter of palm leaves, and
+I lay awake for some time watching the light of countless fire-flies
+and beetles which flashed around me in the darkness, while curious
+cries of nocturnal birds on the forest-clad banks and mangroves from
+time to time broke the stillness of the tropical night, and followed
+me into the land of dreams, from which I was rudely awakened early
+the next morning by clouds of small sandflies, which my mosquito net
+had failed to keep out.
+
+We stayed here the following day, and put in part of our time
+dynamiting for fish at the mouth of the river. It was a curious sight
+to see the fish blown high into the air as if by a regular geyser. We
+got about three hundred; they were of numerous species, and most of
+them of good size. Many were most brilliantly coloured, indeed the
+fish in these tropical waters are often the most gorgeous objects in
+nature, and would greatly surprise those who are only used to the fish
+of the temperate zone. During the day the Okeinas returned. They were
+followed by several canoes of the Baruga tribe with their chief, who
+brought us four live pigs tied to poles, besides other native food,
+which, together with the fish, saved us from using the rice for the
+police and carriers. New Guinea is not a rice-producing country, and
+the natives not being used to it, are far from appreciating it. A
+little later some of the Notu tribe from further north arrived by
+canoe. They had again been raided by the Dobodura tribe, and many
+of them killed and captured. They said the enemy were very strong,
+and Monckton told us that it was more than likely that they could
+raise one thousand to fifteen hundred fighting men. We determined
+to resume our journey the next day, and go inland and attack their
+villages. We seemed likely to be in for a good fight, and the police
+especially were highly elated. Old Giwi, who bragged so much about
+his fighting capabilities at starting, shook his head and thought it
+a tall order, and that we were not strong enough to tackle them.
+
+We left again early on the morning of September 20th, the canoes
+with our carriers having gone on the previous night. Early in the
+afternoon we passed large villages situated amid groves of coconut
+palms. These belonged to the Notus, who had been suffering such severe
+depredations at the hands of the Doboduras. Shortly before arriving
+at our destination we found the carriers waiting for us on shore, they
+having too much fear of the Notus to reach their villages before us.
+
+We determined to land on the far side of one particularly large
+village. Rifles were handed around, and we strapped on our revolvers,
+and all got ready in case of treachery. Then came a scene of excitement
+as we landed in the breakers. Directly we got into shallow water the
+police jumped out, and with loud yells rushed the boat ashore. There
+was still greater excitement getting the canoes ashore amid loud
+shouting, and one of the last canoes to land, filled, but was carried
+ashore safely, and only a few bags of rice got wet.
+
+We pitched our camp on a sandy strip of land surrounded on three sides
+by a fresh water lagoon, our position being a good one to defend,
+in case we were attacked. Monckton then took a few police and went
+off to interview the Notus.
+
+After a time he returned with the information that the Notus appeared
+to be quite friendly, and anxious to unite with us against the common
+foe on the morrow.
+
+Several of them visited our camp during the day and brought us native
+food and pigs, which latter Monckton shot with his revolver, to prevent
+our carriers cooking them alive. It was quite amusing to see the way
+the Notus hopped about after each report, some of them running away,
+and small blame to them, seeing that it was the first time that they
+had ever heard the report of a firearm.
+
+The next morning saw us up long before daybreak, and in the dim light
+we could see small groups of Notu warriors wending their way amid the
+tall coconuts in the direction of our camp, till about seventy of them
+had assembled. They were all fully armed with long hardwood spears,
+stone clubs and rattan shields (oblong in shape and of wood covered
+with strips of rattan, with a handle at the back), and led the way
+along the beach. The sun soon rose above the sea a very red colour, and
+a superstitious person might have considered it an omen of bloodshed.
+
+It was hard work walking in the loose sand, and I was glad when
+we branched off into the bush to walk inland. We passed through
+alternate forests and open grass land, the forest in places being
+quite luxuriant, and new and beautiful plants and rare and gaudy birds
+and butterflies made one long to loiter by the way. Amongst the palm
+family new to me was a very beautiful _Licuala,_ perhaps the most
+beautiful of all fan-leaved palms, and a climbing palm, one of the
+rattans (_Korthalzia_ sp.), with pinkish stems and leaves resembling
+a gigantic maidenhair fern, which looked very beautiful scrambling
+over the trees, together with two or three other species of rattans.
+
+Our combined force was over two hundred strong, the Notus leading the
+way, then came most of the police, then we three white men, then more
+police, and our Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and Okeina carriers brought up
+the rear bearing our tents, baggage and bags of rice.
+
+As we wended our way down the narrow track there were several moments
+of excitement, and the Notus several times fell back on to us in alarm,
+but their fears seemed groundless.
+
+We continued our march for many hours, and just as we came to the
+end of a long bit of forest, the Notus came rushing back on to us in
+great confusion. We soon learned the reason. At the end of a grassy
+stretch of country was a village surrounded by a thick grove of coconut
+and betel-nut palms, and some of the enemy's scouts had been seen,
+and we heard their distant war-cry, a prolonged "ooh-h-h, ah-h-h,"
+which was particularly thrilling, uttered as it was by great numbers of
+voices. The Notus all huddled together, then replied in like language,
+but their cry did not seem to possess the same defiant ring as that
+of the Doboduras.
+
+We three took off our helmets and crouched down with the police just
+inside the forest, with our rifles ready for the expected rush of
+the enemy, having sent the Notus out into the open, hoping thereby
+to draw the enemy after them. We meant then to give them a lesson,
+make some captures, and come to terms with their chief. Two or three
+times the Notus came rushing back, and I fully expected to see the
+Doboduras at their heels, but they were evidently aware that the
+Notus were not alone, and all I could see was the distant village
+and palm-trees shimmering in the quivering heated air, and the heads
+of the Dobodura warriors crowned with feather head-dresses bobbing
+about amid the tall grass, while ever and anon their distant war-cry
+floated over the grassy plain.
+
+We decided to rush the village, which we later found was named Kanau,
+but when we got there we found it deserted. In the centre of the
+village was a kind of small raised platform, on which were rows of
+human skulls and quantities of bones, the remnants of many a gruesome
+cannibal feast. Many of these skulls were quite fresh, with small
+bits of meat still sticking to them, but for all that they had been
+picked very clean. Every skull had a large hole punched in the side of
+the head, varying in size, but uniform as regards position (to quote
+from Monckton's later report to the government). The explanation for
+this we soon learnt from the Notus, and later it was confirmed by our
+prisoners. When the Doboduras capture an enemy they slowly torture him
+to death, practically eating him alive. When he is almost dead they
+make a hole in the side of the head and scoop out the brains with a
+kind of wooden spoon. These brains, which were eaten warm and fresh,
+were regarded as a great delicacy. No doubt the Notus recognised some
+of their relatives amid the ghastly relics. We rested a short time in
+this village, and our people were soon busy spearing pigs and chickens,
+and looting. The loot consisted of all sorts of household articles
+and implements, including wooden pillows, bowls, and dishes, "tapa"
+cloth of quaint designs, stone adzes, beautiful feather ornaments,
+"bau-baus" or native bamboo pipes, wooden spears, and a great quantity
+of shell and dogs'-tooth necklaces.
+
+We saw three or four of the enemy scouting on the edge of the forest,
+and I was asked to try to pick one off, but before I could fire
+they had disappeared. Then several Notus ran out brandishing spears,
+and danced a war-dance in front of the forest, but their invitation
+was not accepted. We next saw several armed scouts on a small tree
+about five hundred yards away, and we all lined up and gave them
+a volley; whether we hit any of them or not it is hard to say, but
+they dropped down immediately into the long grass. At any rate, it
+must have astonished them to hear the bullets whistling round them,
+even if they were not hit, as it was the first time they had ever
+heard the report of a firearm of any description. Some of the police
+went out to sneak through the long grass, and we soon heard shots,
+and they came back with the spears, clubs and shields of two men
+they had killed. They also brought a curious fighting ornament worn
+on the head, made of upper bills of the hornbill.
+
+We continued our march through some thick forest, and at length came
+to the banks of a river, where we suddenly crouched down. An armed
+man was crawling along the river bed, peering in all directions, and
+shouting out to his friends on the opposite bank. We were anxious to
+make a capture. Monckton suddenly gave the word, and up jumped a dozen
+police in front of me and plunged into the river and gave chase. I
+followed hard, but the police in front were gradually leaving me far
+behind. Till then I always fancied I could run a bit, but I knew better
+now. Seeing the man's shield, which he had thrown away in his flight,
+I at once collared it as a trophy of the chase. Then looking around,
+I found that I was quite alone, and the thick jungle all around me
+resounded with the loud angry shouts and cries of the enemy. I found
+out afterwards that my friends and the rest had no intention of giving
+chase, but had been highly amused in watching my poor effort to keep
+up with the nimble barefooted police. I shall never forget those
+uncomfortable few minutes as I rushed down the track in the direction
+the police had taken. Visions arose before me of the part I should play
+in a cannibal feast, and I expected every minute to feel the sharp
+point of a spear entering the small of my back, just as I had been
+seeing our people drive their spears clean through some running pigs.
+
+To my dismay I found the track divided, and it was impossible to
+tell which way the police had gone. To turn back was out of the
+question. I had come a good way, and I had no idea where the rest were,
+and from the uproar at the back I imagined the Doboduras were coming
+down the track after me. I hastily decided to go by the old saying,
+"If you go to the right you are right," and it was well for me that I
+did so, as I found out later from the police that if I had gone to the
+left--well, there would have been nothing left of me, especially after
+one Dobodura meal, as the enemy were there in full force. As it was, I
+soon afterward came up with the police, feeling rather shaky and white.
+
+The police had captured a middle-aged woman, whose face and part
+of her body were thickly plastered with clay. This was a sign of
+mourning. We learnt that she was a Notu woman, who had been captured
+some time previously by the Doboduras. She was much alarmed, and
+whined and beat her breasts, and caressed some of the police. We
+made her come on with us, and the rest of the party soon joining
+us, we came to another village, which we "rushed," but it, too,
+was deserted. There was more killing of fowls and pigs, and a scene
+of great confusion as our people speared and clubbed them and ran
+about in all directions, looting the houses, picking coconuts, and
+cutting down betel-nut palms, many of them decorating themselves
+with the beautifully variegated leaves of crotons and _drac�nas,_
+some of which were of species entirely new to me. It seemed a bit
+curious that these wild cannibals should exhibit such a taste for
+these gay and brilliantly coloured leaves and flowers, which they
+had evidently transplanted from forest and jungle to their own village.
+
+We continued our way through bush and open country, our police having
+slight skirmishes with small bands of natives. One big Dobodura rushed
+at Sergeant Kimi with uplifted club, but Kimi coolly knelt down and
+shot him in the stomach when he was only a few yards off. The round,
+sharp stone on the club being an extra fine one, I soon exchanged it
+with Kimi for two sticks of tobacco (the chief article of trade in
+New Guinea, and worth about three half-pence a stick).
+
+Toku, Monckton's boy, and a brother of my boy, Arigita, who carried
+his master's small pea-rifle, shot a man in the back with it as the
+man fled, and thereafter was a hero among the boys. Arigita wished
+to emulate his brother, and begged hard to do some shooting on his
+own account with my twelve-bore shot gun, which he carried, and he
+seemed very much hurt because I would not allow it.
+
+We passed through many more villages, embowered in palm groves, and
+in each village we saw plenty of human skulls and long sticks with
+human jawbones hanging upon them. On one I counted twenty-five; there
+were also long rows of the jawbones of pigs, and a few crocodiles'
+heads. These villages were all deserted, the natives having fled. At
+length we came to what appeared, from its great size, to be the
+chief village, which we later learnt was named Dobodura. It extended
+some distance, and stood amid thousands of coconut palms. Here we
+determined to camp, but we found that most of the police had rushed
+on ahead after the Doboduras, much to Monckton's annoyance, for it
+was risky, to say the least, as the enemy might easily have attacked
+each party separately. But the police and carriers, now that they had
+"tasted blood," seemed to get quite out of hand, and their savagery
+coming to the surface, they rushed about as if demented. However,
+they soon returned with more captured weapons of warfare, having
+killed two more men, and they also brought two prisoners, a young man
+and a young woman. The prisoners looked horribly frightened, having
+never seen a white man before, and they thought they would be eaten:
+so Constable Yaidi told me.
+
+The man was a stupid looking oaf, and seemed too dazed to speak. The
+woman, however, if she had been washed, would have been quite
+good-looking. She had rather the European type of features, and was
+quite talkative. She told us that most of her people had gone off
+to fight a mountain tribe, who had threatened to swoop down on this
+village. These complications were getting exceedingly Gilbertian in
+character. To begin with, the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu carriers were
+afraid of the Okeinas, who in their turn were afraid of the Notus;
+the Notus feared this Dobodura tribe we were fighting, and the
+Doboduras seemed to be in fear of a mountain tribe. We ourselves
+were by no means sure of the Notus, and kept on guard in case of
+treachery. These tribes, we heard, were nearly always fighting,
+and always have their scouts out.
+
+To return to the prisoners. We showed them how a bullet could
+pass clean through a coconut tree, and they seemed to be greatly
+impressed. They were then told to tell their chief to come over the
+next morning and interview us, and that we wished to be friendly. We
+then gave them some tobacco and told them they could go, and it
+was evident that they were astonished beyond words at their good
+fortune. As they passed through our police and carriers, I feel sure
+that they suspected us of some trick on them.
+
+A bathe in the cool, clear river close by was delightful after a very
+hard day, but we, of course, had an armed guard of police around us,
+and practically bathed rifle in hand, as the growth was dense on the
+opposite bank.
+
+Our people seemed to be quite enjoying themselves, looting the
+houses, and one of the police was chasing a pig in this village,
+when he was attacked by a man with a club. The policeman was unarmed,
+but immediately wrenched the club from the man's hand and smashed his
+skull in, and the body lay barely one hundred yards from our tent. This
+was too tantalizing for our carriers, who came up and begged permission
+to eat it, although they knew full well that Monckton had given orders
+that there was to be no cannibalism among them. Needless to remark,
+the request was refused, but they had the pluck to ask again before
+the expedition was over.
+
+My boy Arigita had often eaten human meat, and as he expressed it in
+his quaint pidgin English, "Pig no good, man he very good." It can
+be imagined it must be really good, as the Papuan thinks a great deal
+of pig. We had a good appetite for supper, in spite of the fact that
+we ate it within a few yards of a half-burnt heap of human skulls and
+bones, which appeared quite fresh. Our various tribes were all camped
+separately, and they looked very picturesque round their different
+camp fires, with their spears stuck in the ground in their midst,
+their clubs and shields by their sides, and the firelight flickering
+upon their wild-looking faces.
+
+To our astonishment, our late man prisoner returned and said that his
+chief wished to see us that night. At once there was a great commotion
+among our police and the Notus, who all spoke excitedly together,
+and were unanimous that this implied treachery, and that behind
+the chief would come his men, who would attack us unawares. We also
+learned that it was not their usual habit to make friendly visits at
+night. Monckton thought the same, and told the man that if the chief or
+any of his people came near the camp that night they would be shot. The
+man also informed us that all his tribe had returned; no doubt swift
+messengers went after them to bring them back. The man went, and we
+waited expectantly for what might happen. Everyone seemed certain that
+we should be attacked, and if so, we had a very poor chance with from
+a thousand to fifteen hundred well-armed savages making a rush on us
+in the semi-darkness, as there was no moon, and it was cloudy.
+
+The enemy would rush up and close with our people, and while we should
+not be able to distinguish friend from foe, we should not be able to
+fire in the darkness at close quarters. They could then spear and club
+us at will. Now we had always heard that Papuans never attack at night,
+but the police and Notus told us that these Doboduras nearly always
+attacked at night, and if we had known this before we should most
+certainly have made ourselves a fortified camp outside the village. But
+it was too late to think of this now, and we knew that we were in a
+very awkward position. The fact that they could gather together so
+large a force as was alleged, was estimated by Monckton from the size
+of these villages, which showed that they were a very powerful tribe.
+
+The whole police force were put out on sentry duty, as also four or
+five Kaili-kailis who had been taught at Cape Nelson to use a rifle.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+We Are Attacked By Night.
+
+    A Night Attack--A Little Mistake--Horrible Barbarities of
+    the Doboduras--Eating a Man Alive--A Sinister Warning--Saved
+    by Rain--Daylight at Last--"Prudence the Better Part"--The
+    Return--Welcome by the Notus--"Orakaiba."
+
+
+I was busily engaged in writing my notes of the day, with my rifle
+by my side, when suddenly a shot rang out, followed by another and
+another, then a volley from all the sentries on one side of the camp,
+and the darkness was lit up by the flashes of their rifles. Then came
+the thrilling war-cry, "Ooh-h-h-h! ah-h-h-h!" that made one's blood run
+cold, especially under such surroundings. All the camp was now in the
+utmost confusion, and there was a great panic among our carriers, who
+flung themselves on the ground yelling with fear. Never was there such
+a fiendish noise! I sprang to my feet, flinging my note-book away and
+picking up my rifle, and ran back to where Monckton was yelling out:
+"Fall in, fall in, for God's sake fall in!"
+
+Two houses were hastily set on fire, and instantly became furnaces
+which lit up the surroundings and the tops of the tall coconut palms
+over-head, which even in this moment of danger appeared to me like
+a glimpse of fairyland. I noticed a line of fire-sticks waving in
+the darkness outside. They seemed to be slowly advancing, and in the
+excitement of the moment I mistook them for the enemy--and fired!
+
+Luckily, my shot did not take effect, as I soon found out that these
+fire-sticks were held by some of our own carriers, who had been told
+by Monckton to carry them so that we could distinguish them from the
+enemy in case we were attacked. Monckton turned to where the Notus,
+were, and seeing them all decked out in their war plumes, dancing
+about among the prostrate carriers, and waving their clubs and spears,
+naturally took them for Dobodura warriors, and nearly fired at them. He
+angrily ordered them to take off their feathers.
+
+Calmness soon settled down again, and we learned that the police had
+fired at some Doboduras who were creeping up into the camp. How many
+there were we could not tell, but later on we learnt that some of
+them had been killed, and seeing the flash of the rifles, which was
+a new experience to them, the rest had retreated for the time being,
+but soon rallied together for attack that night or in the small hours
+of the morning. Knowing that if they once rushed us in the darkness
+we should all be doomed for their cooking pots, the state of our
+feelings can be imagined.
+
+The first attempt came rather as a shock to a peaceful novice like
+myself, and seeing warriors in full war paint and feathers rushing
+about with uplifted club and spear amid our prostrate squirming
+carriers, I had a very strong inclination to bury myself in the nearest
+hut and softly hum the lines, "I care not for wars and quarrels,"
+etc. We sat talking in subdued tones for some time, expecting every
+minute to hear the thrilling war cry of the Doboduras, but nothing was
+to be heard but the crackling of the embers of the burning houses,
+the low murmur of our people around their camp fire, and the most
+dismal falsetto howls of the native dogs in the distance. These howls
+were not particularly exhilarating at such a time, and I more than
+once mistook them for the distant war-cry of the Doboduras.
+
+The Papuans, as a rule, do not torture their prisoners for the
+mere idea of torture, though they have often been known to roast a
+man alive, for the reason that the meat is supposed to taste better
+thus. This they also do to pigs, and I myself, on this very expedition,
+caught some of our carriers making preparations to roast a pig alive,
+and just stopped them in time. For this reason Monckton would always
+shoot the pigs brought in for his carriers, but in this case one pig
+was overlooked. I have heard of cases of white men having been roasted
+alive, one case being that of the two miners, Campion and King. But
+we had learnt that this Dobodura tribe had a system of torture that
+was brutal beyond words. In the first place they always try to wound
+slightly and capture a man alive, so that they can have fresh meat
+for many days. They keep their prisoner tied up alive in the house and
+cut out pieces of his flesh just when they want it, and we were told,
+incredible as it seems, that they sometimes manage to keep him alive
+for a week or more, and have some preparation which prevents him from
+bleeding to death.
+
+Monckton advised both Acland and myself to shoot ourselves with
+our revolvers if we saw that we were overwhelmed, so as to escape
+these terrible tortures, and he assured us that he should keep the
+last bullet in his own revolver for himself. This was my first taste
+of warfare. Monckton had had many fights with Papuans, and Acland,
+besides, had seen many severe engagements in the Boer war, but he
+said he would rather be fighting the Boers than risking the infernal
+tortures of these cannibals. It all, somehow, seemed unreal to me,
+and I could hardly realise that I was in serious danger of being
+tortured, cooked and eaten. It is impossible to depict faithfully
+our weird surroundings. We chatted on for some time, and tried
+to cheer each other up by making jokes about the matter, such as
+"This time to-morrow we shall be laughing over the whole affair,"
+but the depressed tone of our voices belied our words, and it proved
+to be but a very feeble attempt at joking. We longed for the moon,
+though that would have helped us little, as it was cloudy.
+
+It is quite unnecessary to go into further details of that awful
+night. I know we all owned up afterward that it was the most trying
+night we had ever spent, and for my part I hope I may never spend
+another like it. None of us got a wink of sleep. I tried to sleep,
+but I was too excited to do so; besides, all my pockets were crammed
+full of rifle and revolver cartridges, and I had my revolver strapped
+to my side, ready for an attack, or in case we got separated in the
+confusion that was sure to ensue. At about 3 a.m. it began to rain,
+the first rain we had had in New Guinea for five or six weeks,
+and that saved us, for we learned later on that about that time
+the Doboduras were gathering together for a rush on our camp, when
+the rain set in, and, odd as it may seem, we heard that they had a
+superstition against attacking in the rain. What their reason was,
+I never got to hear fully, but we were unaware of all these things as
+we silently waited and longed for the dawn to break. I never before
+so wished for daylight. It came at length, and what a load it took
+off our minds! We could now see to shoot at all events. We saw the
+Dobodura scouts in the distance on the edge of the forest, but we had
+made up our minds to "heau" (Papuan for "run away") as things were
+too hot for us. There was a scene of great excitement as we left, and
+from the noise our people made they were evidently glad to get away.
+
+The Notus led the way, and they started to hop about, brandishing
+their spears. They did excellent scouting work in the long grass,
+rushing ahead with their spears poised. This time the rear guard
+was formed by some of the police. All the villages we passed through
+were again deserted, but we heard the enemy crying out to one another
+in the forest and jungle, telling each other of our whereabouts. We
+expected an attack, and I often nearly mistook the screeches and cries
+of cockatoos and parrots and the loud, curious call of the birds
+of paradise for some distant war-cry, which was quite excusable,
+considering the state of our nerves and the sleepless night we
+had spent.
+
+The Notus were great looters, and as we passed through the various
+villages they took everything they could lay their hands on, and our
+entrance into a village was marked by a scene of great confusion. Pigs
+and chickens were speared, betel-nut palms cut down, and hunting
+nets, bowls, spears and food hauled out of the house, but Monckton
+was very strict in stopping them from cutting houses and coconut
+palms down. Ere long we left the last village behind, and halting
+just inside the forest, sent a man up a tree, who reported the last
+village we had passed through to be full of people. The police had
+a few shots, but apparently without success.
+
+When we again reached the coast we knew that we were now safe from
+attack. Monckton was much puzzled that no attack had been made on us
+during the return journey, as he felt sure they were not afraid of us,
+and after we had killed so many of their people he was certain they
+would try for revenge. He also thought they expected us to camp that
+night in their country, and that we were only out hunting for them,
+as we did not hurry away very fast, but stopped a short time in
+each village.
+
+We found the tide high, so we took off our boots and waded most of
+the way, and in time arrived at a creek up which the sea was rushing
+in and out with great violence. We were helped over by police on each
+side of us, who half dragged us across, otherwise we should have been
+washed off our legs, so great was the suction. I was very fond of
+these strong, plucky, good tempered and amusing Papuan police. Often
+when we were encamped for the night, I would hear them chaffing each
+other in pidgin English for the benefit of the "taubadas" (masters);
+they would slyly turn their heads to see if we were amused, and how
+delighted they were if they saw us smile at their quaint English,
+
+In the evening we found ourselves back in the Notu villages, and were
+met by many Notus bearing coconuts, which they opened and handed to
+us. I suppose these were meant as refreshment for the victors, for as
+such they no doubt regarded us, as well as saviours of their tribe. I
+could quite imagine the Notu warriors bragging on their return of
+their own deeds of valour, although all the killing was done by the
+police. Meanwhile, however, as we passed through the squatting crowds,
+we were greeted with loud cries of "orakaiba" (peace).
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+On the War-Trail Once More.
+
+    Further Expedition Planned--Thank-offerings of Notu Chiefs--The
+    Voyage--A Gigantic Flatfish--Negotiating a Difficult Bar--Moat
+    Unhealthy Spot in New Guinea--Hostility of Natives--Precautions
+    at Night--Catching Ground Sharks and a "Groper"--Shark-flesh a
+    Delicacy to the Natives--Wakened by a War Cry--A False Alarm--A
+    Hairbreadth Escape--Between "Devil and Deep Sea"--Dangers of
+    the Goldfield--Two Miners Eaten Alive--Unexpected Visit from
+    a White Man--"Where's that Razor?"--Crime of Cutting Down a
+    Coconut Tree--Walsh's Camp--Torres Straits Pigeons--My Boy an
+    ex-Cannibal--A Probable Trap--Relapse into Cannibalism of our
+    Own Allies--Narrow Escape from a New Guinea Mantrap--Attack on
+    a Village--Second Visit to Dobodura--Toku's Exploit--Interview
+    with our Prisoners--Reasons for Cannibalism--The Night Attack
+    on our Camp and Enemies' Fear of our Rifles described by our
+    Prisoners--Bravery of one of our Carriers--Treatment of a Prisoner.
+
+
+"Yes," said Monckton on our return to the coast, "we have got to
+punish those Doboduras at all costs. They are the worst brutes I've
+come across in New Guinea." And Monckton knew what he was talking
+about, as he had been a resident magistrate in British New Guinea for
+many years and had travelled all over the country, and had a wider
+experience of the cannibals than any man living.
+
+This tribe (as has already been mentioned), when they capture a
+prisoner, tie him to a post, keep him alive for days, and meanwhile
+feed on him slowly by cutting out pieces of flesh, and prevent his
+bleeding to death with a special preparation of their own concoction,
+and finally, when he is nearly dead, they make a hole in the side of
+the head and feed on the hot fresh brains.
+
+Both Acland and I myself fully agreed with Monckton, as we were not
+by any means grateful to the Doboduras for giving us the worst fright
+of our lives. We had, it is true, killed a good many of them, but we
+recognised the fact that our force was insufficient to hold its own,
+much less to punish these brutal tribesmen. So we determined to journey
+up north and get help from the magistrate of the Northern Division
+on the Mambare River, before returning to the Dobodura country.
+
+That evening four Notu chiefs came into camp to thank us for killing
+their enemies, and they brought with them presents of dogs' teeth and
+shell necklaces, and seemed greatly excited, all talking at once,
+each trying to out-talk his fellows, and wagged their heads at us
+in turn. We left very early the next morning in our whaleboat for
+the Kumusi River, but left all our carriers and stores with most of
+the police behind in one of the Notu villages to await our return,
+as we now felt sure that we could trust the Notu tribe.
+
+It was a hot and uneventful voyage. A fish which looked like an
+enormous sole, but which was larger than the whaleboat, jumped high in
+the air not many yards away. Toward evening we arrived opposite the
+bar of the Kumusi River, and we had a very uncomfortable few minutes
+getting through the breakers into the river, for if we had been
+upset we should soon have become food for the sharks and crocodiles,
+which literally swarmed here. We got through the worst part safely,
+but then stuck fast on a small sand-bank, and one or two good-sized
+breakers half-filled the boat; but we all jumped out and hauled her
+off the sand into the deep, calm waters beyond.
+
+After rowing up the river a short distance, we landed at a spot
+where there was a trader's store, looked after by an Australian
+named Owen. From here miners go up the river to the gold fields in
+the Yodda Valley, and cutters are constantly putting in at this store
+with miners and provisions.
+
+This district has the reputation of being one of the most unhealthy
+spots in New Guinea, and the natives round here are none too friendly,
+and hate the government and their police, so that during the last
+three years, three or four resident magistrates in the locality have
+either been murdered or have died of fever.
+
+We arranged to have our meals with Owen at the store, and we slept in a
+rough palm-thatched shed with a raised flooring of split palm-trunks,
+which was very hard and rough to sleep on, and gave me a sleepless
+night. We got two of our police to sleep in front of the doorway,
+as it was more than likely that the natives might attempt to murder
+us. These precautions may have been justified as, in the middle of the
+night both Acland and I myself saw two natives peering into the hut.
+
+The next day we sent off a messenger to the northern station for more
+police, and it was fully a week before they arrived. Meanwhile we spent
+our time dynamiting and catching fish. We caught some large ground
+sharks fully four hundred pounds in weight, and also a "gorupa"
+("groper"), a very large fish of about three hundred and fifty
+pounds. This fish is the terror of divers in these parts they fear
+it more than any shark. Both shark and fish proved most acceptable
+to our police; they are especially fond of shark.
+
+One morning about five o'clock I was aroused by hearing a shrill
+war-cry close by. The police rushed up with their rifles and told us
+we were attacked. It can be imagined it did not take us long to buckle
+on our revolvers and seize our rifles and run, half-asleep as we were,
+in the direction of the noise, which was repeated from time to time
+in a very ferocious manner. On turning a sharp corner by the river,
+instead of warlike warriors, we beheld about a dozen natives hauling
+in the sharkline we had left baited in the water the previous evening,
+with a very large shark at the end of it. Being greatly excited they
+had from time to time yelled out their war-cry. We felt very foolish
+at being roused from our slumbers for nothing, but still there was
+some slight consolation in knowing that even the police were deceived.
+
+Owen, the Australian, not long before had had rather an amusing,
+and at the same time exciting, adventure with a large crocodile in
+a swamp close to the store. He noticed it fast asleep in the swamp,
+and so waded out to it through the mud, making no noise whatever. When
+within a few yards of the saurian, he threw a double charge of dynamite
+close up to it, and then turned to fly. He found he could not move,
+but was stuck firmly in the mud. His struggles and yells for help had
+meanwhile awoke the crocodile, which came for him with open jaws. It
+looked as if it was a case of either being blown to pieces by the
+dynamite or furnishing a meal for the crocodile.
+
+Luckily the fuse was a long one, and the crocodile floundered about
+a good deal in the mud ere it could reach him. Some friendly natives
+rushed in and dragged him out just as the crocodile reached him. The
+crocodile fled in one direction and the dynamite went off in another,
+but Owen and the natives only just avoided the explosion.
+
+Owen told me that there were about fifty miners in the goldfields
+of the Yodda Valley, but that most of them were beginning to leave,
+although there is plenty of gold to be got. The climate is a bad one,
+and provisions, etc., are very dear, and so gold has to be got in
+very large quantities to pay. As the miners decrease, there is bound
+to be trouble with the natives, who are very treacherous. The miners,
+who are nearly all Australians or New Zealanders, have generally to
+work in strong bands with their rifles close at hand.
+
+Only a short time ago the two miners, Campion and King (whom I
+have elsewhere mentioned), while working in the bed of a creek,
+had just traded with some apparently friendly natives for a pig and
+some yams, and sat down for a smoke and a rest, thinking that the
+natives had left, but these cunning cannibals were awaiting just
+such an opportunity, and were lying hid amidst the thick foliage
+clothing the steep banks of the creek. Suddenly, making a rush, they
+got between the miners and their rifles, and speared both in the
+legs, taking care not to kill them, as the cannibals in this part
+of New Guinea consider that meat tastes better, be it pig or man,
+when cooked alive. They then tied them with ropes of rattan to long
+poles and carried them off to their village, where they were both
+roasted alive over a slow fire. These facts were gathered from some
+prisoners afterwards captured by a government force. A strong band
+of miners also attacked their villages, and gave no quarter.
+
+On the fifth day of our stay here one of our police came rushing up
+to us excitedly with the information that a whaleboat was in sight,
+and we knew that a white man would be in it. There was at once a
+cry from Monckton, "After you with the razor, Acland." Now it had
+been understood that none of us were to shave during the expedition,
+and consequently we had grown large crops of beards and whiskers,
+and looked a veritable trio of cut-throats. However, it appeared
+that Acland had smuggled away a razor-possibly for all we knew to
+enable him to captivate some fair Amazon, who might otherwise have
+thought he was only good for her cooking pot. Half-an-hour later three
+clean-shaven individuals met a tall unshaven man as he stepped out
+of his boat on to the beach, and his first remark was, "Oh, I say,
+(reproachfully) you fellows, where's that razor!" It was Walsh,
+Assistant Resident Magistrate for the Northern Division, and none of
+us had met him before.
+
+He and another Englishman, a celebrated trader named Clark (he was
+an old resident, well-known in New Guinea), with a force of police,
+were returning from an expedition down the coast, and were at present
+encamped about sixteen miles south of here, near some small islands
+known as Mangrove Islands.
+
+Leaving Clark in charge, Walsh had come over with a small cutter, which
+we promptly hired to carry the extra stores of rice and provisions
+which we had purchased from Owen. It is astonishing the amount of
+rice it takes to feed one hundred carriers and twenty-five native
+police during a six weeks' exploring expedition.
+
+Two days later ten police arrived, sent down at Monckton's request
+from the Mambare or Northern Station. These, with Walsh's nine,
+made an addition of nineteen police to our force. A celebrated old
+Mambare chief named Busimaiwa arrived at the same time, together
+with many of his tribe, which was friendly to the government. I say
+celebrated because he was the leader in the murder of the resident
+magistrate of the Northern Division, the late Mr. ----, together with
+all his police. But he has since been pardoned by the government. The
+magistrate and his police were killed through treachery, being unarmed
+at the time. They were all eaten, but ----'s skull was afterwards
+recovered. Old Busimaiwa, had a son in our police force.
+
+We were off early the next morning, we four white men and most of the
+police going in the two whaleboats, while the rest walked along the
+shore. These latter had to pass through many small villages on the
+way, but the inhabitants did not wait to find out whether they were
+friends or foes, and the police found the villages empty.
+
+From the whaleboat I suddenly noticed a tall coconut palm come falling
+to the ground, and I immediately called Monckton's attention to the
+fact. He was very much annoyed, as he knew that it was cut down by some
+of our party, contrary to regulations. According to government laws,
+to cut down a coconut tree in New Guinea is a crime, and a serious
+one at that. Even when attacking a hostile village it is strictly
+forbidden, though one may loot houses, kill pigs, out down betel-nut
+palms, and even kill the inhabitants. But the coconut-palm is sacred
+in their eyes.
+
+However, the government has an eye to the future of the country,
+as, besides being the main article of food in a country whose food
+supply is limited, the coconut tree means wealth to the country,
+when it gets more settled and the natives are able to do a large
+business in copra with the white traders.
+
+That evening, when in camp, we discovered the culprit to be no less a
+personage than the sergeant of Walsh's police, who was in command of
+the shore party, his sole excuse for breaking the law being that he
+thought it too much trouble to climb the tree after the coconuts. When
+the whole of the police force had been drawn up in line Monckton,
+as leader of the expedition, cut the red stripes from the blue tunic
+of the sergeant, and he was reduced to the ranks.
+
+After a rough voyage, there being a good swell on, we arrived at
+Walsh's camp on the mainland, opposite the Mangrove Islands, and
+here we found Clark, whom I had met before in Samarai. The camp
+was situated in the midst of a small native village, and later on
+the inhabitants and others turned up armed with their stone clubs,
+spears and shields, and offered to help us. They also wanted us to
+go and fight their enemies a short way inland from here. Monckton's
+reply was not over polite. He ended by ordering them at once to clear
+out of their village, as he had no use for them.
+
+Toward evening we all went pigeon shooting, as thousands of Torres
+Straits pigeons flock round here at twilight and settle chiefly on
+the small islands close to the mainland. We had excellent sport. The
+birds flew overhead, and we shot a great number between us.
+
+Three of us white men were down with fever that evening. As the
+cutter had not arrived with the rice, etc., from the Kumusi River,
+we had to remain here the whole of the next day.
+
+Toward evening we again went pigeon shooting, each of us taking
+possession of a small island, but the birds were not nearly as
+plentiful as yesterday, and small bags were the result. On these
+islands were plenty of houses, which we heard were deserted a few weeks
+ago, owing to the frequent attacks of hungry cannibals on the mainland.
+
+On my island I discovered several very fresh-looking human skulls
+and bones. My boy, Arigita, regaled me with yarns while we waited for
+the pigeons. He told me he had often eaten human meat, and expressed
+the same opinion on the matter as the ex-cannibals I had met in the
+interior of Fiji had done. I had good reason for suspecting the young
+rascal of having partaken of human meat since he had been my servant.
+
+I noticed plenty of double red hibiscus bushes on these islands,
+and I came across a new and curious _drac�na_ with extremely short
+and broad red and green leaves, that was certainly worth introducing
+into cultivation.
+
+We continued our journey in the whaleboats the next morning, and after
+going some distance we heard a shout, and saw a man on the beach
+frantically waving to us, but as he would not venture near enough,
+we had to go on without finding out what was the matter. Shortly
+afterward we heard three loud blasts on a conch shell, which is
+always used to call natives together, but the bush being thick, we
+could see nothing. I myself believe it was a trap, the man evidently
+trying to get us ashore, so that his tribe might attack us. However,
+our shore party, who came along later, saw no sign of any natives.
+
+Towards evening we landed at the spot where we had started inland
+last time against the Doboduras. Here we determined to camp. We
+immediately sent down to Notu for our carriers and the rest of the
+police, who arrived after dark, all seeming delighted and relieved
+to be with us once more. We learned that after we had left the Notu
+people killed and ate two runaway carriers from the Kumusi, and after
+indulging in a great feast, fled and deserted their villages, so our
+late cannibalistic allies evidently feared retribution at our hands.
+
+These carriers, belonging to the miners in the Kumusi and Mambare
+districts, are constantly running away, and they then try to work their
+way down the coast to Samarai, from whence they are shipped. But they
+never get there, being always killed and eaten on the way. One of our
+own carriers had died at Notu, but the police had seen to it that he
+was properly buried. However, it is more than likely that he was dug
+up after they had left, and eaten.
+
+The cutter arrived early the next morning.. The rice was soon landed,
+and we started off along the same track as before. We now had over
+forty police, and although we did not this time have the assistance
+of the Notus, we had many more carriers.
+
+During this march our police luckily discovered in time some slanting
+spears set as a man trap, which projected from the tall grass over
+the narrow track. Such spears are hard to see, especially for anyone
+travelling at a good speed, and I was told that the points were
+poisoned. Another trap, common in New Guinea, is to place a fallen
+tree across the track and dig a deep pit on the other side from which
+the enemy is expected to come. This pit is filled with sharp upright
+spears, and then lightly covered over so that a man stepping over the
+tree, which hides the ground on the other side, will fall into the pit.
+
+After marching for some distance, we came to the end of a bit
+of forest, from whence we could see the first hostile village. We
+frightened away several armed scouts. The village appeared to be full
+of armed men in full war-paint and plumes, so we divided our force
+into two parties, each cutting round through the forest on both sides
+of the village, in an endeavour to surprise the enemy. We were only
+partially successful, as the Doboduras discovered our plans just
+in time. Though we rushed the village, and a few shots were fired,
+we only succeeded in capturing two old men and a small boy, who were
+not able to get away in time. The houses were full of household goods,
+in spite of our previous raid, when this and other villages were well
+looted by our people, so we were evidently not expected to return.
+
+We did not stay long here, but soon resumed our march. It was a very
+hot day, and after walking through the open bits of grass country,
+it was always pleasant to get into the cool and shady forest, full
+of delicate ferns, rare palms and orchid-laden trees. We passed on
+through two other villages, with their gruesome platforms of grinning
+skulls as the only vestige of humanity.
+
+At length we came to the large village, which is named Dobodura,
+after the tribe, and in which we had spent such a horrible night on
+our last visit. The village was full of yelling warriors. Rushing up,
+we shot several who showed fight. Most of them, however, fled before
+us. Toku, Monckton's boy, and brother of my boy Arigita, again made
+use of his master's pea-rifle, but this time he did not meet with
+any success, and very narrowly escaped getting a spear through him.
+
+A short time before, when Monckton was out on an expedition, Toku was
+carrying his master's revolver, but happened to lag behind the rest of
+the party without being noticed, when a man jumped out of the jungle
+and picked young Toku up in his arms, covering up his mouth so that he
+could not cry out, and proceeded to carry him off, no doubt intending
+to have a live roast. But Toku, managing to draw Monckton's revolver,
+shot him dead right through the head, and Monckton, hearing the shot,
+turned back, and soon discovered young Toku calmly sitting on his
+enemy's dead body. But, alas! the hero had to suffer in the hour of
+his triumph, as Monckton ordered him to be flogged for lagging behind
+the rear guard of police.
+
+Besides killing several of the Doboduras, we also took several
+prisoners, both men and women. We rested here, but several of the
+police, whose fighting blood was now fully roused, went out with some
+of our armed natives, skirmishing in one or two parties till late,
+and we could hear shots in all directions. As we found out later,
+they had slain several more of the enemy, with no loss to themselves.
+
+We chose a splendid camp, with the river (which we were informed was
+the Tamboga River) on one side.
+
+The forest trees were felled on the other side, forming a strong
+barrier, very different from our last camp here in the centre of the
+village, and without any defences at all. We had a most refreshing
+bathe in the river, but kept our rifles close at hand, as the enemy
+could have easily speared us from the reeds on the opposite bank.
+
+After supper we interviewed the prisoners, and we now learned the
+real sequel to our last visit and what a narrow escape we had that
+night from being all massacred. It appeared that our fighting during
+the daytime astonished them much, as they could not understand how we
+could kill at such a distance, rifles being quite new to them. Our
+fame soon reached a large village much further on, and they said
+to the Dobodura people: "Ye are all cowards; we will show you that
+we can destroy these strange people." They started off that night
+and surrounding our camp on all sides, crept up for a rush; but,
+luckily for us, our sentries saw some of them and fired. The first
+shot killed one of them, and others were hit. Then came the blaze of
+many rifles. This terrified them and they fled. The horrible noise of
+the rifles and the flashes of fire in the darkness astonished them, but
+what made them depart for good was seeing one of their men fall at the
+first shot. It was a very lucky shot, and it probably saved our lives
+that night. When asked why they raided the Notus, the prisoners said
+that they were friends until two years ago, when they quarrelled, and
+had been constantly fighting since. In particular they now blamed the
+Notus for the late drought, which they said was due to their sorcery,
+the result being that they were forced to live on sago alone, and to
+vary this diet were compelled to get human meat.
+
+I was the only one out of five white men not down with fever, but I
+was glad that we passed a quiet night, with no attack on the camp. In
+the morning one of our carriers, who ventured less than fifty yards
+beyond the barrier, received a spear through his left arm and another
+through his side, and though I am almost afraid to relate it for
+fear of being thought guilty of exaggeration, the man plucked the
+spear out of his side in a moment, and, hurling it back, killed his
+opponent. I ventured outside and proved the truth of the man's story,
+by finding the Dobodura man transfixed with his own spear. Both our
+man's wounds were bad ones, but he did not seem to mind them at all,
+and was for some time surrounded by a crowd of admiring natives.
+
+We started off early in search of a large village of which a prisoner
+told us, but had not gone far when a man jumped out of the long grass
+and threw a spear at one of our carriers, only a few paces in front
+of me. Fortunately he missed him, but only by a few inches. As he
+was preparing to throw another spear, one of our men, whom he had not
+noticed, owing to an abrupt bend in the narrow track, which brought
+him close to the spearman, sprang forward and buried his stone club
+in the man's head, who sank down without a groan.
+
+It was cloudy, but very close, and we passed through open grass
+country, bounded on each side by tall forest, in which bird-life
+seemed plentiful, cockatoos and parrots making a great noise. Birds
+of paradise were also calling out with their very noticeable and
+peculiar falsetto cry.
+
+After going some distance we catechized the prisoners, and while
+an old man declared that there was a large village ahead, the two
+women prisoners said that the track was only a hunting one and led
+to the mountains.
+
+The old man evidently wanted to get us away from his village, to
+enable his tribe to return, but the women, not being so loyal, told
+us the truth, no doubt because they found the forced marching on a
+hot day a little too much for them. We sat down for a consultation,
+but hearing a loud outcry in the rear, I suddenly came across about a
+dozen of the now indignant police pelting the old man with darts made
+out of a peculiar kind of grass, which grew around here. The old man,
+who was handcuffed, hopped high in the air, uttering loud yells every
+time a dart hit him, so I imagined they hurt, and though I, too, felt
+much annoyed, I had to put a stop to this cruel sport, when one of
+the aggrieved policemen cried out to me: "Taubada (master), why you
+stop him get hurt? This fellow he ki-ki (eat) you if he get chance."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+The Return From Dobodura.
+
+    Horrible Fate of one of our Enemies--Collecting in
+    Cannibal--Haunted Forest--I Shoot a new Kingfisher, and a Bird
+    of Paradise--Natives' Interest in Bird-Stuffing--Return Journey
+    begun--Tree-house in a Notu Village--Peacemaking Ceremonies--Notu
+    Village described--Our Allies sentenced for Cannibalism--Parting
+    with Walsh and Clark.
+
+
+We decided to return, and sent off a strong body of police in advance
+to surprise some of the surrounding villages. On the way back we found
+the man who was brained by one of our carriers still breathing. He
+was a ghastly sight, with his brains projecting out, and he was being
+eaten alive by swarms of red ants, which almost hid his body and found
+their way into his eyes, ears and nose. By the convulsions that from
+time to time shook the man's body, he was evidently still conscious,
+but could not possibly have lived for more than a few hours at most,
+after our thus finding him. New Guinea, like most tropical countries,
+had its full share of these pests (ants), some species of which
+actually make webs, and, by way of supplementing the web itself,
+work leaves in.
+
+Acland, who had been suffering all day long from bad fever, now
+collapsed and could walk no further, but had to be carried in a
+hammock. When we got back to our old camping ground, I took an armed
+guard of police and went in search of birds for my collection, in the
+adjoining forest, and shot a new kingfisher (_Tanysiptera_) and a bird
+of paradise (_Paradisea intermedia_). It was rather exciting work,
+as one went warily through the thick growth, from whence might issue
+a spear any minute, and I held on to my rifle all the time, except,
+of course, when I saw a bird, and then I made a quick change to my
+shotgun, lest I should prove a case of the hunter hunted.
+
+On my return I had a large crowd of carriers around me watching me
+skin my birds, while Arigita explained everything to them in lordly
+fashion, only too pleased to get the chance of being listened to,
+while he expounded to them his superior knowledge. What he told them
+I, of course, could not tell, but he informed me that when I put the
+final stitch in the nostrils of the birds, my audience declared that
+I did this to prevent the birds from breathing and so one day coming
+to life again. When the wise Arigita asked them how this could be,
+since they had seen me take out the body and brains, they scoffed at
+him and said that spirits would come inside the skins so that they
+could sing again.
+
+Monckton, meanwhile, had made a raid on the native gardens and brought
+in quite a lot of taro. The police had killed several more Doboduras,
+and in one place they had quite a fight. Our old man prisoner escaped
+in the night, although he was handcuffed.
+
+We returned to the coast the next day, as there seemed no chance of our
+coming to terms with these Doboduras. Our only chance would have been
+to defeat them in a big engagement. They seemed too frightened of us
+to stand up for a big fight, but hid themselves in the bush, and were
+thus hard to get at. We left ten police behind to trap the natives,
+and, thinking we had left, a few of them returned to the village,
+and the police shot four more of them and soon caught up with us,
+bringing in the shields, stone clubs and spears of the slain.
+
+During both these expeditions we had killed a good many of these
+people, and it ought to be a lesson to them to leave the Notus alone
+in future, although there is little doubt that the Notus themselves
+make cannibalistic raids on some of their weaker neighbours. I did
+not like the looks of the Notus, and they, as well as the Doboduras,
+have a most repellent type of features, and look capable of any
+kind of cruelty and treachery. They are very different from the
+gentle-looking Kaili-kailis.
+
+The sea was very rough, and it was exciting work launching the
+canoes. One was thrown clean out of the water by a breaker. The
+majority of the carriers and half the police went round by the beach,
+but we in the two whaleboats had some exciting moments in the rough
+sea, though with the sails up we made good progress. We passed two
+of the canoes partially wrecked, and apparently in great difficulties.
+
+We eventually landed long after dark in Eoro Bay, some distance the
+other side of the large Notu village, near which we had previously
+camped. We landed opposite a good-sized village belonging to the
+Notu tribe, from which all the inhabitants fled on our approach. We
+wandered about the village with flaming torches, looking out for huts
+to pass the night in, as it was too late to pitch camp. But unhappily
+the huts were full of lice, and it was impossible to get any sleep.
+
+I saw here for the first time one of the curious native tree houses. It
+was high up in a tall pandanus tree, and had a very odd appearance. We
+spent the whole of the next day in this village, while our carriers
+brought in and mended their canoes. They, too, had a very rough time
+of it, but no lives were lost.
+
+During the day I witnessed a very interesting ceremony, which I
+take the liberty of describing in Monckton's own words, given in his
+report to the Government. He says: "October 7th. Found that some of
+the mountain people had been out to Notu and wished to make peace
+with them. The Notu people had also ascertained that the Dobodura
+had retreated into the large sago swamp, and were quite certain that
+they had no danger to fear from them for some time to come. They
+also said that after the police had departed they would very likely
+be able to re-establish their ancient friendly relations with the
+Dobodura. A peace-offering was brought from the mountain people,
+which the Notu people asked me to receive for them. The ceremony was
+strange to me, and had several peculiar features. Two minor chiefs
+came to where I was sitting and sat down. About twenty men then
+approached and drove their spears into the ground in a circle with
+the butts all leaning inwards. Many of the spears had a small piece
+broken off at the butt end. From these spears were then hung clubs,
+spears and shields, and native masks and fighting ornaments. An old
+chief then said they had given me their arms. Next they placed cloth,
+fishing nets and spears and other native ornaments inside the circle,
+and the same old chief said they had given me their property. After
+this ten pigs, five male and five female, were brought and placed
+inside the ring with a quantity of sago and a little other food. Then
+followed cooking vessels full of cooked food. The old chief then said,
+'We have given you all we have as a sign we are now the people of the
+Government.' I gave them a good return present, and told them that
+they were at liberty to take any articles they wanted or their pigs
+back again, but this they absolutely refused to do, saying that it
+would destroy the effect of what they had done. The female prisoners
+were now sent back to Dobodura with a message to the Dobodura, that
+I should return in a few months and make peace with them, should they
+in the meantime refrain from murdering the coastal people, but should
+they persist in their raiding I should return and handle them still
+more severely." In return we gave them presents of axes, knives,
+beads, tobacco, etc., which were laid down on the top of each pig.
+
+Monckton very kindly presented Acland and myself with all the clubs,
+native masks, "tapa" cloth and ornaments, and the pigs and other food
+came in very useful for our police and carriers, as our rice supply
+was getting low.
+
+This was a very picturesque village, shaded by thousands of coconut
+and betel nut palms and large spreading trees, among which was a very
+fine tree, with very beautiful green and yellow variegated leaves
+(_Erythrina_ sp.). There was also a great variety of _drac�nas,_
+striped and spotted with green, crimson, white, pink and yellow.
+
+In most of these villages there were many curious kinds of
+trophies--crossed sticks, standing in the middle of the village,
+with a centre pole carved and painted in various patterns, and with
+a fringe of fibre placed near the top. Hanging on these sticks were
+the skulls and jawbones of men, pigs and crocodiles. I went out in
+the afternoon with gun and rifle, and saw several wallabies, but
+could not get a shot at them on account of the tall grass.
+
+In the evening the chiefs of the large Notu village who had in our
+absence killed and eaten the two runaway carriers, visited us in
+fear and trembling. Monckton told them they must give up to us the
+actual murderers and send them up to the residency at Cape Nelson
+(or Tufi) within the next three weeks. He did not ask for those
+that ate them. Possibly one hundred or more partook of the feast,
+and for this they could hardly be blamed, as, being cannibals, it
+is quite natural that they should eat fresh meat when they got the
+chance. Indeed, our own carriers could not understand why we would
+not allow them to eat the bodies of those we had slain.
+
+The next morning we five white men parted company, Walsh and Clark,
+with the Mambare and their own police, returning to the north,
+while Monckton, Acland and I went southward again to continue our
+explorations in another direction.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART V
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+    Rumours at Cape Nelson of a "Duckfooted" People in the
+    Interior--Conflicting Opinions--Views of a Confirmed Sceptic--Start
+    of the Expedition--Magnificence of the Vegetation--Friendliness
+    of the Barugas--The "Orakaibas" (Criers of "Peace")--Tree-huts
+    eighty feet from the ground-Loveliness of this part of the
+    Jungle--Description of its Plants--A Dry Season--First Glimpse
+    of Agai Ambu Huts--Remarkable Scene on the Lake--Flight of the
+    Agai Ambu in Canoes--Success at Last--A Voluntary Surrender--The
+    Agai Ambu Flat-footed, not Web-footed--Sir Francis Winter's
+    subsequent Visit and fuller Description of these People--Their
+    Physical Appearance, Houses, Canoes, Food, Speech and Customs--My
+    Account Resumed--Making Friends with the Agai Ambu--A Country
+    of Swamps--Second Agai Ambu Village--Extraordinary Abundance
+    and Variety of Water-fowl--Strange Behaviour of an Agai Ambu
+    Women--Disposal of the Dead in Mid-lake Food of the Agai
+    Ambu--Their Method of Catching Ducks by Diving for them--An
+    Odd Experience--Mosquitos and Fever--Last View of Agai Ambu--An
+    Amusing _Finale._
+
+
+Many were the wild and fantastic rumours we had heard at the Residency
+at Cape Nelson, on the north-east coast of British New Guinea,
+concerning a curious tribe of natives whose feet were reported to be
+webbed like those of a duck, and who lived in a swamp a short way in
+the interior, some distance to the north of us. I myself had at first
+been inclined to sneer at these reports, but Monckton, the Resident
+Magistrate, with his superior knowledge of the Papuans, as the natives
+of New Guinea are called, was sure that there was some truth in the
+reports, as the Papuan who has not come much in contact with the
+white man is singularly truthful though guilty of exaggeration.
+
+I knew this, but I had in mind the case of the Doriri tribe, who
+lived in the interior a little to the south of us. These Doriri
+(who had had the kindly forethought to send us word that they were
+coming down to pay us a visit to eat us, for the Papuan, though a
+savage, is often most suave and courteous and by no means lacking
+in humour), were reported to us as having many tails, but needless
+to say when we made some prisoners, we were scarcely disappointed
+to find that the said tails protruded from the back of the head (in
+much the same fashion as the Chinaman's pigtail); in this case each
+man had many tails, which were fashioned by rolling layers of bark
+from a certain tree--closely allied, I believe to the "paper tree"
+of Australia--round long strands of hair.
+
+We three white men had many a long talk as to whether these
+swamp-dwellers were worth going in search of, but I soon came round to
+Monckton's way of thinking. Acland, alone, however, maintained to the
+last that the whole thing was a myth, and jokingly said to Monckton:
+"When you find these duck-footed people, you had better see that Walker
+does not take them for birds, and shoot and skin a couple of specimens
+of each sex and add them to his collection." (For my chief hobby in
+this and many other countries all over the world consisted in adding
+to my fine collections of birds and butterflies in the old country.)
+
+As we three, with our twenty-five native police and four servant
+boys, rowed up the Barigi River in our large government whaleboat,
+on our way to search for these "duck-footed" people, I could not help
+being struck with the very great beauty of the scene. Giant trees
+laden with their burden of orchids, parasites and dangling lianas,
+surrounded us on both sides, their wide-spreading branches forming
+a leafy arcade far over our heads, while palms in infinite variety,
+intermixed with all sorts of tropical forms of vegetation, and rare
+ferns, grew thickly on the banks.
+
+Some distance behind us came our large fleet of canoes, bearing our
+bags of rice and over one hundred carriers, and as they paddled down
+the dark green oily waters of this natural arcade, with much shouting
+and the splashing of many paddles, it made a scene which is with me
+yet and is never to be forgotten. As we proceeded, the river got more
+narrow, and fallen trees from time to time obstructed our way. We at
+length landed at a spot where we were met by a large number of the
+Baruga tribe, who brought us several live pigs tied to poles, and
+great quantities of sago, plantains and yams. They had expected us,
+as we had camped in their country the previous night. They had been
+"licked" into friendliness by Monckton, who less than a year ago (as
+elsewhere mentioned) had sunk their canoes, and together with the aid
+of the crocodiles, which swarm in this river, had annihilated a large
+force of them. And now to show their friendliness they were prepared
+to do us a good turn, by helping us to find these duck-footed people,
+with whom (they told us) they were well acquainted.
+
+Oyogoba, the chief of the Baruga tribe, came to meet us. He assured us
+of the friendliness of his people, and himself offered to accompany
+us. His arm had been broken in the encounter with Monckton and his
+police, and Monckton had immediately afterwards set it himself. It
+now seemed quite sound.
+
+We soon resumed our journey, on foot, passing through very varied
+country, plains covered with tall grass and bounded by forest,
+through which at times we passed. At other times we had to force our
+way through thick swamps in which the sago-palm abounded, from the
+trunks of which the natives extract sago in great quantities.
+
+About mid-day we arrived at a fair-sized village belonging to the
+Baruga tribe. It was surrounded by a tall stockade of poles, and as
+we entered it, the women sitting in their huts greeted us with their
+incessant cries of "orakaiba, orakaiba" (peace). On this account the
+natives of this part of New Guinea are generally termed "Orakaibas"
+by other tribes.
+
+The houses here seemed larger and better built than most Papuan houses
+that I had hitherto seen, and there were many curious tree-houses
+high up among the branches of some very large, trees in the village,
+some being fully eighty feet from the ground. They had broad ladders
+reaching up to them, and looked very curious and picturesque. These
+ladders are made of long rattans from various climbing palms. These
+rattans, of which there were three double strings, are twisted in
+such a way as to support the pieces of wood which form the steps. In
+one case a ladder led from the ground in the usual way to a house
+built in a small tree about thirty feet from the ground, but a second
+ladder connected this house with another one in a much larger tree
+about eighty feet off the ground. I climbed the first ladder, but
+the second one swayed too much.
+
+These tree-houses axe built partly as look-out houses, from which the
+approach of the enemy is discovered, and partly as vantage points
+from which the natives hurl down spears at their opponents below
+when attacked.
+
+Resuming our journey, after a brief halt in this village, we soon
+came to the Barigi River again, which we crossed, camping in a small
+deserted village close by. Here I noticed several more tree-houses in
+the larger trees. This had been a very hot day, even for New Guinea,
+and I could not resist taking a most refreshing bathe in the river,
+though I must confess I was glad to get out again, having rather a
+dread of the crocodiles, which infest parts of this river, though
+they were not nearly so numerous up here as in the lower reaches of
+the river which we had traversed in the morning.
+
+We were up the following morning before sunrise, and were all
+much excited at the prospect before us of discovering this curious
+tribe. This day would show whether or no our journey was to prove
+fruitless. Soon after leaving the village we entered a dense forest,
+the growth of which was wonderfully beautiful. Tall _pandanus_
+trees, some of them supported by a hundred and more long stilted
+roots, which rose many feet above our heads, reared their crowns of
+ribbon-like leaves above even some of the giants of the forest. Palms
+of all shapes and sizes, dwarfed, tall, slender and thick, surrounded
+us on every side, and at least three different species of climbing
+palms scrambled over the tallest trees. The tree trunks were hidden
+by climbing ferns and by a white variegated fleshy-leafed _pothos._
+Orchids, though not numerous, were by no means scarce on the branches
+of some of the larger trees, and were intermixed with many curious and
+beautiful ferns. There were many large-leafed tropical plants somewhat
+resembling the _heliconias_ and _marantas_ of tropical America.
+
+Flowers were not very plentiful, but here and there the forest
+would be literally ablaze with what is said to be the most showy
+flowering creeper in the world, huge bunches of large flowers of
+so vivid a scarlet that Monckton and I agreed no painting could
+do them justice. It is sometimes known as the _Dalbertia,_ but its
+botanical name is _Mucuna bennetti._ It has been found impossible
+to introduce it into cultivation. Among other flowers were some very
+large sweet-scented _Crinum_ lilies and some very pretty pink flowering
+_begonias,_ with their leaves beautifully mottled with silver. Here and
+there we would notice a variegated _croton_ or pink-leafed _drac�na,_
+but these were uncommon.
+
+As we proceeded, I noticed that in spite of the very dry weather
+we had been having, the ground each moment became more moist, which
+indicated that we were approaching the swamps we had heard about. It
+was a rough track over fallen trees and dry streams, but before long
+we passed along the banks of a creek full of stagnant water.
+
+We at length left the forest and found ourselves in open country,
+covered with reeds and rank grass, through which we slowly wended
+our way. Suddenly, however, we halted, and looking through the
+tall grass, saw some of the houses of the Agai Ambu tribe close
+at hand. Down we all crouched, hiding ourselves among the grass,
+while two of our Baruga guides, who speak the language of the Agai
+Ambu, went forward to try and parley with them and induce them to be
+friendly with us. We soon heard them yelling out to the Agai Ambu,
+who yelled back in reply. This went on for some minutes, when the
+Baruga men called out to us to come on.
+
+Jumping up, we rushed forward through the grass and witnessed a
+remarkable scene. In front of us was a lake thickly covered with
+water-lilies, most of them long-stemmed and of a very beautiful blue,
+with a yellow centre, and with large leaves, the edges of which were
+covered with a kind of thorn; there were also some white ones with
+yellow centre.
+
+On the other side of the lake were several curious houses built on
+long poles in the water, the houses themselves being a good height
+above the water. The lake presented a scene of great confusion. The
+inhabitants were fleeing away from us in their curious canoes, which,
+unlike most Papuan canoes, had no outrigger whatever. Their paddles
+also were peculiar, the blades being very broad. Close to us were
+our two Baruga guides in a canoe with one of the Agai Ambu tribe,
+who directly he saw us plunged into the lake and disappeared under
+the tangled masses of water lilies.
+
+He remained under some time, but on his coming to the surface again,
+one of the Baruga men plunged in after him, and we witnessed an
+exciting wrestling match in the water. The Baruga man was by far
+the more powerful of the two, but he was no match for the almost
+amphibious Agai Ambu, who slipped away from his grasp like an eel,
+and swam away, with the Baruga man in close pursuit. All this time
+a canoe full of the Agai Ambu was rapidly approaching to the rescue,
+waving their paddles over their heads, and the Baruga man, seeing this,
+climbed back into his canoe and paddled back to us.
+
+Meanwhile the police had made a rush for a canoe which was close at
+hand; but it at once upset, having no outrigger and being exceedingly
+light and thin; it was, in fact, a species of canoe quite new to our
+police. In any case they would not have had the slightest chance of
+overtaking the fleet Agai Ambu in their own canoes. It looked very
+much as if after all we were not to have the chance of verifying
+the strange reports about the formation of these people. As a last
+resource we sent over our two Baruga guides in a canoe to speak with
+those of the tribe who had not fled. As the guides approached they
+shouted out that we were friends, and that as we were friends of the
+Baruga tribe, we must be friends of the Agai Ambu tribe as well.
+
+We held up various tempting trade goods, including a calico known as
+Turkey-red, bottles of beads, etc. This and a long conversation with
+the Baruga men seemed to carry some weight with them, for the Baruga
+soon returned with one of their number, who turned round in the canoe
+with his arms outstretched to his friends and cried or rather chanted,
+in a sobbing voice, what sounded like a very weird song, which seemed
+quite in keeping with the mournful surroundings and lonely life of
+these people.
+
+This weird song, heard under such circumstances, quite thrilled me,
+and wild and savage though the singer was, the song appealed to me
+more than any other song has ever done. It looked as if he might
+be a ne'er-do-weel or an idiot whom his friends could afford to
+experiment with before taking the risk of coming over themselves,
+but his song was no doubt a farewell to his friends, whom he possibly
+never expected to see again.
+
+He certainly looked horribly frightened as he stepped out of the
+canoe. We at once saw that there was some truth in the reports about
+the physical formation of these people, although there had been
+exaggeration in the descriptions of their feet as "webbed." There
+was, between the toes, an epidermal growth more distinct than in the
+case of other peoples, though not so conspicuous as to permit of the
+epithet "half-webbed," much less "webbed," being applied to them. The
+most noticeable difference was that their legs below the knee were
+distinctly shorter than those of the ordinary Papuan, and that their
+feet seemed much broader and shorter and very flat, so that altogether
+they presented a most extraordinary appearance. The Agai Ambu hardly
+ever walk on dry land, and their feet bleed if they attempt to do
+so. They appeared to be slightly bowlegged and walk with a mincing
+gait, lifting their feet straight up, as if they were pulling them
+out of the mud.
+
+Sir Francis Winter, the acting Governor of British New Guinea, was so
+interested in our discovery, that he himself made another expedition
+with Monckton to see these people, while I was still in New Guinea. On
+his return I stayed with him for some time at Government House,
+Port Moresby, and he gave me a copy of his report on the Agai Ambu,
+which explains the curious physical formation of these people better
+than I could do.
+
+He says: "On the other side of this mere, and close to a bed of reeds
+and flags, was a little village of the small Ahgai-ambo tribe, and
+about three-quarters of a mile off was a second village. After much
+shouting our Baruga followers induced two men and a woman to come
+across to us from the nearest village. Each came in a small canoe,
+which, standing up, they propelled with a long pole. One man and the
+woman ventured on shore to where we were standing.
+
+"The Ahgai-ambo have for a period that extends beyond native traditions
+lived in this swamp. At one time they were fairly numerous, but a
+few years ago some epidemic reduced them to about forty. They never
+leave their morass, and the Baruga assured us that they are not able
+to walk properly on hard ground, and that their feet soon bleed
+if they try to do so. The man that came on shore was for a native
+middle-aged. He would have been a fair-sized native, had his body
+from the hips downward been proportionate to the upper part of his
+frame. He had a good chest and, for a native, a thick neck; and his
+arms matched his trunk. His buttocks and thighs were disproportionately
+small, and his legs still more so. His feet were short and broad,
+and very thin and flat, with, for a native, weak-looking toes. This
+last feature was still more noticeable in the woman, whose toes were
+long and slight and stood out rigidly from the foot as though they
+possessed no joints. The feet of both the man and the woman seemed to
+rest on the ground something as wooden feet would do. The skin above
+the knees of the man was in loose folds, and the sinews and muscles
+around the knee were not well developed. The muscles of the shin were
+much better developed than those of the calf. In the ordinary native
+the skin on the loins is smooth and tight, and the anatomy of the body
+is clearly discernible; but the Ahgai-ambo man had several folds of
+thick skin or muscle across the loins, which concealed the outline
+of his frame. On placing one of our natives, of the same height,
+alongside the marsh man, we noticed that our native was about three
+inches higher at the hips.
+
+"I had a good view of our visitor, while he was standing sideways
+towards me, and in figure and carriage he looked to me more ape-like
+than any human being that I have seen. The woman, who was of middle
+age, was much more slightly formed than the man, but her legs were
+short and slender in proportion to her figure, which from the waist
+to the knees was clothed in a wrapper of native cloth.
+
+"The houses of the near village were built on piles, at a height of
+about twelve feet from the surface of the water, but one house at the
+far village must have been three or four feet more elevated. Their
+canoes, which are small, long, and narrow, and have no outrigger, axe
+hollowed out to a mere shell to give them buoyancy. Although the open
+water was several feet deep, it was so full of aquatic plants that
+a craft of any width, or drawing more than a few inches, would make
+but slow progress through it. Needless to say that these craft, which
+retain the round form of the log, are exceedingly unstable, but their
+owners stand up in them and, pole them along without any difficulty.
+
+"These people are very expert swimmers, and can glide through beds
+of reeds or rushes, or over masses of floating vegetable matter,
+with ease. They live on wild fowl, fish, sago and marsh plants,
+and on vegetables procured from the Baruga in exchange for fish and
+sago. They keep a few pigs on platforms built underneath or alongside
+their houses. Their dead they place on small platforms among the reeds,
+and cover the corpse over with a roof of rude matting. Their dialect
+is almost the same as that of the Baruga. Probably their ancestors
+at one time lived close to the swamp, and in order to escape from
+their enemies were driven to seek a permanent refuge in it."
+
+Thus it will be seen that Sir Francis was much impressed with these
+people, and he heartily congratulated me upon our discovery.
+
+To resume my personal account. We soon gave the man confidence
+by presenting him with an axe, some calico and beads, and a small
+looking-glass, which was held in front of him. He gazed in stupefied
+wonderment at his own features so plainly depicted before him. He was
+taken back to the other side, and soon returned with two more of his
+tribe, who brought us a live pig, which they hauled out from a raised
+flooring beneath one of their houses.
+
+The country all round us seemed to be one large swamp, and we stood
+upon a springy foundation of reeds and mud; except for these, we
+should undoubtedly have soon sunk out of sight in the mud. As it was,
+we stood in a foot of water most of the time, and in places we had
+to wade through mud over our knees.
+
+The lake swarmed with many kinds of curious water-birds, the most
+common being a red-headed kind of plover; there was also a great
+variety of duck and teal. The swamps were full of large spiders, which
+crawled all over us; we had to keep continually brushing them off.
+
+Farther down the lake we saw another small village, and we were
+told that these two villages comprised the whole of this curious
+tribe. Whether they axe the remnants of a once powerful tribe it
+is impossible to say, but their position is well-nigh impregnable
+in case they are ever attacked, as their houses are surrounded by
+swamps and water on all sides, and no outsider could very well get
+through the swamps to their villages. The only possible way to get
+there would be to cross the water in their shell-like canoes, a feat
+which no man of any other tribe would ever be able to manage.
+
+Monckton thought that these swamps and lake were formed by an overflow
+of the Musa River. This had been a phenomenally dry season for New
+Guinea, so these swamps in an ordinary wet season must be under water
+to the depth of many feet.
+
+We camped close by on the borders of the forest amid a jungle of
+rank luxuriant vegetation, over which hovered large and brilliant
+butterflies, among them a very large metallic green and black species
+(_Ornithoptera priamus_) and a large one of a bright blue (_Papilio
+ulyses_). The same afternoon we three went out shooting on the
+lake. Two of the Agai Ambu canoes were lashed together and a raft of
+split bamboo put across them, and two Agai Ambu men punted and paddled
+us about. Before starting we had first educated them up to the report
+of our guns, and after a few shots they soon got over their fright.
+
+The lake positively swarmed with water-fowl, including several
+varieties of duck, also shag, divers, pigmy geese, small teal, grebe,
+red-headed plover, spur-wing plover, curlew, sandpipers, snipe,
+swamp hen, water-rail, and many other birds. The red-headed plover
+were especially numerous, and ran about on the surface of the lake,
+which was covered with the water-lily leaves and a thick sort of mossy
+weed. All the birds seemed remarkably tame, and we got a good assorted
+bag, chiefly duck--enough to supply most of our large force with.
+
+I stopped most of the time on the raised platform of one of the houses
+and shot the duck, which Acland and Monckton put up, as they flew over
+my head. I had a companion in old Giwi, the chief of the Kaili-kailis,
+many of whom were among our carriers. He seemed to be on very friendly
+terms with one of the Agai Ambu on whose hut I was. Presently a woman
+came over in a canoe from one of the houses in the far village, and
+climbed up on to the platform where we were. Directly she saw old
+Giwi, she caught hold of him and hugged and kissed him all over and
+rubbed her face against his body, covering him with the black pigment
+with which she had smeared her face. She was sobbing all the time
+and chanting a very mournful but not unmusical kind of song. This
+exhibition lasted over half an hour, and poor old Giwi looked quite
+bewildered, and gazed up at me in a most piteous way, as much as to
+say: "Awful nuisance, this woman--but what am I to do?" He understood
+the meaning of this performance as little as I did. Possibly the
+woman was frightened of us, and seeing a stranger of her own colour
+in old Giwi, appealed to him for protection. The Baruga, however,
+had previously told us that the Agai Ambu had recently captured one
+of their women, and I have since thought that this might possibly
+have been the woman, and am sorry I did not make inquiries at the
+time. At all events, old Giwi was too courteous to shake her off,
+though to me it was a most amusing sight, and it was all I could do
+to refrain from laughing aloud.
+
+We saw the dead body of a man half-wrapped in mats tied to poles
+in the middle of the lake. They always dispose of their dead thus,
+and I suppose leave them there till they rot or dry up.
+
+The chief food of these people seemed to be the bulbs of the
+water-lilies, fish and shellfish. They catch plenty of water-fowl by
+diving under them and pulling them under the water by the legs before
+they have time to make any noise. By this method they do not frighten
+the rest away, and this accounts for the birds' extreme tameness.
+
+It seemed odd that we should be paddled about the lake, to shoot wild
+fowl, by these people, who until to-day had never seen a white man
+before and had fled from us in the morning. However, most of them
+had fled and would not return until we had left their country.
+
+There is little doubt that this part of the country is most
+unhealthy. Many of our police and carriers were two days later down
+with fever, and a few weeks later I had a bad attack of fever, with
+which I was laid up in Samarai for some time, and which I feel sure I
+got into my system in this swamp. The mosquitoes were certainly very
+plentiful and vicious.
+
+We spent the following day here, duck-shooting on the lake, and I did
+a little natural-history collecting in the adjacent forest. We had
+intended to try and induce two of the Agai Ambu to accompany us back to
+Cape Nelson, but most unfortunately they understood that we were going
+to take them forcibly away. They became alarmed and all disappeared,
+and we were not able to get into communication with them again.
+
+When Sir Francis Winter visited them about a month later they were
+evidently quite friendly again, but on the second day of his visit
+his native followers demanded a pig of the Agai Ambu in his, Sir
+Francis's, name. At this they became alarmed and retreated to the
+further village, and he was unable to see any more of them. Since
+then I believe nothing more has been seen of these flat-footed people.
+
+We returned to our old camping ground in the Baruga village on the
+banks of the Barigi River, and the friendly Baruga people brought
+us a big supply of pigs, sago and other native food. The next day
+we continued our journey to the coast, and camped at the mouth of
+the Barigi River. We had intended making an expedition into the
+Hydrographer range of mountains, which we could see from here, and
+which were unexplored, but Monckton and Acland were far from well, and
+most of our carriers and police were down with fever, and so, greatly
+to my disappointment, this had to be abandoned. We resumed our homeward
+journey in the whaleboat early the following morning. We started with
+a fair breeze, but this changed after a time to a head wind, against
+which it was quite impossible to make any headway, so we landed at a
+place where there was a small inlet leading into a lagoon. We stayed
+here till six p.m., when the wind dropped sufficiently to enable
+us to start off again, and, passing the mouth of the Musa River,
+we landed about one a.m. in Porlock Bay, where we camped for the night.
+
+We spent the following day shooting, which entailed a lot of wading
+amongst the shallow streams, lagoons and small lakes. I had a bit of a
+fright here, as I suddenly stepped into some quicksands and felt myself
+sinking fast, but, thanks to Arigita and the branch of a tree, I was
+able to pull myself out after a great deal of trouble and anxiety,
+though if I had not had Arigita with me I should most certainly
+have gone under. We got a splendid bag between us of various birds,
+chiefly duck and pigeon. One of the police shot a large cassowary,
+and also a large wild pig and a wallaby, so there was plenty of food
+for all. We sailed again that night at eleven p.m., and got six of
+the Okeina canoes to tow us along. This they did not seem to relish,
+and before they got into line there was a great deal of angry talking
+and shouting, and Monckton had to call them to order by firing a rifle
+in the air. It was amusing to see the way the long line of canoes
+pulled us round and round in the form of the letter "S," and they
+would often bump against each other, and plenty of angry words were
+exchanged. It was an amusing _finale_ to the expedition. They left us
+for their homes when we got near the Okeina country. We landed in the
+early morning on the beach, where we had breakfast, and then rowed on,
+followed by the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu canoes, and eventually landed
+again at the station at Tufi, Cape Nelson, about two p.m.
+
+In conclusion I should mention that Mr. Oelrechs, Monckton's assistant,
+had heard rumours that we had all been massacred, and he told me that
+he had been seriously thinking of gathering together a large army of
+friendly natives to go down and avenge us, though I think he would
+have found it no easy matter, but, as can be seen, we saved him the
+trouble, and so our expedition ended.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART VI
+
+Wanderings and Wonders in Borneo.
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+On the War-Path in Borneo.
+
+    The "Orang-utan" and the "Man of the Jungle"--Voyage to
+    Sarawak--The Borneo Company, Limited--Kuching, a Picturesque
+    Capital--Independence of Sarawak--I meet the Rajah and the Chief
+    Officials--Etiquette of the Sarawak Court--The "Club"--The
+    "Rangers" of Sarawak and their Trophies--Execution by means
+    of the Long Kris--Degeneracy of the Land Dayaks--Ascent of the
+    Rejang River--Mud Banks and Crocodiles--Dr. Hose at his Sarawak
+    Home--The Fort at Sibu--Enormous length of Dayak Canoes--A Brush
+    with Head-Hunters--Dayak Vengeance on Chinamen--First Impressions
+    of the Sea Dayak, "picturesque and interesting"--A Head-Hunting
+    raid, Dayaks attack the Punans--I accompany the Punitive
+    Expedition--Voyage Upstream--A Clever "Bird Scare"--Houses on the
+    top of Tree-stumps--The Kelamantans--Kanawit Village--The Fort at
+    Kapit--Capture of a notorious Head-Hunting Chief--I inspect the
+    "Heads" of the Victims--Cause of Head-Hunting--Savage Revenge of
+    a Dayak Lover and its Sequel--Hose's stem Ultimatum--Accepted by
+    the Head-Hunters--I return to Sibu--A Fatal Misconception.
+
+
+I had spent about seven months in the forests of British North
+Borneo, going many days' journey into the heart of the country, had
+made fine natural-history collections and had come across a great
+deal of game, including elephant, rhinoceros, bear, and "tembadu" or
+wild cattle, huge wild pig and deer of three species being especially
+plentiful. But above all I had come across a great many "orang-utan"
+(Malay for "jungle-man") and had been able to study their habits. One
+of these great apes has the strength of eight men and possesses an
+extraordinary amount of vitality. One that I shot lived for nearly
+three hours with five soft-nosed Mauser bullets in its body.
+
+But I had not yet seen the _real_ jungle-man in his native haunts--the
+head-hunting Dayak, as the Dayaks are rarely to be found in North
+Borneo, whereas the people on the Kinabatangan River (where I spent
+most of my time) were a sort of Malay termed "Orang Sungei" (River
+People). So, as I was anxious to see the real head-hunting Dayak,
+I determined to go to Sarawak, which is in quite a different part of
+Borneo. To do this, I had to return to Singapore, and thence, after a
+two days' voyage, I arrived at Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. Except
+for a Chinese towkay, I was the only saloon passenger, as strangers
+rarely visit this country.
+
+Kuching is about twenty-five miles up the Sarawak River, and contains
+about thirty thousand inhabitants, chiefly Malays and Chinese,
+with about fifty Europeans, who are for the most part government
+officials or belong to the Borneo Company, Limited. This company is
+very wealthy and owns the only steamship line, plying between Singapore
+and Kuching. It has several gold mines and a great quantity of land
+planted to pepper, gambier, gutta percha and rubber. The Rajah will
+not allow any other company or private individual to buy lands or
+open up an estate, neither will he allow any traders in the country.
+
+It would be difficult to imagine a more picturesque town than
+Kuching. It chiefly consists of substantial Chinese dwellings of brick
+and plaster, with beautiful tile-work of quaint figures, while temples
+glittering with gold peep out of thick, luxuriant, tropical growth. Two
+miles out of the city you can lose yourself in a dense tropical forest
+of the greatest beauty, and in the background is a chain of mountains,
+some of them of extraordinary shape. The reigning monarch or Rajah
+is an Englishman, Sir Charles Brooke, a nephew of Sir James Brooke,
+the first Rajah, who was an officer in the British Navy and who,
+after conquering Malay pirates, was made Rajah of the country by the
+grateful Dayaks.
+
+Though Sarawak is supposed to be under British protection, and though
+all his officials are Britishers, Rajah Brooke considers his country
+independent and will not allow the Union Jack to be flown in his
+dominions. He possesses his own flag, a mixture of red, black and
+yellow, and his own national anthem; moreover his officials refer
+to him as the King, and to his son, the heir to the throne, as the
+"young King" (or "Rajah Muda").
+
+Two days after my arrival, the Rajah left on his steam yacht for
+England, but the day before he left, he held a great reception at his
+"palace" (or "astana," as it is called in Malay). It was attended
+by all his officials, by high Malay chiefs and the chief Chinese
+merchants. The reins of government were formally handed over to his
+son, the Rajah Muda, after which champagne was passed round. The chief
+resident, Sir Percy Cunninghame, then introduced me to the Rajah. He is
+a fine-looking old man with a white moustache and white hair, and is
+greatly beloved by every one. He conversed with me for some time, and
+asked me many questions about the Chartered Company in British North
+Borneo. It was rather embarrassing for me, with every one silently
+and respectfully standing around listening to every word. He wished
+me success in my travels in the interior, and told his officials to
+do all in their power to help me. When you talk about the Rajah you
+say "His Highness," but when you address him, you simply say "Rajah"
+after every few words--"Yes, Rajah," or "No, Rajah." The native chiefs,
+I noticed, kissed the hands of both the Rajah and the Rajah Muda.
+
+There is no hotel in Kuching, so I put up at the rather dilapidated
+government Rest-House, part of which I had to myself, the other half
+being occupied by two government officers. The club in Kuching seems
+a most popular institution with all the officials, and "gin pahits"
+(or "bitters") the popular drink of this part of the world; billiards
+and pool help to pass many a pleasant evening, the Rajah Muda often
+joining us at a game of black pool, like any ordinary mortal.
+
+The Rajah's troops, the Rangers, are a fine body of men; they are
+chiefly recruited from the Malays and Dayaks, and have an English
+sergeant to drill them. I was told that when they go fighting the wild
+head-hunters, they are allowed to bring in as trophies the heads of
+those they kill, in the same way that the Dayaks themselves do. The
+method of execution here is the same as in other Malay countries,
+the criminal being taken down to the banks of the river, where a long
+"kris" is thrust down through the shoulder into the heart, and is
+then twisted about till the man is dead.
+
+After a visit to Bau, further up the Sarawak River, where the Borneo
+Company, whose guest I was, have a gold mine (the clay being treated
+by the "cyanide" process), I collected specimens for some time in the
+beautiful forests at the foot of the limestone mountains of Poak. Here
+I saw something of the Land Dayaks, but they are a poor degenerate
+breed, and not to be compared to the Sea Dayaks, who are born fighters,
+and whose predatory head-hunting instincts give a great deal of trouble
+to the government. These latter were the Dayaks I was anxious to meet,
+and I soon made arrangements to visit their country, which is a good
+way from Kuching, the real Sea Dayak rarely visiting the capital.
+
+So one morning early I found myself with my two servants, a Chinese
+cook and a civilized Dayak named Dubi (Mr. R. Shelford also going),
+on board a government paddle-wheel steamer which was bound for Sibu,
+on the Rejang River. Twenty-five miles' descent of the Sarawak River
+brought us to the sea. We did not skirt the coast, but cut across a
+large open expanse of sea for about ninety miles. We then came to the
+delta of the Rejang River, and went up one of its many mouths, which
+was of great width, though the scenery all the way was monotonous,
+and consisted of nothing but mangroves, _pandanus,_ the feathery
+_nipa_ palm and the tall, slender "nibong" palm, with here and there
+a crocodile lying, out on the mud banks--a dismal scene.
+
+At nightfall we anchored a short way up the river, as the government
+will not allow their boats to travel up the river by night, it being
+unsafe. We were off again at daylight the next morning, the scenery
+improving as the interminable mangroves gave place to the forest. Sixty
+miles up the river found us at Sibu, where I put up with Dr. Hose,
+the Resident, the celebrated Bornean explorer and naturalist. The
+only other Europeans here were two junior officials, Messrs. Johnson
+and Bolt. And yet there is a club at Sibu, a club for three, and here
+these three officials meet every evening and play pool.
+
+There is a fort in Sibu, as indeed there is at most of the river
+places in Sarawak. It is generally a square-shaped wooden building,
+perforated all round with small holes for rifles, while just below
+the roof is a slanting grill-work through which it is easy to shoot,
+though, as it is on the slant, it is hard for spears to enter from the
+outside. There are one or two cannons in most of these forts. The fort
+at Sibu was close to Dr. Hose's house and was attacked by Dayaks only
+a few years ago. Johnson, one of Dr. Hose's assistants, showed me a
+very long Dayak canoe capable of seating over one hundred men. It was
+made out of one tree, but large as it was, it did not equal some of the
+Kayan canoes on this river, one of which was one hundred and forty-five
+feet in length. This Dayak canoe was literally riddled with bullets,
+and Johnson told me that a few weeks' ago he was fighting some Dayaks
+on the Kanawit, a branch river near here, when he was attacked by some
+Dayaks in this very canoe. As they came up throwing spears he told his
+men to fire, with the result that eighteen Dayaks were killed. The
+river at Sibu was of great width, over a mile across, in fact, and
+close to the bank is a Malay village, and a bazaar where the wily
+Chinaman does a thriving trade in the wild produce of the country,
+and makes huge profits out of the Dayaks and other natives on this
+river. But the Dayaks often have their revenge and attack the Chinamen
+with great slaughter, the result being that they take home with them
+plenty of yellow-skinned heads with nice long pig-tails to hang them
+up by. During my stay on this river there were two or three cases of
+Chinamen being slaughtered by the Dayaks, and if it were not for the
+forts on these rivers, every Chinaman would be wiped out of existence.
+
+My first real acquaintance with the Sea Dayak was in the long bazaar
+at Sibu, and I was by no means disappointed in my first impressions,
+as I found him a most picturesque and interesting individual. The men
+usually have long black hair hanging down their backs, often with a
+long fringe on their foreheads. Their skin is brown, they have snub
+noses but resolute eyes, and they are of fine proportions, though they
+rarely exceed five feet five inches in height. Beyond the "jawat,"
+a long piece of cloth which hangs down between their legs, they wear
+nothing, if I except their many and varied ornaments. They wear a great
+variety of earrings. These are often composed of heavy bits of brass,
+which draw the lobes of the ears down below the shoulder. When they
+go on the war-path they generally wear war-coats made from the skins
+of various wild animals, and these are often padded as a protection
+against the small poisonous darts of the "sumpitan" or blow-pipe which,
+together with the "parang" (a kind of sword) and long spears with
+broad steel points constitute their chief weapons. They also have
+large shields of light wood; often fantastically painted in curious
+patterns, or ornamented with human hair.
+
+I had been at Sibu only three or four days, when word was brought down
+to Dr. Hose that the Ulu Ai Dayaks, near Fort Kapit, about one hundred
+miles up the river, had attacked and killed a party of Punans for
+the sake of their heads. These Punans are a nomadic tribe who wander
+about through the great forests with no settled dwelling-places, but
+build themselves rough huts and hunt the wild game of the forest and
+feed on the many wild fruits that are found in these forests. Hose
+at once decided to go up to Fort Kapit and punish these Dayaks, and
+gave me leave to accompany him and Shelford. So one morning at six
+o'clock we boarded a large steam launch with a party of the Rangers,
+mentioned above, as the Rajah's troops. We took, from near Sibu,
+several friendly Dayaks, who were armed to the teeth with spears,
+"parangs," "sumpitans," shields and war ornaments, all highly elated
+at the prospect of the fighting in store for them.
+
+In a short account like this, it is of course impossible to describe
+the many interesting things that I saw on the journey up the river. We
+passed many of the long, curious Dayak houses and plenty of canoes full
+of these picturesque people, and at some of the villages little Dayak
+children hurriedly pushed out small canoes from the shore so as to
+get rocked by the waves made by our launch. This they seemed to enjoy,
+to judge from the delighted yells they gave forth. I several times saw
+a most ingenious invention for frightening away the birds and monkeys
+from the large fruit trees which surrounded every Dayak village. At
+one end of a large rattan cord was a sort of wooden rattle, fixed on
+the top of one of the largest fruit trees. The other end of the rattan
+was fastened to a slender bamboo stick which was stuck into the river,
+and the action of the stream caused the bamboo to sway to and fro,
+thus jerking the rattan which in turn set the rattle going. We passed
+several small houses built on the tops of large tree-stumps. These,
+Dr. Hose informed me, were built by Kanawits, of a race of people
+known as Kelamantans. These Kelamantans are supposed to be the oldest
+residents of Borneo, being here long before the Dayaks and Kayans,
+but they axe fast dying out, as are the Punans, I believe chiefly
+owing to the raids of the warlike Dayaks. They were once ferocious
+head-hunters, but now they are a very inoffensive people.
+
+About mid-day we stopped at the village of Kanawit, at the mouth of the
+river of that name. This village, like Sibu, is composed entirely of
+Chinese and Malays. They are all traders and do a thriving business
+with the Dayaks and other natives. Here also was a fort with its
+cannon, with a Dayak or Malay sergeant and a dozen men in charge. As
+we proceeded up river, the scenery became rather monotonous. There
+was little tall forest, the country being either cleared for planting
+"padi" (rice) or in secondary forest growth or jungle, a sure sign
+of a thick population. We saw many Dayaks burning the felled jungle
+for planting their "padi," and the air was full of ashes and smoke,
+which obscured the rays of the sun and cast a reddish glare on the
+surrounding country.
+
+Toward evening we reached the village of Song and stayed here all
+night, fastening our launch to the bank. In spite of the fort here,
+we learned that the Chinamen were in great fear of an attack by the
+Dayaks, which they daily expected. Leaving Song at half-past five the
+next morning, we arrived at Kapit about ten a.m. and put up at the
+fort, which was a large one. A long, narrow platform from the top of
+the fort led to a larger platform on which, overlooking the river,
+there was a large cannon which could be turned round so as to cover
+all the approaches from the river in case there was an attack on the
+fort. We learned that the day before we arrived at Kapit, Mingo, the
+Portuguese in charge of the fort, had captured the worst ringleader of
+the head-hunters in the bazaar at Kapit, and small parties of loyal
+Dayaks were at once sent off to the homes of the other head-hunters
+with strict injunctions to bring back the guilty ones, and, failing
+persuasion and threats, to attack them. [11] In most cases they were
+successful, and I saw many of the prisoners brought in, together with
+some of the heads of their victims.
+
+The next morning Hose suddenly called out to me that if I wished
+to inspect the heads I would find them hanging up under the cannon
+platform by the river, and he sent a Dayak to undo the wrappings
+of native cloth and mats in which they were done up. They were a
+sickening sight, and all the horrors of head-hunting were brought
+before me with vivid and startling reality far more than could have
+been done by any writer, and I pictured those same heads full of life
+only a few days before, and then suddenly a rush from the outside
+amid the unprepared Punans in their rude huts in the depths of the
+forest, a woman's scream of terror, followed by the sickening sound of
+hacking blows from the sharp Dayak "parangs," and the Dayak war-cry,
+"Hoo-hah! hoo-hah!" ringing through the night air, as every single
+Punan man, woman and child, who has not had time to escape, is cut
+down in cold blood. When all are dead, the proud Dayaks, proceed to
+hack off the heads of their victims and bind them round with rattan
+strings with which to carry them, and then, returning in triumph,
+are hailed with shouts of delight by their envious fellow-villagers,
+for this means wives, a Dayak maiden thinking as much of heads as a
+white girl would of jewellery. The old Dayak who undid the wrappings
+pretended to be horrified, but I felt sure that the old hypocrite
+wished that he owned them himself.
+
+Only seven of the heads had been brought in, and two of them were
+heads of women, and although they had been smoked, I could easily
+see that one of them was that of a quite young, good-looking girl,
+with masses of long, dark hair. She had evidently been killed by a
+blow from a "parang," as the flesh on the head had been separated by
+a large cut which had split the skull open. In one of the men's heads
+there were two small pieces of wood inserted in the nose. They were
+all ghastly sights to look at, and smelt a bit, and I was not sorry
+to be able to turn my back on them.
+
+As in the present case, the brass-encircled young Dayak women are
+generally the cause of these head-hunts, as they often refuse to
+marry a man unless he has one or more heads, and in many cases a
+man is absolutely driven to get a head if he wishes to marry. The
+heads are handed down from father to son, and the rank of a Dayak is
+generally determined by the number of heads he or his ancestors have
+collected. A Dayak goes on the war-path more for the sake of the heads
+he may get, than for the honour and glory of the fighting. Generally,
+though, there is precious little fighting, as the Dayak attacks only
+when his victims are unprepared.
+
+While I was in Borneo I heard the following story of Dayak barbarity,
+which is a good example of the way the women incite their men to go
+on these head-hunting expeditions. In a certain district where some
+missionaries were doing good work among the Dayaks, a Dayak young
+man named Hathnaveng had been persuaded by the missionaries to give
+up the barbaric custom of headhunting. One day, however, he fell in
+love with a Dayak maiden. The girl, although returning his passion,
+disdained his offer of marriage, because he no longer indulged in the
+ancient practice of cutting off and bringing home the heads of the
+enemies of the tribe. Hathnaveng, goaded by the taunts of the girl,
+who told him to dress in women's clothes in the future, as he no
+longer had the courage of a man, left the village and remained away
+for some time. When he returned, he entered his sweetheart's hut,
+carrying a sack on his shoulders. He opened it, and four human heads
+rolled upon the bamboo floor. At the sight of the trophies, the girl
+at once took him back into her favour, and flinging her arms round
+his neck, embraced him passionately.
+
+"You wanted heads," declared her lover. "I have brought them. Do you
+not recognize them?"
+
+Then to her horror she saw they were the heads of her father, her
+mother, her brother and of a young man who was Hathnaveng's rival
+for her affections. Hathnaveng was immediately seized by some of
+the tribesmen, and by way of punishment was placed in a small bamboo
+structure such as is commonly used by the Dayaks for pigs, and allowed
+to starve to death. [12] This is a true story, and occurred while I
+was still in Borneo.
+
+The day after we arrived at Kapit a great crowd of Dayaks, belonging to
+the tribe of those implicated in the attack on the Punans, assembled
+at the fort to talk with Dr. Hose on the matter, and the upshot of
+it all was startling in its severity. This was Hose's ultimatum:
+They must give up the rest of those that took part in the raid, and
+they would all get various terms of imprisonment. They must return
+the rest of the heads. They must pay enormous fines, and, lastly,
+those villages which had men who took part in the raid, must move
+down the river opposite Sibu, and thus be under Hose's eye as well
+as under the guns of the fort. I watched the faces of the crowd, and
+it was interesting to witness their various emotions. Some looked
+stupefied, others looked very angry, and that they could not agree
+among themselves was plainly evident from their angry squabbling. They
+were a curious crowd with their long black hair and fringes and round
+tattoo marks on their bodies. They finally agreed to these terms, as
+Hose told them that if they did not do so, he would come and make them,
+even if he had to kill them all. The following days I witnessed large
+bands of Dayaks bringing to the fort their fines, which consisted of
+large jars and brass gongs, which are the Dayak forms of currency. The
+total fine amounted to $5,200, and the jars were carefully examined,
+the gongs weighed and their values assessed. Some of the jars were
+very old, but the older they are the more they are worth. Three of
+the poorest looking ones were valued at $1,400 (the dollar in Borneo
+is about two of our shillings). Of the total, $1,200 was later paid to
+the Punans as compensation ("pati nyawa"). I watched some Dayaks--who
+had just brought in their fines--as they went away in one of their
+large canoes, and they crossed the river with a quick, short stroke
+of their paddles in splendid time, so that one heard the sound of
+their paddles, as they beat against the side of the canoe, come in one
+short tr-r-up. They seemed to be very angry, all talking at once, and
+I still heard the sound of their angry voices above the paddles' beat,
+long after they had disappeared up a narrow creek on the other side.
+
+I had intended going with my two servants further up the river and
+living for some time among the Dayaks, but Dr. Hose made objections
+to my doing so. He said it would be very unsafe for me to live among
+these Kapit Dayaks at the present time, as they were naturally in a
+very excitable state, and would have thought little of killing one of
+the "orang puteh" (white men), whom they no doubt considered the cause
+of all their trouble. They would be sure to take me for a government
+official. Hose instead advised me to go up a small unexplored branch
+river below Sibu, so as the launch was returning to Sibu I determined
+to return in her, leaving Hose and Shelford at Kapit.
+
+During my short stay at Kapit I added very few new specimens to
+my collections of birds and butterflies; in fact, it was the worst
+collecting-ground that I struck during more than a year's wanderings
+in Borneo. I, however, made a fine collection of Dayak weapons,
+shields and war ornaments from our friendly Dayaks, who seemed very
+low-spirited now that there was to be no fighting, and on this
+account traded some of their property to me which at other times
+nothing would have induced them to part with, at a very low figure.
+
+I returned to Sibu with Mingo, and we took with us the ringleader of
+the head-hunters. He was kept handcuffed in the hold, and he worked
+himself up into a pitiable state of fright. He thought he was going to
+be killed, and the whole of the voyage he was chanting a most mournful
+kind of song, a regular torrent of words going to one note. My Dayak
+servant Dubi informed me that he was singing about the heads he had
+taken, and for which he thought he was now going to die.
+
+After a day's stay in Sibu I went up the Sarekei River with my
+two servants, and made a long stay in a Dayak house. I will try to
+describe my life among the Dayaks in the next chapter. In conclusion,
+I must tell the tragic story of a fatal mistake, which was told me by
+Johnson, one of the officials at Sibu, which serves to illustrate the
+superstitious beliefs of the Malays. A Chinese prisoner at Sibu had
+died, at least Johnson and Bolt both thought so, and they sent some of
+the Malay soldiers to bury the body on the other side of the river. A
+few days later one of them casually remarked to Johnson that they had
+often heard it said that the spirit of a man sometimes returned to
+his body again for a short time after death (a Malay belief), but he
+(this Malay) had not believed it before, but he now knew that it was
+true. Johnson, much amused, asked him how that was. "Oh," said the
+Malay, "when the Tuan (Johnson) sent us across the river to bury the
+dead man the other day, his spirit came back to him and his body sat
+up and talked, and we were much afraid, and seized hold of the body;
+which gave us much trouble to put it into the hole we had digged,
+and when we had quickly filled in the hole so that the body could not
+come out again, we fled away quickly, so now we know that the saying
+is true." It thus transpired that they had buried a live Chinaman
+without being aware of the fact.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+Home-Life Among Head-Hunting Dayaks.
+
+    I leave the Main Stream and journey up the Sarekei--A Stream
+    overarched by Vegetation--House 200 feet long--I make Friends with
+    the Chief--My New Quarters--Rarity of White Men--Friendliness
+    of my New Hosts--Embarrassing Request from a Lady, "like we
+    your skin"--Similar Experience of Wallace--Crowds to see me
+    Undress--Dayak's interest in Illustrated Papers--Waist-rings
+    of Dayak Women--Teeth filled with brass--Noisiness of a Dayak
+    House--Dayak Dogs--A well-meant Blow and its Sequel--Uproarious
+    Amusement of the Dayaks--Dayak Fruit-Trees--The Durian as King
+    of all Fruits--Dayak "Bridges" across the Swamp-Dances of the
+    Head-Hunters--A Secret "Fishing" Expedition--A Spear sent by way of
+    defiance to the Government--I "score" off the Pig-Hunters--Dayak
+    Diseases--Dayak Women and Girls--Two "Broken Hearts"--I Raffle my
+    Tins--"Cookie" and the Head-Hunters, their Jokes and Quarrels--My
+    Adventure with a Crocodile.
+
+
+The Rejang is one of the many large rivers which abound in Borneo,
+and its tributaries are numerous and for the most part unexplored. The
+Rejang is tidal for fully one hundred and fifty miles, and at Sibu
+is over a mile in width. The banks of this river are inhabited by
+a large population of Malays, Chinese, Dayaks, Kayans, Kanawits,
+Punans and numerous other tribes. Thus it is a highly interesting
+region for an ethnologist.
+
+It was with feelings of pleasant anticipation that I started down
+the river in the government steam-launch from Sibu just as dawn was
+breaking, on my way to spend several weeks among the wild Dayaks on
+the unexplored Sarekei River. I took with me my two servants, Dubi,
+a civilized Dayak, and my Chinese cook. After a journey of four hours
+we arrived at a large Malay village near the mouth of the Sarekei
+River. Here I disembarked and sought out the chief of the village
+and demanded the loan of two canoes, with some men to paddle them,
+and in return I offered liberal payment. Accordingly, an hour after my
+arrival I found myself with all my belongings and servants on board
+the two canoes, with a crew of nine Malays. Soon after leaving the
+Malay village we branched off to the left up the Sarekei River. It
+was very monotonous at first, as the giant plumes of the _nipa_ palm
+hid everything from my view. My Malays worked hard at their paddles,
+and late in the afternoon we left the main Sarekei River and paddled
+up a small and extremely narrow stream. There we found ourselves in
+the depth of a most luxuriant vegetation. We were in a regular tunnel
+formed by arching ferns and orchid-laden trees, giant _pandanus,_
+various palms and arborescent ferns and _caladiums._ Here grew the
+largest _crinum_ lilies I had ever seen. They literally towered over
+me, and the sweet-scented white and pink flowers grew in huge bunches
+on stems nearly as thick as my arm.
+
+After the bright sun on the main river, the dark, gloomy depths of this
+side-stream were very striking. It was so narrow that sometimes the
+vegetation on both sides was forced into the canoes, and the "atap"
+(palm-thatched) roof of my canoe came in for severe treatment as it
+brushed against prickly _pandanus_ and thorny rattans.
+
+The entrance to this stream was completely hidden from view, and no
+one but these Malays, who had been up here before, trading with the
+Dayaks, could have discovered it. I had told the Malay chief that I
+wished to visit a Dayak village where no white man had ever been and
+where they were head-hunters. He had smiled slyly and nodded as if he
+understood. Thereupon he said, "Baik (good), Tuan," and said he would
+help me. Just as darkness was setting in we arrived at a Dayak village,
+consisting of one very long house, which I afterwards found to exceed
+two hundred feet in length. It was situated about one hundred yards
+from the stream. No sooner had we sighted it than the air resounded
+with the loud beating of large gongs and plenty of shouting. There
+was a great commotion among the Dayaks.
+
+I at first felt doubtful as to the kind of reception I should get,
+and immediately made my way to the house with Dubi, who explained
+to the Dayak chief that I was no government official, but had come
+to see them and also to get some "burong" (birds) and "kopo-kopo"
+(butterflies). I forthwith presented the old chief with a bottle of
+gin, such as they often get from the Malay traders, and some Javanese
+tobacco, and his face was soon wreathed in smiles.
+
+The Dayaks soon brought all my baggage into the house and I paid
+off my Malays and proceeded to make myself as comfortable as I could
+for my stay of several weeks, the chief giving me a portion of his
+own quarters and spreading mats for me over the bamboo floor. On the
+latter I put my camp-bed and boxes. I occupied a portion of the open
+corridor or main hall, which ran the length of the house and where
+the unmarried men sleep. This long corridor was just thirty feet
+in width, and formed by far the greater portion of the house; small
+openings from this corridor led on to a kind of unsheltered platform
+twenty-five feet in width, which ran the length of the house and on
+which the Dayaks generally dry their "padi" (rice).
+
+The other side of the house was divided into several rooms, each of
+which belonged to a separate family. Here they store their wealth,
+chiefly huge jars and brass gongs. The house was raised on piles fully
+ten to twelve feet from the ground, the space underneath being fenced
+in for the accommodation of their pigs and chickens. The smells that
+came up through the half-open bamboo and "bilian"-wood flooring were
+the reverse of pleasant. The entrance at each end was by means of
+a very steep and slippery sort of ladder made out of one piece of
+wood with notches cut in it, the steps being only a few inches in
+width. One of these ladders had a rough bamboo hand-rail on each side,
+and the top part of the steps was roughly carved into the semblance
+of a human face.
+
+In the rafters over my head I noticed a great quantity of spears,
+shields, "sumpitans" or blowpipes, paddles, fish-traps, baskets and
+rolls of mats piled up indiscriminately, while just over my head where
+I slept was a rattan basket containing two human heads, though Dubi
+told me he thought the Dayaks had hidden most of their heads on my
+arrival. This description of the house I resided in for some time,
+applies more or less to all the Dayak houses I saw in Borneo.
+
+This house or village was called Menus, and the old chief's name
+was Usit. In spelling these names one has to be entirely guided by
+the sounds and write them after the fashion of the English method
+of spelling Malay. The village or house of Menus seemed to contain
+about one hundred inhabitants, not counting small children. Upon my
+arrival I was soon surrounded by a most curious throng, many of whom
+gazed at me with open mouths, in astonishment at the sight of an
+"orang puteh" (white man), as of course no white man had ever been
+here before and but very few of the people had ever seen one. One old
+woman remembered having seen a white man, and some of the older men
+had from time to time seen government officials on the Rejang River,
+but except to these few I was a complete novelty. Considering this,
+I was greatly astonished at their friendliness, as not only the men,
+but the women and children squatted around me in the most amicable
+fashion, and sometimes even became a decided nuisance. My first evening
+among them, however, I found extremely amusing, and as my Chinese cook
+placed the food he had cooked before me, and as I ate it with knife,
+fork and spoon, they watched every mouthful I took amid a loud buzz
+of comments and exclamations of delight.
+
+Though by no means the first time I have had to endure this sort of
+popularity, or rather notoriety, in various countries of the world,
+I do not think I have ever come across a people so full of friendly
+curiosity as were these Dayaks. About midnight I began to feel a bit
+sleepy, but the admiring multitude did not seem inclined to move,
+so I told Dubi to tell them that I wanted to change my clothes and
+go to sleep. No one moved. "Tell the ladies to go, Dubi," I said,
+but on his translating my message a woman in the background called
+out something that met with loud cries of approval.
+
+"What does she say, Dubi?" I asked.
+
+"She says, Tuan," replied Dubi, "they like see your skin, if white
+the same all over."
+
+This was rather embarrassing, and I told Dubi to insist upon their
+going; but Dubi, whose advice I generally took, replied, "I think,
+Tuan (master), more better you show to them your skin." I therefore
+submitted with as good a grace as possible, and took my shirt off,
+while some of them, especially the women, pinched and patted the skin
+on my back amid cries of approval and delight.
+
+They asked if the skin of the Tuan Muda (the Rajah) was as white, and,
+on being told that it was, a long and serious conversation took place
+among them, during which the name of the Tuan Muda kept constantly
+cropping up.
+
+The great naturalist, Wallace, met with much the same experience
+among the Dayaks, and as the natives of many other countries among
+whom I have lived never seemed to display the same curiosity about
+my white skin, I put it down to the Dayaks wishing to see what kind
+of a skin the great white Rajah, who rules over them, possesses.
+
+The next two or three nights the crowd that waited to see me change
+into my pyjamas was, if anything, still larger, a good many Dayaks
+from neighbouring villages coming over to see the sight. But gradually
+the novelty wore off, to my great joy, as I was getting a bit tired
+of the whole performance. I had come here to see the Dayaks, but it
+appeared that they were even more anxious to see me.
+
+For the next two or three weeks an odd Dayak would from time to time
+ask to see my skin, so that at length I had absolutely to refuse to
+exhibit myself any longer.
+
+I had luckily brought several illustrated magazines with me to use
+as papers for my butterflies, and these were a source of endless
+delight to the crowds around me in the evenings. They behaved like a
+lot of small children, and roared with laughter over the pictures. They
+generally looked at the pictures upside down, and even then they seemed
+to find something amusing about them. With Dubi as my interpreter
+I used to make up stories about the pictures, and, pointing to
+the portrait of some well-known actress, described the number of
+husbands she had killed, and I'm afraid I grossly libelled many a
+well-known politician, general, or divine in telling the Dayaks how
+many heads they possessed or how many wives they owned, till it was
+quite a natural thing for me to join in their uproarious merriment,
+as I pictured in my mind some venerable bishop on the war-path.
+
+As is well known, the Dayak women all wear rings of brass around
+their waists. They are called "gronong," and they are made of pliable
+rattan inside, with small brass rings fastened around the rattan. In
+the centre of each ring there are generally two or three small red
+and black rings of coloured rattan between the brass ones. Some wore
+only four or five, while others possessed twenty or more, and then
+they rather resembled a corset. Even the little girls of four or five
+wore two or three of them.
+
+I noticed on my first arrival that the women and some of the men seemed
+to have their teeth plentifully filled with gold, but I soon found out
+that it was brass that they had ornamented their teeth with, a small
+piece being inserted in some way in the centre of each tooth. Their
+teeth are generally black from the continual chewing of the betel-nut,
+and I noticed small children of four or five years of age going in for
+this dirty habit, and still younger children smoking cigarettes, the
+covering of which is made out of the dried leaf of the sago-palm. The
+Dayaks are almost as dirty as the Negritos in the Philippines, and yet
+they are both certainly the merriest people I have ever met with. The
+heartiest and most unaffected laughter I have ever heard proceeded
+from the throats of Dayaks and Negritos. It almost seems as if dirt
+in some cases constitutes true happiness.
+
+The Dayak women seemed to bathe more often than the men, but they
+never seemed to take off their brass waist-rings when bathing in the
+river. The women also have their wrists covered with brass bangles,
+which are all fastened together in one piece. The noise in the house
+was deafening at times, especially in the evening, when all come home
+from working in their "padi" fields, where the women are supposed to
+do most of the work, the men generally going hunting. The continual
+hum of conversation and loud laughter, with the noise made by the
+pigs and chickens under the house, the dogs and chickens in the house,
+and the beating of deep-toned gongs at times nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I was writing.
+
+They resembled a lot of small children and would beat their gongs
+simply to amuse themselves. Very often a Dayak, on returning from
+his work or a hunt in the jungle, would walk straight up to a large
+gong that was hanging up and hammer on it for a few minutes in a most
+businesslike way, looking all the time as if it bored him. Then he
+would walk away in much the same way as a man would leave the telephone
+(as if he had just got through some business). I suppose it soothed
+them after their day's work, but it irritated me.
+
+The Dayak dogs are fearful and wonderful animals, both as regards
+shape and colour, and I could get very little sleep on account of
+the noise they made; yet the Dayaks seemed to sleep through it all.
+
+One night I woke up after a particularly noisy fight, and saw what
+appeared to me to be a dog sitting calmly by my bed with its back
+turned to me. Lifting my mosquito net, therefore, very quietly, I let
+drive with my fist at it, putting all my pent-up indignation and anger
+for sleepless nights into the blow. Alas! it was a very solid dog that
+I struck against, being nothing more nor less than the side of one of
+my boxes, and I barked my knuckles rather badly. The laughter of the
+Dayaks was loud and prolonged when Dubi translated the yarn to them
+next day, and they remembered it long afterwards. Until I heard the
+roar of laughter that went up, the story had not struck me as being
+so very amusing!
+
+All around the house for some distance was a forest of tall
+fruit-trees. They had of course all been planted in times past by
+the Dayaks' ancestors, and every tree had its owner, but they had
+become mixed up with many beautiful wild tropic growths which had
+sprung up between the trees. Some of these fruit-trees, such as the
+"durian," "rambutan," mango, mangosteen, "tamadac" or jackfruit,
+"lansat" and bananas, were familiar to me, but there were a great
+number of fruits that I had never heard of before, and I got their
+names from my Dayak friends. [13]
+
+Needless to say, I never before tasted so many fruits that were
+entirely new to me, and most of them were ripe at the time of my
+visit. The "durian" comes easily first. It is without doubt the
+king of all fruit in both the tropic and temperate zones, and is
+popular alike with man and beast, the orang-utan being a great
+culprit in robbing the Dayaks of their "durians." I never saw the
+"good" "durian" growing wild in Sarawak, but I tasted here a small
+wild kind with an orange centre which made me violently sick. No
+description of the "durian" taste can do it justice. But its smell
+is also past description. It is so bad that many people refuse to
+taste it. It is a very large and heavy fruit, covered with strong,
+sharp spines, and as it grows on a very tall tree, it is dangerous
+to walk underneath in the fruiting season when they are falling,
+accidents being common among the Dayaks through this cause. I myself
+had a narrow escape one windy day. I was sitting at the foot of one
+of these trees eating some of the fallen fruit, when a large "durian"
+fell from above and buried itself in the mud not half a yard from me.
+
+Danna, the second chief, would always leave one or two of the fruit
+for me on a box close by my head where I slept, before he went off
+to his "padi "-planting early in the morning, so that I got quite
+used to the bad smell.
+
+The Dayak house was surrounded on three sides by a horrible swamp,
+the roads through which consisted of fallen trees laid end to end,
+or else of two or three thick poles, laid side by side, and kept in
+place by being lashed here and there to two upright stakes, so that
+I had to balance myself well or come to grief in the thick mud. The
+Dayak bridges, made chiefly of poles and bamboos, were in many cases
+awkward things to negotiate, and I had one or two rather nasty falls
+from them. While the Dayak women and children never showed any fear
+of me in the house, whenever I met them out in the woods or jungle
+they would run from me as if I were some kind of wild animal.
+
+I saw several Dayak dances. The men put on their war-plumes and with
+shield and "parang" (mentioned above) twirl round and round and cut
+with their "parangs" at an imaginary foe, the women all the time
+accompanying them with the beating of gongs. Dubi one night showed
+them a Malay dance, which consisted of a sort of gliding motion
+and a graceful waving of the hands, quite the reverse of the Dayak
+dance. One night I noticed a general bustle in the house. The women
+seemed greatly excited, and the men passed to and fro with their
+"parangs" and "sumpitans" (blowpipes), and cast anxious looks in my
+direction as they passed me. They told Dubi they were going fishing;
+but it seemed strange that they should go fishing with these warlike
+weapons, and I told Dubi so. He himself thought they were going
+head-hunting, and I felt sure of it, as they left only the old men,
+youths, women and children behind. I did not see them again till the
+following evening, nor did I then see signs of any fish. I told Dubi
+that I thought it best that he should not ask them any questions, as it
+might be awkward if they thought we suspected them. At the same time,
+I am bound to admit that there was no direct proof to show that they
+had been headhunting; and for this I was glad, as there was no cause
+for me to say anything to the Government about it, and so get my kind
+hosts into trouble. Some months later I read in a Singapore paper that
+"the Dayaks in this district," between Sibu and Kuching, were restless
+and inclined to join form with the Dayaks at Kapit, who had sent
+Dr. Hose a spear, signifying their defiance of the Sarawak Government.
+
+One evening, when out looking for birds, Dubi and I came across two
+Dayaks, who were perched up in trees, waiting for wild pigs that
+came to feed on the fallen fruit, when they would spear them from
+above. They seemed rather annoyed with us for coming and frightening
+the pigs away, and that evening they told everyone that we were the
+cause of their not getting a pig. I rather scored them off, by telling
+Dubi in an angry voice to ask them what "the dickens" they meant by
+getting up in trees and frightening all my birds away. This highly
+amused all the other Dayaks, who laughed loud and long, and my two
+pig-hunting friends retired into the background discomfited. I myself
+went out one evening with a party of Dayaks after wild pig, and stayed
+for two hours upon a platform in a tree while they climbed other
+trees close by. However, no pigs turned up, although two "plandok"
+(mouse-deer) did, though I did not shoot them for fear of frightening
+the pigs away. I took my revolver with me, to the great amusement of
+the Dayaks, who, of course, had not seen one before, and ridiculed the
+idea of so small a weapon being able to kill a pig. The Dayaks told
+me that there were plenty of bears here, but I never saw any myself in
+this part of Borneo. They told me the bears were very fierce, and had
+often nearly killed some of their friends. The Dayak dogs are fearful
+cowards, and I was told that they run away at the sight of a wild pig.
+
+Animal life here was not plentiful, and quite the reverse of what I
+had seen in the forests of North Borneo, where it was very plentiful.
+
+I noticed the prevalence of that horrible scurvy-like skin-disease
+among several of the Dayaks. It was common in New Guinea among
+the Papuans, where it was termed "supuma." I cured two little Dayak
+children of intermittent fever by giving them quinine and Eno's fruit
+salts. The result was that I was greatly troubled by demands on my
+limited stock of medicines. One old man had been growing blind for
+the last two years, and another was troubled with aches all over him,
+and they would hardly believe me when I said that I could not cure
+them. They told Dubi that they thought that the white people who
+could make such things as I possessed could do anything. So much of
+my property seemed to amuse and astonish them, that it was a treat to
+show them such things as my looking-glass, hair-brush, socks, guns,
+umbrella, watch, etc. I showed them that child's trick of making the
+lid of my watch fly open, and they were delighted.
+
+The Dayak women can hardly be considered good-looking. I saw one or two
+that were rather pretty, but they were very young and unmarried. Dubi
+fell madly in love with one of them and she with him, and when I left
+there were two broken hearts. Many of the little girls of about five
+and six years old would have been regular pictures if they had only
+been cleaner. I made the discovery that some of my Dayak friends were
+addicted to the horrible habit of eating clay, and actually found
+a regular little digging in the side of a hill where they worked
+to get these lumps of reddish grey clay, and soon caught some of
+the old men eating it. They declared that they enjoyed it. All my
+empty tins (from tinned meats, etc.) were in great demand, and so
+to save jealousy I actually demoralized the Dayaks to the extent of
+introducing the raffling system among them. Great was the excitement
+every evening when I raffled old tins and bottles. Dubi would hand
+the bits of paper and they would be a long time making up their minds
+which to take. One night Dubi overheard my Chinese cook telling some
+of the Dayaks that "the white tuan had no use for these tins himself,
+that is why he gives them to you."
+
+This cook, whom I used to call Cookie, was a great nuisance to me,
+but he was the most amusing character I ever came across, and he
+was the source of endless delight to the Dayaks, who enjoyed teasing
+him and jokingly threatened to cut off his head, until he was almost
+paralyzed with fright and came and begged me to leave, as we should
+all have our heads cut off. After a week or two his courage returned
+and I learned that when I was out of the house he would stand on his
+head for the amusement of the women and children, though he was by
+no means a young man. He soon became quite popular with the women,
+who found him highly amusing, and who were always in fits of laughter
+whenever he talked. In the evenings he sometimes joined a group of
+Dayak youths and would start to air his opinions. Then it was not long
+before they were all jeering and mimicking him, and poor old Cookie
+would look very foolish and a sickly smile would spread over his yellow
+features. Finally he would go off and sulk, and when I asked him what
+the matter was, he would reply, "Damn Dayak no wantee." Whenever I
+called out for Cookie, the whole house would resound with jeering
+Dayak cries of "Cookie, Cookie." He and Dubi were always quarrelling,
+and Cookie would work himself up into such a state of excitement that
+the place would be full of Dayak laughter, though the Dayak understood
+not a word of what they were talking about. In my later wanderings
+in Borneo the quarrel between my two servants, Dayak and Chinaman,
+grew to such an extent that I feared it would end in murder.
+
+The foregoing account, short as it is, will, I trust, give some idea of
+what my long stay among head-hunting Dayaks was like. All things must
+have an ending, however, and having finished my collecting in this
+neighbourhood I said good-bye to my Dayak friends, with deep regret,
+and I think the sorrow was mutual. I know well that Dubi and his little
+Dayak sweetheart were almost heartbroken. The Dayaks begged me to stay
+longer, but I had already stayed longer than I had at first intended.
+
+Old Usit, the chief, and his crew of Dayaks paddled me all the way
+to Sibu. There is little to relate about the journey there, except
+that the canoe leaked very badly and the Dayaks had to keep bailing
+her out. At night we tied the canoe up to a small wooden platform
+outside a Malay house on the Rejang River, to await the change of
+the tide, and one of the Dayaks knocked at the door of the house so
+that we could cook some food, but the Malays thought that we were
+head-hunters, and there was great lamentation, and for some time they
+refused to open. While eating my food, with my legs dangling over the
+side of the wooden platform, I noticed a dark object that glistened
+in the moonlight noiselessly swimming toward me, and I pulled up my
+legs pretty quickly. It was a large crocodile, attracted, no doubt,
+by the smell of my dinner. The only objection I had was that it might
+have taken me for the dinner.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+Visit to the Birds'-nest Caves of Gomanton.
+
+    My stay in British North Borneo--Visit to a Tobacco Estate
+    (Batu Puteh)--Start for the Birds'-nest Caves--News of the
+    Local Chief's Death--Applicants for the Panglima-ship--We
+    Visit the late Chief's House-Widows in white--The Hadji "who
+    longed to be King"--Extraordinary Grove of Banyan-trees--Pigs,
+    Crocodiles and Monkeys--Astonishing Swimming Performance of a
+    Monkey--Water Birds Feeding on the Carcase of a Stag--The Hadji
+    and his Men pray at a Native Grave-shrine--An Elephant charges past
+    us--Arrival at the Caves--The Entrance--A Cave of enormous Height,
+    description of the Interior--Return to the Village--Visit to the
+    Upper Caves--Beautiful Climbing Plants--We reach the Largest
+    Cave of all: its Extreme Grandeur--"White" Nests and "Black"
+    Nests secured--Distinctions between the two kinds of Swallows by
+    whom the Nests are made--Millions of small Bats: an Astonishing
+    Sight--Methods of Securing the Nests described--Perilous Climbing
+    Feats--Report of numerous Large Snakes--Cave-coffins, and their
+    (traditional) rich contents--Dangers of the Descent--All's well
+    that ends well.
+
+
+I had just returned down the river with Richardson from
+Tangkulap. Tangkulap is a journey of several days up the Kinabatangan
+River in British North Borneo. Richardson was the magistrate for this
+district, and his rule extended over practically the whole of this
+river, Tangkulap being his headquarters. Only three or four white men
+had ever been up the river as far as Tangkulap, it being a very lonely
+spot in the midst of dense forests, with no other white man living
+anywhere near. I had stayed with him for two months, making large
+natural history collections and seeing a great deal of both native
+and animal life. We had then returned down the river in Richardson's
+"gobang" (canoe) to Batu Puteh, a large tobacco estate, and the
+only one on this river. Here we were the guests of Paul Brietag, the
+manager, a most hospitable German. He and his three German, French,
+and Dutch assistants were the only other white men on the whole of
+this great river.
+
+While here, Richardson and I determined to visit the wonderful
+Gomanton birds'-nest caves, from which great quantities of edible
+birds' nests are annually taken. Very few Europeans had ever visited
+them, though they are considered among the wonders of the world.
+
+We left Batu Puteh in Richardson's canoe early one morning, and,
+although we had a strong stream with us going down, we did not reach
+Bilit till evening. Bilit is a large village made up of Malays,
+Orang Sungei, and Sulus. Quite a crowd met us on our arrival, and
+they seemed not a little excited. It appeared that their late Panglima
+(chief), who was also a Hadji, had been on a second voyage to Mecca,
+and they had just heard that he had died on his way back. "That was
+quite right," they said; "his time had come, and, besides, it had
+been foretold that he would die if he tried to go to Mecca again."
+
+Two men were most anxious to gain favour with Richardson--viz., the
+dead man's son and another Hadji, who was the richest man in Bilit,
+and who had a large share in the Gomanton caves. The reason was that
+Richardson had the power to appoint whom he liked as the new Panglima,
+provided, of course, that the man was of some standing and fairly
+popular. Richardson sent for one of the most influential men in the
+village to come and talk the matter over, but he lived on the other
+side of the river, and, it being late, they said he dared not cross
+in his small "gobang," as the crocodiles are very bad indeed here,
+and at night they often help themselves to a man out of his canoe. We
+went to the late Panglima's house and had a chat, but nothing was said
+about the new Panglima. I caught sight of one of the widows swathed in
+white, going through all sorts of contortions by way of mourning for
+her late husband. We found that the people were going to the caves in
+two or three days to collect the black nests. The white nests had been
+collected earlier in the year, but the influential Hadji "who would
+be king" offered to go with us on the morrow and start work earlier
+than he at first intended if his dreams were favourable, and thus
+we should be able to see them at work collecting the nests. Here was
+luck both for ourselves and the Hadji: it meant a step in his hopes
+of the much-desired Panglima-ship by thus gaining favour with the
+magistrate over his younger rival. He was a tall, haughty-looking man,
+with an orange-coloured turban, worn only by Hadjis, and the people
+seemed to stand in great awe of him and addressed him as "Tuan" or
+"Tuan Hadji," the word "Tuan" being usually used only when addressing
+Europeans like ourselves; still, his house in which we spent the night
+was little better than a pigsty, although he was a very wealthy man.
+
+The next morning we were off before sunrise. After leaving the
+village we had a walk of about an hour and a half over a very steep
+hill through luxuriant, tall forest, and on the other side came to a
+small river, the Menungal, on the banks of which was a shed full of
+"gobangs" (canoes) which were speedily launched, we both getting into
+the leading one. We were followed by three others, in one of which was
+the Hadji. Most of the way was through fine forest, the trees arching
+overhead to shade us from the hot sun, the only exception being when
+we passed through a stretch of swamps, with low, tangled growth, when
+the river broadened out, but in the shady forest it was delightful,
+gliding along to the music of the even dip of the paddles.
+
+The most striking feature about the forest on this Menungal River
+was the extraordinary growth of a species of banyan trees (_Ficus_
+sp.). I have seen many curious stilted trees of this _Ficus_ family in
+various tropical countries I have visited, but these I think were more
+curious than any I had ever seen. One hardly knew where they began and
+where they ended, for they all seemed joined together, and roots and
+branches seemed one and the same thing. It was the acme of vegetable
+confusion. Even the river could not stop their progress, and we were
+constantly gliding between their roots and branches. The growth of
+ferns, orchids and parasites on the branches and roots of these trees
+was luxuriant to a degree and formed veritable hanging gardens.
+
+On these Bornean rivers one is constantly seeing pigs, crocodiles and
+monkeys, but I noticed on this river an abundance of a monkey which
+one seldom sees on the large Kinabatangan River. I refer to the very
+curious proboscis or long-nosed monkey (_Nasalis larvatus_). These
+animals often sat still overhead and stared down at us in the most
+contemptuous and indifferent manner, and they looked so human and yet
+so comical with their enormous red noses that I found myself laughing
+aloud, our scullers doing the same, till the monkeys actually grinned
+with indignation. They axe large monkeys with long tails, and are
+beautifully marked with various shades of grey and brown, and their
+large, fleshy, red noses give them an extraordinary appearance.
+
+One of them did a performance that astonished me. We saw a group of
+them on a branch over the river about forty yards ahead of us, when
+one of them jumped into the middle of the river and coolly swam to a
+hanging creeper up which it climbed, none the worse for its voluntary
+bath. This was the only time that I had ever seen a monkey swim, but
+the natives assured me that these monkeys are very good swimmers. It
+struck me as being a very risky performance, as this river was full
+of crocodiles.
+
+I saw on this river a wonderful orchid growing on large trees. This
+was a _Grammatophyllum_ with bulbs some times over eight feet in
+length. The length of the name is certainly suitable for so large
+an orchid. I saw plenty of water-birds, including white egrets and
+a long-necked diver which is called the "snake-bird," owing to its
+long neck projecting lout of the water and thus greatly resembling a
+snake. I shot several of each kind of bird, plucking the fine plumes
+from the backs of the egrets. We ate some of the divers that evening
+and found them first-class food, tasting much like goose. We later in
+the day disturbed a whole colony of these water-birds feeding on the
+carcase of a large stag in the river, and the smell was very strong
+for some distance. I did not attempt to shoot any more mock geese
+till we had put a good many miles between ourselves and the dead
+stag. We passed several canoes slowly wending their way to the eaves,
+the people taking it easy and camping on the banks and fishing. They
+dried the fish on the roofs of their thatched canoes. Some of these
+people had very curious rattan pyramid-shaped hats gaily ornamented
+with strips of bright-coloured cloth.
+
+Toward evening the river got exceedingly narrow, and fallen trees
+obstructed our way, so that we had sometimes to lie flat on our backs
+to pass under them, and at other times we had to get out while our
+canoe was hauled over the mud at the side.
+
+Just before we reached our destination for the night, we came to a
+spot where the bank was hung with bits of coloured cloth and calico
+fastened to sticks, I also noticed some bananas and dried fish tied to
+the sticks. This signified that there was a native burial ground close
+by, and all the canoes were stopped, the scullers putting their paddles
+down, while the Hadji and all his men proceeded to wash their faces
+in the river. This they did to ensure success in their nest-collecting.
+
+We stayed the night in one of two raised half-thatched huts used only
+by the natives in the collecting seasons, a ladder from the river
+leading into them. It was almost dark when we arrived, and hardly were
+we under shelter when rain came down in torrents. It poured all night,
+and when we started off on foot at sunrise the next morning we found
+the track in the forest a regular quagmire; in places we waded through
+mud up to our knees. As we scrambled and floundered through the mud
+at our best pace we heard a great crashing noise just in front of us,
+and the air resounded with cries of "Gajah, gajah!" (elephant). I was
+just in time to see a large elephant tear by. It literally seemed to
+fly, and knocked down small trees as if they were grass. It seemed
+greatly frightened, and made a sort of coughing noise. It went by so
+quickly that I was unable to see whether it had tusks or not.
+
+After about three hours' hard tramping, I caught sight of a high
+mass of white limestone gleaming through the trees. It made a pretty
+picture in the early morning, the white rock peeping out of luxuriant
+creepers and foliage. It rises very abruptly from the surrounding
+forest, and at a distance looked quite inaccessible to a climber.
+
+We waded through a stream of clear water, washing the horrible forest
+mud from off us, and soon found ourselves in a most picturesque
+village at the very base of the rock. We disturbed quite a crowd of
+native girls bathing in a spring, and they seemed very much alarmed
+and surprised at seeing two Europeans suddenly turn the corner. Out
+of season I don't believe any one lives in this village except some
+watchers at the mouths of the eaves to guard against thieves. The
+Hadji gave us a rough hut with a flooring of split bamboo and kept us
+provided with chickens. All this no doubt was in his estimation part
+of the necessary steps to securing that much-desired Panglima-ship.
+
+The two days we were here, people kept flocking into the village,
+most of the men carrying long steel-pointed spears, in many cases
+beautifully mounted with engraved silver: others carried long "parangs"
+and "krises" in rough wooden sheaths, but the handles were often of
+carved ivory and silver.
+
+After some breakfast we started off to see the near lower cave, which
+was one of the smaller ones. We followed a very pretty ferny track
+by the side of a rocky stream for a short distance, the forest being
+partially cleared and open, with large boulders scattered around. The
+sky overhead was thick with swallows, in fact one could almost say
+the air was black with them. These of course were the birds that make
+the nests. The mouth of the cave partly prepared me for what I was to
+see. I had expected a small entrance, but here it was, I should say,
+sixty feet in height and of great width, the entrance being partly
+overhung with a curtain of luxuriant creepers. The smell of guano
+had been strong before, but here it was overpowering.
+
+Extending inside the cave for about one hundred yards was a small
+village of native huts used chiefly by the guards or watchers of
+these caves. Compared with the vastness of the interior of the cave--I
+believe about four hundred and eighty feet in height--one could almost
+imagine that one was looking at the small model of a village. A small
+stream ran out of a large hill of guano, and if you left the track you
+sank over your knees in guano. The vastness of the interior of this
+cave impressed me beyond words. It was stupendous, and to describe
+it properly would take a better pen than mine. One could actually see
+the very roof overhead, as there were two or three openings near the
+top (reminding one of windows high up in a cathedral) through which
+broad shafts of light forced their way, making some old hanging rattan
+ladders high up appear like silvery spider webs. Of course there were
+recesses overhead where the light could not penetrate, and these were
+the homes of millions of small bats, of which more presently. As
+for the birds themselves, this was one of their nesting seasons,
+and the cave was full of myriads of them. The twittering they made
+resembled the whisperings of a multitude. The majority of them kept
+near the roof, and as they flew to and fro through the shafts of light
+they presented a most curious effect and looked like swarms of gnats;
+lower down they resembled silvery butterflies. Where the light shone
+on the rocky walls and roofs one could distinguish masses upon masses
+of little silver black specks. These were their nests, as this was a
+black-nest cave. Somewhere below in the bowels of the earth rumbled
+an underground river with a noise like distant thunder. This cavernous
+roar far below and the twittering whisper of the swallows far overhead,
+combined to add much to the mysteriousness of these wonderful caves.
+
+On the ground in the guano I picked up several eggs, unbroken. How
+they could fall that distance and yet not get smashed is hard to
+understand, unless it is that they fell in the soft guano on their
+ends. We were told that when a man fell from the top he was smashed
+literally into jelly. I also picked up a few birds which had been
+stunned when flying against the rocks. This saved me from shooting any.
+
+Spread out on the ground in the cave and also drying outside, raised
+from the ground on stakes, were coil after coil of rattan ropes and
+ladders used for collecting the nests. These always have to be new
+each season, and are first carefully tested. The ladders are made
+of well twisted strands of rattan with steps of strong, hard wood,
+generally "bilian."
+
+On our return to the village we bathed in a shady stream of clear
+water, the banks of which I noted were composed chiefly of guano. In
+the afternoon we started off in search of the upper eaves. After
+a short, stiff climb amid natural rockeries of jagged limestone,
+we passed under a rock archway or bridge, under which were perched
+frail-looking raised native huts of the watchers. As we stood under
+this curious archway we looked down a precipice on our left. It was
+very steep at our feet, but from the far side it took the form of a
+slanting shaft, which terminated in a little window or inlet into the
+lower cave we had visited in the morning. In our ascent we had to climb
+up very rough, steep ladders fastened against the rocky ledges. The
+rocks were in many places gay with variegated plants, the most notable
+being a very pretty-leafed begonia, covered with pink and silver spots,
+the spots being half pink, half white. The natives with us seemed to
+enjoy eating these leaves; they certainly looked tempting enough.
+
+Another fine plant growing among these rocks was a climbing _pothos,_
+with very dark green leaves, ornamented with a silver band across
+each leaf, but the finest of all was a fine velvet-leafed climber,
+veined with crimson, pink, or white (_Cissus_ sp.).
+
+We at length came to the entrance of a long chain of eaves, through
+which we passed, going down a very steep grade, and our guides had to
+carry lights. After a climb down some steep rocks in semi-darkness,
+we at length found ourselves in the largest cave of all, supposed to be
+about five hundred and sixty feet in height. [14] It, too, had two or
+three natural windows, through which the light penetrated. One of them
+was on the top, in the very centre of the cave, and from down below
+it looked like a distant star. This opening was on the very summit of
+the Gomanton rock. This cave greatly resembled the smaller one I have
+already described, except that it was of much grander dimensions. As in
+the first cave, one could hear the roar of an underground torrent, and
+the swallows seemed even more numerous. On the rocky walls I noticed
+plenty of large spiders and a curious insect, with a long body and
+long, thin legs, which ran very fast, and whose bite we were told
+was very poisonous.
+
+On the way back, when passing through some very low caves, the Hadji
+got some of his men to knock down for me a few of the white nests from
+the sides of the cave with long poles, and in another cave they got me
+some black nests. The difference between these white and black nests
+is this: they are made by two different kinds of swallows. The white
+nest is made by a very small bird, but the bird that builds the black
+nest is twice the size of the other. The white nest looks something
+like pure white gelatine, and is very clean, and has no feathers
+in it. The black nest, on the contrary, is plentifully coated with
+feathers, and it is, in consequence, not worth nearly as much as the
+white nest. The nests are made from the saliva of the birds. Both
+are very plain coloured birds; an ordinary swallow is brilliant in
+comparison. This is unusual in a country so full of brilliant-plumaged
+birds as Borneo is; but, as they spend most of their lives in the
+depths of these sombre caves, I suppose it is only natural that their
+plumage should be obscure and plain. These birds'-nest caves are found
+all over Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, and also in Java and other
+parts of the Malay archipelago, but these are by far the largest. The
+revenue from these caves alone brings the Government a very large
+sum. By far the greatest number of these nests are sent to China,
+where birds'-nest soup is an expensive luxury. The natives of Borneo
+do not eat them. For myself, I found the soup rather tasteless.
+
+We were told that if they missed one season's nest collecting, most
+of the birds would forsake these caves, possibly because there would
+be so little room for them to build again. I learned that they build
+and lay four times a year, but I think that they meant that both
+the black and the white-nest birds lay twice each. The white kind
+build their first nests about March, and the black kind in May, and,
+as these nests are all collected before they have time to hatch their
+eggs, there are no young birds till later in the year, when the nests
+are not disturbed, but the old nests are collected with the new ones
+the following year. If the guano could be easily transported to the
+coast it would be a paying proposition, but the Government fears that
+it might frighten the birds away.
+
+About dusk that evening after we had returned to our hut, I heard a
+noise like the whistling of the wind, and, going outside, I saw a truly
+wonderful sight, in fact a sight that filled me with amazement. The
+millions of small bats which share these caves with the birds were
+issuing forth for the night from the small hole I spoke about on the
+very top of the rock leading into the large cave, but what a sight it
+was! As far as the eye could see they stretched in one even unbroken
+column across the sky. They issued from the cave in a compact mass
+and preserved the same even formation till they disappeared in the far
+distance. As far as I could see there were no stragglers. They rather
+resembled a thick line of smoke coming out of the funnel of a steamer,
+with this exception that they kept the same thick line till they went
+out of sight. The most curious thing about it was that the thick line
+twisted and wriggled across the sky for all the world like a giant
+snake, as if it were blown about by gusts of wind, of which, however,
+there was none. Even with these strange manoeuvres the bats kept the
+same unbroken solid formation. They were still coming forth in the same
+manner till darkness set in, and then I could only hear the beating
+of myriads of wings like the sighing of the wind in the tree-tops.
+
+They return in early morning in much the same fashion. I heard that
+the swallows usually did the same thing, only the other way about;
+when the bats came out, the swallows entered the eaves, and when the
+bats went in, the swallows came out, but it being now their nesting
+season, they went in and out of the eaves irregularly all day, but
+I was quite satisfied to see the bats go through the performance,
+as it was one of the most wonderful sights I have ever seen.
+
+We had been told that it would be three or four more days before the
+collecting would take place, and also that they had to wait for a
+good omen in the shape of a good dream coming to one of the chief
+owners of the caves. Our pleasure was great, therefore, when the
+Hadji and some of his followers paid us a visit that night and told
+us that work should start in the largest cave the next morning for
+our benefit. That was good news, indeed, as Richardson could not wait
+more than another day. It was another good move for the Hadji and his
+Panglima-ship, and I told Richardson he ought to give it him forthwith.
+
+The next morning we climbed to the top of the rock. It was hard
+work climbing over the brittle rocks and up perpendicular and
+shaky ladders. On reaching the summit we got a splendid view of the
+surrounding country, and could plainly see the distant sea; but all
+else was thick, billowy forest, dotted at long intervals with limestone
+ridges, also covered with forest. Here we found the hole on the top
+of the large cave, and stretching across it were two long, thick
+"bilian" logs, to which the natives were now fastening their long
+rattan ladders before descending them to collect the nests. We crept
+along the logs and listened to the everlasting twittering far below;
+but, although we could see nothing but pitchy darkness, the thought
+of what was below made me soon crawl back with a very shaky feeling
+in my legs.
+
+We then descended again till we came to the mouth of a curious cave,
+which was practically a dark chasm at our feet. We climbed down
+into the depths on a straight, swaying ladder, which required a good
+grip, and then, after a climb over slanting, slippery rocks, we found
+ourselves in the large cave, on a sort of ledge, within perhaps sixty
+feet of the roof. We were told that we were the first Europeans who
+had ever descended on to this ledge. From here we watched the natives
+collecting the nests. In a short account of this description it is
+impossible for me to detail all the wonderful methods the natives
+had for collecting the nests, but the chief method was by descending
+rattan ladders, which were let down through the hole on the top of
+the cave. It made one quite giddy even to watch the men descending
+these frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space
+below them. The man on the nearest ladder had a long rattan rope
+attached low down to his ladder, with a kind of wooden anchor at
+the end of it. At the second attempt he succeeded with a wonderful
+throw in getting the anchor to stick in the soft guano on the edge
+of the slanting ledge where we were. It was then seized by several
+men waiting there; by these it was hauled up until they were enabled
+to catch hold of the end of the ladder, which they dragged higher and
+higher up the steep, slanting rocks we had come down by. This in time
+brought the flexible ladder, at least the part on which the man was,
+level with the roof, and he, lying on his back on the thin ladder,
+pulled the nests off the rocky roof, putting them into a large rattan
+basket fastened about his body.
+
+We saw many other methods they have of collecting these nests by the
+aid of long bamboo poles and rattan ropes, up which they climbed to
+dizzy heights.
+
+These eaves, we were told, were full of very large harmless snakes,
+but we did not come across them. If I had had a good head and plenty
+of skill and pluck as a climber, I might have come away a wealthy man,
+as the Hadji told us that in a sort of side cave high up in the large
+cave were the coffins of the men that first discovered these caves,
+and with them were large jars of gold and jewels, but no one dared
+touch them, as they said it would be certain death to the man who did
+so. A man once did take some, but a few days later was taken violently
+ill and so had them put back and thus recovered. It was not for any
+scruples of this kind that I declined the Hadji's offer to help myself
+when he pointed out to me the spot where they were, but I think he
+must have guessed that I would not have trusted myself on one of those
+frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space beneath me.
+
+On the way back we scrambled up to a small cave where there were
+numerous carved coffins and bones which belonged to some of the former
+owners of the caves, but alas! no jars of gold; possibly poor men, they
+did not realize good prices. We returned down the rocks a different
+way, which made Richardson indulge in some hearty language at the
+Hadji's expense, who must have had fears that the Panglima-ship was
+at the last moment slipping away from him. It certainly was awkward
+and dangerous work climbing down the steep precipices, and we could
+never have done it, but that the rocks were quite honeycombed with
+small holes which enabled us to get a good hold for our hands.
+
+That night was a busy one for me, skinning my numerous birds and
+blowing the eggs by a dim light to the accompaniment of Richardson's
+snores, and I did not get to bed till 2 a.m. We were up again at 4
+a.m. for the return journey. But I had seen one of the most wonderful
+sights in the world, and to me it seemed extraordinary that until I
+came to Borneo I had never even heard of the Gomanton eaves. Some
+day, perhaps within our time, they will become widely advertised,
+and swarms of noisy tourists will come over in airships from London
+and New York, but there will be one thing lacking--all romance will
+have gone from these lonely wilds and forests, and that is the chief
+thing. The Hadji returned with us to Bilit, and got his desire,
+the Panglima-ship, and well he deserved it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+
+[1] C is pronounced as Th.: _e.g.,_ "Cawa"--"Thawa."
+
+[2] Nabuna, pron. Nambuna.
+
+[3] Panes of glass in a _Fijian_ house are very unusual, but this
+house, being Government-built, was European. I can only recall one
+other instance, that of Ratu Kandavu Levu on his small island of
+Bau, and then it was only in the native house where he entertained
+European guests.
+
+[4] These circumstances were a matter of common knowledge, at the time
+of my visit, all over Fiji. On the other hand it must be remembered
+that Ratu Lala did not think he was doing any harm, for the woman,
+having done wrong, required punishing, and naturally South Sea Island
+ideas of punishment, inherited from past generations, differ radically
+from those of Europeans.
+
+[5] _Ptychosperma_ sp.
+
+[6] _Pritchardia Pacifica._
+
+[7] _Elaterid�_
+
+[8] Pron.: longa-longa.
+
+[9] Pronounced "Samothe."
+
+[10] "b" pronounced "mb."
+
+[11] R. Shelford's Report.
+
+[12] From a Singapore Paper.
+
+[13] Some of these names that I got were "kudong" "blimbing," "mawang,"
+"sima" "lakat," "kamayan," "nika," "esu," "kubal," "padalai" and
+"rambai."
+
+[14] These were the heights given me by the Malays.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And
+in Borneo and the Philippines, by H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***
+
+***** This file should be named 2564-8.txt or 2564-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/6/2564/
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/old/2564-8.zip b/old/2564-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e575ac8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/2564-8.zip
diff --git a/old/2564.txt b/old/2564.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ca4c9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/2564.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5892 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in
+Borneo and the Philippines, by H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+Author: H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+Release Date: March, 2001  [Etext #2564]
+Posting Date November 4, 2009 [EBook #2564]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                   Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
+                   And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+
+                                   By
+                           H. Wilfrid Walker
+                Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
+   With forty-eight plates from photographs by the author and others
+
+
+
+                                 London
+                             Witherby & Co.
+                                  1909
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                                   To
+                           My brother Charles
+                      This record of my wanderings
+                 in which he took so deep an interest,
+                      is affectionately dedicated.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+In a book of this kind it is often the custom to begin by making
+apologies. In my case I feel it to be a sheer necessity. In the first
+place what is here printed is for the greater part copied word for
+word from private letters that I wrote in very simple language in
+Dayak or Negrito huts, or in the lonely depths of tropical forests, in
+the far-off islands of the Southern Seas. I purposely made my letters
+home as concise as possible, so that they could be easily read, and in
+consequence have left out much that might have been interesting. It is
+almost unnecessary to mention that when I wrote these letters I had
+no thought whatever of writing a book. If I had thought of doing so,
+I might have mentioned more about the customs, ornaments and weapons of
+the natives and have written about several other subjects in greater
+detail. As it is, a cursory glance will show that this book has not
+the slightest pretence of being "scientific." Far from its being
+so, I have simply related a few of the more interesting incidents,
+such as would give a _general impression_ of my life among savages,
+during my wanderings in many parts of the world, extending over
+nearly a score of years. I should like to have written more about
+my wanderings in North Borneo, as well as in Samoa and Celebes and
+various other countries, but the size of the book precludes this. My
+excuse for publishing this book is that certain of my relatives
+have begged me to do so. Though I was for the greater part of the
+time adding to my own collections of birds and butterflies, I have
+refrained as much as possible from writing on these subjects for
+fear that they might prove tedious to the general reader. I have
+also touched but lightly on the general customs of the people, as
+this book is not for the naturalist or ethnologist, nor have I made
+any special study of the languages concerned, but have simply jotted
+down the native words here used exactly as I heard them. As regards
+the photographs, some of them were taken by myself while others were
+given me by friends whom I cannot now trace. In a few cases I have
+no note from whom they were got, though I feel sure they were not
+from anyone who would object to their publication. In particular,
+I may mention Messrs. G. R. Lambert, Singapore; John Waters, Suva,
+Fiji; Kerry & Co., Sydney; and G. O. Manning, New Guinea. To these
+and all others who have helped me I now tender my heartiest thanks. I
+have met with so much help and kindness during my wanderings from
+Government officials and others that if I were here to mention all,
+the list would be a large one. I shall therefore have to be content
+with only mentioning the principal names of those in the countries
+I have here written about.
+
+In Fiji:--Messrs. Sutherland, John Waters, and McOwan.
+
+In New Guinea:--Sir Francis Winter, Mr. C. A. W. Monckton, R.M., The
+Hon. A. Musgrave, Capt. Barton, Mr. Guy O. Manning, and Dr. Vaughan.
+
+In the Philippines:--Governor Taft, afterwards President of the United
+States, and Mr. G. d'E. Browne.
+
+In British North Borneo:--Messrs. H. Walker, Richardson, Paul Brietag,
+F. Durege, J. H. Molyneux, and Dr. Davies.
+
+In Sarawak:--H.H. The Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, Sir Percy Cunninghame,
+Dr. Hose, Archdeacon Sharpe, Mr. R. Shelford, and the officials of
+The Borneo Company, Ltd.
+
+To all of these and many others in other countries I take this
+opportunity of publicly tendering my cordial thanks for their unfailing
+kindness and hospitality to a wanderer in strange lands.
+
+H. Wilfrid Walker.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+    _Frontispiece_--Belles of Papua.
+    A Chief's Daughter and a Daughter of the People
+    A "Meke-Meke," or Fijian Girls' Dance
+    Interior of a large Fijian Hut
+    A Fijian Mountaineer's House
+    At the Door of a Fijian House
+    A Fijian Girl
+    Spearing Fish in Fiji
+    A Fijian Fisher Girl
+    A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in Fiji
+    Making Fire by Wood Friction
+    An Old ex-Cannibal
+    A Fijian War-Dance
+    Adi Cakobau (pronounced "Andi Thakombau"), the highest Princess
+    in Fiji, at her house at Navuso
+    A Filipino Dwelling
+    A Village Street in the Philippines
+    A River Scene in the Philippines
+    A Negrito Family
+    Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back)
+    A Negrito Shooting
+    Tree Climbing by Negritos
+    A Negrito Dance
+    Arigita and his Wife
+    Three Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War Attire
+    Kaili-Kaili House on the edge of a Precipice
+    "A Great Joke"
+    A Ghastly Relic
+    Cannibal Trophies
+    A Woman and her Baby
+    A Papuan Girl
+    The Author with Kaili-Kaili Followers
+    Wives of Native Armed Police
+    A Papuan Damsel
+    Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife and Son (in
+    the Police)
+    A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise
+    The Author starting on an Expedition
+    A New Guinea River Scene
+    Papuan Tree-Houses
+    A Village of the Agai Ambu
+    H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W. Monckton
+    View of Kuching from the Rajah's Garden
+    Dayaks and Canoes
+    Dayak in War-Coat
+    Dayak Women and Children on the Platform outside a long House
+    Dayaks Catching Fish
+    A Dayak Woman with Mourning Ornaments round waist
+    On a Tobacco Estate
+    On a Bornean River
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART I
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+    Journey to Taviuni--Samoan Songs--Whistling for the Wind--Landing
+    on Koro--Nabuna--Samoans and Fijians Compared--Fijian Dances and
+    Angona Drinking--A Hurricane in the Southern Seas--Arrival at
+    Taviuni--First Impressions of Ratu Lala's Establishment--Character
+    of Ratu Lala--Prohibition of Cricket--Ratu Lala Offended--The
+    Prince's Musical Box.
+
+
+Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my
+two months' stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni,
+ranks highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my
+life with this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow
+seems unreal and an existence far apart from the commonplace life of
+civilization. When I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary
+gave me a letter of introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I
+sailed from Suva on an Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle
+outfit and a case of whisky, the latter a present for the Prince,--and
+a more acceptable present one could not have given him.
+
+After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on
+the island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a
+small schooner which carried copra from several of the Outlying
+islands to Levuka. Her name was the _Lurline,_ and her captain
+was a Samoan, whilst his crew was made up of two Samoans and four
+Fijians. The captain seemed to enjoy yelling at his men in the
+Fijian language, with a strong flavouring of English "swear words,"
+and spoke about the Fijians in terms of utter contempt, calling them
+"d----d cannibals." The cabin wag a small one with only two bunks, and
+swarmed with green beetles and cockroaches. Our meals were all taken
+together on deck, and consisted of yams, ship's biscuit and salt junk.
+
+We had a grand breeze to start with, but toward evening it died down
+and we lay becalmed. All hands being idle, the Samoans spent the time
+in singing the catchy songs of Samoa, most of which I was familiar with
+from my long stay in those islands, and their delight was great when
+I joined in. About midnight a large whale floated calmly alongside,
+not forty yards from our little schooner, and we trembled to think what
+would happen if it was at all inclined to be playful. We whistled all
+the next day for a breeze, but our efforts were not a success until
+toward evening, when we were rewarded in a very liberal manner, and
+arrived after dark at the village of Cawa Lailai, [1] on the island
+of Koro. On our landing quite a crowd of wild-looking men and women,
+all clad only in sulus, met us on the beach. Although it is a large
+island, there is only one white man on it, and he far away from here,
+so no doubt I was an interesting object. I put up at the hut of the
+"Buli" or village chief, and after eating a dish of smoking yams, I was
+soon asleep, in spite of the mosquitoes. It dawned a lovely morning and
+I was soon afoot to view my surroundings. It was a beautiful village,
+surrounded by pretty woods on all sides, and I saw and heard plenty
+of noisy crimson and green parrots everywhere. I also learnt that
+a few days previously there had been a wholesale marriage ceremony,
+when nearly all the young men and women had been joined in matrimony.
+
+Taking a guide with me, I walked across the island till I came to the
+village of Nabuna, [2] on the other coast, the _Lurline_ meanwhile
+sailing around the island. It was a hard walk, up steep hills and down
+narrow gorges, and then latterly along the coast beneath the shade
+of the coconuts. Fijian bridges are bad things to cross, being long
+trunks of trees smoothed off on the surface and sometimes very narrow,
+and I generally had to negotiate them by sitting astride and working
+myself along with my hands. In the village of Nabuna lived the wife
+and four daughters of the Samoan captain. He told me he had had five
+wives before, and when I asked if they were all dead, he replied that
+they were still alive, but he had got rid of them as they were no good.
+
+The daughters were all very pretty girls, especially the youngest, a
+little girl of nine years old. I always think that the little Samoan
+girls, with their long wavy black hair, are among the prettiest
+children in the world.
+
+We had an excellent supper of native oysters, freshwater prawns and
+eels, fish, chicken, and many other native dishes. That evening
+a big Fijian dance ("meke-meke"), was given in my honour. Two of
+the captain's daughters took part in it. The girls sit down all the
+time in a row, and wave their hands and arms about and sing in a low
+key and in frightful discord. It does not in any way come up to the
+very pretty "siva-siva" dancing of the Samoans, and the Fiji dance
+lacks variety. There is a continual accompaniment of beating with
+sticks on a piece of wood. All the girls decorate themselves with
+coloured leaves, and their bodies, arms and legs glisten as in Samoa
+with coconut-oil, really a very clean custom in these hot countries,
+though it does not look prepossessing. Our two Samoans in the crew were
+most amusing; they came in dressed up only in leaves, and took off
+the Fijians to perfection with the addition of numerous extravagant
+gestures. I laughed till my sides ached, but the Fijians never even
+smiled. However, our Samoans gave them a bit of Samoan "siva-siva"
+and plenty of Samoan songs, and it was amusing to see the interest
+the Fijians took in them. It was, of course, all new to them. I drank
+plenty of "angona," that evening. It is offered you in a different way
+in Samoa. In Fiji, the man or girl, who hands you the coconut-shell
+cup on bended knee, crouches at your feet till you have finished. In
+Fijian villages a sort of crier or herald goes round the houses every
+night crying the orders for the next day in a loud resonant voice, and
+at once all talking ceases in the hut outside which he happens to be.
+
+The next two days it blew a regular hurricane, and the captain dared
+not venture out to sea, our schooner lying safely at anchor inside the
+coral reef. I have not space to describe my stay here, but it proved
+most enjoyable, and the captain's pretty Samoan daughters gave several
+"meke-mekes" (Fijian dances) in my honour, and plenty of "angona"
+was indulged in, and what with feasts, native games and first-class
+fishing inside the coral reef, the time passed all too quickly. I
+called on the "Buli" or village chief, with the captain. He was a
+boy of fifteen, and seemed a very bashful youth.
+
+We sailed again about five a.m. on the third morning, as the storm
+seemed to be dying down and the captain was anxious to get on. We
+had not gone far, however, before the gale increased in fury until it
+turned into a regular hurricane. First our foresheet was carried away;
+this was followed by our staysail, and things began to look serious,
+in fact, most unpleasantly so. The captain almost seemed to lose his
+head, and cursed loud and long. He declared that he had been a fool
+to put out to sea before the storm had gone down, and the _Lurline,_
+being an old boat, could not possibly last in such a storm, and
+added that we should all be drowned. This was not pleasant news,
+and as the cabin was already half-full of water, and we expected
+each moment to be our last, I remained on deck for ten weary hours,
+clinging like grim death to the ropes, while heavy seas dashed over
+me, raking the little schooner fore and aft.
+
+Toward evening, however, the wind subsided considerably, which enabled
+us to get into the calm waters of the Somo-somo Channel between the
+islands of Vanua Levu and Taviuni.
+
+The wreckage was put to rights temporarily, the Samoans, who had
+previously made up their minds that they were going to be drowned,
+burst forth into their native songs, and we broke our long fast
+of twenty-four hours, as we had eaten nothing since the previous
+evening. It was an experience I am not likely to forget, as it was the
+worst storm I have ever been in, if I except the terrible typhoon of
+October, 1903, off Japan, when I was wrecked and treated as a Russian
+spy. On this occasion a large Japanese fishing fleet was entirely
+destroyed. I was, of course, soaked to the skin and got badly bruised,
+and was once all but washed overboard, one of the Fijians catching
+hold of me in the nick of time. We cast anchor for the night, though
+we had only a few miles yet to go, but this short distance took us
+eight or nine hours next day, as this channel is nearly always calm. We
+had light variable breezes, and tacked repeatedly, but gained ground
+slowly. These waters seemed full of large turtles, and we passed them
+in great numbers. We overhauled a large schooner, and on hailing them,
+the captain, a white man, came on deck. He would hardly believe that
+we had been all through the storm. He said that he had escaped most of
+it by getting inside the coral reef round Vanua Levu, but even during
+the short time he had been out in the storm, he had had to throw the
+greater part of his cargo overboard. From the way he spoke, he had
+evidently been drinking, possibly trying to forget his lost cargo.
+
+Before I left Fiji I heard that the _Lurline_ had gone to her last
+berth. She was driven on to a coral reef in a bad storm off the coast
+of Taviuni. The captain seemed to stand in much fear of Ratu Lala. He
+told me many thrilling yarns about him; said he robbed his people
+badly, and added that he did not think that I would get on well with
+him, and would soon be anxious to leave.
+
+I landed at the large village of Somo-somo, glad to be safely on _terra
+firma_ once more. It was a pretty village, with a large mountain
+torrent dashing over the rocks in the middle of it. The huts were
+dotted about irregularly on a natural grass lawn, and large trees,
+clumps of bamboo, coconuts, bread-fruit trees, and bright-coloured
+"crotons" added a great deal to the picturesqueness of the village. At
+the back the wooded hills towered up to a height of nearly 4,000 feet,
+and white streaks amid the mountain woods showed where many a fine
+waterfall tumbled over rocky precipices.
+
+Ratu Lala lived in a wooden house, built for him (as "Roko" for
+Taviuni), by the government, on the top of a hill overlooking the
+village, and thither on landing I at once made my way. I found the
+Prince slowly recovering from an attack of fever, and lying on a heap
+of mats (which formed his bed) on the floor of his own private room,
+which, however, greatly resembled an old curiosity shop. Everything
+was in great disorder, and piles of London Graphics and other papers
+littered the ground, and on the tables were piled indiscriminately
+clocks, flasks, silver cups, fishing rods, guns, musical boxes, and
+numerous other articles which I discovered later on were presents
+from high officials and other Europeans, and which he did not know
+what to do with. Nearly every window in the house had a pane of glass
+[3] broken, the floors were devoid of mats or carpets, and in places
+were rotten and full of holes. This will give some idea of the state
+of chaos that reigned in the Prince's "palace."
+
+Ratu Lala himself was a tall, broad-shouldered man of about forty, his
+hair slightly grey, with a bristly moustache and a very long sloping
+forehead. Though dignified, he wore an extremely fierce expression,
+so much so that I instinctively felt his subjects had good cause to
+treat him with the respect and fear that I had heard they gave him. He
+belongs to the Fijian royal family, and though he does not rank as
+high as his cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, whom I also visited at Bau,
+he is infinitely more powerful, and owns more territory. His father
+was evidently a "much married man" since Ratu Lala himself told me
+that he had had "exactly three hundred wives." But in spite of this
+he had been a man of prowess, as the Fijians count it, and I received
+as a present from Ratu Lala a very heavy hardwood war-club that had
+once belonged to his father, and which, he assured me, had killed a
+great many people. Ratu Lala also told me that he himself had offered
+to furnish one hundred warriors to help the British during the last
+Egyptian war, but that the government had declined his offer. One of
+the late Governors of Fiji, Sir John Thurston, was once his guardian
+and, godfather. He was educated for two years in Sydney, Australia,
+and spoke English well, though in a very thick voice. Not only does
+he hold sway over the island of Taviuni, but also over some smaller
+islands and part of the large island of Vanua Levu. He also holds
+the rank of "Roko" from the government, for which he is well paid.
+
+After reading my letter of introduction he asked me to stay as long
+as I liked, and he called his head servant and told him to find me
+a room. This servant's name was Tolu, and as he spoke English fairly
+well, I soon learned a great deal about Ratu Lala and his people.
+
+Ratu Lala was married to a very high-caste lady who was closely related
+to the King of Tonga, and several of whose relatives accompanied us
+on our expeditions. By her he had two small children named Tersi (boy)
+and Moe (girl), both of whom, during my stay (as will hereafter appear)
+were sent to school at Suva, amid great lamentations on the part of
+the women of Ratu Lala's household. Two months before my visit Ratu
+Lala had lost his eldest daughter (by his Tongan wife). She was twelve
+years old, and a favourite of his, and her grave was on a bluff below
+the house, under a kind of tent, hung round with fluttering pieces
+of "tapa" cloth. Spread over it was a kind of gravel of bright green
+Stones which he had had brought from a long distance. Little Moe and
+Tersi were always very interested in watching me skin my birds, and
+their exclamation of what sounded like "Esa!" ("Oh look!") showed their
+enjoyment. They were two of the prettiest little children I think I
+have ever seen, but they did not know a word of English, and called me
+"Misi Walk." They and their mother always took their meals sitting on
+mats in the verandah. Ratu Lala had two grown-up daughters by other
+wives, but they never came to the house, living in an adjoining hut
+where I often joined them at a game of cards. They were both very
+stately and beautiful young women, with a haughty bearing which made
+me imagine that they were filled with a sense of their own importance.
+
+As is well known all over Fiji, Ratu Lala, a few years before my stay
+with him, had been deported in disgrace for a term of several months,
+to the island of Viti Levu, where he would be under the paternal eye
+of the government. This was because he had punished a woman, who had
+offended him, by pegging her down on an ants' nest, first smearing
+her all over with honey, so that the ants would the more readily eat
+her. [4] She recovered afterwards, but was badly eaten. As regards
+his punishment, he told me that he greatly enjoyed his exile, as he
+had splendid fishing, and some of the white people sent him champagne.
+
+His people were terribly afraid of him, and whenever they passed him
+as he sat on his verandah, they would almost go down on all fours. He
+told me how on one occasion when he was sitting on the upper verandah
+of the Club Hotel in Suva with two of his servants squatting near by,
+the whisky he had drunk had made him feel so sleepy, that he nearly
+fell into the street below, but his servants dared not lay hands on him
+to pull him back into safety, as his body was considered sacred by his
+people, and they dared not touch him. He declared to me that he would
+have been killed if a white man had not arrived just in time. He was
+very fond of telling me this story, and always laughed heartily over
+it. I noticed that Ratu Lala's servants treated me with a great deal
+of respect, and whenever they passed me in the house they would walk
+in a crouching attitude, with their heads almost touching the ground.
+
+Ratu Lala's cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, is a very enthusiastic
+cricketer, and has a very good cricket club with a pavilion at his
+island of Bau. He plays many matches against the white club in Suva,
+and only last year he took an eleven over to Australia to tour that
+country. I learned that previous to my visit he had paid a visit
+to Ratu Lala, and while there had got up a match at Somo-somo in
+which he induced Ratu Lala to play, but on Ratu Lala being given
+out first ball for nought, he (Ratu Lala) pulled up the stumps and
+carried them off the ground, and henceforth forbade any of his people
+to play the game on the island of Taviuni. I was not aware of this,
+and as I had brought a bat and ball with me, I got up several games
+shortly after my arrival. However, one evening all refused to play,
+but gave no reasons for their refusal, but Tolu told me that his
+master did not like to have them play. Then I learned the reason, and
+from that time I noticed a decided coolness on the part of Ratu Lala
+toward me. The fact, no doubt, is that Ratu Lala being exceptionally
+keen on sport, this very keenness made him impatient of defeat, or
+even of any question as to a possible want of success on his part,
+as I afterwards learnt on our expedition to Ngamia.
+
+I intended upon leaving Taviuni to return to Levuka, and from thence
+go by cutter to the island of Vanua Levu, and journey up the Wainunu
+River, plans which I ultimately carried out. Ratu Lala, however,
+wished me to proceed in his boat straight across to the island of
+Vanua Levu, and walk across a long stretch of very rough country to
+the Wainunu River. My only objection was that I had a large and heavy
+box, which I told Ratu Lala I thought was too large to be carried
+across country. He at once flew into a violent passion and declared
+that I spoke as if I considered he was no prince. "For," said he,
+"if ten of my subjects cannot carry your box I command one hundred
+to do so, and if one hundred of my subjects cannot carry your box
+I tell fifteen thousand of my subjects to do so." When I tried to
+picture fifteen thousand Fijians carrying my wretched box, it was
+altogether too much for my sense of humour, and I burst forth into
+a hearty roar of laughter, which so incensed the Prince that he shut
+himself up in his own room during the few remaining days of my stay.
+
+He had a musical box, which he was very fond of, and he had a man to
+keep it going at all hours of the day and night. It played four tunes,
+among them "The Village Blacksmith," "Strolling 'Round the Town," and
+"Who'll Buy my Herrings" till at times they nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I wanted to write or sleep. Night after night the
+tunes followed each other in regular routine till I thought I should
+get them on the brain. How he could stand it was a puzzle to me,
+especially as he had possessed it for many years. I often blessed
+the European who gave it him, and wished he could take my place.
+
+Whenever a man wished to speak to Ratu Lala he would crouch at his
+feet and softly clap his hands, and sometimes Ratu Lala would wait
+several minutes before he deigned to notice him.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+My Further Adventures with Ratu Lala.
+
+    Fijian Huts--Abundance of Game and Fish--Methods of Capture--A
+    Fijian Practical Joke--Fijian Feasts--Fun after Dinner--A Court
+    Jester in Fiji--Drinking, Dress, and Methods of Mourning--A
+    Bride's Ringlets--Expedition to Vuna--Tersi and Moe Journey to
+    School--Their Love of Sweets--Rough Reception of Visitors to
+    Vuna--Wonderful Fish Caught--Exhibition of Surf-board Swimming by
+    Women--Impressive Midnight Row back to Taviuni--A Fijian Farewell.
+
+
+In comparison with Samoan huts, the Fijian huts were very comfortable,
+though they are not half as airy, Samoan huts being very open; but in
+most of the Fijian huts I visited the only openings were the doors,
+and, as can be imagined, the interior was rather dark and gloomy. In
+shape they greatly resembled a haystack, the sides being composed of
+grass or bunches of leaves, more often the latter. They are generally
+built on a platform of rocks, with doors upon two or more sides,
+according to the size of the hut; and a sloping sort of rough plank
+with notches on it leads from the ground to each door. In the interior,
+the sides of the walls are often beautifully lined with the stems of
+reeds, fashioned very neatly, and in some cases in really artistic
+patterns, and tied together with thin ropes of coconut fibre, dyed
+various colours, and often ornamented with rows of large white cowry
+shells. The floor of these huts is much like a springy mattress,
+being packed to a depth of several feet with palm and other leaves,
+and on the top are strips of native mats permanently fastened, whereas
+in Samoa the floor is made up of small pieces of brittle white coral,
+over which are loose mats, which can be moved at will. In Fijian
+huts there is always a sort of raised platform at one end of the hut,
+on which are piles of the best native mats, and, being the guest, I
+generally got this to myself. The roof inside is very finely thatched,
+the beams being of "Niu sau," a native palm, [5] the cross-pieces and
+main supports being enormous bits of hard wood. The smaller supports of
+the sides are generally the trunks of tree-ferns. The doors in most of
+the huts are a strip of native matting or fantastically-painted "tapa"
+cloth, fastened to two posts a few feet inside the hut. In some huts
+there are small openings in the walls which answer for windows. The
+hearth was generally near one of the doors in the centre of the hut,
+and fire was produced by rubbing a piece of hard wood on a larger
+piece of soft wood, and working it up and down in a groove till a
+spark was produced. I have myself successfully employed this method
+when out shooting green pigeon ("rupe") in the mountains.
+
+With regard to food, I at first fared very well, although we had our
+meals at all hours, as Ratu Lala was very irregular in his habits. Our
+chief food was turtle. We had it so often that I soon loathed the
+taste of it. The turtles, when brought up from the sea were laid
+on their backs under a tree close by the house, and there the poor
+brutes were left for days together. Ratu Lala's men often brought in
+a live wild pig, which they captured with the aid of their dogs. At
+other times they would run them down and spear them; this was hard
+and exciting work, as I myself found on several occasions that I went
+pig hunting. One of the most remarkable things that I saw in Taviuni,
+from a sporting point of view, was the heart of a wild pig, which,
+when killed, was found to have lived with the broken point of a
+wooden spear fully four inches in length buried in the very centre
+of its heart. It had evidently lived for many years afterwards,
+and a curious kind of growth had formed round the point.
+
+As for other game, every time I went out in the mountain woods I had
+splendid sport with the wild chickens or jungle fowl and pigeons,
+and I would often return with my guide bearing a long pole loaded
+at both ends with the birds I had shot. The pigeons, which were
+large birds, settled on the tops of the tallest trees and made a
+very peculiar kind of growling noise. Many years ago (as Ratu Lala
+told me) the natives of Taviuni had been in the habit of catching
+great quantities of pigeons by means of large nets suspended from
+the trees. The chickens would generally get up like a pheasant,
+and it was good sport taking a snap shot at an old cock bird on
+the wing. It was curious to hear them crowing away in the depths of
+the forest, and at first I kept imagining that I was close to some
+village. I also obtained some good duck shooting on a lake high up in
+the mountains, and Ratu Lala described to me what must be a species
+of apteryx, or wingless bird (like the Kiwi of New Zealand), which
+he said was found in the mountains and lived in holes in the ground,
+but I never came across it, though I had many a weary search. Ratu
+Lala also assured me that the wild chickens were indigenous in Fiji,
+and were not descended from the domestic fowl. We had plenty of fish,
+both salt and fresh water, and the mountain streams were full of
+large fish, which Ratu Lala, who is a keen fisherman, caught with
+the fly or grasshoppers. He sometimes caught over one hundred in
+a day, some of them over three pounds in weight. The streams were
+also full of huge eels and large prawns, and a kind of oyster was
+abundant in the sea, so what with wild pig, wild chickens, pigeons,
+turtles, oysters, prawns, crabs, eels, and fish of infinite variety,
+we fared exceedingly well. Oranges, lemons, limes, large shaddocks,
+"kavika," and other wild fruits were plentiful everywhere.
+
+During my stay here in August and September the climate was delightful,
+and it was remarkably cool for the tropics. I often accompanied Ratu
+Lala on his fishing excursions, and he would often recount to me
+many of his escapades. On one occasion he told me that he had put
+a fish-hook through the lip of his jester, a little old man of the
+name of Stivani, and played him about with rod and reel like a fish,
+and had made him swim about in the water until he had tired him out,
+and then he added, "I landed the finest fish I ever got."
+
+I added a good many interesting birds to my collection during my stay
+here, among them a dove of intense orange colour, one of the most
+striking birds I have ever seen. Plant life here was exceedingly
+beautiful and interesting, especially high up in the mountains,
+palms, _pandanus,_ cycads, crotons, _acalyphas, loranths,_ aroids,
+_freycinetias,_ ferns and orchids being strongly represented, and
+among the latter may be mentioned a fine orange _dendrobium_ and a pink
+_calanthe._ I found in flower a celebrated creeper, which Ratu Lala had
+told me to look out for. It had very showy red, white and blue flowers,
+and in the old days Ratu Lala told me that the Tongan people would
+come over in their canoes all the way from the Tonga Islands, nearly
+four hundred miles away, simply to get this flower for their dances,
+and when gathered, it would last a very long time without fading. I
+tried to learn the traditions about this flower, but Ratu Lala either
+did not know of any or else he was not anxious to tell me about them.
+
+The coastal natives, like most South Sea Islanders, were splendid
+swimmers, but, so far as I was concerned, it was dangerous work bathing
+in the sea here, as man-eating sharks were very numerous, and during my
+stay I saw a Fijian carried ashore with both his legs bitten clean off.
+
+Usually, when out on expeditions, we occupied the "Buli's" hut and
+lived on the fat of the land. At meal times quite a procession of men
+and women, glistening all over with coconut oil, would enter our hut
+bearing all sorts of native food, including fish in great variety,
+yams, octopus, turtle, sucking-pig, chicken, prawns, etc. They were
+brought in on banana and other large leaves, and we, of course, ate
+them with our fingers. Good as the food undoubtedly was, I was always
+glad when the meal was over, as it is very far from comfortable to
+sit with your legs doubled up under you. Afterwards I could hardly
+stand up straight, owing to cramp. I found it especially trying in
+Samoa, where one had to sit in this manner for hours during feasts,
+"kava"-drinking and "siva-sivas" (dances). Sometimes a glistening
+damsel would fan us with a large fan made out of the leaf of a fan
+palm, [6] which at times got rather in the way. I never got waited
+on better in my life. Directly I had finished one course a dozen
+girls were ready to hand me other dishes, and when I wanted a drink
+a girl immediately handed me a cup made out of the half-shell of a
+coconut filled with a kind of soup. We generally had an audience of
+fully fifty people, and when we had finished eating, a wooden bowl of
+water was handed to us in which to wash our hands. Ratu Lala would
+generally hand the bowl to me first, and I would wash my hands in
+silence, but directly he started to wash his hands, everyone present,
+including chiefs and attendants, would start clapping their hands
+in even time, then one man would utter a deep and prolonged "Ah-h,"
+when the crowd would all shout together what sounded like "Ai on
+dwah," followed by more even clapping. I never learned what the
+words meant. In this respect Ratu Lala was most curiously secretive,
+and always evaded questions. Whenever he took a drink, a clapping of
+hands made me aware of the fact.
+
+One day, when they had chanted after a meal as usual, Ratu Lala turned
+around to me and mimicked the way his jester or clown repeated it,
+and there was a general laugh. This jester, whose name was Stivani,
+was a little old man who was also jester to Ratu Lala's father. Ratu
+Lala had given him the nickname of "Punch," and made him do all sorts
+of ridiculous things--sing and dance and go through various contortions
+dressed up in bunches of "croton" leaves. He kept us all much amused,
+and was the life and soul of our party, but at times I caught the old
+fellow looking very weary and sad, as if he was tired of his office
+as jester.
+
+The "angona" root (_Piper methysticum_) is first generally pounded,
+but is sometimes grated, and more rarely chewed by young maidens. It
+is then mixed with water in a large wooden bowl, and the remains of
+the root drawn out with a bunch of fibrous material. It is then ready
+for drinking.
+
+On gala and festal occasions the Fijians were wonderfully and
+fantastically dressed up, their huge heads of hair thickly covered with
+a red or yellow powder, and they themselves wearing large skirts or
+"sulus" of coloured "tapa" and _pandanus_ ribbons and necklaces of
+coloured seeds, shells, and pigs'-tusks. In out-of-the-way parts the
+"sulus" are still made of "tapa" cloth, and the women sometimes wear
+small fibrous aprons. They also often wear wild pigs'-tusks round
+their necks.
+
+I noticed that many Fijian women were tattooed on the hands and arms,
+and at each corner of the mouth (a deep blue colour). Both men and
+women gave themselves severe wounds about the body, generally as a sign
+of grief on the death of some near relative. I once noticed a young
+girl of sixteen or seventeen with a very bad unhealed wound below
+one of her breasts, which was self-inflicted. Her father, a chief,
+had died only a short time previously. They often also cut off the
+little finger for similar reasons. Like the Samoans, the Fijians often
+cover their hair with white lime, and the effect of the sun bleaches
+the hair and changes it from black to a light gold or brown colour.
+
+A marriageable young lady in Fiji would generally have a great
+quantity of long braided ringlets hanging down on _one_ side of her
+head. This looked odd, considering that the rest of her hair was
+erect or frizzly. It was a great insult to have these ringlets cut. I
+heard of it once being done by a white planter, and great trouble
+and fighting were the result.
+
+I accompanied Ratu Lala on several expeditions to various parts
+of the island, and we also visited several smaller islands within
+his dominions. On these occasions we always took possession of the
+"Buli's," or village chief's, hut, turning him out, and feeding on
+all the delicacies the village could produce. After we had practically
+eaten them out of house and home we would move on and take possession
+of another village. The inhabitants did not seem to mind this; in fact,
+they seemed to enjoy our visit, as it was an excuse for big feasts,
+"meke-mekes" (dances) and "angona" drinking.
+
+One of the most enjoyable expeditions that I made with Ratu Lala
+was to Vuna, about twenty miles away to the south. A small steamer,
+the _Kia Ora,_ which made periodical visits to the island to collect
+the government taxes in copra, arrived one day in the bay. Ratu Lala
+thought this would be a good opportunity for us to make a fishing
+expedition to Vuna. We went on board the steamer while our large boat
+was towed behind.
+
+At the same time Ratu Lala's two little children, Moe and Tersi,
+started off, in charge of Ratu Lala's Tongan wife and other women,
+to be educated in Suva. It was the first time they had ever left home,
+but I agreed with Ratu Lala, that it was time they went, as they did
+not know a word of English, and, for the matter of that, neither did
+his Tongan wife. When we all arrived at the beach to get into the
+boat, we found a large crowd, chiefly women, sitting on the ground,
+and as Ratu Lala walked past them, they greeted him with a kind of
+salutation which they chanted as with one voice. I several times
+asked him what it meant, but he always evaded the question somehow,
+and seemed too modest to tell me. I came to the conclusion that it
+ran something like "Hail, most noble prince, live for ever." The
+next minute all the women started to howl as if at a given signal,
+and they looked pictures of misery. Several of them waded out into
+the sea and embraced little Tersi and Moe. This soon set the children
+crying as well, so that I almost began to fear that the combined tears
+would sink our boat. Their old grandmother waded out into the sea
+up to her neck and stayed there, and we could hear her howling long
+after we had got on board the steamer. When we got into Ratu Lala's
+boat at Vuna there was another very affecting farewell. Some months
+later when I returned to Suva, I asked a young chief, Ratu Pope,
+to show me where they were at school, and I found them at a small
+kindergarten for the children of the Europeans in Suva.
+
+They seemed quite glad to see their old friend again, and still more
+so when I promised to bring them some lollies (the term used for
+sweets in Australasia) that afternoon.
+
+When I returned I witnessed a pretty and interesting sight The two
+little children were standing out in the school yard while several
+Fijian men and women of noble families who had been paying the little
+prince and princess a visit, were just taking their leave. It was a
+curious sight to see these old people go in turn up to these two little
+mites and go down on their knees and kiss their little hands reverently
+in silence. All this homage seemed to bore the small high-born ones,
+and hardly was the ceremony over when they caught sight of me, and,
+rushing toward me with cries of "Misi Walk siandra, lollies," they
+nearly knocked over some of their visitors, who no doubt were greatly
+scandalized at such undignified behaviour.
+
+To return to our visit to Vuna. Sometime previously, Ratu Lala had
+warned me that whenever he landed at this place with a visitor it
+was an old custom for the women to catch the visitor and throw him
+into the sea from the top of a small rocky cliff. To this I raised
+serious objections, but arrayed myself in very old thin clothes
+ready for the fray. However, upon landing, very much on the alert,
+I was agreeably surprised to find that the women left me alone. Yet in
+part Ratu Lala's story was true, as he assured me that quite recently
+he had been forced to put a stop to the custom, as one of his last
+visitors was a European of much importance who was greatly incensed
+at such treatment, and complained to the government, who told Ratu
+Lala that the custom must end.
+
+We came to fish, and fish we did, just off the coral reef, but
+it would take space to describe even one-half of the curious and
+beautiful fish we caught. When I took the lead in the number of
+fish caught, Ratu Lala seemed greatly annoyed, and I was not sorry
+to let him get ahead, when he was soon in a good temper again. The
+Fijians generally fished with nets and a many-pronged fish-spear,
+with which they are very expert, and I saw them do wonderful work
+with them. They also used long wicker-work traps. Ratu Lala, on the
+contrary, being half-civilized, used an English rod and reel or line
+like a white man. Ratu Lala told the women here to give an exhibition
+of surf-board swimming for my benefit. As they rode into shore on the
+crest of a wave I many times expected to see them dashed against the
+rocks which fringed the coast. I had seen the natives in Hawaii perform
+seventeen years before, but it was tame in comparison to the wonderful
+performances of these Fijian women on this dangerous rock-girt coast.
+
+A great many "meke-mekes" or dances were got up in our honour, but Ratu
+Lala detested them, and rarely attended, but preferred staying in the
+"Buli's" hut, lying on the floor smoking or sleeping. He, however,
+always begged me to attend them in his place. After a time I found the
+performances rather wearisome, and not nearly so varied and interesting
+as the "siva-sivas" in Samoa. There the girls sang in soft, pleasing
+voices, the words being full of liquid vowels. Here in Fiji the singing
+was harsh and discordant, as k's and r's abound in the language.
+
+When it came to the ceremony of drinking "angona" I worthily did
+my part of the performance. Drinking "angona" is a taste not easily
+acquired, but when one has once got used to it, there is not a more
+refreshing drink, and I speak from long experience. In Fiji I was
+often presented with a large "angona" root, but it would be considered
+exceedingly bad form did you not return it to the giver and tell him
+to have it at once prepared for himself and his people, you yourself,
+of course, taking part in the drinking ceremony.
+
+After a stay of several days at Vuna we rowed back by night. It was
+a perfect, calm night, and with the full moon, was almost as bright
+as day. We rowed all the way close to shore, passing under the gloomy
+shade of dense forests or by countless coconuts, the only sound besides
+the plash of our oars being the cry of water fowl or some night bird,
+while the light beetles [7] flashed their green lights against the
+dark background of the forest, looking much like falling stars. There
+are certain moments in life that have made a lasting impression on me,
+and that moonlight row was one of them.
+
+We made several expeditions together that were every bit as interesting
+and enjoyable as the one to Vuna. On one occasion we visited the north
+part of the island, as well as Ngamia and other islands. We rowed
+nearly all the way close into shore and saw plenty of turtles. Ratu
+Lala started to troll with live bait, as we had come across several
+women fishing with nets, and on our approach they chanted out a
+greeting to Ratu Lala, and in return he helped himself to a lot of
+their fish. Ratu Lala had fully a dozen large fish after his bait,
+and some he hooked for a few seconds. This only made him the keener,
+and after leaving the calm Somo-somo Channel, although we encountered
+a very rough sea, he had the sail hoisted and we travelled at a great
+rate in and out amongst a lot of rocky islets, shipping any amount of
+water which soaked us and our baggage, and half-filled the boat. I
+expected we should be swamped every moment, and from the frightened
+looks of our crew I knew they expected the same thing. Hence, I was
+not reassured when Ratu Lala remarked that it was in just such a sea,
+and in the same place, that he lost his schooner (which the government
+had given him) and that on that occasion he and all his crew remained
+in the water for five hours. When I explained that I had no wish to be
+upset, he said, "I suppose you can swim?" I said "Yes! but I do not
+wish to lose my gun and other property," to which he replied, "Well,
+I lost more than that when my schooner went down." I was therefore
+not a little relieved when he had the sail lowered. He explained that
+he never liked being beaten, even if he drowned us all, and all this
+was because I had bet him one shilling (by his own desire) that he
+would not get a fish. I mention this to show what foolhardy things
+he was capable of doing, never thinking of the consequences. I could
+mention many such cases. We at length came to some shallows between
+a lot of small and most picturesque islands, and as it was low tide,
+and we could not pass, we, viz., Ratu Lala, myself, and the other
+chiefs, got out to walk, leaving the boat and crew to come on when
+they could (they arrived at 4 a.m. the next morning). I was glad to
+get an opportunity to dry myself, and we started off at a good rate
+for our destination, but unfortunately we came to a spot where grew
+a small weed that the Fijians consider a great luxury when cooked,
+and Ratu Lala and his people stayed here fully two hours, till they
+had picked all the weed in sight, in spite of the heavy rain. It
+was amusing to see all these high-caste Fijians and old Stivani, the
+jester, running to and fro with yells of delight like so many children,
+all on account of a weed which I myself afterwards failed to enjoy.
+
+On the way I shot three duck, and later, when it was too dark to shoot,
+we could see the beach between the mangroves and the sea was almost
+black with them. On the other side of us there was a regular chorus of
+wild chickens crowing and pigeons "howling" in the woods. After four
+hours' hard walking we arrived at our destination, Qelani, long after
+dark, dead tired, and soaked to the skin. We put up at the "Buli's"
+hut; he was a cousin of Ratu Lala, and was a hideous and sulky-looking
+fellow, but his hut was one of the finest and neatest I had seen in
+Fiji. As I literally had not had a mouthful of food since the previous
+evening, I was glad when about a dozen women entered bearing banana
+leaves covered with yams, fish, octopus, chickens, etc. We stayed here
+some days, but we had miserable, wet weather. There was excellent
+fishing in the stream here, and Ratu Lala especially had very good
+sport. Many of the fish averaged one-and-a-half pounds and more, but
+he told me that they often run to five pounds. There were three kinds,
+and all excellent eating. The commonest was a beautiful silvery fish,
+and another was of a golden colour with bright red stripes. During the
+latter part of my stay in Qelani I suffered from a slight attack of
+dysentery, and it was dull lying ill on the floor of a native hut with
+no one to talk to, as Ratu Lala always tried to avoid speaking English
+whenever possible, and would often only reply in monosyllables. It
+would often seem as if he were annoyed at something, but I found that
+he did this to all white men, and meant nothing by it. I soon cured
+myself by eating a lot of raw leaves of some bush plant, also a great
+quantity of native arrow-root.
+
+In spite of my sickness I managed to shoot a fair number of duck,
+wild chickens and pigeon, and also a few birds for my collection. One
+day, in spite of the rain, I was rowed over to Ngamia, which is
+a wonderfully beautiful island, about three hours from Qelani. It
+was thickly covered with a fine cycad which grows amongst the rocks
+overhanging the sea. The natives call it "loga-loga," [8] and eat the
+fruit. I landed and botanized a bit, finding some new and interesting
+plants, and then rowed on a few miles to call on the only white man
+on the island, an Australian named Mitchell, who has a large coconut
+property. He was astonished and pleased to see me, and introduced me
+to his Fijian wife, and his two pretty half-caste daughters soon got
+together a good breakfast for me. He seemed glad to see a white man
+again, and nearly talked my head off, and was full of anecdotes about
+the fighting they had with the Fijian cannibals in 1876. He told me
+that in the last great hurricane his house was blown over on to a
+small island which he owned nearly half-a-mile away.
+
+To describe all the incidents of my long visit would fill a book,
+but I think I have written enough to show what a very interesting
+time I spent with this Fijian Prince. It was without doubt one of
+the most curious experiences of all my travels in different parts
+of the globe. With all his faults, Ratu Lala was a good fellow, and
+he certainly was a sportsman. All Fiji knows his failings, otherwise
+I should not have alluded to them. The old blood of the Fijians ran
+in his veins, his ancestors were kings who had been used to command
+and to tyrannise; therefore he could never see any harm in the many
+stories of his escapades that he told me, and he seemed much offended
+and surprised when I advised him not to talk about them to other
+Europeans. When I started off to Levuka I was greatly surprised to
+see all the women of Somo-somo sitting on the beach waiting to see me
+depart, and as I walked down alone they greeted me in much the same
+way as they often greeted Ratu Lala, in a kind of chanting shout that
+sounded most effective. It was a Fijian farewell!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART II
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+    Journey into the Interior of Great Fiji--A Guide Secured--The
+    Start--Arrival at Navua--Extraction of Sago--Grandeur of
+    Scenery--A Man covered with Monkey-like Hair--A Strangely Coloured
+    Parrot--Wild Lemon and Shaddock Trees--A Tropical "Yosemite
+    Valley"--Handclapping as a Native Form of Salute--Beauty of
+    Namosi--The Visitor inspected by ex-Cannibals--Reversion to
+    Cannibalism only prevented by fear of the Government--A Man who
+    would like to Eat my Parrot "and the White Man too"--The Scene
+    of Former Cannibal Feasts--Revolting Accounts of Cannibalism as
+    Formerly Practised--Sporadic Cases in Recent Years--An Instance
+    of Unconscious Cannibalism by a White--Reception at Villages _en
+    route_--Masirewa Upset--Descent of Rapids--Dramatic Arrival at
+    Natondre ("Fallen from the Skies").
+
+
+Toward the end of my stay in the Fijian Islands I determined to make
+a journey far into the interior of Viti Levu (Great Fiji), the largest
+island of the great Fijian archipelago. Suva, the chief town in Fiji,
+and the headquarters of the government, is on this island, but very few
+Europeans travel far beyond the coast, and my friends in Suva declared
+that I would have a fit of repentance before I had travelled very far,
+as the interior of the island is extremely mountainous and rough. After
+a great deal of trouble I managed to get an interpreter named Masirewa,
+who came from the small island of Bau. He was a fine-looking fellow,
+and, like most Fijians, possessed a tremendous mop of hair. His stock
+of English was limited, and we often misunderstood each other, but he
+proved a most amusing companion, if only on account of his unlimited
+"cheek."
+
+I ought here to mention that Fijians vary a great deal, both in colour
+and language. Fiji is the part of the Pacific where various types meet,
+viz., Papuan, Malayan, and Polynesian. The mountaineers around Namosi,
+which I visited, who were all cannibals twenty-five years ago, are
+much darker in colour than the coast natives, and they are undoubtedly
+of Papuan origin.
+
+I left Suva with Masirewa on the morning of October 12th, and after
+a short sea voyage of three or four hours on a small steam launch,
+we arrived at the village of Navua. I had a letter to Mr. McOwan,
+the government commissioner for that district. He put me up for the
+night, and we played several games of tennis, and my stay, though
+short, was an exceedingly pleasant one. The whites in Fiji are the
+most hospitable people in the world. They are of the old _regime_
+that is dying out fast everywhere.
+
+The next day I set out on my journey into the interior, Masirewa and
+another Fijian carrying my baggage (which was wrapped up in waterproof
+cloth) on a long bamboo pole. We followed the course of the Navua River
+for some distance. In the swamps bordering the river grew quantities
+of a variety of sago palm (_Sagus vitiensis_) called by the natives
+Songo. They extract the sago from the trunk, and the palm always dies
+after flowering. After passing through about four miles of sugar cane,
+with small villages of the Indian coolies who work in the cane fields,
+we left behind us the last traces of civilization. We next came to
+a very beautiful bit of hilly country, densely wooded on the hills,
+though bordering the broad gravelly beaches of the river were long
+stretches of beautiful grassy pastures. Darkness set in as we ascended
+some thickly wooded hills. The atmosphere was damp and close, and
+mosquitoes plentiful, and small phosphorescent lumps seemed to wink at
+us out of the darkness on every side. I had to strike plenty of matches
+to discover the track, and continually bumped myself against boulders
+and the trunks of tree-ferns. It was late when we arrived at the
+village of Nakavu, on the banks of the Navua River, where I was soon
+asleep on a pile of mats in the hut of the "Buli," or village chief.
+
+The next morning I resumed my journey with Masirewa and two canoe-men
+in a canoe, and we were punted and hauled over numerous dangerous
+rapids, at some of which I had to get out. We passed between two
+steep, rocky cliffs the whole way, and they were densely clothed
+with tree-ferns and other rank tropical vegetation, the large white
+sweet-scented _datura_ being very plentiful. The scenery was very
+beautiful, and numerous waterfalls dashed over the rocky walls with
+a sullen roar. Ducks were plentiful, but my ammunition being limited,
+I shot only enough to supply us with food. I felt cramped sitting in
+a canoe all day, but I enjoyed myself in spite of the continuous and
+heavy rain.
+
+Late in the afternoon we arrived at the small village of Namuamua,
+on the right bank of the river, with the village of Beka on the
+other side. We were given a small hut all to ourselves, and we fared
+sumptuously on duck and boiled yams. The next morning I was shown
+a curious but ghastly object, viz., a man covered with hair like a
+monkey, and I was told that he had never been able to walk. He dragged
+himself about on his hands and feet, uttering groans and grunts like
+an animal.
+
+I hired two fresh bearers to carry my baggage, and after we had
+crossed the river three or four times we passed over some steep and
+slippery hills for some distance. I managed to shoot a parrot that I
+had not seen on any of the other islands. It was green, with a black
+head and yellow breast. The rain came down in torrents, and I got
+well soaked. We went for miles through woods with small timber, but
+full of bright crotons, _dracaenas,_ bamboos, and a very sweetscented
+plant somewhat resembling the frangipani, the flower of which covered
+the ground. We passed under the shade of sweet-scented wild lemon
+and shaddock trees, but we got the bad with the good, as a horrible
+stench came from a small green flowering bush. A beautiful pink and
+white ground orchid (_Calanthe_) was plentiful.
+
+We travelled along a steep, narrow strip of land with a river on
+each side in the valleys below. We met no one until we arrived at
+the village of Koro Wai-Wai, which is situated on the banks of a
+good-sized river at the entrance to a magnificent gorge of rocky peaks
+and precipices. Here we found the "Buli" of Namosi squatting down
+in a miserable, smoky hut where we rested for a few minutes, and the
+hut was soon filled with a crowd of natives, all anxious to view the
+"papalangi" (foreigner). The "Buli" agreed to accompany me to Namosi,
+although his home was in another village. Continuing our journey,
+we had hard work climbing over boulders, and along slippery ledges
+overhanging the foaming river many feet below. Steep precipices rose on
+each side of us, and the gorge grew more narrow as we proceeded. The
+scenery was grand, and rather resembled the Yosemite Valley, but had
+the additional attraction of a wealth of tropical foliage. Steep rocky
+spires topped by misty clouds towered above us and little openings
+between rocky walls revealed dark green lanes or vistas of tangled
+tropical growth which the sun never reached. We met many natives,
+who sat on their haunches when the "Buli" talked to them, and clapped
+their hands as we passed. This was out of respect for the "Buli,"
+who was an insignificant looking little bearded man and quite naked
+except for a small "Sulu."
+
+We soon arrived at Namosi. It is a large town situated between two
+steep walls of rock, and was by far the prettiest place I had seen
+in Fiji, and that is saying a good deal. The town is on both banks
+of the Waiandina River, with large "ivi" and other beautiful trees
+overhanging the water; brilliant coloured crotons, _dracaenas,_
+and other fine plants imparted a wealth of colour to the scene,
+and many of the grand old trees were heavily laden with ferns and
+orchids. During many years' wanderings all the world over, I do not
+think I have ever come across a more beautiful and ideal spot.
+
+The "Buli" was greeted with cries of "m-m-ka-a" in shrill voices by the
+women, for all the world like the caw of an old crow. I learned that
+the "Buli" had not been here for some time, but I seemed to be the
+chief object of interest, and was followed everywhere by an admiring
+and curious crowd of dark brown, shiny boys and girls, the former just
+as they were born and the latter wearing a strip of "Sulu." We put up
+in a chief's house, and after getting through the usual boiled yams,
+I went on a tour of inspection around the town, but I soon found that I
+was the one to be inspected. There was a hum of voices in every hut,
+and doorways were darkened with many heads. Groups of young men,
+women and children assembled to see the sight, but scampered away
+if I approached too near. No white man but the government agent had
+been here for several years, I was told. Thirty-odd years ago they
+would not have been satisfied to "look only," but would have wished
+to taste, and many of the present inhabitants would have made chops
+of me, and were no doubt peering out of their huts to see if I was
+fat or lean, and wishing for days gone by but not forgotten. Isolated
+cases of cannibalism still occur in out-of-the-way parts of Fiji, and
+it is only fear of the government that stops them, otherwise these
+mountaineers would at once return to cannibalism. Masirewa came out
+and stood with folded arms among a large crowd talking about me, and no
+doubt taking all the credit for my appearance, and staring at me as if
+he had never seen me before, so that I felt much inclined to kick him.
+
+In the evening, as I skinned the parrot I had shot, Masirewa told
+me how one man had said that he would like to eat the parrot, and
+that he had replied: "And the white man too." There was a large and
+very interested crowd around me as I worked, and they were very much
+astonished when told that the birds in England were different from
+those in Fiji, and I was inundated with childish questions about
+England. Masirewa seemed to be trying to pass himself off on these
+simple mountaineers as a chief, and was clearly beginning to give
+himself airs, so that when he started to eat with the "Buli" and
+myself, I had to snub him, and told him sharply to clean my gun and
+eat afterwards.
+
+I slept the next morning till seven o'clock, and Masirewa told me that
+the natives could not understand my sleeping so late, and that they
+thought I was drunk on "angona," of which I had partaken the night
+before. "Angona" is the same as "kava" in Samoa, and is the national
+beverage in Fiji. Masirewa now only wore a "sulu" and discarded his
+singlet. I suppose it was a case of "In Rome do as Rome does," but
+he certainly looked better in the dark skin he wore at his birth. I
+was shown the large rock by the river where more than a thousand
+people had been killed for their cannibal feasts. They were usually
+prisoners captured in the Rewa district, also a few white men. They
+were cut open alive and their hearts torn out, and their bodies were
+then cut up for cooking on the rock, which I noticed was worn quite
+smooth. Sometimes they would boil a man alive in a huge cauldron.
+
+While staying at Namosi the "Buli" gave me some lessons in throwing
+native spears, and in using the bow. Whilst practising the latter I
+narrowly missed, by a few inches, shooting a woman who stepped out
+suddenly from behind a hut.
+
+I was out most of the day shooting pigeons in the woods close by,
+accompanied by the "Buli," Masirewa, and several boys. The woods
+were full of a wonderfully beautiful creeper, a delicate pink and
+white _clerodendron_ which grew in large bunches; there was also a
+very pretty _hoya_ (wax flower) scrambling up the trees. We filled
+ourselves with the juicy pink fruit of the "kavika," or what is
+generally known as the Malacca or rose-apple. The trees were plentiful
+in the woods, grew to a large size, and were literally loaded with
+fruit, the fallen fruit resembling a pink carpet. Another very good
+fruit was the "wi," a golden fruit about the size of a large mango. I
+have seen both cultivated in the West Indies.
+
+On my return to the village I had a most interesting interview
+with these ex-cannibals, one old and two middle-aged men, thanks
+to Masirewa, my interpreter. He first asked them how they liked
+human flesh, and they all shouted "Venaka, venaka!" (good). Like the
+natives of New Guinea, they said it was far better than pig; they also
+declared that the legs, arms and palms of the hands were the greatest
+delicacies, and that women and children tasted best. The brains and
+eyes were especially good. They would never eat a man who had died a
+natural death. They had eaten white man; he was salty and fat, but he
+was good, though not so good as "Fiji man." One of them had tasted a
+certain Mr. ----, and the meat on his legs was very fat. They chopped
+his feet off above the boots, which they thought were part of him,
+and they boiled his feet and boots for days, but they did not like
+the taste of the boots. They often kept some of their prisoners and
+fattened them up, and when the day came for killing one, it was the
+women of Namosi's duty to take him down to the large stone by the
+river, where they cut him open alive and tore his heart out. Lastly,
+I asked if they would still like to eat man if they got the chance,
+and they were not afraid of being punished, and there was no hesitation
+in their reply of "Io" (yes), uttered with one voice like the yelp
+of a hungry wolf, and it seemed to me that their eyes sparkled. They
+were certainly a very obliging lot of cannibals.
+
+Cannibalism is, of course, practically extinct now in Fiji, but in
+recent years I am told that there, have been a few odd cases far back
+in the mountains. On one occasion a man told his wife to build an oven
+and that he was going to cook her. This she did, and he then killed,
+cooked, and ate her. Whilst in Fiji I met an Englishman who in the
+seventies had tasted human meat at a native feast, he believing it
+was pig, and at the time he thought it was very good. I was told
+that in the old days when they wanted to know whether a body was
+cooked enough they looked to see if the head was loose. If the head
+fell off it was thought to be "cooked to perfection," but I will not
+vouch for this story being correct.
+
+I gave the "Buli" a box of matches, and he seemed as pleased as if it
+was a purse of gold; they light all their fires here by wood friction,
+Some of the pet pigs around here were very oddly marked with stripes
+and spots of brown, black and white. Whilst in Fiji I often came
+across natives far from any village who were being followed by pet
+pigs, as we in England might be followed by dogs. Masirewa amused
+me more each day by his cheek and self-assurance. Once I asked him
+what he said to the chief of the hut we were in, and he replied:
+"Oh! I tell him Get out, you black fellow.' "
+
+We left Namosi early the next morning, a large crowd seeing us off, and
+I was sorry to bid farewell to one of the most beautiful spots in this
+wide world. We passed through the villages of Nailili and Waivaka,
+where I called at the chiefs' huts and held a kind of "at home"
+for a few minutes, the people simply swarming in to look at me. The
+"Buli" of Namosi had sent messengers on in front to give notice of my
+approach, and at each village they had the inevitable hot yams ready
+to eat, which Masirewa made the most of. At the entrance to each
+village there was usually a palisade of bamboo or tree-fern trunks,
+and here a crowd of girls and children would often be waiting, and on
+my approach they would set up loud yells and scamper off, till I began
+to think that I must look a very ferocious kind of "papalangai." At
+Dellaisakau the natives looked a very wild lot. Some of the men had
+black patches all over their faces, and some had great masses of hair
+shaped like a parasol. One or two of the women wore only the old-time
+small aprons of coconut fibre.
+
+We followed the Waiandina River amid very fine scenery. The sloping
+hills were covered with woods, and we passed under a canopy of bamboo,
+the large trumpet flowers of the white _datura,_ tree-ferns, large
+"ivi," "dakua" and "kavika" trees loaded with ferns and fine orchids in
+flower. We crossed the river several times, and I was carried across
+by a huge Fijian whose head and neck were covered with lime. Rain
+soon set in again, and we literally wallowed in mud and water. I
+got drenched by the soaking vegetation, so I afterwards waded boldly
+through rivers and streams, as it was impossible to get any wetter.
+
+At Nasiuvou the whole village turned out to greet me, and I held my
+usual reception in the chief's hut. The chief seemed very annoyed that
+I would not stay the night. No doubt he thought that I would prove
+a great attraction for his people. The banks of the Waiandina River
+were crowded as I got into a canoe, and Masirewa, in trying to show
+off with a large paddle, lost his balance and fell into the water, the
+yells of laughter from the crowd showing that they were not lacking
+in humour. Masirewa did not like it at all, but I was very glad, as
+he had been giving himself too many airs. I dismissed my two bearers
+and took only one canoe man and made Masirewa help him. We went down
+several rapids at a great pace. It was dangerous but exhilarating, and
+we had several narrow escapes of being swamped, as the canoe, being a
+small one, was often half-filled with water. We also had several close
+shaves from striking rocks and tree trunks. Ducks were plentiful, and I
+shot one on the wing as we were tearing down a rapid. The scenery was
+very fine; steep wooded mountains, rocky peaks with odd shapes, steep
+precipices, fine waterfalls, grand forests, and picturesque villages,
+and the scenery as we wound among the mountains was most romantic.
+
+Toward evening we arrived at the large town of Nambukaluku,
+where we disembarked. Except for a few old men and children we
+found it deserted, and we learned that the "Buli," who is a very
+important chief, had gone to stay at the village of Natondre for
+some important ceremonies for a few days, and most of the inhabitants
+had gone with him. Thither I determined to go, and we set off along
+a mountain path. The rain was all gone, and it was a lovely, still
+evening. Suddenly I heard distant yells and shouts and the beating
+of the "lalis" (hollow wooden drums), and I set off running, leaving
+Masirewa and my canoe man carrying my baggage far behind, and on
+turning a sharp corner I came full upon the village of Natondre
+and a most interesting sight. Hundreds of natives were squatting
+on the ground of the village square, and about one hundred men with
+faces black and in full war paint, swinging war clubs, were rushing
+backward and forward yelling and singing while large wooden drums
+were beaten. They were dressed in most fantastic style, some only
+with fibrous strings round their loins, and others with yards of
+"tapa" cloth wound around them. Several women were jumping about
+with fibre aprons on, and all had their hair done up in many curious
+ways and sprinkled with red and yellow powders. Huge piles of mats
+were heaped in the open square, speeches were made, and the people
+all responded with a deep "Ah-h" which sounded most effective from
+the huge multitude. I came up in the growing dusk and stood behind
+a lot of people squatting down. Suddenly some one looked round and
+saw me--sensation--whispers of "papalangai" were heard on all sides,
+and looks of astonishment were cast in my direction. Certainly my
+entrance to Natondre could not have been more dramatic, and I believe
+that they almost thought that I had _fallen from the skies,_ which
+is the literal meaning of the word "papalangai."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+Mock War-Scene at the Chief's House.
+
+    War Ceremonies and Dances at Natondre Described--The Great
+    Chief of Nambukaluku--The Dances continued--A Fijian Feast--A
+    Native Orator--The Ceremonies concluded--The Journey continued--A
+    Wonderful Fungus--The bark of the rare Golden Dove leads to its
+    Capture--Return to more Civilised Parts--The Author as Guest of a
+    high Fijian Prince and Princess--A _souvenir_ of Seddon--Arrival
+    at Suva.
+
+
+Masirewa soon arrived and I learned that there were some very important
+ceremonies in which one tribe was giving presents to another tribe,
+in settlement of some disputes that had been carried on since
+the old cannibal fighting days, and as I passed into the "Buli's"
+hut I noticed that the dancers were unwinding all the "tapa" cloth
+from around their bodies and throwing it on the piles of mats. I
+immediately went behind a "tapa" screen where the "Buli" slept, and
+began to get into dry clothes. This evidently made some of the crowd
+in the hut angry, as they thought I was lacking in respect to the
+"Buli" by changing in his private quarters, as in Fiji the very high
+chiefs are looked upon as sacred. One fellow kept shouting at me in
+a very impudent way, so when Masirewa came in, I told him about it,
+and he lectured the crowd and told them that I was a very big chief;
+this seemed to frighten them. Later on, I found that Masirewa had
+complained, and the impudent man was brought up before one of the
+chiefs, who gave him a lecture before myself and a large crowd in
+the hut I put up in. Masirewa translated for me, how the chief said:
+"The white man, who is a big chief, has done us honour in visiting
+our town," and to the man: "You will give us a bad name in all Fiji
+for our rudeness to the stranger that comes to us." I learned that
+the man was going to be punished, but as he looked very repentant I
+said that I did not wish him punished, so he was allowed to sneak out
+of the hut, the people kicking him and saying angry words as he passed.
+
+I supped with the great "Buli" that evening, and we fared sumptuously
+on my duck, river oysters and all sorts of native dishes. We were
+waited upon by two warriors in full war paint, and the "Buli's" young
+and pretty wife, shining with coconut oil all over her body, sat by me
+and fanned me. The "Buli" was an aristocratic-looking old fellow with
+a large nose and a very haughty look. He is a very important chief,
+but knew no English, and we carried on our conversation through the
+medium of Masirewa. He spoke in a kind of mumble, with a very thick
+voice. Once when he had been mumbling worse than usual there was a
+kind of restrained titter from someone in the crowd at the back. The
+"Buli" heard it, and slowly turning his head he transfixed the crowd
+with his piercing gaze for many seconds amid a dead silence. I wondered
+afterwards if anything ever happened to the unfortunate one who was
+so easily amused. I learned that besides having an impediment in
+his speech, the "Buli" was also paralyzed in one leg. I Put up in a
+different hut, the "Buli" apologizing for his hut being crowded with
+the influx of visitors.
+
+I watched a "meke-meke" or native dance that evening in which about a
+dozen girls covered with oil took part. There was a sound of revelry
+the rest of the night, for there was feasting and dancing in several
+huts, and discordant chanting and the hum of many voices followed
+me into my dreams. The next morning I went out shooting pigeons in
+some thick pathless woods about two miles away, and I also shot some
+flying foxes which I gave to my companions, as the Fijians consider
+them a great delicacy, as do many Europeans. These woods were full of
+pineapples, which in places barred our way. Many of them were ripe,
+and I found they possessed a fine flavour.
+
+In the afternoon the ceremonies were continued, the "Buli" sending
+for me to sit by him in the doorway of his hut to watch them. First
+about forty women with "tapa" cloth wound around their bodies went
+through various evolutions, swaying their arms about and chanting in
+their usual discordant manner. They then unwound the "tapa" from their
+bodies and threw it in a heap on the ground, following this by more
+manoeuvres. About twenty men came into the square, some with their
+faces blacked and their bodies stained red with some pigment, and
+wearing only aprons of coconut strings, with bracelets of leaves on
+their arms and carved pigs' tusks hanging from their necks. They went
+through some splendid dancing, falling down on the ground and bouncing
+up again like india-rubber balls. They sang, or rather chanted, all the
+time, and so did a kind of chorus of men who beat on wood and bamboo,
+while the dancers danced round them in circles, and squares, and then
+bent backward, nearly touching the ground with their heads. As they
+danced they kept splendid time, with their arms, legs and heads.
+
+Then amid shrill yells and cries from the crowd, another procession
+approached from the far end of the village in single file. First came
+several men with spears, which they shook on the ground every now and
+then, shaking their bodies at the same time in a fierce manner. Behind
+them in single file came a lot of women, each bearing a. rolled-up
+mat, which they threw down in a heap. These mats are made from the
+dried "pandanus" leaf. Then several men appeared bearing enormous Fiji
+baskets full of large rolls of food wrapped up in leaves, also smaller
+baskets made of the fresh leaves of the crimson _dracaena,_ also full of
+food. From the enormous number of baskets, the food supply was enough
+to feed a large multitude. They were all put down together by the mats.
+
+Then there was dead silence, in which you could almost have heard
+the proverbial pin drop, and an oldish man stepped forward and stood
+by the mats and baskets, his body wound round with "tapa" till it
+stuck out many feet from his body. The crowd broke silence with an
+ear-piercing yell. He then spoke, and was interrupted from time to time
+with cries of approval or the reverse, and sometimes loud laughter,
+while the "Buli," sitting by me, every now and then shouted out,
+or broke into a childish giggle. Then the speaker uttered a lot
+of short sentences very fast, and every one present said "Venaka"
+(good) at the end of each sentence. Then the old man unwound the
+"tapa" around him and threw it on the mats, as did others.
+
+Silence again, and I began to think all was over, but suddenly there
+was another shrill sort of yell from the crowd, and from the back of
+our hut, amid a tremendous uproar from all present and the beating of
+"lalis" (drums), appeared a procession of about fifty warriors in their
+usual picturesque get-up, all brandishing large war-clubs. They paraded
+into the square in very stately fashion, singing in their curious and
+savage discords, and then went through some grand dances, keeping
+wonderful time with their clubs and bodies, and from time to time
+giving forth a loud yell which was really thrilling. They next rushed
+backward and forward brandishing their clubs and killing an imaginary
+foe, and then clapped their hands together in even time. Then off
+came the "tapa" from around them, and the heap was made still larger.
+
+Another yell from the crowd. Then silence, followed by more speaking,
+and every now and then a deep "Ah-h" from all present, which sounded
+like distant thunder and was most impressive. Then all the people
+clapped their hands and chanted a few words in low suppressed voices,
+and the ceremony, lasting between four or five hours, was over. From
+time to time a man would approach the "Buli" and fall down on all
+fours and clap his hands before he could speak. I felt at times as
+if I was watching a comic opera or a ballet, and there were many
+amusing incidents. I think honours were fairly easy between the big
+show and myself, as the people kept whispering and looking around at
+me the whole time. I never passed a hut without causing excitement,
+and there would be cries of "papalangai" and a mass of faces would
+appear at the doors. Wherever I went I was followed at a respectful
+distance by a crowd of girls and children, but if I turned to retrace
+my steps there was a panic-stricken rush to get out of my way. On
+one occasion a little child of about two years old yelled with
+fright when I passed near it. I was much astonished that a white
+man should make such a stir in any part of Fiji, but it is only so
+in very out-of-the-way villages such as these. I was exceedingly
+lucky to witness these ceremonies, as they were the most important
+ones that had taken place in Fiji for many years, and few of the
+old white residents had seen their equal. I was all the more lucky,
+as I never expected to see them when I started from Suva.
+
+The next morning I said "Samoce" [9] (good-bye) to the great "Buli,"
+who, though he was a big chief, was not above accepting with evident
+glee the few shillings I pressed into his hand, and with Masirewa and
+two fresh bearers continued my journey in the pouring rain. Once we
+had to swim across a swift and swollen river, then we went over steep
+hills, down deep gullies, wading through streams and passing all the
+time through thick forests. We stopped once to feed on wild pineapples,
+the pink "kavika." and the golden "wi," but Masirewa was a bad bushman
+and slipped, and stumbled, swore and grumbled, and many times I had
+to wait till he came up with me. We followed a deep and beautiful
+gulch for some distance, wading all the way through a shallow stream
+which flowed over a natural slanting pavement with a smooth surface,
+and I found it hard to keep my footing. We got a magnificent view
+from the top of a high hill of the country to the eastward, with
+large rivers winding among beautiful undulating wooded country as
+far as the eye could reach. We passed through but one village, named
+Naqeldreteki, and from here I saw two very fine waterfalls falling
+side by side over a steep cliff several hundred feet straight drop
+into the forest below. It was about here that I came across a most
+beautiful sort of fungus of a bright scarlet and orange, and in the
+shape of a perfect star.
+
+I heard what I took to be the gruff bark of a dog, when it suddenly
+dawned upon me that there could not be any dogs here, as we were
+far from any village. Upon investigation I discovered that it was a
+bird that was the author of the noise, and I soon brought it down
+with a load of dust-shot, and to my great delight it proved to be
+the golden dove, a bird which I had hunted for in vain in the other
+islands. It was of a very fine metallic golden-yellow colour, and
+the feathers being long and narrow, gave it a very odd appearance. I
+could only mutter "venaka, venaka" (good), and in spite of the heavy
+rain reverently and slowly rolled it up in cotton wool and paper, to
+the great amusement of my three Fijians. Among the most interesting
+features of bird life in the Samoan and Fijian Islands were the various
+members of the dove family, which looked wonderfully brilliant with
+their metallic greens, and their orange, crimson, purple, yellow,
+pink, cream and olive green. The latter part of the journey was through
+bushy country dotted about with many large orchid and fern-laden trees.
+
+We arrived toward dusk at the large village of Serea, on the Wainimala
+River, which is a branch of the Rewa River, and I put up in the large
+hut of the "Buli." I began to feel like an ordinary mortal again,
+as the people here did not exhibit any great surprise on seeing me,
+no doubt because, being in the Rewa district, they see a few Europeans
+from time to time. After a change into dry clothes and a supper off
+one of the large pigeons I had shot _en route,_ I had a large and
+interested crowd to watch me skin my dove, and there were roars of
+laughter during the process, especially when Masirewa told them it
+would be made to look like a real bird with glass eyes. Masirewa at one
+time spoke sharply to the "Buli" who, I thought, looked a bit annoyed,
+so I asked Masirewa what he said. "Oh," he said airily, "I told him
+to keep his pig of a child away from the white chief." Masirewa, was
+a character, and evidently had no respect for chiefs and princes,
+etc., as he treated all the "Bulis" as his equals, which was very
+different from the generally cringing attitude of the Fijians to
+their chiefs. Even the high and mighty "Buli" of Nabukaluku [10]
+seemed to like his cheek. Masirewa liked to show off his English,
+though no one understood a word, and his favourite way of addressing
+them when he was annoyed was "You all black devil pigs." Whilst I
+was skinning my dove, the people brought in a horrible-looking carved
+figure with staring eyes. It was about five feet high, and they waxed
+very merry, whenever I looked up at it from my skinning.
+
+I left early next morning in the pouring rain, and found as I passed
+through Serea that it was quite a town. Quite a large crowd escorted
+me down the steep banks of the river (Wainimala), and we were soon
+spinning down stream in a large canoe. We soon joined another river
+which, together with the Wainimala, formed the Rewa, the largest
+river in Fiji. The scenery was both varied and picturesque, and once
+I got the canoe paddled up a little shady creek where there was a very
+beautiful waterfall, and where I was glad to stretch my legs for a few
+minutes after being cramped up in the canoe. There were many pretty
+and quaint villages on the banks, and the people often rushed out of
+their huts to see us pass. Ducks were plentiful, and I got a fair bag
+and used up my remaining cartridges, and the rest of the way I had to
+be content with pointing my gun at them, which was very tantalizing. We
+arrived about three p.m. at the village of Viria, and I stayed with the
+"Buli" in his hut almost overhanging the river. In the evening I took a
+stroll with the "Buli" round the village, and then we sat on a log by
+the river chatting, with Masirewa acting as interpreter. We continued
+our journey the next morning, and late in the day we passed large
+fields of sugarcane. We had returned to civilization once more, and
+I could not help feeling a pang of regret. We arrived at the village
+of Navuso about four p.m., and I was the guest of Andi (princess)
+Cakobau (pronounced Thakombau) and her husband, Ratu (prince)
+Beni Tanoa. Princess Cakobau is the highest lady of rank in Fiji,
+and belongs to the royal family. She is very stately and ladylike,
+and in her younger days was very beautiful. She does not know any
+English, but she wrote her autograph for me in my note-book to paste
+on her photograph, as she writes a very good hand. Her husband is
+also one of the highest chiefs in Fiji, and speaks good English. They
+proved most hospitable, and presented me with some Fijian fans when
+I left the next morning, and the Princess gave me a buttonhole of
+flowers out of her garden. Dick Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand,
+had once visited them, and I noticed his portrait that he had given
+them fastened to a post in their hut. I left Navuso by steam launch
+which called at the large sugar-mills a little lower down, and reached
+Suva that afternoon, feeling very fit after one of the most enjoyable
+and interesting expeditions that I ever made.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART III
+
+My Life Among Filipinos and Negritos and a Journey in Search of
+Bearded Women.
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+At Home Among Filipinos and Negritos.
+
+    Arrival at Florida Blanca--The Schoolmaster's House Kept by
+    Pupils in their Master's Absence--Everyday Scenes at Florida
+    Blanca--A Filipino Sunday--A Visit to the Cock-fighting
+    Ring--A Strange Church Clock and Chimes--Pugnacious Scene at a
+    Funeral--Strained Relations between Filipinos and Americans--My
+    New Servant--Victoriano, an Ex-officer of Aguinaldo's Army,
+    and his Six Wives--I Start for the Mountains--"Free and easy"
+    Progress of my Buffalo-cart--Ascent into the Mountains--Arrival at
+    my Future Abode--Description of my Hut and Food--Our Botanical
+    Surroundings--Meetings with the Negritos--Friendliness and
+    Mirth of the Little People--Negritos may properly be called
+    Pigmies--Their Appearance, Dress, Ornaments and Weapons--An
+    Ingenious Pig-arrow--Extraordinary Fish-traps--Their Rude Barbaric
+    Chanting--Their Chief and His House--Cure of a Malarial Fever
+    and its Embarrassing Results--"Agriculture in the Tropics"--A
+    Hairbreadth Escape--Filipino Blowpipes--A Pigmy Hawk in
+    Pigmyland--The Elusive _Pitta_--Names of the Birds--A Moth as
+    Scent Producer--Flying Lizards and other kinds--A "Tigre" Scare
+    by Night--Enforced Seclusion of Female Hornbill.
+
+
+When collecting in the Philippines, I put in most of my time in
+the Florida Blanca Mountains, in the province of Pampanga, Northern
+Luzon. I arrived one evening after dark at the good-sized village of
+Florida Blanca, which is situated a few miles from the foot of the
+mountain, whose name it shares. I carried a letter to the American
+schoolmaster, who was the only white man in the district, and had
+been a soldier in the late war. It seemed to me a curious policy
+on the part of the American government to turn their soldiers into
+schoolmasters, especially as in most cases they are very ignorant
+themselves. I believe, however, the chief object is to teach the young
+Filipinos English, and so turn them into live American citizens. The
+Americans are far from popular in the Philippines, and when in Manila
+I was strongly advised not to wear _khaki_ in the jungle for fear of
+being taken for an American soldier.
+
+The American's house was dark and still when I arrived at Florida
+Blanca, but whilst I was wondering what to do, I was surprised
+to hear a small voice, coming out of a small adjoining house,
+say in good English (though slowly and with a strong accent),
+"Thee--master--has--gone--into--thee--mountains--to--kill--deer--and--pigs."
+This was from one of the American's own pupils, an intelligent little
+fellow named Camilo. As I learnt that he was not expected back for
+two or three days, there was nothing left but to make myself as
+comfortable as possible in his house until his return. Camilo was
+soon boiling me some water, and I opened some of my provisions,
+as I had eaten nothing for eight hours. The house was an ordinary
+Filipino one, raised fully ten feet from the ground and built of
+native timber, the peaked roof, which had a frame-work of bamboo,
+being thatched with palm-leaves. The divisions between the rooms were
+of plaited bamboo work, and the sliding windows were latticed, each
+division being fitted with pieces of pearl shell. The next morning
+I was invaded by quite an army of small boys, who, to my surprise,
+all spoke English very prettily in their slow way and with a quaint
+accent. I have never come across a more bright and intelligent set
+of little fellows, all very friendly and not a bit shy, yet most
+polite and well-mannered. They were manly little fellows, with the
+faces of cherubs, and they were always smiling. Though the ages of my
+five little favourites, Camilo, Nicolas, Fernando, Dranquilino and
+Victorio, ranged only from eleven down to seven (the latter being
+little smiling-faced Victorio), they did all my errands for me,
+bought me little rolls of sweetish bread, eggs and fruit, and were
+most honest. They talked to me as if they had known me all their
+lives, acted as my guides and showed me all there was to see. They
+generally followed me in a row, with their arms round each other's
+neck in a most affectionate way, and I never heard any of them use
+one angry word amongst themselves. The few days that I spent here,
+I wandered through the narrow lanes and collected a few birds and
+butterflies. These lanes were very dusty at the time, and were hemmed
+in with an uninteresting shrubby growth on each side. The country
+round Florida Blanca was for the most part covered with rice-fields,
+which, at the time of my visit, were parched and covered with short
+stubble, this being the dry season. I was not very successful in my
+collecting, and looked forward to my visit to the mountains, which
+I could see in the distance, and which appeared well covered with
+damp-looking forests. I noticed quantities of white egrets, which
+settled on the backs of the water buffaloes. I would often pass these
+water buffaloes with their heads sticking out of a way-side pond of
+mud and water. They were generally used for drawing the curious wagons
+of the country, which were rather like those one sees in Mexico, with
+solid wooden wheels. Generally when I met these water buffaloes out
+of harness, they were horribly afraid of me and stampeded, at the
+same time making the most extraordinary noises, something between
+a squeak and a short blast on a penny trumpet. They are usually
+stupid-looking brutes, but this showed that they were intelligent
+enough to distinguish between me and a Filipino. The pigs here had
+three pieces of wood round their necks fastened together to form a
+triangle, an excellent idea, as it prevented them from breaking through
+the fences. The day following my arrival was a Sunday, and the church,
+a large building of stone and galvanized iron, was almost opposite
+the American's house. I watched the people going to early mass (the
+Filipinos are devout Roman Catholics). All the women wore gauzy veils
+thrown over their heads, white or black were the prevailing colours
+and sometimes red. I thought they looked very nice in them. I had
+asked Camilo to boil me some water, but he begged off very politely,
+as he had to go and put on his cassock and surplice to attend the
+service in the church, where he sang all alone. When he returned,
+I asked him to sing to me what he had sung in the church, and he at
+once complied, singing the "Gloria Patri" in a very clear and sweet
+voice. After mass was over, the church bell began to toll and an
+empty lighted bier came out of the church. It was preceded by three
+acolytes bearing a long cross and two large lighted candlesticks,
+and followed by a crowd of people. They were no doubt going to call
+at a house for the corpse. Shortly afterwards an old Filipino priest
+came out and got into one of the quaint covered buffalo wagons with
+solid wooden wheels (already mentioned), and drove slowly round by
+the road. It was hot and sultry, and thunder was pealing far away in
+the mountains. Under a clump of trees (of a kind of yellow flowering
+acacia), which grew just outside the large old wooden doors of the
+church, there was a group of village youths and loafers, and two
+or three men went past with their fighting cocks under their arms,
+Sunday afternoon out here being the great day for cock-fighting. There
+seemed to be a sleepiness in the air quite in keeping with the day of
+the week, and I was nearly dozing off when little Nicolas came in. I
+asked him if he knew where the cook-fighting took place, and added,
+"you savez" (slang for "understand"). His eyes flashed, and he said,
+"Me no savage," but when I explained that I did not call him a
+"savage," his eyes, smiled an apology, and he willingly offered to
+show me the place where the cock-fighting was to be.
+
+On entering the large bamboo shed or theatre where the cock-fighting
+took place, I was met by the old Presidente of the village, to
+whom I had brought a letter from Governor Joven (the Governor of
+the province), whom I had visited at Bacolor on my way hither. He
+conducted me to a seat on a raised clay platform, and sat next to me
+most of the time, but as the fighting progressed he got very excited,
+and had to go down into the ring. I had often witnessed it before
+in tropical America, but here the left feet of the cocks were armed
+with large steel spurs shaped like miniature cutlasses, which before
+the fight began were encased in small leather sheaths. The onlookers
+worked themselves up into a state of great excitement, and there was
+a great deal of chaff, mixed with angry words, and plenty of silver
+"pesos" were exchanged over the results. But it was cruel work,
+and the crouching spectators were often scattered right and left by
+the furious birds, whilst on one occasion a too venturesome onlooker
+received a rather severe gash on his arm.
+
+The church clock here was a thing to wonder at. It had no dial, and
+struck only about five times a day. When it struck ten there was an
+interval of over twenty seconds between each stroke until the last
+two strokes, these coming quickly together, as if it was tired of
+such slow work! As there was no face to the clock, I was puzzled to
+know whether to set my watch at the first or last stroke, or to split
+the difference.
+
+There were a great many funerals during my stay here in December,
+there being a regular epidemic of cholera and malaria. This was the
+unhealthy season, and I was told that there were as many deaths in
+Florida Blanca during the months of December and January as during
+all the rest of the year put together.
+
+One day I watched from my window a funeral procession on its way
+from the church to the cemetery. The Padre was not there, and this
+no doubt accounted for the acrobatic display given by the three men
+in cassocks and surplices, who led the way, bearing a cross and two
+candles. They started by playfully kicking each other, and this soon
+developed into angry words, so that I expected a free fight. One
+of them tucked his unbuttoned cassock round his neck, and egged the
+other two on. The coffin followed on a lighted bier, and the string
+of mourners followed meekly behind, no doubt looking upon this display
+as nothing out of the common.
+
+The interior of the church was very cold and bare, and there were no
+seats. I learnt that the American and the Filipino Padre did not hit it
+off together. There were one or two opposition schools in the village,
+run by Filipinos, who did their utmost to prevent the children from
+learning the language of the hated Americanos. The American did
+not make himself any more popular by pulling down the old street
+sign-boards bearing Spanish names, and substituting ugly card-board
+placards marked in ink with fresh names, such as America Street,
+McKinley Street, and Roosevelt Street; he had also named a street
+after himself! Later on I learnt that this American schoolmaster
+was a kind of spy in the American secret police, and that he had to
+listen outside Filipino houses at night to overhear the conversation
+of suspected insurgents. I was told this by Victoriano, my Filipino
+servant in the mountains, who often accompanied the American in his
+nightly rounds, and was the only man in the secret. This Victoriano,
+whom I always called Vic for short, was the best servant that I
+have had during my wanderings in any part of the world. He spoke
+Spanish and knew a little English, as he had once been a servant
+to an Englishman near Manila. With my small knowledge of Spanish,
+and his smattering of English, we hit it off very well together. He
+acted as gun-bearer, cook, laundry maid, housemaid, interpreter and
+guide. Later on he told me that he had been an officer in the insurgent
+Aguinaldo's army, and that he had been imprisoned by the Spaniards for
+four years on the island of Mindanao for belonging to a revolutionary
+society. He was a tall, thin fellow of only thirty-two years of age,
+and yet his present wife in Florida Blanca was his sixth, all the
+others being dead. I used to chaff him about having poisoned them,
+which much amused him. After some days the American returned, and he
+told me of a very good spot in which to collect up in the mountains,
+so one morning I started off with Vic for a long stay in these mountain
+forests. We left Florida Blanca before the sun had risen, my luggage
+being carried in one of the curious buffalo wagons. We soon left
+the dry rice-fields behind, and for some distance passed over a wide
+uninteresting plain of tall grass, dotted about with a few trees. After
+going some distance our two buffaloes were unyoked and allowed to soak
+in a small pond. This process was repeated every time we came to any
+water, and this, together with the slow progress of the buffaloes,
+made the journey longer than I had anticipated. After crossing a
+fair-sized river, we began a gradual ascent into the mountains. My
+luggage was then carried for a short distance, and after travelling
+through some bamboo thickets and crossing a rocky stream, I beheld my
+future abode. It was a small grass-thatched hut, with a flooring of
+split bamboo, raised four feet from the ground; up to this we had to
+climb by means of a single bamboo step. About two-thirds of the hut
+consisted of a flooring of bamboo, fairly open on all sides but one;
+this part did as my bedroom, and to get to it I had to crawl through
+a hole--one could hardly call it a door! It was quite dark inside,
+but there was just room enough to lie down on the split bamboo
+floor. All round the hut was a large clearing, planted with maize,
+belonging to a Filipino, who from time to time lived in another small
+hut about one hundred yards away. He also owned the one I was living
+in, and for this I paid him the not very exorbitant sum of one peso
+(two shillings) a month. Tall gaunt trees rose out of the corn on all
+sides, and in the early morning they were full of bird-life--parrots,
+parakeets, cockatoos, pigeons, woodpeckers, gapers and hornbills,
+etc. A clear rocky stream flowed by the side of the hut, the sound of
+whose rushing waters by night and day was like music to the ear in this
+hot and thirsty land, whilst shaded as it was by bamboos and trees,
+it was a delightful spot to bathe in every morning and evening. I was
+well pleased with my surroundings, and looked forward to a successful
+and interesting stay. I fared well though the food was rough, and I
+subsisted chiefly on rice and papayas, together with pigeons, doves,
+parrots, and the smaller hornbill, called here "talactic," all of which
+fell to my gun. The surrounding country in these lower mountains was
+a mixture of forest and open grass-country, the grass often growing
+far over my head. The forest, which abounded in clear, rocky streams
+of cold water, was very luxuriant and beautiful, especially in many
+of the cool, damp ravines further back in the mountains. But near my
+camping ground a great deal of the forest seemed to be half smothered
+with large thickets of bamboo, and consequently the larger trees
+were rather far apart. There was also a climbing variety of bamboo,
+which scrambled up to the tops of the largest trees. The undergrowth
+in places was most luxuriant and consisted of different species of
+palms, rattans, tree-ferns, _pandanus,_ giant ginger, _pipers, pothos,
+begonias,_ bananas, _caladiums,_ ferns, _selaginellas_ and lycopodiums,
+and many variegated plants. Growing on many of the trees were some
+fine orchids. Chief amongst them may be mentioned a very beautiful
+"vanda," which grew mostly on trees in the open grass country, and
+which I witnessed in full bloom during my stay here. They presented
+a wonderful sight. Out of the large sheaths of fan-like leaves grew
+two grand flower-spikes, bearing from thirty to forty large white,
+chocolate and crimson flowers. Of these there were two varieties,
+and on one large plant I saw fully a dozen flower-spikes. Further back
+in the mountains I came across some fine species of _Phalaenopsis._
+
+I early made the acquaintance of the little Negritos, the aborigines of
+these mountains, and during my wanderings I would often stumble across
+their huts in small clearings in the forest. They never seemed to have
+any villages, and I hardly ever saw more than one hut in one place,
+and they were nearly always miserable bamboo hovels. As for the little
+people themselves, they seemed perfectly harmless, and from the first
+treated me with the greatest friendliness, and would often pay me a
+visit at my hut, sometimes bringing me rice and "papayas" or a large
+hornbill, which had been shot with their steel-pointed arrows. They
+were quite naked except for a very small strip of cloth. Their skin
+was of a very dark brown colour, their hair frizzly, and the nose
+flat. They were by far the smallest race of people I had ever seen,
+and they might quite properly be termed pigmies. I certainly never
+came across a Negrito man over four feet six inches, if as tall,
+and the women were a great deal smaller, coming as a rule only up to
+the men's shoulders; the elderly women looked like small children
+with old faces. Both sexes generally had their bodies covered with
+various patterns cut in their skins, a kind of tattooing it might
+be called, but the skin was very much raised. Many of them had
+the backs of their heads in the centre shaved in a curious manner,
+like a very broad parting. I did not see them wearing many ornaments,
+but the men had tight-fitting fibre bracelets on their arms and legs,
+and the women sometimes wore necklaces of seeds, berries and beads;
+they would also sometimes wear curiously carved bamboo combs in their
+hair. The men used spears and bows and arrows; these latter they were
+rarely without. Their arrows were often works of art, very fine and
+neat patterns being burnt on the bamboo shafts. The feathers on the
+heads were large, and the steel points were very neatly bound on with
+rattan. These steel points were often cruel-looking things, having
+many fishhook-like barbs set at different angles, so that if they once
+entered a man's body it would be impossible to extract them again. A
+very clever invention was an arrow made for shooting deer and pig. The
+steel point was comparatively small, and it was fitted very lightly
+to a small piece of wood, which was also lightly placed in the end
+of the arrow. Attached at one end to the arrow-head was a long piece
+of stout native cord, which was wound round the shaft, the other end
+being fastened to the main shaft. When the arrow was shot into a pig,
+for instance, the steel head soon fell apart from the small bit of
+wood, which in its turn would also drop off from the main shaft. The
+thick cord would then gradually become unwound, and together with
+the shaft would trail on the ground till at length it would be caught
+fast in the bamboos or other thick growth, and the pig would then be
+at the mercy of its pursuers. The steel head, being barbed, could
+not be pulled out in the pig's struggles to break loose. I had one
+of these arrows presented to me by the chief of these Negritos, but,
+as a rule, they are very hard to get as the Negritos value them very
+highly. An American officer I met in Manila told me that he had been
+quartered for some time in a district where there were many Negritos,
+and though he had offered large rewards for one of these arrows he was
+not successful in getting one. The women manufacture enormous baskets,
+which I often saw them carrying on their backs when I met them in
+the forest. I was much struck with the cleverness of some of their
+fish-traps; these were long cone-like objects tapering to a point,
+the insides being lined with the extraordinary barb-covered stems of
+a rattan or climbing palm, and the thorns or barbs placed (pointing
+inwards) in such a way that the fish could get in easily but not out.
+
+These Negritos were splendid marksmen with their bows and arrows, and
+during my stay amongst them I became quite an adept in that art; their
+old chief used to take a great delight in teaching me, and my first
+efforts were met with hearty roars of laughter. They were certainly
+the merriest and yet the dirtiest people I have ever met. Whenever
+I met them they were always smiling. When, as happened on more than
+one occasion, I lost my way in the forest and had at length stumbled
+upon one of their dwellings, I made signs to let them understand
+that I wanted them to show me the way back. This they cheerfully did,
+and led the way singing in their peculiar manner; it was a most wild
+and abandoned and barbaric kind of music, if it could really be called
+music at all. It consisted chiefly of shouting and yelling in different
+scales, as if the singers were overflowing with joy at the mere idea
+of being alive. I would often hear them singing, or yelling like
+children, in the deep recesses of the forest. In fact the contentment
+and happiness of these little people was quite extraordinary, and I
+had a great affection for them. They would do almost anything for me,
+and their chief and I soon became great friends. He was a most amusing
+old fellow, and nearly always seemed to be laughing. Yet they were
+also the dirtiest people I had ever seen, and never washed themselves:
+consequently they were thick with dirt, which even their dark skins
+could not hide. They grew a little rice and tobacco, and the old chief
+always kept me well supplied with rice, which seemed of very fair
+quality. He also kept a few chickens and would often send me a present
+of some eggs, which were very acceptable. In return I would give him
+an old shirt or two, which he was very proud of. By the time I left,
+these shirts were almost the colour of his skin, and he evidently did
+not wish to follow my advice as to washing them. His house was a very
+large one for a Negrito's, and far better built than any others that
+I saw. When the maize which grew round my hut was ripe, the Filipino
+owner got several men and women up from Florida Blanca to help him
+to harvest it, and many of them slept underneath my hut. At nights I
+would generally have quite a crowd round me watching me skin my birds,
+and although I did not understand a word of their Pampanga dialect,
+their exclamations of surprise and delight when a bird was finished
+were quite complimentary. Poor Vic had to endure a running fire of
+questions as to what I was going to do with my birds and butterflies,
+but to judge by the way he lectured on me, he no doubt enjoyed it,
+and possibly told them some wonderful yarns about "My English," as
+he called me. One day a man at work in the maize had a bad attack of
+"calenturas" (malarial fever). I gave him some quinine and Epsom salts
+and this treatment evidently had a good effect, as the next day I was,
+besieged by a regular crowd of Filipinos of both sexes, who wished to
+consult me as to their various ills, and Vic was called in to act as
+interpreter. A good many of them, both men and women, took off nearly
+all their clothes to show me bruises and sores that they had, and I
+was in despair as to what treatment to recommend. At last when one
+old woman had parted with most of her little clothing to show me some
+sores, I told Vic to tell her that she had better get a good wash in
+the river (as she was the reverse of clean). This prescription raised
+a laugh, but the old lady was furious, and my medical advice was not
+again asked for. After the maize was cut, the owner started to sow
+a fresh crop without even taking out the old stalks, which had been
+cut off a few inches from the ground. This was the way he did it. He
+made holes in the ground with a hoe in one hand, and in the other
+hand he held a roasted cob of corn, which he kept chewing from time
+to time. His wife followed him, dropping a grain into each hole and
+filling in the soil with her feet. It would have made a good picture
+under the heading of "Agriculture in the Tropics"! Vic told me that
+they got four crops a year, so one can hardly wonder at their taking
+things easily. A rough bamboo fence separated the maize from a copse
+of bamboo jungle and forest, in which I was one day collecting with
+Vic, when I attempted to jump over a very low part of the fence. Vic,
+however, called out to me to stop, and it was lucky he did so, as
+otherwise the consequences would have been terrible for me. Just
+hidden by a few thin creepers, there had been arranged there a very
+neat little pig-trap, consisting of a dozen or more sharp bamboo
+spears firmly planted in the ground, and leaning at a slight angle
+towards the fence. Except for Vic's timely warning I should have been
+stuck through and through, as the bamboo points would stand a heavy
+weight without breaking, and if I had escaped being killed, I should
+certainly have been crippled for life. I naturally felt very angry
+with my neighbour for not having asked Vic to tell me about this,
+as the previous day when out alone I had climbed to the top of this
+fence and then jumped down into the creepers below; luckily I had
+not then noticed this low part further down.
+
+Many of the Filipinos are very good shots with their blowpipes, and
+Vic possessed one. It was about nine feet in length, and possessed a
+sight made of a lump of wax at one end. Like the bows of the Negritos,
+it was made out of the trunk of a very beautiful fan-palm (_Livistona_
+sp.). Two pieces of the palm-wood are hollowed out and then stuck
+together in a wonderfully clever fashion, so that the joins barely
+show. Vic was fairly good with it when shooting at birds a short
+distance away. His ammunition consisted of round clay pellets, which
+he fashioned to the right size by help of a hole in a small tin plate,
+which he always carried with him.
+
+Birds were fairly plentiful in these mountain forests, and I was
+glad to get one of the interesting racquet-tailed parrots of the
+genus _Prioniturus,_ that are only found in the Philippines and
+Celebes. It was curious that up here amongst the pigmy Negritos I
+should get a pigmy hawk. It was by far the smallest hawk I had ever
+seen, being not much larger than a sparrow. Several species of very
+beautiful honey-suckers, full of metallic colours, used to frequent the
+bright red flowers of a creeper that generally clambered up the trees
+overhanging the streams, and these flowers proved very popular with
+many butterflies, especially the giant gold and black _Ornithopteras_
+and various rare _papilios_ of great beauty. There was one bird I was
+most anxious to get, and though I saw it once I had to leave Luzon
+without it. It was a _pitta,_ a kind of ground thrush. Thrushes of
+this genus are amongst the most brilliant of all birds, and in my own
+collections I possess a great number of different species that I have
+collected in other countries. This one that I was so anxious to get
+was locally called "Tinkalu." Amongst both Filipinos and Negritos it
+has the reputation of being the cleverest of all birds, and, as Vic
+expressed it, "like a man." It hops away into the thickest undergrowth
+and hides at the least sound. Certainly no bird has ever given me
+such a lot of worry and trouble. Many a weary hour did I spend going
+through swamps and rivers, bamboo and thorny palms, dripping with
+perspiration and tormented by swarms of mosquitos and sand-flies,
+and all to no purpose!
+
+Thanks to Vic, I soon picked up most of the local names of the various
+birds, which were often given on account of the sounds they made. The
+large hornbill was named "Gasalo," the smaller kind "Talactic," the
+large pigeon "Buabu," a bee-eater "Patirictiric," and other names
+were "Pipit," "Culiaun," "Alibasbas," "Quilaquilbunduc," "Papalacul,"
+"Batala," "Batubatu," "Culasisi." Some of the spiders here were of
+great size, and in these mountain forests their webs were a great
+nuisance. These webs were often of a yellow glutinous substance,
+which stained my clothes, and when they caught me in the face, as
+they often did, it was the reverse of pleasant.
+
+Mosquitos and sandflies were very numerous and ants were in great
+force, so that one evening when I discovered that they were hard at
+work amongst all my bird skins, it took me up to 5 a.m. to separate
+them before I could get to bed.
+
+I discovered a diurnal moth that possessed a most powerful and
+delicious scent. Vic, who had never noticed it before, was delighted,
+and proposed my catching them in quantities and turning them into
+scent. Whilst on the subject of scent, I might mention that in
+these forests I would often come across a good-sized tree which was
+called Ilang-ilang. It was covered with plain-looking green flowers,
+which possessed a wonderful fragrance. I learnt that the Filipinos
+collected the flowers, which were sent to Manila and made into scent,
+but that they generally cut down the tree in order to get the flowers.
+
+I saw here for the first time the curious flying lizards. Their
+partly transparent wings were generally of very bright colours; they
+fly fully twenty yards from one tree to another, and quickly run up
+the trees out of reach. Another quaint lizard, was what is generally
+known as the gecko. It is said to be poisonous in the Philippines,
+and is generally found on trees or bamboos and often in houses. In
+comparison to the size of this lizard the volume of its voice was
+enormous. I generally heard it at night. First would come a preliminary
+gurgling chuckle; then a pause (between the chuckle and what follows
+it). Then comes loud and clear, "Tuck-oo-o," then a slight pause, then
+"Tuck-oo-o" again repeated six or seven times at regular intervals;
+at other times it sounds like "Chuck it." When it was calling inside
+a hollow bamboo, the noise made was extraordinary. There were a
+great number of bamboos in the surrounding country, and they were
+continually snapping with loud reports, which I would often imagine
+to be the reports of a rifle until I got used to them. Wild pig were
+very plentiful, and at night they would often grub up the ground a few
+yards from my hut. One night I was skinning a bird, with Vic looking
+on, when we heard some animal growling close by, and Vic without any
+warning seized my gun (which I always kept loaded with buckshot) and
+fired into the darkness. He said that it was a "tigre," and called
+out excitedly that he had killed it, but although we hunted about
+with a light for some time, we saw no signs of it. No doubt it was
+some animal of the cat family. Vic, as in fact all Filipinos, had
+a mortal dread of snakes, and he would never venture out at night
+without a torch made of lighted bamboo, as he said they were very
+plentiful at night. The large hornbills ("Gasalo") were very hard
+to stalk, and as they generally frequented the tallest trees they
+were out of shot. They usually flew about in flocks, and made a most
+extraordinary noise, rather like a whole farmyard full of turkeys,
+guinea fowls and dogs. The whirring noise they made with their wings
+was not unlike the shunting of a locomotive. I had often before heard
+of the curious habit of the male in plastering up the female with mud
+in the hollow of a tree, leaving only a small hole through which he
+fed her until the single egg was hatched and the young one was ready to
+fly. Vic knew this, and further informed me that the smaller species,
+named here "Talactic," had the same custom of plastering up the female.
+
+Many evenings, when I had finished my work, I would get Vic to teach
+me the Pampanga, dialect, and wrote down a large vocabulary of words,
+and when some years afterwards I compared them word for word with
+other dialects and languages throughout the Malay Archipelago,
+I found that, with a few exceptions, there was not the slightest
+affinity between them.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+A Chapter of Accidents.
+
+    A Severe Bout of Malaria in the Wilds--The "Seamy
+    Side" of Exploration--Unfortunate Shooting of the Chief's
+    Dog--Filipino Credulity--Stories of the Buquils and their Bearded
+    Women--Expedition Planned--Succession of _contretemps_--Start for
+    the Buquil Country--Scenes on the Way--A Negrito Mother's Method
+    of Giving Drink to Her Baby--Exhausting Marches Amid Striking
+    Scenery--The Worst Over--A Bolt from the Blue--Negritos in a
+    Fury--Violent Scenes at a Negrito Council of War--They Decide
+    on Reprisals--Further Progress Barred in Consequence--Return to
+    Florida Blanca.
+
+
+As I mentioned before, this was the unhealthy season in the
+Philippines, and Vic assured me that these lower mountains were even
+more unhealthy than the flat country. I myself soon arrived at a
+similar conclusion, as a regular epidemic of malaria now set in among
+my pigmy friends, the Negritos, and the old chief told us that his
+favourite son was dying with it; next my neighbour and his wife were
+prostrated with it, and when they had slightly recovered, they left
+their hut and returned to Florida Blanca. Vic himself was next laid
+up with it, and seemed to think he was going to die. When I was at
+work in the evening he would shiver and groan under a blanket by my
+side; this, coming night after night, was rather depressing for me,
+all alone as I was. At other times he would imagine we were hunting the
+wary and elusive _pitta,_ and would start up crying, "_Ah! el tinkalu,_
+it is there! _por Deos,_ shoot, my English, shoot!" or he would imagine
+we were after butterflies, and would cry out, _"Caramba, mariposa azul
+muy grande, muy bueno, bueno!"_ I was forced to do all the cooking for
+both of us, though it was quite pathetic to see poor Vic's efforts to
+come to my assistance, and his indignation that his "English" should
+do such work for him. At one time I half expected that he would die,
+but with careful nursing and doctoring I gradually brought him round.
+
+During all the time that he was ill. I did but little collecting,
+and no sooner was Vic on the road to recovery than I myself was seized
+with it, and Vic repaid the compliment by nursing me in turn. It was
+a most depressing illness, especially as I was living on the poorest
+fare in a close and dirty hut. When you are ill in civilization, with
+nurses and doctors and a good bed, you feel that you are in good hands,
+and confidence does much to help recovery. But it is a different matter
+being sick in the wilds, without any of these luxuries, and you wonder
+what will happen if it gets serious. Then you long for home and its
+luxuries, with a very great longing, and cordially detest the spot
+you are in, with all those wretched birds and butterflies! It is Eke
+a long nightmare, but as you get better you forget all this, and the
+jaundiced feeling soon wears off, and you start off collecting again
+as keen as ever. One day a small skinny brown dog somehow managed to
+climb up the bamboo step into my hut during Vic's temporary absence,
+and I suddenly awoke to find it helping itself to the contents of a
+plate that Vic had placed by my side. I was far too ill to do more
+than frighten it away. This happened a second time before I was strong
+enough to move, but the third time I was well enough to seize my small
+collecting gun (which was loaded with very small cartridges), and
+when it was about thirty yards away I fired at it, simply intending to
+frighten it, as at that distance these small cartridges would hardly
+have killed a small bird. It stopped suddenly and, after spinning
+round a few times yelping, it turned over on its back. Even then I
+thought it was shamming, but on going up to it I found it was dead,
+with only one No. 8 shot in its spleen. On Vic's return he was much
+alarmed, as he said the dog belonged to the Negrito chief, who was
+very fond of it, and would be very angry with me if he knew. So we
+hid the body in the middle of a clump of bamboo about a quarter of
+a mile away from the hut. But the following day the sky was thick
+with a kind of turkey buzzard, which had evidently smelt the dog's
+corpse from some distance, and they were soon quarrelling over the
+remains. Vic worked himself up into a state of panic, saying that it
+would be discovered by the Negritos, but a few days later I sent him
+over to the Negrito chief's hut to get me some rice, and the chief
+mentioned that his chief wife had lost her dog, which she was very
+fond of, and that he thought that I must have killed it. Vic in reply
+said that that could never be, as in the country that I came from
+the people were so fond of dogs that they were very kind to them,
+and treated them like their own fathers. The chief then said that a
+pig must have killed it, and so the incident ended.
+
+About this time Vic asked my permission to return to Florida Blanca
+for a few days, as he had heard that his wife had run away with another
+man, and he offered to send his brother to take his place. His brother
+could also speak English a little, and was assistant schoolmaster to
+the American. He proved, however, an arrant coward, and, like most
+Filipinos, lived in great fear of the Negritos. When out with me
+in the forest he would start, if he heard a twig snap or a bamboo
+creak, and look fearfully about him for a Negrito. He told me that
+the Negritos will kill and rob you if they think there is no chance
+of being found out, and he mentioned a case of an old Filipino being
+killed and robbed by these same Negritos a few months previously. I
+managed to string together the following absurd story from his broken
+English. He said that if you heard a twig break in the forest once or
+even twice you were safe enough, but if a twig snapped a third time,
+and you did not call out that you saw the Negrito, you would get an
+arrow into you. He said that once when he heard the stick "break three
+time" (to use his own words), he called out "Ah! I see you Negrite,
+and the Negrite he no shoot, but came out like amigo (friend)." His
+English was too limited for me to point out the many weak and absurd
+points of the story, as, for instance, why the Negrito should make the
+twigs break exactly three times, and why he should not shoot because
+he thinks he is seen. I only mention this anecdote to illustrate the
+credulity of the Filipinos. The next day, when we were out collecting
+in the morning, I suddenly saw him start when a bamboo snapped, so I
+called out, "Buenos diaz, Senor Negrite." This was too much for my man,
+who ran off home and refused to follow me in the forest that afternoon,
+and when I returned that evening he was nowhere to be seen, and I
+found out later that he had returned to Florida Blanca. In consequence
+I was forced to do all my own cooking, which was not pleasant, as I
+had to do it all in the hot sun, and this brought on a return of my
+fever. At last, one morning, as I was endeavouring to light a fire to
+cook my breakfast, and muttering unpleasant things about Vic and his
+brother, I suddenly looked up and Vic stood before me like a. silent
+ghost. I say like a ghost, because he looked like one, thin and gaunt
+as he still was from fever. He, too, had had a return of the fever
+and had not yet recovered, but sooner than that "his English" should
+be alone, he had dragged himself over in the cool of the night. The
+next day his wife and two children arrived. She had been on a visit
+to her mother in another village, which accounted for Vic's thinking
+she had run away. They occupied the hut of my late neighbour, and
+before many days had gone they were all bad with fever. It was easy
+to see that the woman hated me, and imagined I was the cause of her
+having to come and live in these lonely and unhealthy mountains. Vic
+told me that there had been so much sickness in Florida Blanca that
+there was no quinine left in the place. My own stock was getting low,
+and Vic and his family, as well as myself, used it daily. I had cured
+the old Negrito chief with it, and he was very grateful to me, and
+presented me with some very fine arrows in return.
+
+For some time past I had heard rumours of an extraordinary tribe of
+Negritos who lived further back in the mountains, and were named
+Buquils, and whose women were reported to have beards. Vic, whom
+I always found to be most truthful in everything, and who rarely
+exaggerated, declared it was true, and furthermore told me that
+these Buquils had long smooth hair, which proved that they could not
+have been Negritos. Besides, I learnt that they were quite a tall
+people. Nowhere in the whole world is there such a diversity of races
+as in the Philippines, and so it would be quite impossible even to
+guess what they were. Vic had once seen some of them himself when they
+came on a visit to the lower mountains. Though I thought the story,
+as to the women having beards, a fable, I determined to visit them
+before I left these mountains, and the old Negrito chief, who also told
+me that the women really did have beards, offered to lend me some of
+his people to carry my things. But one day Vic heard that his lather
+was dying, and when I tried to cheer him up he sobbed in a mixture
+of broken Spanish and English, "One thousand senoritas can get, one
+thousand children can get, but lose one father more cannot get." On
+this account I had to return to Florida Blanca, and besides we were
+all very bad with constant attacks of fever, and in this village we
+could at all events get bread, milk and eggs to recuperate us. The
+American had left for a long holiday, so I managed to hire a small
+house where I could sort my collections before returning to Manila,
+where I intended catching a steamer for the south Philippines.
+
+One day the village priest (a Filipino) called on me, and in course
+of conversation we spoke about these Buquils. He was most emphatic
+that it was true about the women having beards, and he also told me
+that no Englishman, American or Spaniard had ever penetrated so far
+back in the mountains as to reach their villages. When he had left I
+thought it over, and decided to go and see them for myself, though I
+was still suffering from fever. Vic, whose father had recovered from
+his illness, declared his willingness to accompany me; in fact I knew
+that he would never allow me to go without him. He was quite miserable
+at the idea of our parting, which was close at hand. As luck would
+have it, the day before we decided to start, Vic was down with fever
+again, and the following day I was seized with it. Never before or
+since have I been amongst so much fever as I was in this district. In
+any case I had made up my mind to see these Buquils, but we had now
+lost two days, and there was only just enough time left to get there
+and back and to journey back to Manila and catch my steamer. The day
+after my attack we started for the mountains once more at about two
+p.m., my fever being still too bad for me to start earlier. It had
+been very dry lately, with not a drop of rain and hardly a cloud to
+be seen, but just as we were starting it came on to rain in torrents
+and this meant that the rainy season had set in. It seemed as if the
+very elements were against us, and even Vic seemed struck with our
+various difficulties. I was sick and feverish, and my head felt like a
+lump of lead, as I plodded mechanically along in the rain through the
+tall wet grass. I felt no keenness to see these people at the time,
+fever removes all that, but I had so got it into my head before the
+fever that I must go at all hazards, that I felt somehow as if I was
+obeying someone else. We passed my old residence a short way off, and
+I stayed the night at the Negrito chief's hut, which I reached long
+after dark. He seemed very glad to see me again, and turned out most
+of his family and relations to make room for me. My troubles were not
+yet ended, as the two Filipinos whom I had engaged to carry my food
+and bedding could not start till late, and consequently lost their
+way, and were discovered in the forest by some Negritos, who went in
+search of them about 2 a.m. Meanwhile I had to lie on the hard ground
+in my wet clothes, and as I got very cold a fresh attack of fever
+resulted. I had intended to start off again about four a.m., but it
+was fully four hours later before we were well on our way. I managed
+to eat a little before I left, our rice and other food being cooked
+in bamboo (the regular method of cooking amongst the Negritos). I here
+noticed for the first time the method employed by the Negrito mothers
+for giving their babies water; they fill their own mouths with water
+from a bamboo, and the child drinks from its mother's mouth. In the
+early morning thousands of metallic green and cream-coloured pigeons
+and large green doves came to feed on the golden yellow fruit of a
+species of fig tree (_Ficus_), which grew on the edge of the forest
+near the chief's hut. They made a tremendous noise, fluttering and
+squeaking as they fought over the tempting looking fruit.
+
+We took five Negritos to carry the rice and my baggage--two men,
+two women, and a boy. The women, though not much more than girls,
+were apportioned the heaviest loads; the men saw to that, and looked
+indignant when I made them reduce the girls' loads. As we continued
+on our journey, I noticed that our five Negrito carriers were joined
+by several others all well armed with bows and extra large bundles of
+arrows, and on my asking Vic the reason, he told me that these Buquils
+we were going to visit were very treacherous, and our Negritos would
+never venture amongst them unless in a strong body. As we went along
+the narrow track in single file some of the Negritos would suddenly
+break forth into song or shouting, and as they would yell (as if in
+answer to each other) all along the line, I could not help envying them
+the extreme health and happiness which the very sound of it seemed to
+express; my own head meanwhile feeling as if about to split. I shall
+never forget that walk up and down the steepest tracks, where in some
+places a slip would have meant a fall far down into a gorge below. If
+Vic was to be believed, I was the first white man to try that track,
+and I would not like to recommend it to any others. Deep ravines, that
+if one could only have spanned with a bridge one could have crossed in
+five minutes or less, took us fully an hour to go down and up again,
+and I could never have got down some of them except for being able
+to hang on to bushes, trees and long grass. Whenever we passed a
+Negrito hut we took a short rest. My Negritos, however, wanted to
+make it a long one, as they seemed to be very fond of yarning, and
+when I insisted on their hurrying on, Vic got frightened and declared
+they might clear out and leave us, which would certainly have been
+a misfortune. At length we arrived at a chief's hut, where we had
+arranged to spend the night. It was situated at the top of a tall,
+grassy peak, from which I got a wonderful view of the surrounding
+country: steep wooded gorges and precipices surrounded us on all
+sides, and in the distance the flat country from whence we had come,
+and far far away the sea looked like glistening silver. The flat
+country presented an extraordinary contrast to the rugged mountains
+which surrounded me. It was so wonderfully flat, not the smallest
+hill to be seen anywhere, except where the lonely isolated peak of
+Mount Aryat arose in the distance, and far away one could just see
+a long chain of lofty mountains. The effect of the shadows of the
+distant clouds on the flat country was very curious. Early the next
+morning, at sunrise, the view looked very different, though just as
+beautiful. The chief seemed very friendly. He was a brother of my old
+friend, with whom I had stayed the previous night. This chief, however,
+was very different to his brother, being very dignified, but he had
+a very good and kind face, whilst my old friend was a "typical comic
+opera" kind of character. From what I could understand these two and
+another brother ruled over this tribe of Negritos between them, each
+being chief of a third of the tribe Soon after my arrival I turned in,
+as I was very tired and feverish and had had no sleep the previous
+night. The Negritos, as usual, were very merry and made a great noise
+for so small a people. I never saw such people for laughter whenever
+anything amused them, which is very often; they were a great contrast
+in this respect to the Filipinos. This natural gaiety helps to explain
+their many and varied dances, one of which consists in their running
+round after each other in a circle.
+
+I felt very much better next morning, and we started off very early,
+our numbers being increased by the chief and many of his men, so that
+I now found myself escorted by quite an army. I took note round here
+of the methods used by the Negritos in climbing tall, thick trees to
+get fruit and birds-nests. They had long bamboo poles lashed together,
+which run up to one of the highest branches fully one hundred feet
+from the ground. They often fastened them to the branch of a smaller
+tree, and thence slanting upwards to the top of a tall tree, perhaps
+as much as sixty feet and more away from the smaller tree. These
+Negritos axe splendid climbers, but it seemed wonderful for even a
+Negrito to trust himself on one of these bamboos stretching like
+a thread from tree to tree so far from the ground. I shall never
+forget the scramble we now had into the deepest gorge of all, and
+how we followed the bed of a dried-up stream, which in the rainy
+season must be a series of cascades and waterfalls, since we had to
+scramble all the way over large slippery boulders covered with ferns
+and _begonias._ We at length came to a tempting-looking river full of
+large pools of clear water, into which I longed to plunge. The banks
+were extremely beautiful, being overhung by the forest, and the rocky
+cliffs were half hidden by large fleshy-leaved climbers and many
+other beautiful tropical plants. It was one of those indescribably
+beautiful spots that one so often encounters in the tropical wilds,
+and which it is impossible to paint in words. A troop of monkeys were
+disporting themselves on a tree overhanging the river. Vic was most
+anxious for me to allow him to shoot one, but I have only shot one
+monkey in my life, and it is to be the last, and I always try and
+prevent others from doing so. We waded the river in a shallow place,
+and climbed up the steep hill on the other side. We had gone a good
+distance over hills covered with tall grass, and I was now looking
+forward to a bit of decent walking, as hitherto it had been nearly all
+miserable scrambling work, and the Negritos told Vic that the worst was
+now over. But we were approaching a hut, overhanging a rocky cliff,
+when we heard the sound of angry voices and wailing above us, and we
+soon perceived four Negritos (three men and a woman) approaching us. I
+thought the old woman was mad; she was making more noise than all the
+others put together, shouting and screaming in her fury. At first I
+thought they might be hostile Negritos who resented our intrusion,
+but they belonged to the tribe of the chief who was with me, and they
+were soon talking to him in loud, excited voices. Our own party soon
+got excited, too, and, as may be imagined, I was longing to find out
+the cause of all this excitement. Vic soon told me the reason. It
+appeared that on the previous day a large party of our Negritos had
+gone into the territory of the Buquils in order to get various kinds
+of forest produce (as they had often done in the past), and had been
+treacherously attacked by these Buquils, and many of them killed. One
+of these was the brother of a sub-chief, who now approached us, and
+who was, I believe, the husband of the frenzied woman. It was a very
+excitable scene that followed. I suppose one might call it a council
+of war. It was a mystery to me where all the Negritos came from and
+how they found us out; but they came in ones and twos till there was
+a huge concourse of them present, all gathered round their chief and
+squatting on the ground. About the only one who behaved sensibly
+was my friend the chief. He spoke in a slow and dignified manner,
+but the rest worked themselves up into a furious rage, and twanged
+their bowstrings, and jumped about and fitted arrows to their bows,
+and pointed them at inoffensive "papaya" trees, whilst two little
+boys shot small arrows into the green and yellow fruit, seeming to
+catch the fever from their elders. One man actually danced a kind of
+war-dance on his own account, strutting about with his bow and arrow
+pointed, and getting into all sorts of grotesque attitudes, moving
+about with his legs stiffened, and pulling the most hideous faces,
+till I was forced to laugh.
+
+But it seemed to be no laughing matter for the Negritos. The old woman
+beat them all; she did not want anyone to get in a word edgeways,
+but screamed and yelled, almost foaming at the mouth, till I almost
+expected to see her fall down in a fit. I never before witnessed such
+a display of fury.
+
+Vic kept me well advised as to the progress of the proceedings, and
+it was eventually settled that each of the three brother chiefs were
+to gather together three hundred fighting men, making nine hundred
+altogether, and these in a few days' time were to go up and avenge
+the deaths of their fellow tribesmen. From the enthusiasm displayed
+amongst the little men, this was evidently carried unanimously,
+but I noticed two young men sitting aloof from the rest of the
+crowd and looking rather sullen and frightened, and as they did not
+join in the general warlike demonstrations, it was evidently their
+first fight. Here, however, I made Vic interrupt in order to draw
+attention to myself. What Vic translated to me was to the effect that
+it was out of the question for us to go on into the enemy's country,
+which we should have reached in another two hours' walk. If we did
+they would certainly kill us all by shooting arrows into us from the
+long grass (in other words, we should fall into an ambush), and, in
+fact, since they had killed some of this tribe they would kill anyone
+that came into their country. By killing these men they had declared
+war. This was the sum total of Vic's translation, and I saw at once
+that it was out of the question for me to go on, as no Negrito would
+go with me, and I could not go alone. In any case I should have been
+killed. Vic told me that very few of these Buquils ever leave their
+mountain valleys, and so most of them had never seen a Filipino, much
+less a white man. And so I met with a very great disappointment, and
+was forced to leave without proving whether or no the story of these
+bearded women was a myth. Lately I heard a rumour that an American had
+visited them and proved the story true. My disappointment may well be
+imagined. I had come over the worst track I had ever travelled on in
+spite of rain and fever, but I at once saw that all my labours were
+in vain and that I could not surmount this last difficulty. But I was
+lucky in one way. The chief told Vic that if we had gone yesterday we
+should all have been killed, as without knowing anything about it,
+we should have got there just after the fight. So for once fever
+had done me a good turn, a "providencia," I think Vic called it,
+as I should have reached my destination the previous day if I had
+not been delayed by fever. Out of curiosity to see what the chief
+would say, I told Vic to tell him that I would help him with my gun,
+but the chief was ungrateful and contemptuous, saying that they
+would shoot me before I could see to shoot them. Vic thought I was
+serious, and said he would not go with me, and begged me not to go,
+saying, in a mixture of English and Spanish, "What will your father,
+your sister, and your brother say to me when Buquil arrow make you
+dead?" Needless to say I was not keen on stalking Buquils who were
+waiting for me with steel arrows in long grass, and, besides, if I
+went with the gallant little nine hundred, I should miss my steamer. I
+never heard the result of that fight, much as I should like to have
+known it. After the meeting had dispersed, we returned to the river
+and rested. I bathed and took a swim in a big, deep pool under a huge
+tree, which was one mass of beautiful white flowers. I have never
+enjoyed a swim more. Vic also took a wash, and to my great surprise
+one of the Negritos proceeded to copy him, and as Vic soaped himself
+the Negrito tried to do the same thing with a stone, with which he
+succeeded in getting rid of a great deal of dirt. It surprised and
+amused the other Negritos, both men and women, who jeered and roared
+with laughter at the unusual spectacle of a Negrito washing himself.
+
+I signed to them to give our boy carrier a wash, as he seemed the
+noisiest of the party, and two men got hold of him to duck him, but
+he seemed so terrified that I stopped them. The youngster evidently
+hated me for the fright he had received, as later on when I made him a
+present of a silver ten-cent piece to make up for his fright--this is
+a very handsome present for a Negrito--he threw it on the ground and
+stamped his foot in anger. The Negritos shot several fish and large
+prawns with a special kind of long pointed arrow; these we ate with
+our rice by the river side before returning. The night I stayed with
+my old friend, the comic chief, I found him actually in tears and
+much cut up at the idea of his two sons having to take part in the
+fight. I suppose it was compulsory for them to fight, but it appeared
+rather odd to me that a chief should object to his sons taking part
+in a fight, as the Negritos are considered very plucky fighters. The
+chief sent four Negritos to carry my things down to Florida Blanca. The
+following day I started back to Manila, where I caught my steamer for
+the southern Philippines. Vic was much distressed at my departure and
+shed many tears as I said good-bye to him, his grief being such that
+even a handsome tip could not assuage it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART IV
+
+In the Jungles of Cannibal Papua.
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+On the War-Trail in Cannibal Papua.
+
+    Expedition against the Doboduras--We hear reports about a
+    Web-footed Tribe--Landing at the Mouth of the Musa River--A Good
+    Bag--Barigi River Reached--A Flight of Torres Straits Pigeons--A
+    Tropical Night Scene--Brilliant Rues of Tropical Fish--Arrival of
+    Supplies--Prospects of a Stiff Fight--Landing of the Force--Pigs
+    Shot to Prevent them from being Cooked Alive--Novelty of
+    Firearms--A Red Sunrise--Beauty of the Forest--Enemies' War Cry
+    First Heard--Rushing a Village--Revolting Relics of Cannibal
+    Feast--Doboduras eat their Enemies Alive--Method of Extracting
+    the Brains--Extensive Looting--Firing at the Enemies' Scouts--An
+    Exciting Chase--When in Doubt Turn to the Right--Another Village
+    Rushed--Skirmishes with the Enemy--Relics of Cannibalism general
+    in the Villages--Camp Formed at the Largest Village--Capture of
+    Prisoners--An "Object, Lesson"--Carriers ask Leave to Eat one
+    of the Slain--Arigita's Opinion--Cannibal Surroundings at our
+    Supper--Expectation of a Night Attack.
+
+
+We were three white men, Monckton was the resident magistrate, while
+Acland and I myself were _non-officio_ members of the expedition,
+being friends of Monckton.
+
+We had been some time at Cape Nelson, where the residency was,
+a lonely though beautiful spot on the north-east coast of British
+New Guinea. Whilst here I had made good collections of birds and
+butterflies, and had made expeditions into the surrounding and little
+known country, including the mountains at the back, where no white
+man had yet been. And now (September 17th, 1902) we were off on a
+government exploring and punitive expedition into the unknown wilds
+of this fascinating and interesting country.
+
+We three sat on the stern of the large whale boat, while the twenty
+police and our four boys took turns at the oars. They were fine
+fellows these Papuan police, and their uniforms suited them well,
+consisting as they did of a deep blue serge vest, edged with red
+braid, and a "sulu" or kilt of the same material, which with their
+bare legs made a sensible costume for the work they had to perform
+in this rough country. As they pulled cheerfully at their oars they
+seemed in splendid spirits, for they felt almost sure that they were
+in for some fighting, and this they dearly love.
+
+Our boys, however, did not look quite so happy, especially my boy
+Arigita, who was a son of old Giwi, chief of the Kaili-kailis. He--old
+Giwi--had gone on the previous day with three or four large canoes
+laden with rice and manned by men of the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu
+tribes, and we intended taking more canoes and men from the Okeina
+tribe _en route._
+
+Our expedition was partly a punitive one, as a tribe named Dobodura
+had been continually raiding and slaughtering the Notu tribe on the
+coast, with no other apparent reason than the filling of their own
+cooking pots.
+
+Although the Notus lived on the coast, little was known of them,
+though they professed friendship to the government. The Doboduras,
+on the other hand, were a strong fighting tribe a short way off in
+the unknown interior, no white men having hitherto penetrated into
+their country: hence they knew nothing about the white man except by
+dim report.
+
+After we had settled our account with them we intended going in search
+of a curious swamp-dwelling tribe, whose feet were reported to be
+webbed, like those of a duck, and many were the weird and fantastic
+rumours that reached our ears concerning them.
+
+The sea soon got very "choppy," and up went our sail, and we flew along
+pretty fast. We had left behind us Mount Victory (a volcano which
+is always sending forth volumes of dense smoke) some time before,
+and some time afterward we were joined by a fleet of fourteen large
+canoes, most of them belonging to the Okeina tribe, but also including
+the three Kaili-kaili canoes sent off on the previous day.
+
+We all then went on together, and late in the afternoon we landed
+at a spot near the mouth of the Musa River. We spent the evening
+shooting, and had splendid sport, our bag consisting of ducks of
+various species, pigeon, spur-winged plover, curlew, sandpipers,
+etc. We also saw wallaby, and numerous tracks of cassowary and wild
+pig. After some supper on the beach, the Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and
+Okeina carriers, numbering over one hundred, were drawn up in line,
+and Monckton told them that he did not want so many carriers. If they
+(the Okeinas) would like to come, he would not give them more than
+tobacco, and not axes and knives, which he gave to the Kaili-kaili and
+Arifamu carriers. They unanimously wished to go even without payment,
+as they were confident that we should have some big fighting, and
+they, being a fighting tribe, simply wished to go with us for this
+reason. Monckton sent off the carriers that night, so that they could
+get a good start of us. It was a bright moonlight night, and it was a
+picturesque scene when the fleet of canoes started off amidst a regular
+pandemonium of shouting and chatter. I do not suppose that this quiet
+spot had ever before witnessed such a sight. We were off next morning
+before sunrise, and continued our way in a dead calm and a blazing sun.
+
+We soon caught up with our canoes, which had gone on in advance on the
+previous night. A breeze sprang up and we made good progress under
+sail, and soon left the canoes far behind. We saw plenty of large
+crocodiles, and a persevering but much disappointed shark followed
+us for some distance.
+
+We camped that night just inside the mouth of the Barigi River, on the
+very spot where Monckton was attacked the previous year by the Baruga
+tribe. They had made a night attack upon him as he was encamped here
+with his police, and had evidently expected to take him by surprise,
+as they paddled quietly up. But he was ready for them, and gave the
+leading canoe a volley, with the result that the river was soon full
+of dead and wounded men, who were torn to pieces by the crocodiles. The
+rest fled, but he captured their chief, who was wounded.
+
+Upon our arrival late in the afternoon Acland and I started out with
+our guns after pigeon, taking our boys and some armed police, as it
+was not safe to venture far from the camp without protection.
+
+The vegetation was very beautiful, and there was a wonderful variety
+of the palm family. We wandered through very thorny and tangled
+vegetation. We espied a fire not far off and went to inspect it,
+but saw no natives, though there were plenty of footprints in the sand.
+
+Towards evening we saw thousands of pigeons settle on a few trees
+close by on a small island, but they were off in clouds before we got
+near. They were what is known as the Torres Straits pigeon, and were
+of a beautiful creamy-white colour. On the banks of this river were
+quantities of the curious _nipa_ palm growing in the water. These palms
+have enormous rough pods which hang down in the water, and there were
+quantities of oysters sticking to the lower parts of their stems. We
+dynamited for fish and got sufficient to supply us all with food.
+
+About nine p.m. all the canoes turned up and the camp was soon alive
+with noise and bustle. The carriers had had nothing to eat since
+the day before, and poor old Giwi, the chief, squeezed his stomach
+to show how empty he was, but still managed to giggle in his usual
+childish fashion.
+
+They brought with them two runaway carriers who had come from the
+Kumusi district, where many of the miners start inland for the Yodda
+Valley (the gold mining centre). They had travelled for five days
+along the coast, and had hardly eaten anything. They had avoided
+all villages _en route,_ otherwise they themselves would undoubtedly
+have furnished food for others, though there was little enough meat
+on them. There were many different tribes in this neighbourhood, and
+Monckton was far from satisfied as to the safety of our camp if we
+were attacked. We sent off a canoe with Okeina men up the river to get
+provisions from the Baruga tribe who had attacked Monckton the previous
+year, and they now professed friendship to the government. The Okeinas
+were friendly with them, but as they paddled away in the darkness
+Monckton shouted out after them to give him warning when they were
+coming back with the Baruga people, and they shouted back what was
+the Okeina equivalent for "You bet we will."
+
+We pitched our mosquito nets under a rough shelter of palm leaves, and
+I lay awake for some time watching the light of countless fire-flies
+and beetles which flashed around me in the darkness, while curious
+cries of nocturnal birds on the forest-clad banks and mangroves from
+time to time broke the stillness of the tropical night, and followed
+me into the land of dreams, from which I was rudely awakened early
+the next morning by clouds of small sandflies, which my mosquito net
+had failed to keep out.
+
+We stayed here the following day, and put in part of our time
+dynamiting for fish at the mouth of the river. It was a curious sight
+to see the fish blown high into the air as if by a regular geyser. We
+got about three hundred; they were of numerous species, and most of
+them of good size. Many were most brilliantly coloured, indeed the
+fish in these tropical waters are often the most gorgeous objects in
+nature, and would greatly surprise those who are only used to the fish
+of the temperate zone. During the day the Okeinas returned. They were
+followed by several canoes of the Baruga tribe with their chief, who
+brought us four live pigs tied to poles, besides other native food,
+which, together with the fish, saved us from using the rice for the
+police and carriers. New Guinea is not a rice-producing country, and
+the natives not being used to it, are far from appreciating it. A
+little later some of the Notu tribe from further north arrived by
+canoe. They had again been raided by the Dobodura tribe, and many
+of them killed and captured. They said the enemy were very strong,
+and Monckton told us that it was more than likely that they could
+raise one thousand to fifteen hundred fighting men. We determined
+to resume our journey the next day, and go inland and attack their
+villages. We seemed likely to be in for a good fight, and the police
+especially were highly elated. Old Giwi, who bragged so much about
+his fighting capabilities at starting, shook his head and thought it
+a tall order, and that we were not strong enough to tackle them.
+
+We left again early on the morning of September 20th, the canoes
+with our carriers having gone on the previous night. Early in the
+afternoon we passed large villages situated amid groves of coconut
+palms. These belonged to the Notus, who had been suffering such severe
+depredations at the hands of the Doboduras. Shortly before arriving
+at our destination we found the carriers waiting for us on shore, they
+having too much fear of the Notus to reach their villages before us.
+
+We determined to land on the far side of one particularly large
+village. Rifles were handed around, and we strapped on our revolvers,
+and all got ready in case of treachery. Then came a scene of excitement
+as we landed in the breakers. Directly we got into shallow water the
+police jumped out, and with loud yells rushed the boat ashore. There
+was still greater excitement getting the canoes ashore amid loud
+shouting, and one of the last canoes to land, filled, but was carried
+ashore safely, and only a few bags of rice got wet.
+
+We pitched our camp on a sandy strip of land surrounded on three sides
+by a fresh water lagoon, our position being a good one to defend,
+in case we were attacked. Monckton then took a few police and went
+off to interview the Notus.
+
+After a time he returned with the information that the Notus appeared
+to be quite friendly, and anxious to unite with us against the common
+foe on the morrow.
+
+Several of them visited our camp during the day and brought us native
+food and pigs, which latter Monckton shot with his revolver, to prevent
+our carriers cooking them alive. It was quite amusing to see the way
+the Notus hopped about after each report, some of them running away,
+and small blame to them, seeing that it was the first time that they
+had ever heard the report of a firearm.
+
+The next morning saw us up long before daybreak, and in the dim light
+we could see small groups of Notu warriors wending their way amid the
+tall coconuts in the direction of our camp, till about seventy of them
+had assembled. They were all fully armed with long hardwood spears,
+stone clubs and rattan shields (oblong in shape and of wood covered
+with strips of rattan, with a handle at the back), and led the way
+along the beach. The sun soon rose above the sea a very red colour, and
+a superstitious person might have considered it an omen of bloodshed.
+
+It was hard work walking in the loose sand, and I was glad when
+we branched off into the bush to walk inland. We passed through
+alternate forests and open grass land, the forest in places being
+quite luxuriant, and new and beautiful plants and rare and gaudy birds
+and butterflies made one long to loiter by the way. Amongst the palm
+family new to me was a very beautiful _Licuala,_ perhaps the most
+beautiful of all fan-leaved palms, and a climbing palm, one of the
+rattans (_Korthalzia_ sp.), with pinkish stems and leaves resembling
+a gigantic maidenhair fern, which looked very beautiful scrambling
+over the trees, together with two or three other species of rattans.
+
+Our combined force was over two hundred strong, the Notus leading the
+way, then came most of the police, then we three white men, then more
+police, and our Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and Okeina carriers brought up
+the rear bearing our tents, baggage and bags of rice.
+
+As we wended our way down the narrow track there were several moments
+of excitement, and the Notus several times fell back on to us in alarm,
+but their fears seemed groundless.
+
+We continued our march for many hours, and just as we came to the
+end of a long bit of forest, the Notus came rushing back on to us in
+great confusion. We soon learned the reason. At the end of a grassy
+stretch of country was a village surrounded by a thick grove of coconut
+and betel-nut palms, and some of the enemy's scouts had been seen,
+and we heard their distant war-cry, a prolonged "ooh-h-h, ah-h-h,"
+which was particularly thrilling, uttered as it was by great numbers of
+voices. The Notus all huddled together, then replied in like language,
+but their cry did not seem to possess the same defiant ring as that
+of the Doboduras.
+
+We three took off our helmets and crouched down with the police just
+inside the forest, with our rifles ready for the expected rush of
+the enemy, having sent the Notus out into the open, hoping thereby
+to draw the enemy after them. We meant then to give them a lesson,
+make some captures, and come to terms with their chief. Two or three
+times the Notus came rushing back, and I fully expected to see the
+Doboduras at their heels, but they were evidently aware that the
+Notus were not alone, and all I could see was the distant village
+and palm-trees shimmering in the quivering heated air, and the heads
+of the Dobodura warriors crowned with feather head-dresses bobbing
+about amid the tall grass, while ever and anon their distant war-cry
+floated over the grassy plain.
+
+We decided to rush the village, which we later found was named Kanau,
+but when we got there we found it deserted. In the centre of the
+village was a kind of small raised platform, on which were rows of
+human skulls and quantities of bones, the remnants of many a gruesome
+cannibal feast. Many of these skulls were quite fresh, with small
+bits of meat still sticking to them, but for all that they had been
+picked very clean. Every skull had a large hole punched in the side of
+the head, varying in size, but uniform as regards position (to quote
+from Monckton's later report to the government). The explanation for
+this we soon learnt from the Notus, and later it was confirmed by our
+prisoners. When the Doboduras capture an enemy they slowly torture him
+to death, practically eating him alive. When he is almost dead they
+make a hole in the side of the head and scoop out the brains with a
+kind of wooden spoon. These brains, which were eaten warm and fresh,
+were regarded as a great delicacy. No doubt the Notus recognised some
+of their relatives amid the ghastly relics. We rested a short time in
+this village, and our people were soon busy spearing pigs and chickens,
+and looting. The loot consisted of all sorts of household articles
+and implements, including wooden pillows, bowls, and dishes, "tapa"
+cloth of quaint designs, stone adzes, beautiful feather ornaments,
+"bau-baus" or native bamboo pipes, wooden spears, and a great quantity
+of shell and dogs'-tooth necklaces.
+
+We saw three or four of the enemy scouting on the edge of the forest,
+and I was asked to try to pick one off, but before I could fire
+they had disappeared. Then several Notus ran out brandishing spears,
+and danced a war-dance in front of the forest, but their invitation
+was not accepted. We next saw several armed scouts on a small tree
+about five hundred yards away, and we all lined up and gave them
+a volley; whether we hit any of them or not it is hard to say, but
+they dropped down immediately into the long grass. At any rate, it
+must have astonished them to hear the bullets whistling round them,
+even if they were not hit, as it was the first time they had ever
+heard the report of a firearm of any description. Some of the police
+went out to sneak through the long grass, and we soon heard shots,
+and they came back with the spears, clubs and shields of two men
+they had killed. They also brought a curious fighting ornament worn
+on the head, made of upper bills of the hornbill.
+
+We continued our march through some thick forest, and at length came
+to the banks of a river, where we suddenly crouched down. An armed
+man was crawling along the river bed, peering in all directions, and
+shouting out to his friends on the opposite bank. We were anxious to
+make a capture. Monckton suddenly gave the word, and up jumped a dozen
+police in front of me and plunged into the river and gave chase. I
+followed hard, but the police in front were gradually leaving me far
+behind. Till then I always fancied I could run a bit, but I knew better
+now. Seeing the man's shield, which he had thrown away in his flight,
+I at once collared it as a trophy of the chase. Then looking around,
+I found that I was quite alone, and the thick jungle all around me
+resounded with the loud angry shouts and cries of the enemy. I found
+out afterwards that my friends and the rest had no intention of giving
+chase, but had been highly amused in watching my poor effort to keep
+up with the nimble barefooted police. I shall never forget those
+uncomfortable few minutes as I rushed down the track in the direction
+the police had taken. Visions arose before me of the part I should play
+in a cannibal feast, and I expected every minute to feel the sharp
+point of a spear entering the small of my back, just as I had been
+seeing our people drive their spears clean through some running pigs.
+
+To my dismay I found the track divided, and it was impossible to
+tell which way the police had gone. To turn back was out of the
+question. I had come a good way, and I had no idea where the rest were,
+and from the uproar at the back I imagined the Doboduras were coming
+down the track after me. I hastily decided to go by the old saying,
+"If you go to the right you are right," and it was well for me that I
+did so, as I found out later from the police that if I had gone to the
+left--well, there would have been nothing left of me, especially after
+one Dobodura meal, as the enemy were there in full force. As it was, I
+soon afterward came up with the police, feeling rather shaky and white.
+
+The police had captured a middle-aged woman, whose face and part
+of her body were thickly plastered with clay. This was a sign of
+mourning. We learnt that she was a Notu woman, who had been captured
+some time previously by the Doboduras. She was much alarmed, and
+whined and beat her breasts, and caressed some of the police. We
+made her come on with us, and the rest of the party soon joining
+us, we came to another village, which we "rushed," but it, too,
+was deserted. There was more killing of fowls and pigs, and a scene
+of great confusion as our people speared and clubbed them and ran
+about in all directions, looting the houses, picking coconuts, and
+cutting down betel-nut palms, many of them decorating themselves
+with the beautifully variegated leaves of crotons and _dracaenas,_
+some of which were of species entirely new to me. It seemed a bit
+curious that these wild cannibals should exhibit such a taste for
+these gay and brilliantly coloured leaves and flowers, which they
+had evidently transplanted from forest and jungle to their own village.
+
+We continued our way through bush and open country, our police having
+slight skirmishes with small bands of natives. One big Dobodura rushed
+at Sergeant Kimi with uplifted club, but Kimi coolly knelt down and
+shot him in the stomach when he was only a few yards off. The round,
+sharp stone on the club being an extra fine one, I soon exchanged it
+with Kimi for two sticks of tobacco (the chief article of trade in
+New Guinea, and worth about three half-pence a stick).
+
+Toku, Monckton's boy, and a brother of my boy, Arigita, who carried
+his master's small pea-rifle, shot a man in the back with it as the
+man fled, and thereafter was a hero among the boys. Arigita wished
+to emulate his brother, and begged hard to do some shooting on his
+own account with my twelve-bore shot gun, which he carried, and he
+seemed very much hurt because I would not allow it.
+
+We passed through many more villages, embowered in palm groves, and
+in each village we saw plenty of human skulls and long sticks with
+human jawbones hanging upon them. On one I counted twenty-five; there
+were also long rows of the jawbones of pigs, and a few crocodiles'
+heads. These villages were all deserted, the natives having fled. At
+length we came to what appeared, from its great size, to be the
+chief village, which we later learnt was named Dobodura. It extended
+some distance, and stood amid thousands of coconut palms. Here we
+determined to camp, but we found that most of the police had rushed
+on ahead after the Doboduras, much to Monckton's annoyance, for it
+was risky, to say the least, as the enemy might easily have attacked
+each party separately. But the police and carriers, now that they had
+"tasted blood," seemed to get quite out of hand, and their savagery
+coming to the surface, they rushed about as if demented. However,
+they soon returned with more captured weapons of warfare, having
+killed two more men, and they also brought two prisoners, a young man
+and a young woman. The prisoners looked horribly frightened, having
+never seen a white man before, and they thought they would be eaten:
+so Constable Yaidi told me.
+
+The man was a stupid looking oaf, and seemed too dazed to speak. The
+woman, however, if she had been washed, would have been quite
+good-looking. She had rather the European type of features, and was
+quite talkative. She told us that most of her people had gone off
+to fight a mountain tribe, who had threatened to swoop down on this
+village. These complications were getting exceedingly Gilbertian in
+character. To begin with, the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu carriers were
+afraid of the Okeinas, who in their turn were afraid of the Notus;
+the Notus feared this Dobodura tribe we were fighting, and the
+Doboduras seemed to be in fear of a mountain tribe. We ourselves
+were by no means sure of the Notus, and kept on guard in case of
+treachery. These tribes, we heard, were nearly always fighting,
+and always have their scouts out.
+
+To return to the prisoners. We showed them how a bullet could
+pass clean through a coconut tree, and they seemed to be greatly
+impressed. They were then told to tell their chief to come over the
+next morning and interview us, and that we wished to be friendly. We
+then gave them some tobacco and told them they could go, and it
+was evident that they were astonished beyond words at their good
+fortune. As they passed through our police and carriers, I feel sure
+that they suspected us of some trick on them.
+
+A bathe in the cool, clear river close by was delightful after a very
+hard day, but we, of course, had an armed guard of police around us,
+and practically bathed rifle in hand, as the growth was dense on the
+opposite bank.
+
+Our people seemed to be quite enjoying themselves, looting the
+houses, and one of the police was chasing a pig in this village,
+when he was attacked by a man with a club. The policeman was unarmed,
+but immediately wrenched the club from the man's hand and smashed his
+skull in, and the body lay barely one hundred yards from our tent. This
+was too tantalizing for our carriers, who came up and begged permission
+to eat it, although they knew full well that Monckton had given orders
+that there was to be no cannibalism among them. Needless to remark,
+the request was refused, but they had the pluck to ask again before
+the expedition was over.
+
+My boy Arigita had often eaten human meat, and as he expressed it in
+his quaint pidgin English, "Pig no good, man he very good." It can
+be imagined it must be really good, as the Papuan thinks a great deal
+of pig. We had a good appetite for supper, in spite of the fact that
+we ate it within a few yards of a half-burnt heap of human skulls and
+bones, which appeared quite fresh. Our various tribes were all camped
+separately, and they looked very picturesque round their different
+camp fires, with their spears stuck in the ground in their midst,
+their clubs and shields by their sides, and the firelight flickering
+upon their wild-looking faces.
+
+To our astonishment, our late man prisoner returned and said that his
+chief wished to see us that night. At once there was a great commotion
+among our police and the Notus, who all spoke excitedly together,
+and were unanimous that this implied treachery, and that behind
+the chief would come his men, who would attack us unawares. We also
+learned that it was not their usual habit to make friendly visits at
+night. Monckton thought the same, and told the man that if the chief or
+any of his people came near the camp that night they would be shot. The
+man also informed us that all his tribe had returned; no doubt swift
+messengers went after them to bring them back. The man went, and we
+waited expectantly for what might happen. Everyone seemed certain that
+we should be attacked, and if so, we had a very poor chance with from
+a thousand to fifteen hundred well-armed savages making a rush on us
+in the semi-darkness, as there was no moon, and it was cloudy.
+
+The enemy would rush up and close with our people, and while we should
+not be able to distinguish friend from foe, we should not be able to
+fire in the darkness at close quarters. They could then spear and club
+us at will. Now we had always heard that Papuans never attack at night,
+but the police and Notus told us that these Doboduras nearly always
+attacked at night, and if we had known this before we should most
+certainly have made ourselves a fortified camp outside the village. But
+it was too late to think of this now, and we knew that we were in a
+very awkward position. The fact that they could gather together so
+large a force as was alleged, was estimated by Monckton from the size
+of these villages, which showed that they were a very powerful tribe.
+
+The whole police force were put out on sentry duty, as also four or
+five Kaili-kailis who had been taught at Cape Nelson to use a rifle.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+We Are Attacked By Night.
+
+    A Night Attack--A Little Mistake--Horrible Barbarities of
+    the Doboduras--Eating a Man Alive--A Sinister Warning--Saved
+    by Rain--Daylight at Last--"Prudence the Better Part"--The
+    Return--Welcome by the Notus--"Orakaiba."
+
+
+I was busily engaged in writing my notes of the day, with my rifle
+by my side, when suddenly a shot rang out, followed by another and
+another, then a volley from all the sentries on one side of the camp,
+and the darkness was lit up by the flashes of their rifles. Then came
+the thrilling war-cry, "Ooh-h-h-h! ah-h-h-h!" that made one's blood run
+cold, especially under such surroundings. All the camp was now in the
+utmost confusion, and there was a great panic among our carriers, who
+flung themselves on the ground yelling with fear. Never was there such
+a fiendish noise! I sprang to my feet, flinging my note-book away and
+picking up my rifle, and ran back to where Monckton was yelling out:
+"Fall in, fall in, for God's sake fall in!"
+
+Two houses were hastily set on fire, and instantly became furnaces
+which lit up the surroundings and the tops of the tall coconut palms
+over-head, which even in this moment of danger appeared to me like
+a glimpse of fairyland. I noticed a line of fire-sticks waving in
+the darkness outside. They seemed to be slowly advancing, and in the
+excitement of the moment I mistook them for the enemy--and fired!
+
+Luckily, my shot did not take effect, as I soon found out that these
+fire-sticks were held by some of our own carriers, who had been told
+by Monckton to carry them so that we could distinguish them from the
+enemy in case we were attacked. Monckton turned to where the Notus,
+were, and seeing them all decked out in their war plumes, dancing
+about among the prostrate carriers, and waving their clubs and spears,
+naturally took them for Dobodura warriors, and nearly fired at them. He
+angrily ordered them to take off their feathers.
+
+Calmness soon settled down again, and we learned that the police had
+fired at some Doboduras who were creeping up into the camp. How many
+there were we could not tell, but later on we learnt that some of
+them had been killed, and seeing the flash of the rifles, which was
+a new experience to them, the rest had retreated for the time being,
+but soon rallied together for attack that night or in the small hours
+of the morning. Knowing that if they once rushed us in the darkness
+we should all be doomed for their cooking pots, the state of our
+feelings can be imagined.
+
+The first attempt came rather as a shock to a peaceful novice like
+myself, and seeing warriors in full war paint and feathers rushing
+about with uplifted club and spear amid our prostrate squirming
+carriers, I had a very strong inclination to bury myself in the nearest
+hut and softly hum the lines, "I care not for wars and quarrels,"
+etc. We sat talking in subdued tones for some time, expecting every
+minute to hear the thrilling war cry of the Doboduras, but nothing was
+to be heard but the crackling of the embers of the burning houses,
+the low murmur of our people around their camp fire, and the most
+dismal falsetto howls of the native dogs in the distance. These howls
+were not particularly exhilarating at such a time, and I more than
+once mistook them for the distant war-cry of the Doboduras.
+
+The Papuans, as a rule, do not torture their prisoners for the
+mere idea of torture, though they have often been known to roast a
+man alive, for the reason that the meat is supposed to taste better
+thus. This they also do to pigs, and I myself, on this very expedition,
+caught some of our carriers making preparations to roast a pig alive,
+and just stopped them in time. For this reason Monckton would always
+shoot the pigs brought in for his carriers, but in this case one pig
+was overlooked. I have heard of cases of white men having been roasted
+alive, one case being that of the two miners, Campion and King. But
+we had learnt that this Dobodura tribe had a system of torture that
+was brutal beyond words. In the first place they always try to wound
+slightly and capture a man alive, so that they can have fresh meat
+for many days. They keep their prisoner tied up alive in the house and
+cut out pieces of his flesh just when they want it, and we were told,
+incredible as it seems, that they sometimes manage to keep him alive
+for a week or more, and have some preparation which prevents him from
+bleeding to death.
+
+Monckton advised both Acland and myself to shoot ourselves with
+our revolvers if we saw that we were overwhelmed, so as to escape
+these terrible tortures, and he assured us that he should keep the
+last bullet in his own revolver for himself. This was my first taste
+of warfare. Monckton had had many fights with Papuans, and Acland,
+besides, had seen many severe engagements in the Boer war, but he
+said he would rather be fighting the Boers than risking the infernal
+tortures of these cannibals. It all, somehow, seemed unreal to me,
+and I could hardly realise that I was in serious danger of being
+tortured, cooked and eaten. It is impossible to depict faithfully
+our weird surroundings. We chatted on for some time, and tried
+to cheer each other up by making jokes about the matter, such as
+"This time to-morrow we shall be laughing over the whole affair,"
+but the depressed tone of our voices belied our words, and it proved
+to be but a very feeble attempt at joking. We longed for the moon,
+though that would have helped us little, as it was cloudy.
+
+It is quite unnecessary to go into further details of that awful
+night. I know we all owned up afterward that it was the most trying
+night we had ever spent, and for my part I hope I may never spend
+another like it. None of us got a wink of sleep. I tried to sleep,
+but I was too excited to do so; besides, all my pockets were crammed
+full of rifle and revolver cartridges, and I had my revolver strapped
+to my side, ready for an attack, or in case we got separated in the
+confusion that was sure to ensue. At about 3 a.m. it began to rain,
+the first rain we had had in New Guinea for five or six weeks,
+and that saved us, for we learned later on that about that time
+the Doboduras were gathering together for a rush on our camp, when
+the rain set in, and, odd as it may seem, we heard that they had a
+superstition against attacking in the rain. What their reason was,
+I never got to hear fully, but we were unaware of all these things as
+we silently waited and longed for the dawn to break. I never before
+so wished for daylight. It came at length, and what a load it took
+off our minds! We could now see to shoot at all events. We saw the
+Dobodura scouts in the distance on the edge of the forest, but we had
+made up our minds to "heau" (Papuan for "run away") as things were
+too hot for us. There was a scene of great excitement as we left, and
+from the noise our people made they were evidently glad to get away.
+
+The Notus led the way, and they started to hop about, brandishing
+their spears. They did excellent scouting work in the long grass,
+rushing ahead with their spears poised. This time the rear guard
+was formed by some of the police. All the villages we passed through
+were again deserted, but we heard the enemy crying out to one another
+in the forest and jungle, telling each other of our whereabouts. We
+expected an attack, and I often nearly mistook the screeches and cries
+of cockatoos and parrots and the loud, curious call of the birds
+of paradise for some distant war-cry, which was quite excusable,
+considering the state of our nerves and the sleepless night we
+had spent.
+
+The Notus were great looters, and as we passed through the various
+villages they took everything they could lay their hands on, and our
+entrance into a village was marked by a scene of great confusion. Pigs
+and chickens were speared, betel-nut palms cut down, and hunting
+nets, bowls, spears and food hauled out of the house, but Monckton
+was very strict in stopping them from cutting houses and coconut
+palms down. Ere long we left the last village behind, and halting
+just inside the forest, sent a man up a tree, who reported the last
+village we had passed through to be full of people. The police had
+a few shots, but apparently without success.
+
+When we again reached the coast we knew that we were now safe from
+attack. Monckton was much puzzled that no attack had been made on us
+during the return journey, as he felt sure they were not afraid of us,
+and after we had killed so many of their people he was certain they
+would try for revenge. He also thought they expected us to camp that
+night in their country, and that we were only out hunting for them,
+as we did not hurry away very fast, but stopped a short time in
+each village.
+
+We found the tide high, so we took off our boots and waded most of
+the way, and in time arrived at a creek up which the sea was rushing
+in and out with great violence. We were helped over by police on each
+side of us, who half dragged us across, otherwise we should have been
+washed off our legs, so great was the suction. I was very fond of
+these strong, plucky, good tempered and amusing Papuan police. Often
+when we were encamped for the night, I would hear them chaffing each
+other in pidgin English for the benefit of the "taubadas" (masters);
+they would slyly turn their heads to see if we were amused, and how
+delighted they were if they saw us smile at their quaint English,
+
+In the evening we found ourselves back in the Notu villages, and were
+met by many Notus bearing coconuts, which they opened and handed to
+us. I suppose these were meant as refreshment for the victors, for as
+such they no doubt regarded us, as well as saviours of their tribe. I
+could quite imagine the Notu warriors bragging on their return of
+their own deeds of valour, although all the killing was done by the
+police. Meanwhile, however, as we passed through the squatting crowds,
+we were greeted with loud cries of "orakaiba" (peace).
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+On the War-Trail Once More.
+
+    Further Expedition Planned--Thank-offerings of Notu Chiefs--The
+    Voyage--A Gigantic Flatfish--Negotiating a Difficult Bar--Moat
+    Unhealthy Spot in New Guinea--Hostility of Natives--Precautions
+    at Night--Catching Ground Sharks and a "Groper"--Shark-flesh a
+    Delicacy to the Natives--Wakened by a War Cry--A False Alarm--A
+    Hairbreadth Escape--Between "Devil and Deep Sea"--Dangers of
+    the Goldfield--Two Miners Eaten Alive--Unexpected Visit from
+    a White Man--"Where's that Razor?"--Crime of Cutting Down a
+    Coconut Tree--Walsh's Camp--Torres Straits Pigeons--My Boy an
+    ex-Cannibal--A Probable Trap--Relapse into Cannibalism of our
+    Own Allies--Narrow Escape from a New Guinea Mantrap--Attack on
+    a Village--Second Visit to Dobodura--Toku's Exploit--Interview
+    with our Prisoners--Reasons for Cannibalism--The Night Attack
+    on our Camp and Enemies' Fear of our Rifles described by our
+    Prisoners--Bravery of one of our Carriers--Treatment of a Prisoner.
+
+
+"Yes," said Monckton on our return to the coast, "we have got to
+punish those Doboduras at all costs. They are the worst brutes I've
+come across in New Guinea." And Monckton knew what he was talking
+about, as he had been a resident magistrate in British New Guinea for
+many years and had travelled all over the country, and had a wider
+experience of the cannibals than any man living.
+
+This tribe (as has already been mentioned), when they capture a
+prisoner, tie him to a post, keep him alive for days, and meanwhile
+feed on him slowly by cutting out pieces of flesh, and prevent his
+bleeding to death with a special preparation of their own concoction,
+and finally, when he is nearly dead, they make a hole in the side of
+the head and feed on the hot fresh brains.
+
+Both Acland and I myself fully agreed with Monckton, as we were not
+by any means grateful to the Doboduras for giving us the worst fright
+of our lives. We had, it is true, killed a good many of them, but we
+recognised the fact that our force was insufficient to hold its own,
+much less to punish these brutal tribesmen. So we determined to journey
+up north and get help from the magistrate of the Northern Division
+on the Mambare River, before returning to the Dobodura country.
+
+That evening four Notu chiefs came into camp to thank us for killing
+their enemies, and they brought with them presents of dogs' teeth and
+shell necklaces, and seemed greatly excited, all talking at once,
+each trying to out-talk his fellows, and wagged their heads at us
+in turn. We left very early the next morning in our whaleboat for
+the Kumusi River, but left all our carriers and stores with most of
+the police behind in one of the Notu villages to await our return,
+as we now felt sure that we could trust the Notu tribe.
+
+It was a hot and uneventful voyage. A fish which looked like an
+enormous sole, but which was larger than the whaleboat, jumped high in
+the air not many yards away. Toward evening we arrived opposite the
+bar of the Kumusi River, and we had a very uncomfortable few minutes
+getting through the breakers into the river, for if we had been
+upset we should soon have become food for the sharks and crocodiles,
+which literally swarmed here. We got through the worst part safely,
+but then stuck fast on a small sand-bank, and one or two good-sized
+breakers half-filled the boat; but we all jumped out and hauled her
+off the sand into the deep, calm waters beyond.
+
+After rowing up the river a short distance, we landed at a spot
+where there was a trader's store, looked after by an Australian
+named Owen. From here miners go up the river to the gold fields in
+the Yodda Valley, and cutters are constantly putting in at this store
+with miners and provisions.
+
+This district has the reputation of being one of the most unhealthy
+spots in New Guinea, and the natives round here are none too friendly,
+and hate the government and their police, so that during the last
+three years, three or four resident magistrates in the locality have
+either been murdered or have died of fever.
+
+We arranged to have our meals with Owen at the store, and we slept in a
+rough palm-thatched shed with a raised flooring of split palm-trunks,
+which was very hard and rough to sleep on, and gave me a sleepless
+night. We got two of our police to sleep in front of the doorway,
+as it was more than likely that the natives might attempt to murder
+us. These precautions may have been justified as, in the middle of the
+night both Acland and I myself saw two natives peering into the hut.
+
+The next day we sent off a messenger to the northern station for more
+police, and it was fully a week before they arrived. Meanwhile we spent
+our time dynamiting and catching fish. We caught some large ground
+sharks fully four hundred pounds in weight, and also a "gorupa"
+("groper"), a very large fish of about three hundred and fifty
+pounds. This fish is the terror of divers in these parts they fear
+it more than any shark. Both shark and fish proved most acceptable
+to our police; they are especially fond of shark.
+
+One morning about five o'clock I was aroused by hearing a shrill
+war-cry close by. The police rushed up with their rifles and told us
+we were attacked. It can be imagined it did not take us long to buckle
+on our revolvers and seize our rifles and run, half-asleep as we were,
+in the direction of the noise, which was repeated from time to time
+in a very ferocious manner. On turning a sharp corner by the river,
+instead of warlike warriors, we beheld about a dozen natives hauling
+in the sharkline we had left baited in the water the previous evening,
+with a very large shark at the end of it. Being greatly excited they
+had from time to time yelled out their war-cry. We felt very foolish
+at being roused from our slumbers for nothing, but still there was
+some slight consolation in knowing that even the police were deceived.
+
+Owen, the Australian, not long before had had rather an amusing,
+and at the same time exciting, adventure with a large crocodile in
+a swamp close to the store. He noticed it fast asleep in the swamp,
+and so waded out to it through the mud, making no noise whatever. When
+within a few yards of the saurian, he threw a double charge of dynamite
+close up to it, and then turned to fly. He found he could not move,
+but was stuck firmly in the mud. His struggles and yells for help had
+meanwhile awoke the crocodile, which came for him with open jaws. It
+looked as if it was a case of either being blown to pieces by the
+dynamite or furnishing a meal for the crocodile.
+
+Luckily the fuse was a long one, and the crocodile floundered about
+a good deal in the mud ere it could reach him. Some friendly natives
+rushed in and dragged him out just as the crocodile reached him. The
+crocodile fled in one direction and the dynamite went off in another,
+but Owen and the natives only just avoided the explosion.
+
+Owen told me that there were about fifty miners in the goldfields
+of the Yodda Valley, but that most of them were beginning to leave,
+although there is plenty of gold to be got. The climate is a bad one,
+and provisions, etc., are very dear, and so gold has to be got in
+very large quantities to pay. As the miners decrease, there is bound
+to be trouble with the natives, who are very treacherous. The miners,
+who are nearly all Australians or New Zealanders, have generally to
+work in strong bands with their rifles close at hand.
+
+Only a short time ago the two miners, Campion and King (whom I
+have elsewhere mentioned), while working in the bed of a creek,
+had just traded with some apparently friendly natives for a pig and
+some yams, and sat down for a smoke and a rest, thinking that the
+natives had left, but these cunning cannibals were awaiting just
+such an opportunity, and were lying hid amidst the thick foliage
+clothing the steep banks of the creek. Suddenly, making a rush, they
+got between the miners and their rifles, and speared both in the
+legs, taking care not to kill them, as the cannibals in this part
+of New Guinea consider that meat tastes better, be it pig or man,
+when cooked alive. They then tied them with ropes of rattan to long
+poles and carried them off to their village, where they were both
+roasted alive over a slow fire. These facts were gathered from some
+prisoners afterwards captured by a government force. A strong band
+of miners also attacked their villages, and gave no quarter.
+
+On the fifth day of our stay here one of our police came rushing up
+to us excitedly with the information that a whaleboat was in sight,
+and we knew that a white man would be in it. There was at once a
+cry from Monckton, "After you with the razor, Acland." Now it had
+been understood that none of us were to shave during the expedition,
+and consequently we had grown large crops of beards and whiskers,
+and looked a veritable trio of cut-throats. However, it appeared
+that Acland had smuggled away a razor-possibly for all we knew to
+enable him to captivate some fair Amazon, who might otherwise have
+thought he was only good for her cooking pot. Half-an-hour later three
+clean-shaven individuals met a tall unshaven man as he stepped out
+of his boat on to the beach, and his first remark was, "Oh, I say,
+(reproachfully) you fellows, where's that razor!" It was Walsh,
+Assistant Resident Magistrate for the Northern Division, and none of
+us had met him before.
+
+He and another Englishman, a celebrated trader named Clark (he was
+an old resident, well-known in New Guinea), with a force of police,
+were returning from an expedition down the coast, and were at present
+encamped about sixteen miles south of here, near some small islands
+known as Mangrove Islands.
+
+Leaving Clark in charge, Walsh had come over with a small cutter, which
+we promptly hired to carry the extra stores of rice and provisions
+which we had purchased from Owen. It is astonishing the amount of
+rice it takes to feed one hundred carriers and twenty-five native
+police during a six weeks' exploring expedition.
+
+Two days later ten police arrived, sent down at Monckton's request
+from the Mambare or Northern Station. These, with Walsh's nine,
+made an addition of nineteen police to our force. A celebrated old
+Mambare chief named Busimaiwa arrived at the same time, together
+with many of his tribe, which was friendly to the government. I say
+celebrated because he was the leader in the murder of the resident
+magistrate of the Northern Division, the late Mr. ----, together with
+all his police. But he has since been pardoned by the government. The
+magistrate and his police were killed through treachery, being unarmed
+at the time. They were all eaten, but ----'s skull was afterwards
+recovered. Old Busimaiwa, had a son in our police force.
+
+We were off early the next morning, we four white men and most of the
+police going in the two whaleboats, while the rest walked along the
+shore. These latter had to pass through many small villages on the
+way, but the inhabitants did not wait to find out whether they were
+friends or foes, and the police found the villages empty.
+
+From the whaleboat I suddenly noticed a tall coconut palm come falling
+to the ground, and I immediately called Monckton's attention to the
+fact. He was very much annoyed, as he knew that it was cut down by some
+of our party, contrary to regulations. According to government laws,
+to cut down a coconut tree in New Guinea is a crime, and a serious
+one at that. Even when attacking a hostile village it is strictly
+forbidden, though one may loot houses, kill pigs, out down betel-nut
+palms, and even kill the inhabitants. But the coconut-palm is sacred
+in their eyes.
+
+However, the government has an eye to the future of the country,
+as, besides being the main article of food in a country whose food
+supply is limited, the coconut tree means wealth to the country,
+when it gets more settled and the natives are able to do a large
+business in copra with the white traders.
+
+That evening, when in camp, we discovered the culprit to be no less a
+personage than the sergeant of Walsh's police, who was in command of
+the shore party, his sole excuse for breaking the law being that he
+thought it too much trouble to climb the tree after the coconuts. When
+the whole of the police force had been drawn up in line Monckton,
+as leader of the expedition, cut the red stripes from the blue tunic
+of the sergeant, and he was reduced to the ranks.
+
+After a rough voyage, there being a good swell on, we arrived at
+Walsh's camp on the mainland, opposite the Mangrove Islands, and
+here we found Clark, whom I had met before in Samarai. The camp
+was situated in the midst of a small native village, and later on
+the inhabitants and others turned up armed with their stone clubs,
+spears and shields, and offered to help us. They also wanted us to
+go and fight their enemies a short way inland from here. Monckton's
+reply was not over polite. He ended by ordering them at once to clear
+out of their village, as he had no use for them.
+
+Toward evening we all went pigeon shooting, as thousands of Torres
+Straits pigeons flock round here at twilight and settle chiefly on
+the small islands close to the mainland. We had excellent sport. The
+birds flew overhead, and we shot a great number between us.
+
+Three of us white men were down with fever that evening. As the
+cutter had not arrived with the rice, etc., from the Kumusi River,
+we had to remain here the whole of the next day.
+
+Toward evening we again went pigeon shooting, each of us taking
+possession of a small island, but the birds were not nearly as
+plentiful as yesterday, and small bags were the result. On these
+islands were plenty of houses, which we heard were deserted a few weeks
+ago, owing to the frequent attacks of hungry cannibals on the mainland.
+
+On my island I discovered several very fresh-looking human skulls
+and bones. My boy, Arigita, regaled me with yarns while we waited for
+the pigeons. He told me he had often eaten human meat, and expressed
+the same opinion on the matter as the ex-cannibals I had met in the
+interior of Fiji had done. I had good reason for suspecting the young
+rascal of having partaken of human meat since he had been my servant.
+
+I noticed plenty of double red hibiscus bushes on these islands,
+and I came across a new and curious _dracaena_ with extremely short
+and broad red and green leaves, that was certainly worth introducing
+into cultivation.
+
+We continued our journey in the whaleboats the next morning, and after
+going some distance we heard a shout, and saw a man on the beach
+frantically waving to us, but as he would not venture near enough,
+we had to go on without finding out what was the matter. Shortly
+afterward we heard three loud blasts on a conch shell, which is
+always used to call natives together, but the bush being thick, we
+could see nothing. I myself believe it was a trap, the man evidently
+trying to get us ashore, so that his tribe might attack us. However,
+our shore party, who came along later, saw no sign of any natives.
+
+Towards evening we landed at the spot where we had started inland
+last time against the Doboduras. Here we determined to camp. We
+immediately sent down to Notu for our carriers and the rest of the
+police, who arrived after dark, all seeming delighted and relieved
+to be with us once more. We learned that after we had left the Notu
+people killed and ate two runaway carriers from the Kumusi, and after
+indulging in a great feast, fled and deserted their villages, so our
+late cannibalistic allies evidently feared retribution at our hands.
+
+These carriers, belonging to the miners in the Kumusi and Mambare
+districts, are constantly running away, and they then try to work their
+way down the coast to Samarai, from whence they are shipped. But they
+never get there, being always killed and eaten on the way. One of our
+own carriers had died at Notu, but the police had seen to it that he
+was properly buried. However, it is more than likely that he was dug
+up after they had left, and eaten.
+
+The cutter arrived early the next morning.. The rice was soon landed,
+and we started off along the same track as before. We now had over
+forty police, and although we did not this time have the assistance
+of the Notus, we had many more carriers.
+
+During this march our police luckily discovered in time some slanting
+spears set as a man trap, which projected from the tall grass over
+the narrow track. Such spears are hard to see, especially for anyone
+travelling at a good speed, and I was told that the points were
+poisoned. Another trap, common in New Guinea, is to place a fallen
+tree across the track and dig a deep pit on the other side from which
+the enemy is expected to come. This pit is filled with sharp upright
+spears, and then lightly covered over so that a man stepping over the
+tree, which hides the ground on the other side, will fall into the pit.
+
+After marching for some distance, we came to the end of a bit
+of forest, from whence we could see the first hostile village. We
+frightened away several armed scouts. The village appeared to be full
+of armed men in full war-paint and plumes, so we divided our force
+into two parties, each cutting round through the forest on both sides
+of the village, in an endeavour to surprise the enemy. We were only
+partially successful, as the Doboduras discovered our plans just
+in time. Though we rushed the village, and a few shots were fired,
+we only succeeded in capturing two old men and a small boy, who were
+not able to get away in time. The houses were full of household goods,
+in spite of our previous raid, when this and other villages were well
+looted by our people, so we were evidently not expected to return.
+
+We did not stay long here, but soon resumed our march. It was a very
+hot day, and after walking through the open bits of grass country,
+it was always pleasant to get into the cool and shady forest, full
+of delicate ferns, rare palms and orchid-laden trees. We passed on
+through two other villages, with their gruesome platforms of grinning
+skulls as the only vestige of humanity.
+
+At length we came to the large village, which is named Dobodura,
+after the tribe, and in which we had spent such a horrible night on
+our last visit. The village was full of yelling warriors. Rushing up,
+we shot several who showed fight. Most of them, however, fled before
+us. Toku, Monckton's boy, and brother of my boy Arigita, again made
+use of his master's pea-rifle, but this time he did not meet with
+any success, and very narrowly escaped getting a spear through him.
+
+A short time before, when Monckton was out on an expedition, Toku was
+carrying his master's revolver, but happened to lag behind the rest of
+the party without being noticed, when a man jumped out of the jungle
+and picked young Toku up in his arms, covering up his mouth so that he
+could not cry out, and proceeded to carry him off, no doubt intending
+to have a live roast. But Toku, managing to draw Monckton's revolver,
+shot him dead right through the head, and Monckton, hearing the shot,
+turned back, and soon discovered young Toku calmly sitting on his
+enemy's dead body. But, alas! the hero had to suffer in the hour of
+his triumph, as Monckton ordered him to be flogged for lagging behind
+the rear guard of police.
+
+Besides killing several of the Doboduras, we also took several
+prisoners, both men and women. We rested here, but several of the
+police, whose fighting blood was now fully roused, went out with some
+of our armed natives, skirmishing in one or two parties till late,
+and we could hear shots in all directions. As we found out later,
+they had slain several more of the enemy, with no loss to themselves.
+
+We chose a splendid camp, with the river (which we were informed was
+the Tamboga River) on one side.
+
+The forest trees were felled on the other side, forming a strong
+barrier, very different from our last camp here in the centre of the
+village, and without any defences at all. We had a most refreshing
+bathe in the river, but kept our rifles close at hand, as the enemy
+could have easily speared us from the reeds on the opposite bank.
+
+After supper we interviewed the prisoners, and we now learned the
+real sequel to our last visit and what a narrow escape we had that
+night from being all massacred. It appeared that our fighting during
+the daytime astonished them much, as they could not understand how we
+could kill at such a distance, rifles being quite new to them. Our
+fame soon reached a large village much further on, and they said
+to the Dobodura people: "Ye are all cowards; we will show you that
+we can destroy these strange people." They started off that night
+and surrounding our camp on all sides, crept up for a rush; but,
+luckily for us, our sentries saw some of them and fired. The first
+shot killed one of them, and others were hit. Then came the blaze of
+many rifles. This terrified them and they fled. The horrible noise of
+the rifles and the flashes of fire in the darkness astonished them, but
+what made them depart for good was seeing one of their men fall at the
+first shot. It was a very lucky shot, and it probably saved our lives
+that night. When asked why they raided the Notus, the prisoners said
+that they were friends until two years ago, when they quarrelled, and
+had been constantly fighting since. In particular they now blamed the
+Notus for the late drought, which they said was due to their sorcery,
+the result being that they were forced to live on sago alone, and to
+vary this diet were compelled to get human meat.
+
+I was the only one out of five white men not down with fever, but I
+was glad that we passed a quiet night, with no attack on the camp. In
+the morning one of our carriers, who ventured less than fifty yards
+beyond the barrier, received a spear through his left arm and another
+through his side, and though I am almost afraid to relate it for
+fear of being thought guilty of exaggeration, the man plucked the
+spear out of his side in a moment, and, hurling it back, killed his
+opponent. I ventured outside and proved the truth of the man's story,
+by finding the Dobodura man transfixed with his own spear. Both our
+man's wounds were bad ones, but he did not seem to mind them at all,
+and was for some time surrounded by a crowd of admiring natives.
+
+We started off early in search of a large village of which a prisoner
+told us, but had not gone far when a man jumped out of the long grass
+and threw a spear at one of our carriers, only a few paces in front
+of me. Fortunately he missed him, but only by a few inches. As he
+was preparing to throw another spear, one of our men, whom he had not
+noticed, owing to an abrupt bend in the narrow track, which brought
+him close to the spearman, sprang forward and buried his stone club
+in the man's head, who sank down without a groan.
+
+It was cloudy, but very close, and we passed through open grass
+country, bounded on each side by tall forest, in which bird-life
+seemed plentiful, cockatoos and parrots making a great noise. Birds
+of paradise were also calling out with their very noticeable and
+peculiar falsetto cry.
+
+After going some distance we catechized the prisoners, and while
+an old man declared that there was a large village ahead, the two
+women prisoners said that the track was only a hunting one and led
+to the mountains.
+
+The old man evidently wanted to get us away from his village, to
+enable his tribe to return, but the women, not being so loyal, told
+us the truth, no doubt because they found the forced marching on a
+hot day a little too much for them. We sat down for a consultation,
+but hearing a loud outcry in the rear, I suddenly came across about a
+dozen of the now indignant police pelting the old man with darts made
+out of a peculiar kind of grass, which grew around here. The old man,
+who was handcuffed, hopped high in the air, uttering loud yells every
+time a dart hit him, so I imagined they hurt, and though I, too, felt
+much annoyed, I had to put a stop to this cruel sport, when one of
+the aggrieved policemen cried out to me: "Taubada (master), why you
+stop him get hurt? This fellow he ki-ki (eat) you if he get chance."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+The Return From Dobodura.
+
+    Horrible Fate of one of our Enemies--Collecting in
+    Cannibal--Haunted Forest--I Shoot a new Kingfisher, and a Bird
+    of Paradise--Natives' Interest in Bird-Stuffing--Return Journey
+    begun--Tree-house in a Notu Village--Peacemaking Ceremonies--Notu
+    Village described--Our Allies sentenced for Cannibalism--Parting
+    with Walsh and Clark.
+
+
+We decided to return, and sent off a strong body of police in advance
+to surprise some of the surrounding villages. On the way back we found
+the man who was brained by one of our carriers still breathing. He
+was a ghastly sight, with his brains projecting out, and he was being
+eaten alive by swarms of red ants, which almost hid his body and found
+their way into his eyes, ears and nose. By the convulsions that from
+time to time shook the man's body, he was evidently still conscious,
+but could not possibly have lived for more than a few hours at most,
+after our thus finding him. New Guinea, like most tropical countries,
+had its full share of these pests (ants), some species of which
+actually make webs, and, by way of supplementing the web itself,
+work leaves in.
+
+Acland, who had been suffering all day long from bad fever, now
+collapsed and could walk no further, but had to be carried in a
+hammock. When we got back to our old camping ground, I took an armed
+guard of police and went in search of birds for my collection, in the
+adjoining forest, and shot a new kingfisher (_Tanysiptera_) and a bird
+of paradise (_Paradisea intermedia_). It was rather exciting work,
+as one went warily through the thick growth, from whence might issue
+a spear any minute, and I held on to my rifle all the time, except,
+of course, when I saw a bird, and then I made a quick change to my
+shotgun, lest I should prove a case of the hunter hunted.
+
+On my return I had a large crowd of carriers around me watching me
+skin my birds, while Arigita explained everything to them in lordly
+fashion, only too pleased to get the chance of being listened to,
+while he expounded to them his superior knowledge. What he told them
+I, of course, could not tell, but he informed me that when I put the
+final stitch in the nostrils of the birds, my audience declared that
+I did this to prevent the birds from breathing and so one day coming
+to life again. When the wise Arigita asked them how this could be,
+since they had seen me take out the body and brains, they scoffed at
+him and said that spirits would come inside the skins so that they
+could sing again.
+
+Monckton, meanwhile, had made a raid on the native gardens and brought
+in quite a lot of taro. The police had killed several more Doboduras,
+and in one place they had quite a fight. Our old man prisoner escaped
+in the night, although he was handcuffed.
+
+We returned to the coast the next day, as there seemed no chance of our
+coming to terms with these Doboduras. Our only chance would have been
+to defeat them in a big engagement. They seemed too frightened of us
+to stand up for a big fight, but hid themselves in the bush, and were
+thus hard to get at. We left ten police behind to trap the natives,
+and, thinking we had left, a few of them returned to the village,
+and the police shot four more of them and soon caught up with us,
+bringing in the shields, stone clubs and spears of the slain.
+
+During both these expeditions we had killed a good many of these
+people, and it ought to be a lesson to them to leave the Notus alone
+in future, although there is little doubt that the Notus themselves
+make cannibalistic raids on some of their weaker neighbours. I did
+not like the looks of the Notus, and they, as well as the Doboduras,
+have a most repellent type of features, and look capable of any
+kind of cruelty and treachery. They are very different from the
+gentle-looking Kaili-kailis.
+
+The sea was very rough, and it was exciting work launching the
+canoes. One was thrown clean out of the water by a breaker. The
+majority of the carriers and half the police went round by the beach,
+but we in the two whaleboats had some exciting moments in the rough
+sea, though with the sails up we made good progress. We passed two
+of the canoes partially wrecked, and apparently in great difficulties.
+
+We eventually landed long after dark in Eoro Bay, some distance the
+other side of the large Notu village, near which we had previously
+camped. We landed opposite a good-sized village belonging to the
+Notu tribe, from which all the inhabitants fled on our approach. We
+wandered about the village with flaming torches, looking out for huts
+to pass the night in, as it was too late to pitch camp. But unhappily
+the huts were full of lice, and it was impossible to get any sleep.
+
+I saw here for the first time one of the curious native tree houses. It
+was high up in a tall pandanus tree, and had a very odd appearance. We
+spent the whole of the next day in this village, while our carriers
+brought in and mended their canoes. They, too, had a very rough time
+of it, but no lives were lost.
+
+During the day I witnessed a very interesting ceremony, which I
+take the liberty of describing in Monckton's own words, given in his
+report to the Government. He says: "October 7th. Found that some of
+the mountain people had been out to Notu and wished to make peace
+with them. The Notu people had also ascertained that the Dobodura
+had retreated into the large sago swamp, and were quite certain that
+they had no danger to fear from them for some time to come. They
+also said that after the police had departed they would very likely
+be able to re-establish their ancient friendly relations with the
+Dobodura. A peace-offering was brought from the mountain people,
+which the Notu people asked me to receive for them. The ceremony was
+strange to me, and had several peculiar features. Two minor chiefs
+came to where I was sitting and sat down. About twenty men then
+approached and drove their spears into the ground in a circle with
+the butts all leaning inwards. Many of the spears had a small piece
+broken off at the butt end. From these spears were then hung clubs,
+spears and shields, and native masks and fighting ornaments. An old
+chief then said they had given me their arms. Next they placed cloth,
+fishing nets and spears and other native ornaments inside the circle,
+and the same old chief said they had given me their property. After
+this ten pigs, five male and five female, were brought and placed
+inside the ring with a quantity of sago and a little other food. Then
+followed cooking vessels full of cooked food. The old chief then said,
+'We have given you all we have as a sign we are now the people of the
+Government.' I gave them a good return present, and told them that
+they were at liberty to take any articles they wanted or their pigs
+back again, but this they absolutely refused to do, saying that it
+would destroy the effect of what they had done. The female prisoners
+were now sent back to Dobodura with a message to the Dobodura, that
+I should return in a few months and make peace with them, should they
+in the meantime refrain from murdering the coastal people, but should
+they persist in their raiding I should return and handle them still
+more severely." In return we gave them presents of axes, knives,
+beads, tobacco, etc., which were laid down on the top of each pig.
+
+Monckton very kindly presented Acland and myself with all the clubs,
+native masks, "tapa" cloth and ornaments, and the pigs and other food
+came in very useful for our police and carriers, as our rice supply
+was getting low.
+
+This was a very picturesque village, shaded by thousands of coconut
+and betel nut palms and large spreading trees, among which was a very
+fine tree, with very beautiful green and yellow variegated leaves
+(_Erythrina_ sp.). There was also a great variety of _dracaenas,_
+striped and spotted with green, crimson, white, pink and yellow.
+
+In most of these villages there were many curious kinds of
+trophies--crossed sticks, standing in the middle of the village,
+with a centre pole carved and painted in various patterns, and with
+a fringe of fibre placed near the top. Hanging on these sticks were
+the skulls and jawbones of men, pigs and crocodiles. I went out in
+the afternoon with gun and rifle, and saw several wallabies, but
+could not get a shot at them on account of the tall grass.
+
+In the evening the chiefs of the large Notu village who had in our
+absence killed and eaten the two runaway carriers, visited us in
+fear and trembling. Monckton told them they must give up to us the
+actual murderers and send them up to the residency at Cape Nelson
+(or Tufi) within the next three weeks. He did not ask for those
+that ate them. Possibly one hundred or more partook of the feast,
+and for this they could hardly be blamed, as, being cannibals, it
+is quite natural that they should eat fresh meat when they got the
+chance. Indeed, our own carriers could not understand why we would
+not allow them to eat the bodies of those we had slain.
+
+The next morning we five white men parted company, Walsh and Clark,
+with the Mambare and their own police, returning to the north,
+while Monckton, Acland and I went southward again to continue our
+explorations in another direction.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART V
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+    Rumours at Cape Nelson of a "Duckfooted" People in the
+    Interior--Conflicting Opinions--Views of a Confirmed Sceptic--Start
+    of the Expedition--Magnificence of the Vegetation--Friendliness
+    of the Barugas--The "Orakaibas" (Criers of "Peace")--Tree-huts
+    eighty feet from the ground-Loveliness of this part of the
+    Jungle--Description of its Plants--A Dry Season--First Glimpse
+    of Agai Ambu Huts--Remarkable Scene on the Lake--Flight of the
+    Agai Ambu in Canoes--Success at Last--A Voluntary Surrender--The
+    Agai Ambu Flat-footed, not Web-footed--Sir Francis Winter's
+    subsequent Visit and fuller Description of these People--Their
+    Physical Appearance, Houses, Canoes, Food, Speech and Customs--My
+    Account Resumed--Making Friends with the Agai Ambu--A Country
+    of Swamps--Second Agai Ambu Village--Extraordinary Abundance
+    and Variety of Water-fowl--Strange Behaviour of an Agai Ambu
+    Women--Disposal of the Dead in Mid-lake Food of the Agai
+    Ambu--Their Method of Catching Ducks by Diving for them--An
+    Odd Experience--Mosquitos and Fever--Last View of Agai Ambu--An
+    Amusing _Finale._
+
+
+Many were the wild and fantastic rumours we had heard at the Residency
+at Cape Nelson, on the north-east coast of British New Guinea,
+concerning a curious tribe of natives whose feet were reported to be
+webbed like those of a duck, and who lived in a swamp a short way in
+the interior, some distance to the north of us. I myself had at first
+been inclined to sneer at these reports, but Monckton, the Resident
+Magistrate, with his superior knowledge of the Papuans, as the natives
+of New Guinea are called, was sure that there was some truth in the
+reports, as the Papuan who has not come much in contact with the
+white man is singularly truthful though guilty of exaggeration.
+
+I knew this, but I had in mind the case of the Doriri tribe, who
+lived in the interior a little to the south of us. These Doriri
+(who had had the kindly forethought to send us word that they were
+coming down to pay us a visit to eat us, for the Papuan, though a
+savage, is often most suave and courteous and by no means lacking
+in humour), were reported to us as having many tails, but needless
+to say when we made some prisoners, we were scarcely disappointed
+to find that the said tails protruded from the back of the head (in
+much the same fashion as the Chinaman's pigtail); in this case each
+man had many tails, which were fashioned by rolling layers of bark
+from a certain tree--closely allied, I believe to the "paper tree"
+of Australia--round long strands of hair.
+
+We three white men had many a long talk as to whether these
+swamp-dwellers were worth going in search of, but I soon came round to
+Monckton's way of thinking. Acland, alone, however, maintained to the
+last that the whole thing was a myth, and jokingly said to Monckton:
+"When you find these duck-footed people, you had better see that Walker
+does not take them for birds, and shoot and skin a couple of specimens
+of each sex and add them to his collection." (For my chief hobby in
+this and many other countries all over the world consisted in adding
+to my fine collections of birds and butterflies in the old country.)
+
+As we three, with our twenty-five native police and four servant
+boys, rowed up the Barigi River in our large government whaleboat,
+on our way to search for these "duck-footed" people, I could not help
+being struck with the very great beauty of the scene. Giant trees
+laden with their burden of orchids, parasites and dangling lianas,
+surrounded us on both sides, their wide-spreading branches forming
+a leafy arcade far over our heads, while palms in infinite variety,
+intermixed with all sorts of tropical forms of vegetation, and rare
+ferns, grew thickly on the banks.
+
+Some distance behind us came our large fleet of canoes, bearing our
+bags of rice and over one hundred carriers, and as they paddled down
+the dark green oily waters of this natural arcade, with much shouting
+and the splashing of many paddles, it made a scene which is with me
+yet and is never to be forgotten. As we proceeded, the river got more
+narrow, and fallen trees from time to time obstructed our way. We at
+length landed at a spot where we were met by a large number of the
+Baruga tribe, who brought us several live pigs tied to poles, and
+great quantities of sago, plantains and yams. They had expected us,
+as we had camped in their country the previous night. They had been
+"licked" into friendliness by Monckton, who less than a year ago (as
+elsewhere mentioned) had sunk their canoes, and together with the aid
+of the crocodiles, which swarm in this river, had annihilated a large
+force of them. And now to show their friendliness they were prepared
+to do us a good turn, by helping us to find these duck-footed people,
+with whom (they told us) they were well acquainted.
+
+Oyogoba, the chief of the Baruga tribe, came to meet us. He assured us
+of the friendliness of his people, and himself offered to accompany
+us. His arm had been broken in the encounter with Monckton and his
+police, and Monckton had immediately afterwards set it himself. It
+now seemed quite sound.
+
+We soon resumed our journey, on foot, passing through very varied
+country, plains covered with tall grass and bounded by forest,
+through which at times we passed. At other times we had to force our
+way through thick swamps in which the sago-palm abounded, from the
+trunks of which the natives extract sago in great quantities.
+
+About mid-day we arrived at a fair-sized village belonging to the
+Baruga tribe. It was surrounded by a tall stockade of poles, and as
+we entered it, the women sitting in their huts greeted us with their
+incessant cries of "orakaiba, orakaiba" (peace). On this account the
+natives of this part of New Guinea are generally termed "Orakaibas"
+by other tribes.
+
+The houses here seemed larger and better built than most Papuan houses
+that I had hitherto seen, and there were many curious tree-houses
+high up among the branches of some very large, trees in the village,
+some being fully eighty feet from the ground. They had broad ladders
+reaching up to them, and looked very curious and picturesque. These
+ladders are made of long rattans from various climbing palms. These
+rattans, of which there were three double strings, are twisted in
+such a way as to support the pieces of wood which form the steps. In
+one case a ladder led from the ground in the usual way to a house
+built in a small tree about thirty feet from the ground, but a second
+ladder connected this house with another one in a much larger tree
+about eighty feet off the ground. I climbed the first ladder, but
+the second one swayed too much.
+
+These tree-houses axe built partly as look-out houses, from which the
+approach of the enemy is discovered, and partly as vantage points
+from which the natives hurl down spears at their opponents below
+when attacked.
+
+Resuming our journey, after a brief halt in this village, we soon
+came to the Barigi River again, which we crossed, camping in a small
+deserted village close by. Here I noticed several more tree-houses in
+the larger trees. This had been a very hot day, even for New Guinea,
+and I could not resist taking a most refreshing bathe in the river,
+though I must confess I was glad to get out again, having rather a
+dread of the crocodiles, which infest parts of this river, though
+they were not nearly so numerous up here as in the lower reaches of
+the river which we had traversed in the morning.
+
+We were up the following morning before sunrise, and were all
+much excited at the prospect before us of discovering this curious
+tribe. This day would show whether or no our journey was to prove
+fruitless. Soon after leaving the village we entered a dense forest,
+the growth of which was wonderfully beautiful. Tall _pandanus_
+trees, some of them supported by a hundred and more long stilted
+roots, which rose many feet above our heads, reared their crowns of
+ribbon-like leaves above even some of the giants of the forest. Palms
+of all shapes and sizes, dwarfed, tall, slender and thick, surrounded
+us on every side, and at least three different species of climbing
+palms scrambled over the tallest trees. The tree trunks were hidden
+by climbing ferns and by a white variegated fleshy-leafed _pothos._
+Orchids, though not numerous, were by no means scarce on the branches
+of some of the larger trees, and were intermixed with many curious and
+beautiful ferns. There were many large-leafed tropical plants somewhat
+resembling the _heliconias_ and _marantas_ of tropical America.
+
+Flowers were not very plentiful, but here and there the forest
+would be literally ablaze with what is said to be the most showy
+flowering creeper in the world, huge bunches of large flowers of
+so vivid a scarlet that Monckton and I agreed no painting could
+do them justice. It is sometimes known as the _Dalbertia,_ but its
+botanical name is _Mucuna bennetti._ It has been found impossible
+to introduce it into cultivation. Among other flowers were some very
+large sweet-scented _Crinum_ lilies and some very pretty pink flowering
+_begonias,_ with their leaves beautifully mottled with silver. Here and
+there we would notice a variegated _croton_ or pink-leafed _dracaena,_
+but these were uncommon.
+
+As we proceeded, I noticed that in spite of the very dry weather
+we had been having, the ground each moment became more moist, which
+indicated that we were approaching the swamps we had heard about. It
+was a rough track over fallen trees and dry streams, but before long
+we passed along the banks of a creek full of stagnant water.
+
+We at length left the forest and found ourselves in open country,
+covered with reeds and rank grass, through which we slowly wended
+our way. Suddenly, however, we halted, and looking through the
+tall grass, saw some of the houses of the Agai Ambu tribe close
+at hand. Down we all crouched, hiding ourselves among the grass,
+while two of our Baruga guides, who speak the language of the Agai
+Ambu, went forward to try and parley with them and induce them to be
+friendly with us. We soon heard them yelling out to the Agai Ambu,
+who yelled back in reply. This went on for some minutes, when the
+Baruga men called out to us to come on.
+
+Jumping up, we rushed forward through the grass and witnessed a
+remarkable scene. In front of us was a lake thickly covered with
+water-lilies, most of them long-stemmed and of a very beautiful blue,
+with a yellow centre, and with large leaves, the edges of which were
+covered with a kind of thorn; there were also some white ones with
+yellow centre.
+
+On the other side of the lake were several curious houses built on
+long poles in the water, the houses themselves being a good height
+above the water. The lake presented a scene of great confusion. The
+inhabitants were fleeing away from us in their curious canoes, which,
+unlike most Papuan canoes, had no outrigger whatever. Their paddles
+also were peculiar, the blades being very broad. Close to us were
+our two Baruga guides in a canoe with one of the Agai Ambu tribe,
+who directly he saw us plunged into the lake and disappeared under
+the tangled masses of water lilies.
+
+He remained under some time, but on his coming to the surface again,
+one of the Baruga men plunged in after him, and we witnessed an
+exciting wrestling match in the water. The Baruga man was by far
+the more powerful of the two, but he was no match for the almost
+amphibious Agai Ambu, who slipped away from his grasp like an eel,
+and swam away, with the Baruga man in close pursuit. All this time
+a canoe full of the Agai Ambu was rapidly approaching to the rescue,
+waving their paddles over their heads, and the Baruga man, seeing this,
+climbed back into his canoe and paddled back to us.
+
+Meanwhile the police had made a rush for a canoe which was close at
+hand; but it at once upset, having no outrigger and being exceedingly
+light and thin; it was, in fact, a species of canoe quite new to our
+police. In any case they would not have had the slightest chance of
+overtaking the fleet Agai Ambu in their own canoes. It looked very
+much as if after all we were not to have the chance of verifying
+the strange reports about the formation of these people. As a last
+resource we sent over our two Baruga guides in a canoe to speak with
+those of the tribe who had not fled. As the guides approached they
+shouted out that we were friends, and that as we were friends of the
+Baruga tribe, we must be friends of the Agai Ambu tribe as well.
+
+We held up various tempting trade goods, including a calico known as
+Turkey-red, bottles of beads, etc. This and a long conversation with
+the Baruga men seemed to carry some weight with them, for the Baruga
+soon returned with one of their number, who turned round in the canoe
+with his arms outstretched to his friends and cried or rather chanted,
+in a sobbing voice, what sounded like a very weird song, which seemed
+quite in keeping with the mournful surroundings and lonely life of
+these people.
+
+This weird song, heard under such circumstances, quite thrilled me,
+and wild and savage though the singer was, the song appealed to me
+more than any other song has ever done. It looked as if he might
+be a ne'er-do-weel or an idiot whom his friends could afford to
+experiment with before taking the risk of coming over themselves,
+but his song was no doubt a farewell to his friends, whom he possibly
+never expected to see again.
+
+He certainly looked horribly frightened as he stepped out of the
+canoe. We at once saw that there was some truth in the reports about
+the physical formation of these people, although there had been
+exaggeration in the descriptions of their feet as "webbed." There
+was, between the toes, an epidermal growth more distinct than in the
+case of other peoples, though not so conspicuous as to permit of the
+epithet "half-webbed," much less "webbed," being applied to them. The
+most noticeable difference was that their legs below the knee were
+distinctly shorter than those of the ordinary Papuan, and that their
+feet seemed much broader and shorter and very flat, so that altogether
+they presented a most extraordinary appearance. The Agai Ambu hardly
+ever walk on dry land, and their feet bleed if they attempt to do
+so. They appeared to be slightly bowlegged and walk with a mincing
+gait, lifting their feet straight up, as if they were pulling them
+out of the mud.
+
+Sir Francis Winter, the acting Governor of British New Guinea, was so
+interested in our discovery, that he himself made another expedition
+with Monckton to see these people, while I was still in New Guinea. On
+his return I stayed with him for some time at Government House,
+Port Moresby, and he gave me a copy of his report on the Agai Ambu,
+which explains the curious physical formation of these people better
+than I could do.
+
+He says: "On the other side of this mere, and close to a bed of reeds
+and flags, was a little village of the small Ahgai-ambo tribe, and
+about three-quarters of a mile off was a second village. After much
+shouting our Baruga followers induced two men and a woman to come
+across to us from the nearest village. Each came in a small canoe,
+which, standing up, they propelled with a long pole. One man and the
+woman ventured on shore to where we were standing.
+
+"The Ahgai-ambo have for a period that extends beyond native traditions
+lived in this swamp. At one time they were fairly numerous, but a
+few years ago some epidemic reduced them to about forty. They never
+leave their morass, and the Baruga assured us that they are not able
+to walk properly on hard ground, and that their feet soon bleed
+if they try to do so. The man that came on shore was for a native
+middle-aged. He would have been a fair-sized native, had his body
+from the hips downward been proportionate to the upper part of his
+frame. He had a good chest and, for a native, a thick neck; and his
+arms matched his trunk. His buttocks and thighs were disproportionately
+small, and his legs still more so. His feet were short and broad,
+and very thin and flat, with, for a native, weak-looking toes. This
+last feature was still more noticeable in the woman, whose toes were
+long and slight and stood out rigidly from the foot as though they
+possessed no joints. The feet of both the man and the woman seemed to
+rest on the ground something as wooden feet would do. The skin above
+the knees of the man was in loose folds, and the sinews and muscles
+around the knee were not well developed. The muscles of the shin were
+much better developed than those of the calf. In the ordinary native
+the skin on the loins is smooth and tight, and the anatomy of the body
+is clearly discernible; but the Ahgai-ambo man had several folds of
+thick skin or muscle across the loins, which concealed the outline
+of his frame. On placing one of our natives, of the same height,
+alongside the marsh man, we noticed that our native was about three
+inches higher at the hips.
+
+"I had a good view of our visitor, while he was standing sideways
+towards me, and in figure and carriage he looked to me more ape-like
+than any human being that I have seen. The woman, who was of middle
+age, was much more slightly formed than the man, but her legs were
+short and slender in proportion to her figure, which from the waist
+to the knees was clothed in a wrapper of native cloth.
+
+"The houses of the near village were built on piles, at a height of
+about twelve feet from the surface of the water, but one house at the
+far village must have been three or four feet more elevated. Their
+canoes, which are small, long, and narrow, and have no outrigger, axe
+hollowed out to a mere shell to give them buoyancy. Although the open
+water was several feet deep, it was so full of aquatic plants that
+a craft of any width, or drawing more than a few inches, would make
+but slow progress through it. Needless to say that these craft, which
+retain the round form of the log, are exceedingly unstable, but their
+owners stand up in them and, pole them along without any difficulty.
+
+"These people are very expert swimmers, and can glide through beds
+of reeds or rushes, or over masses of floating vegetable matter,
+with ease. They live on wild fowl, fish, sago and marsh plants,
+and on vegetables procured from the Baruga in exchange for fish and
+sago. They keep a few pigs on platforms built underneath or alongside
+their houses. Their dead they place on small platforms among the reeds,
+and cover the corpse over with a roof of rude matting. Their dialect
+is almost the same as that of the Baruga. Probably their ancestors
+at one time lived close to the swamp, and in order to escape from
+their enemies were driven to seek a permanent refuge in it."
+
+Thus it will be seen that Sir Francis was much impressed with these
+people, and he heartily congratulated me upon our discovery.
+
+To resume my personal account. We soon gave the man confidence
+by presenting him with an axe, some calico and beads, and a small
+looking-glass, which was held in front of him. He gazed in stupefied
+wonderment at his own features so plainly depicted before him. He was
+taken back to the other side, and soon returned with two more of his
+tribe, who brought us a live pig, which they hauled out from a raised
+flooring beneath one of their houses.
+
+The country all round us seemed to be one large swamp, and we stood
+upon a springy foundation of reeds and mud; except for these, we
+should undoubtedly have soon sunk out of sight in the mud. As it was,
+we stood in a foot of water most of the time, and in places we had
+to wade through mud over our knees.
+
+The lake swarmed with many kinds of curious water-birds, the most
+common being a red-headed kind of plover; there was also a great
+variety of duck and teal. The swamps were full of large spiders, which
+crawled all over us; we had to keep continually brushing them off.
+
+Farther down the lake we saw another small village, and we were
+told that these two villages comprised the whole of this curious
+tribe. Whether they axe the remnants of a once powerful tribe it
+is impossible to say, but their position is well-nigh impregnable
+in case they are ever attacked, as their houses are surrounded by
+swamps and water on all sides, and no outsider could very well get
+through the swamps to their villages. The only possible way to get
+there would be to cross the water in their shell-like canoes, a feat
+which no man of any other tribe would ever be able to manage.
+
+Monckton thought that these swamps and lake were formed by an overflow
+of the Musa River. This had been a phenomenally dry season for New
+Guinea, so these swamps in an ordinary wet season must be under water
+to the depth of many feet.
+
+We camped close by on the borders of the forest amid a jungle of
+rank luxuriant vegetation, over which hovered large and brilliant
+butterflies, among them a very large metallic green and black species
+(_Ornithoptera priamus_) and a large one of a bright blue (_Papilio
+ulyses_). The same afternoon we three went out shooting on the
+lake. Two of the Agai Ambu canoes were lashed together and a raft of
+split bamboo put across them, and two Agai Ambu men punted and paddled
+us about. Before starting we had first educated them up to the report
+of our guns, and after a few shots they soon got over their fright.
+
+The lake positively swarmed with water-fowl, including several
+varieties of duck, also shag, divers, pigmy geese, small teal, grebe,
+red-headed plover, spur-wing plover, curlew, sandpipers, snipe,
+swamp hen, water-rail, and many other birds. The red-headed plover
+were especially numerous, and ran about on the surface of the lake,
+which was covered with the water-lily leaves and a thick sort of mossy
+weed. All the birds seemed remarkably tame, and we got a good assorted
+bag, chiefly duck--enough to supply most of our large force with.
+
+I stopped most of the time on the raised platform of one of the houses
+and shot the duck, which Acland and Monckton put up, as they flew over
+my head. I had a companion in old Giwi, the chief of the Kaili-kailis,
+many of whom were among our carriers. He seemed to be on very friendly
+terms with one of the Agai Ambu on whose hut I was. Presently a woman
+came over in a canoe from one of the houses in the far village, and
+climbed up on to the platform where we were. Directly she saw old
+Giwi, she caught hold of him and hugged and kissed him all over and
+rubbed her face against his body, covering him with the black pigment
+with which she had smeared her face. She was sobbing all the time
+and chanting a very mournful but not unmusical kind of song. This
+exhibition lasted over half an hour, and poor old Giwi looked quite
+bewildered, and gazed up at me in a most piteous way, as much as to
+say: "Awful nuisance, this woman--but what am I to do?" He understood
+the meaning of this performance as little as I did. Possibly the
+woman was frightened of us, and seeing a stranger of her own colour
+in old Giwi, appealed to him for protection. The Baruga, however,
+had previously told us that the Agai Ambu had recently captured one
+of their women, and I have since thought that this might possibly
+have been the woman, and am sorry I did not make inquiries at the
+time. At all events, old Giwi was too courteous to shake her off,
+though to me it was a most amusing sight, and it was all I could do
+to refrain from laughing aloud.
+
+We saw the dead body of a man half-wrapped in mats tied to poles
+in the middle of the lake. They always dispose of their dead thus,
+and I suppose leave them there till they rot or dry up.
+
+The chief food of these people seemed to be the bulbs of the
+water-lilies, fish and shellfish. They catch plenty of water-fowl by
+diving under them and pulling them under the water by the legs before
+they have time to make any noise. By this method they do not frighten
+the rest away, and this accounts for the birds' extreme tameness.
+
+It seemed odd that we should be paddled about the lake, to shoot wild
+fowl, by these people, who until to-day had never seen a white man
+before and had fled from us in the morning. However, most of them
+had fled and would not return until we had left their country.
+
+There is little doubt that this part of the country is most
+unhealthy. Many of our police and carriers were two days later down
+with fever, and a few weeks later I had a bad attack of fever, with
+which I was laid up in Samarai for some time, and which I feel sure I
+got into my system in this swamp. The mosquitoes were certainly very
+plentiful and vicious.
+
+We spent the following day here, duck-shooting on the lake, and I did
+a little natural-history collecting in the adjacent forest. We had
+intended to try and induce two of the Agai Ambu to accompany us back to
+Cape Nelson, but most unfortunately they understood that we were going
+to take them forcibly away. They became alarmed and all disappeared,
+and we were not able to get into communication with them again.
+
+When Sir Francis Winter visited them about a month later they were
+evidently quite friendly again, but on the second day of his visit
+his native followers demanded a pig of the Agai Ambu in his, Sir
+Francis's, name. At this they became alarmed and retreated to the
+further village, and he was unable to see any more of them. Since
+then I believe nothing more has been seen of these flat-footed people.
+
+We returned to our old camping ground in the Baruga village on the
+banks of the Barigi River, and the friendly Baruga people brought
+us a big supply of pigs, sago and other native food. The next day
+we continued our journey to the coast, and camped at the mouth of
+the Barigi River. We had intended making an expedition into the
+Hydrographer range of mountains, which we could see from here, and
+which were unexplored, but Monckton and Acland were far from well, and
+most of our carriers and police were down with fever, and so, greatly
+to my disappointment, this had to be abandoned. We resumed our homeward
+journey in the whaleboat early the following morning. We started with
+a fair breeze, but this changed after a time to a head wind, against
+which it was quite impossible to make any headway, so we landed at a
+place where there was a small inlet leading into a lagoon. We stayed
+here till six p.m., when the wind dropped sufficiently to enable
+us to start off again, and, passing the mouth of the Musa River,
+we landed about one a.m. in Porlock Bay, where we camped for the night.
+
+We spent the following day shooting, which entailed a lot of wading
+amongst the shallow streams, lagoons and small lakes. I had a bit of a
+fright here, as I suddenly stepped into some quicksands and felt myself
+sinking fast, but, thanks to Arigita and the branch of a tree, I was
+able to pull myself out after a great deal of trouble and anxiety,
+though if I had not had Arigita with me I should most certainly
+have gone under. We got a splendid bag between us of various birds,
+chiefly duck and pigeon. One of the police shot a large cassowary,
+and also a large wild pig and a wallaby, so there was plenty of food
+for all. We sailed again that night at eleven p.m., and got six of
+the Okeina canoes to tow us along. This they did not seem to relish,
+and before they got into line there was a great deal of angry talking
+and shouting, and Monckton had to call them to order by firing a rifle
+in the air. It was amusing to see the way the long line of canoes
+pulled us round and round in the form of the letter "S," and they
+would often bump against each other, and plenty of angry words were
+exchanged. It was an amusing _finale_ to the expedition. They left us
+for their homes when we got near the Okeina country. We landed in the
+early morning on the beach, where we had breakfast, and then rowed on,
+followed by the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu canoes, and eventually landed
+again at the station at Tufi, Cape Nelson, about two p.m.
+
+In conclusion I should mention that Mr. Oelrechs, Monckton's assistant,
+had heard rumours that we had all been massacred, and he told me that
+he had been seriously thinking of gathering together a large army of
+friendly natives to go down and avenge us, though I think he would
+have found it no easy matter, but, as can be seen, we saved him the
+trouble, and so our expedition ended.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART VI
+
+Wanderings and Wonders in Borneo.
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+On the War-Path in Borneo.
+
+    The "Orang-utan" and the "Man of the Jungle"--Voyage to
+    Sarawak--The Borneo Company, Limited--Kuching, a Picturesque
+    Capital--Independence of Sarawak--I meet the Rajah and the Chief
+    Officials--Etiquette of the Sarawak Court--The "Club"--The
+    "Rangers" of Sarawak and their Trophies--Execution by means
+    of the Long Kris--Degeneracy of the Land Dayaks--Ascent of the
+    Rejang River--Mud Banks and Crocodiles--Dr. Hose at his Sarawak
+    Home--The Fort at Sibu--Enormous length of Dayak Canoes--A Brush
+    with Head-Hunters--Dayak Vengeance on Chinamen--First Impressions
+    of the Sea Dayak, "picturesque and interesting"--A Head-Hunting
+    raid, Dayaks attack the Punans--I accompany the Punitive
+    Expedition--Voyage Upstream--A Clever "Bird Scare"--Houses on the
+    top of Tree-stumps--The Kelamantans--Kanawit Village--The Fort at
+    Kapit--Capture of a notorious Head-Hunting Chief--I inspect the
+    "Heads" of the Victims--Cause of Head-Hunting--Savage Revenge of
+    a Dayak Lover and its Sequel--Hose's stem Ultimatum--Accepted by
+    the Head-Hunters--I return to Sibu--A Fatal Misconception.
+
+
+I had spent about seven months in the forests of British North
+Borneo, going many days' journey into the heart of the country, had
+made fine natural-history collections and had come across a great
+deal of game, including elephant, rhinoceros, bear, and "tembadu" or
+wild cattle, huge wild pig and deer of three species being especially
+plentiful. But above all I had come across a great many "orang-utan"
+(Malay for "jungle-man") and had been able to study their habits. One
+of these great apes has the strength of eight men and possesses an
+extraordinary amount of vitality. One that I shot lived for nearly
+three hours with five soft-nosed Mauser bullets in its body.
+
+But I had not yet seen the _real_ jungle-man in his native haunts--the
+head-hunting Dayak, as the Dayaks are rarely to be found in North
+Borneo, whereas the people on the Kinabatangan River (where I spent
+most of my time) were a sort of Malay termed "Orang Sungei" (River
+People). So, as I was anxious to see the real head-hunting Dayak,
+I determined to go to Sarawak, which is in quite a different part of
+Borneo. To do this, I had to return to Singapore, and thence, after a
+two days' voyage, I arrived at Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. Except
+for a Chinese towkay, I was the only saloon passenger, as strangers
+rarely visit this country.
+
+Kuching is about twenty-five miles up the Sarawak River, and contains
+about thirty thousand inhabitants, chiefly Malays and Chinese,
+with about fifty Europeans, who are for the most part government
+officials or belong to the Borneo Company, Limited. This company is
+very wealthy and owns the only steamship line, plying between Singapore
+and Kuching. It has several gold mines and a great quantity of land
+planted to pepper, gambier, gutta percha and rubber. The Rajah will
+not allow any other company or private individual to buy lands or
+open up an estate, neither will he allow any traders in the country.
+
+It would be difficult to imagine a more picturesque town than
+Kuching. It chiefly consists of substantial Chinese dwellings of brick
+and plaster, with beautiful tile-work of quaint figures, while temples
+glittering with gold peep out of thick, luxuriant, tropical growth. Two
+miles out of the city you can lose yourself in a dense tropical forest
+of the greatest beauty, and in the background is a chain of mountains,
+some of them of extraordinary shape. The reigning monarch or Rajah
+is an Englishman, Sir Charles Brooke, a nephew of Sir James Brooke,
+the first Rajah, who was an officer in the British Navy and who,
+after conquering Malay pirates, was made Rajah of the country by the
+grateful Dayaks.
+
+Though Sarawak is supposed to be under British protection, and though
+all his officials are Britishers, Rajah Brooke considers his country
+independent and will not allow the Union Jack to be flown in his
+dominions. He possesses his own flag, a mixture of red, black and
+yellow, and his own national anthem; moreover his officials refer
+to him as the King, and to his son, the heir to the throne, as the
+"young King" (or "Rajah Muda").
+
+Two days after my arrival, the Rajah left on his steam yacht for
+England, but the day before he left, he held a great reception at his
+"palace" (or "astana," as it is called in Malay). It was attended
+by all his officials, by high Malay chiefs and the chief Chinese
+merchants. The reins of government were formally handed over to his
+son, the Rajah Muda, after which champagne was passed round. The chief
+resident, Sir Percy Cunninghame, then introduced me to the Rajah. He is
+a fine-looking old man with a white moustache and white hair, and is
+greatly beloved by every one. He conversed with me for some time, and
+asked me many questions about the Chartered Company in British North
+Borneo. It was rather embarrassing for me, with every one silently
+and respectfully standing around listening to every word. He wished
+me success in my travels in the interior, and told his officials to
+do all in their power to help me. When you talk about the Rajah you
+say "His Highness," but when you address him, you simply say "Rajah"
+after every few words--"Yes, Rajah," or "No, Rajah." The native chiefs,
+I noticed, kissed the hands of both the Rajah and the Rajah Muda.
+
+There is no hotel in Kuching, so I put up at the rather dilapidated
+government Rest-House, part of which I had to myself, the other half
+being occupied by two government officers. The club in Kuching seems
+a most popular institution with all the officials, and "gin pahits"
+(or "bitters") the popular drink of this part of the world; billiards
+and pool help to pass many a pleasant evening, the Rajah Muda often
+joining us at a game of black pool, like any ordinary mortal.
+
+The Rajah's troops, the Rangers, are a fine body of men; they are
+chiefly recruited from the Malays and Dayaks, and have an English
+sergeant to drill them. I was told that when they go fighting the wild
+head-hunters, they are allowed to bring in as trophies the heads of
+those they kill, in the same way that the Dayaks themselves do. The
+method of execution here is the same as in other Malay countries,
+the criminal being taken down to the banks of the river, where a long
+"kris" is thrust down through the shoulder into the heart, and is
+then twisted about till the man is dead.
+
+After a visit to Bau, further up the Sarawak River, where the Borneo
+Company, whose guest I was, have a gold mine (the clay being treated
+by the "cyanide" process), I collected specimens for some time in the
+beautiful forests at the foot of the limestone mountains of Poak. Here
+I saw something of the Land Dayaks, but they are a poor degenerate
+breed, and not to be compared to the Sea Dayaks, who are born fighters,
+and whose predatory head-hunting instincts give a great deal of trouble
+to the government. These latter were the Dayaks I was anxious to meet,
+and I soon made arrangements to visit their country, which is a good
+way from Kuching, the real Sea Dayak rarely visiting the capital.
+
+So one morning early I found myself with my two servants, a Chinese
+cook and a civilized Dayak named Dubi (Mr. R. Shelford also going),
+on board a government paddle-wheel steamer which was bound for Sibu,
+on the Rejang River. Twenty-five miles' descent of the Sarawak River
+brought us to the sea. We did not skirt the coast, but cut across a
+large open expanse of sea for about ninety miles. We then came to the
+delta of the Rejang River, and went up one of its many mouths, which
+was of great width, though the scenery all the way was monotonous,
+and consisted of nothing but mangroves, _pandanus,_ the feathery
+_nipa_ palm and the tall, slender "nibong" palm, with here and there
+a crocodile lying, out on the mud banks--a dismal scene.
+
+At nightfall we anchored a short way up the river, as the government
+will not allow their boats to travel up the river by night, it being
+unsafe. We were off again at daylight the next morning, the scenery
+improving as the interminable mangroves gave place to the forest. Sixty
+miles up the river found us at Sibu, where I put up with Dr. Hose,
+the Resident, the celebrated Bornean explorer and naturalist. The
+only other Europeans here were two junior officials, Messrs. Johnson
+and Bolt. And yet there is a club at Sibu, a club for three, and here
+these three officials meet every evening and play pool.
+
+There is a fort in Sibu, as indeed there is at most of the river
+places in Sarawak. It is generally a square-shaped wooden building,
+perforated all round with small holes for rifles, while just below
+the roof is a slanting grill-work through which it is easy to shoot,
+though, as it is on the slant, it is hard for spears to enter from the
+outside. There are one or two cannons in most of these forts. The fort
+at Sibu was close to Dr. Hose's house and was attacked by Dayaks only
+a few years ago. Johnson, one of Dr. Hose's assistants, showed me a
+very long Dayak canoe capable of seating over one hundred men. It was
+made out of one tree, but large as it was, it did not equal some of the
+Kayan canoes on this river, one of which was one hundred and forty-five
+feet in length. This Dayak canoe was literally riddled with bullets,
+and Johnson told me that a few weeks' ago he was fighting some Dayaks
+on the Kanawit, a branch river near here, when he was attacked by some
+Dayaks in this very canoe. As they came up throwing spears he told his
+men to fire, with the result that eighteen Dayaks were killed. The
+river at Sibu was of great width, over a mile across, in fact, and
+close to the bank is a Malay village, and a bazaar where the wily
+Chinaman does a thriving trade in the wild produce of the country,
+and makes huge profits out of the Dayaks and other natives on this
+river. But the Dayaks often have their revenge and attack the Chinamen
+with great slaughter, the result being that they take home with them
+plenty of yellow-skinned heads with nice long pig-tails to hang them
+up by. During my stay on this river there were two or three cases of
+Chinamen being slaughtered by the Dayaks, and if it were not for the
+forts on these rivers, every Chinaman would be wiped out of existence.
+
+My first real acquaintance with the Sea Dayak was in the long bazaar
+at Sibu, and I was by no means disappointed in my first impressions,
+as I found him a most picturesque and interesting individual. The men
+usually have long black hair hanging down their backs, often with a
+long fringe on their foreheads. Their skin is brown, they have snub
+noses but resolute eyes, and they are of fine proportions, though they
+rarely exceed five feet five inches in height. Beyond the "jawat,"
+a long piece of cloth which hangs down between their legs, they wear
+nothing, if I except their many and varied ornaments. They wear a great
+variety of earrings. These are often composed of heavy bits of brass,
+which draw the lobes of the ears down below the shoulder. When they
+go on the war-path they generally wear war-coats made from the skins
+of various wild animals, and these are often padded as a protection
+against the small poisonous darts of the "sumpitan" or blow-pipe which,
+together with the "parang" (a kind of sword) and long spears with
+broad steel points constitute their chief weapons. They also have
+large shields of light wood; often fantastically painted in curious
+patterns, or ornamented with human hair.
+
+I had been at Sibu only three or four days, when word was brought down
+to Dr. Hose that the Ulu Ai Dayaks, near Fort Kapit, about one hundred
+miles up the river, had attacked and killed a party of Punans for
+the sake of their heads. These Punans are a nomadic tribe who wander
+about through the great forests with no settled dwelling-places, but
+build themselves rough huts and hunt the wild game of the forest and
+feed on the many wild fruits that are found in these forests. Hose
+at once decided to go up to Fort Kapit and punish these Dayaks, and
+gave me leave to accompany him and Shelford. So one morning at six
+o'clock we boarded a large steam launch with a party of the Rangers,
+mentioned above, as the Rajah's troops. We took, from near Sibu,
+several friendly Dayaks, who were armed to the teeth with spears,
+"parangs," "sumpitans," shields and war ornaments, all highly elated
+at the prospect of the fighting in store for them.
+
+In a short account like this, it is of course impossible to describe
+the many interesting things that I saw on the journey up the river. We
+passed many of the long, curious Dayak houses and plenty of canoes full
+of these picturesque people, and at some of the villages little Dayak
+children hurriedly pushed out small canoes from the shore so as to
+get rocked by the waves made by our launch. This they seemed to enjoy,
+to judge from the delighted yells they gave forth. I several times saw
+a most ingenious invention for frightening away the birds and monkeys
+from the large fruit trees which surrounded every Dayak village. At
+one end of a large rattan cord was a sort of wooden rattle, fixed on
+the top of one of the largest fruit trees. The other end of the rattan
+was fastened to a slender bamboo stick which was stuck into the river,
+and the action of the stream caused the bamboo to sway to and fro,
+thus jerking the rattan which in turn set the rattle going. We passed
+several small houses built on the tops of large tree-stumps. These,
+Dr. Hose informed me, were built by Kanawits, of a race of people
+known as Kelamantans. These Kelamantans are supposed to be the oldest
+residents of Borneo, being here long before the Dayaks and Kayans,
+but they axe fast dying out, as are the Punans, I believe chiefly
+owing to the raids of the warlike Dayaks. They were once ferocious
+head-hunters, but now they are a very inoffensive people.
+
+About mid-day we stopped at the village of Kanawit, at the mouth of the
+river of that name. This village, like Sibu, is composed entirely of
+Chinese and Malays. They are all traders and do a thriving business
+with the Dayaks and other natives. Here also was a fort with its
+cannon, with a Dayak or Malay sergeant and a dozen men in charge. As
+we proceeded up river, the scenery became rather monotonous. There
+was little tall forest, the country being either cleared for planting
+"padi" (rice) or in secondary forest growth or jungle, a sure sign
+of a thick population. We saw many Dayaks burning the felled jungle
+for planting their "padi," and the air was full of ashes and smoke,
+which obscured the rays of the sun and cast a reddish glare on the
+surrounding country.
+
+Toward evening we reached the village of Song and stayed here all
+night, fastening our launch to the bank. In spite of the fort here,
+we learned that the Chinamen were in great fear of an attack by the
+Dayaks, which they daily expected. Leaving Song at half-past five the
+next morning, we arrived at Kapit about ten a.m. and put up at the
+fort, which was a large one. A long, narrow platform from the top of
+the fort led to a larger platform on which, overlooking the river,
+there was a large cannon which could be turned round so as to cover
+all the approaches from the river in case there was an attack on the
+fort. We learned that the day before we arrived at Kapit, Mingo, the
+Portuguese in charge of the fort, had captured the worst ringleader of
+the head-hunters in the bazaar at Kapit, and small parties of loyal
+Dayaks were at once sent off to the homes of the other head-hunters
+with strict injunctions to bring back the guilty ones, and, failing
+persuasion and threats, to attack them. [11] In most cases they were
+successful, and I saw many of the prisoners brought in, together with
+some of the heads of their victims.
+
+The next morning Hose suddenly called out to me that if I wished
+to inspect the heads I would find them hanging up under the cannon
+platform by the river, and he sent a Dayak to undo the wrappings
+of native cloth and mats in which they were done up. They were a
+sickening sight, and all the horrors of head-hunting were brought
+before me with vivid and startling reality far more than could have
+been done by any writer, and I pictured those same heads full of life
+only a few days before, and then suddenly a rush from the outside
+amid the unprepared Punans in their rude huts in the depths of the
+forest, a woman's scream of terror, followed by the sickening sound of
+hacking blows from the sharp Dayak "parangs," and the Dayak war-cry,
+"Hoo-hah! hoo-hah!" ringing through the night air, as every single
+Punan man, woman and child, who has not had time to escape, is cut
+down in cold blood. When all are dead, the proud Dayaks, proceed to
+hack off the heads of their victims and bind them round with rattan
+strings with which to carry them, and then, returning in triumph,
+are hailed with shouts of delight by their envious fellow-villagers,
+for this means wives, a Dayak maiden thinking as much of heads as a
+white girl would of jewellery. The old Dayak who undid the wrappings
+pretended to be horrified, but I felt sure that the old hypocrite
+wished that he owned them himself.
+
+Only seven of the heads had been brought in, and two of them were
+heads of women, and although they had been smoked, I could easily
+see that one of them was that of a quite young, good-looking girl,
+with masses of long, dark hair. She had evidently been killed by a
+blow from a "parang," as the flesh on the head had been separated by
+a large cut which had split the skull open. In one of the men's heads
+there were two small pieces of wood inserted in the nose. They were
+all ghastly sights to look at, and smelt a bit, and I was not sorry
+to be able to turn my back on them.
+
+As in the present case, the brass-encircled young Dayak women are
+generally the cause of these head-hunts, as they often refuse to
+marry a man unless he has one or more heads, and in many cases a
+man is absolutely driven to get a head if he wishes to marry. The
+heads are handed down from father to son, and the rank of a Dayak is
+generally determined by the number of heads he or his ancestors have
+collected. A Dayak goes on the war-path more for the sake of the heads
+he may get, than for the honour and glory of the fighting. Generally,
+though, there is precious little fighting, as the Dayak attacks only
+when his victims are unprepared.
+
+While I was in Borneo I heard the following story of Dayak barbarity,
+which is a good example of the way the women incite their men to go
+on these head-hunting expeditions. In a certain district where some
+missionaries were doing good work among the Dayaks, a Dayak young
+man named Hathnaveng had been persuaded by the missionaries to give
+up the barbaric custom of headhunting. One day, however, he fell in
+love with a Dayak maiden. The girl, although returning his passion,
+disdained his offer of marriage, because he no longer indulged in the
+ancient practice of cutting off and bringing home the heads of the
+enemies of the tribe. Hathnaveng, goaded by the taunts of the girl,
+who told him to dress in women's clothes in the future, as he no
+longer had the courage of a man, left the village and remained away
+for some time. When he returned, he entered his sweetheart's hut,
+carrying a sack on his shoulders. He opened it, and four human heads
+rolled upon the bamboo floor. At the sight of the trophies, the girl
+at once took him back into her favour, and flinging her arms round
+his neck, embraced him passionately.
+
+"You wanted heads," declared her lover. "I have brought them. Do you
+not recognize them?"
+
+Then to her horror she saw they were the heads of her father, her
+mother, her brother and of a young man who was Hathnaveng's rival
+for her affections. Hathnaveng was immediately seized by some of
+the tribesmen, and by way of punishment was placed in a small bamboo
+structure such as is commonly used by the Dayaks for pigs, and allowed
+to starve to death. [12] This is a true story, and occurred while I
+was still in Borneo.
+
+The day after we arrived at Kapit a great crowd of Dayaks, belonging to
+the tribe of those implicated in the attack on the Punans, assembled
+at the fort to talk with Dr. Hose on the matter, and the upshot of
+it all was startling in its severity. This was Hose's ultimatum:
+They must give up the rest of those that took part in the raid, and
+they would all get various terms of imprisonment. They must return
+the rest of the heads. They must pay enormous fines, and, lastly,
+those villages which had men who took part in the raid, must move
+down the river opposite Sibu, and thus be under Hose's eye as well
+as under the guns of the fort. I watched the faces of the crowd, and
+it was interesting to witness their various emotions. Some looked
+stupefied, others looked very angry, and that they could not agree
+among themselves was plainly evident from their angry squabbling. They
+were a curious crowd with their long black hair and fringes and round
+tattoo marks on their bodies. They finally agreed to these terms, as
+Hose told them that if they did not do so, he would come and make them,
+even if he had to kill them all. The following days I witnessed large
+bands of Dayaks bringing to the fort their fines, which consisted of
+large jars and brass gongs, which are the Dayak forms of currency. The
+total fine amounted to $5,200, and the jars were carefully examined,
+the gongs weighed and their values assessed. Some of the jars were
+very old, but the older they are the more they are worth. Three of
+the poorest looking ones were valued at $1,400 (the dollar in Borneo
+is about two of our shillings). Of the total, $1,200 was later paid to
+the Punans as compensation ("pati nyawa"). I watched some Dayaks--who
+had just brought in their fines--as they went away in one of their
+large canoes, and they crossed the river with a quick, short stroke
+of their paddles in splendid time, so that one heard the sound of
+their paddles, as they beat against the side of the canoe, come in one
+short tr-r-up. They seemed to be very angry, all talking at once, and
+I still heard the sound of their angry voices above the paddles' beat,
+long after they had disappeared up a narrow creek on the other side.
+
+I had intended going with my two servants further up the river and
+living for some time among the Dayaks, but Dr. Hose made objections
+to my doing so. He said it would be very unsafe for me to live among
+these Kapit Dayaks at the present time, as they were naturally in a
+very excitable state, and would have thought little of killing one of
+the "orang puteh" (white men), whom they no doubt considered the cause
+of all their trouble. They would be sure to take me for a government
+official. Hose instead advised me to go up a small unexplored branch
+river below Sibu, so as the launch was returning to Sibu I determined
+to return in her, leaving Hose and Shelford at Kapit.
+
+During my short stay at Kapit I added very few new specimens to
+my collections of birds and butterflies; in fact, it was the worst
+collecting-ground that I struck during more than a year's wanderings
+in Borneo. I, however, made a fine collection of Dayak weapons,
+shields and war ornaments from our friendly Dayaks, who seemed very
+low-spirited now that there was to be no fighting, and on this
+account traded some of their property to me which at other times
+nothing would have induced them to part with, at a very low figure.
+
+I returned to Sibu with Mingo, and we took with us the ringleader of
+the head-hunters. He was kept handcuffed in the hold, and he worked
+himself up into a pitiable state of fright. He thought he was going to
+be killed, and the whole of the voyage he was chanting a most mournful
+kind of song, a regular torrent of words going to one note. My Dayak
+servant Dubi informed me that he was singing about the heads he had
+taken, and for which he thought he was now going to die.
+
+After a day's stay in Sibu I went up the Sarekei River with my
+two servants, and made a long stay in a Dayak house. I will try to
+describe my life among the Dayaks in the next chapter. In conclusion,
+I must tell the tragic story of a fatal mistake, which was told me by
+Johnson, one of the officials at Sibu, which serves to illustrate the
+superstitious beliefs of the Malays. A Chinese prisoner at Sibu had
+died, at least Johnson and Bolt both thought so, and they sent some of
+the Malay soldiers to bury the body on the other side of the river. A
+few days later one of them casually remarked to Johnson that they had
+often heard it said that the spirit of a man sometimes returned to
+his body again for a short time after death (a Malay belief), but he
+(this Malay) had not believed it before, but he now knew that it was
+true. Johnson, much amused, asked him how that was. "Oh," said the
+Malay, "when the Tuan (Johnson) sent us across the river to bury the
+dead man the other day, his spirit came back to him and his body sat
+up and talked, and we were much afraid, and seized hold of the body;
+which gave us much trouble to put it into the hole we had digged,
+and when we had quickly filled in the hole so that the body could not
+come out again, we fled away quickly, so now we know that the saying
+is true." It thus transpired that they had buried a live Chinaman
+without being aware of the fact.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+Home-Life Among Head-Hunting Dayaks.
+
+    I leave the Main Stream and journey up the Sarekei--A Stream
+    overarched by Vegetation--House 200 feet long--I make Friends with
+    the Chief--My New Quarters--Rarity of White Men--Friendliness
+    of my New Hosts--Embarrassing Request from a Lady, "like we
+    your skin"--Similar Experience of Wallace--Crowds to see me
+    Undress--Dayak's interest in Illustrated Papers--Waist-rings
+    of Dayak Women--Teeth filled with brass--Noisiness of a Dayak
+    House--Dayak Dogs--A well-meant Blow and its Sequel--Uproarious
+    Amusement of the Dayaks--Dayak Fruit-Trees--The Durian as King
+    of all Fruits--Dayak "Bridges" across the Swamp-Dances of the
+    Head-Hunters--A Secret "Fishing" Expedition--A Spear sent by way of
+    defiance to the Government--I "score" off the Pig-Hunters--Dayak
+    Diseases--Dayak Women and Girls--Two "Broken Hearts"--I Raffle my
+    Tins--"Cookie" and the Head-Hunters, their Jokes and Quarrels--My
+    Adventure with a Crocodile.
+
+
+The Rejang is one of the many large rivers which abound in Borneo,
+and its tributaries are numerous and for the most part unexplored. The
+Rejang is tidal for fully one hundred and fifty miles, and at Sibu
+is over a mile in width. The banks of this river are inhabited by
+a large population of Malays, Chinese, Dayaks, Kayans, Kanawits,
+Punans and numerous other tribes. Thus it is a highly interesting
+region for an ethnologist.
+
+It was with feelings of pleasant anticipation that I started down
+the river in the government steam-launch from Sibu just as dawn was
+breaking, on my way to spend several weeks among the wild Dayaks on
+the unexplored Sarekei River. I took with me my two servants, Dubi,
+a civilized Dayak, and my Chinese cook. After a journey of four hours
+we arrived at a large Malay village near the mouth of the Sarekei
+River. Here I disembarked and sought out the chief of the village
+and demanded the loan of two canoes, with some men to paddle them,
+and in return I offered liberal payment. Accordingly, an hour after my
+arrival I found myself with all my belongings and servants on board
+the two canoes, with a crew of nine Malays. Soon after leaving the
+Malay village we branched off to the left up the Sarekei River. It
+was very monotonous at first, as the giant plumes of the _nipa_ palm
+hid everything from my view. My Malays worked hard at their paddles,
+and late in the afternoon we left the main Sarekei River and paddled
+up a small and extremely narrow stream. There we found ourselves in
+the depth of a most luxuriant vegetation. We were in a regular tunnel
+formed by arching ferns and orchid-laden trees, giant _pandanus,_
+various palms and arborescent ferns and _caladiums._ Here grew the
+largest _crinum_ lilies I had ever seen. They literally towered over
+me, and the sweet-scented white and pink flowers grew in huge bunches
+on stems nearly as thick as my arm.
+
+After the bright sun on the main river, the dark, gloomy depths of this
+side-stream were very striking. It was so narrow that sometimes the
+vegetation on both sides was forced into the canoes, and the "atap"
+(palm-thatched) roof of my canoe came in for severe treatment as it
+brushed against prickly _pandanus_ and thorny rattans.
+
+The entrance to this stream was completely hidden from view, and no
+one but these Malays, who had been up here before, trading with the
+Dayaks, could have discovered it. I had told the Malay chief that I
+wished to visit a Dayak village where no white man had ever been and
+where they were head-hunters. He had smiled slyly and nodded as if he
+understood. Thereupon he said, "Baik (good), Tuan," and said he would
+help me. Just as darkness was setting in we arrived at a Dayak village,
+consisting of one very long house, which I afterwards found to exceed
+two hundred feet in length. It was situated about one hundred yards
+from the stream. No sooner had we sighted it than the air resounded
+with the loud beating of large gongs and plenty of shouting. There
+was a great commotion among the Dayaks.
+
+I at first felt doubtful as to the kind of reception I should get,
+and immediately made my way to the house with Dubi, who explained
+to the Dayak chief that I was no government official, but had come
+to see them and also to get some "burong" (birds) and "kopo-kopo"
+(butterflies). I forthwith presented the old chief with a bottle of
+gin, such as they often get from the Malay traders, and some Javanese
+tobacco, and his face was soon wreathed in smiles.
+
+The Dayaks soon brought all my baggage into the house and I paid
+off my Malays and proceeded to make myself as comfortable as I could
+for my stay of several weeks, the chief giving me a portion of his
+own quarters and spreading mats for me over the bamboo floor. On the
+latter I put my camp-bed and boxes. I occupied a portion of the open
+corridor or main hall, which ran the length of the house and where
+the unmarried men sleep. This long corridor was just thirty feet
+in width, and formed by far the greater portion of the house; small
+openings from this corridor led on to a kind of unsheltered platform
+twenty-five feet in width, which ran the length of the house and on
+which the Dayaks generally dry their "padi" (rice).
+
+The other side of the house was divided into several rooms, each of
+which belonged to a separate family. Here they store their wealth,
+chiefly huge jars and brass gongs. The house was raised on piles fully
+ten to twelve feet from the ground, the space underneath being fenced
+in for the accommodation of their pigs and chickens. The smells that
+came up through the half-open bamboo and "bilian"-wood flooring were
+the reverse of pleasant. The entrance at each end was by means of
+a very steep and slippery sort of ladder made out of one piece of
+wood with notches cut in it, the steps being only a few inches in
+width. One of these ladders had a rough bamboo hand-rail on each side,
+and the top part of the steps was roughly carved into the semblance
+of a human face.
+
+In the rafters over my head I noticed a great quantity of spears,
+shields, "sumpitans" or blowpipes, paddles, fish-traps, baskets and
+rolls of mats piled up indiscriminately, while just over my head where
+I slept was a rattan basket containing two human heads, though Dubi
+told me he thought the Dayaks had hidden most of their heads on my
+arrival. This description of the house I resided in for some time,
+applies more or less to all the Dayak houses I saw in Borneo.
+
+This house or village was called Menus, and the old chief's name
+was Usit. In spelling these names one has to be entirely guided by
+the sounds and write them after the fashion of the English method
+of spelling Malay. The village or house of Menus seemed to contain
+about one hundred inhabitants, not counting small children. Upon my
+arrival I was soon surrounded by a most curious throng, many of whom
+gazed at me with open mouths, in astonishment at the sight of an
+"orang puteh" (white man), as of course no white man had ever been
+here before and but very few of the people had ever seen one. One old
+woman remembered having seen a white man, and some of the older men
+had from time to time seen government officials on the Rejang River,
+but except to these few I was a complete novelty. Considering this,
+I was greatly astonished at their friendliness, as not only the men,
+but the women and children squatted around me in the most amicable
+fashion, and sometimes even became a decided nuisance. My first evening
+among them, however, I found extremely amusing, and as my Chinese cook
+placed the food he had cooked before me, and as I ate it with knife,
+fork and spoon, they watched every mouthful I took amid a loud buzz
+of comments and exclamations of delight.
+
+Though by no means the first time I have had to endure this sort of
+popularity, or rather notoriety, in various countries of the world,
+I do not think I have ever come across a people so full of friendly
+curiosity as were these Dayaks. About midnight I began to feel a bit
+sleepy, but the admiring multitude did not seem inclined to move,
+so I told Dubi to tell them that I wanted to change my clothes and
+go to sleep. No one moved. "Tell the ladies to go, Dubi," I said,
+but on his translating my message a woman in the background called
+out something that met with loud cries of approval.
+
+"What does she say, Dubi?" I asked.
+
+"She says, Tuan," replied Dubi, "they like see your skin, if white
+the same all over."
+
+This was rather embarrassing, and I told Dubi to insist upon their
+going; but Dubi, whose advice I generally took, replied, "I think,
+Tuan (master), more better you show to them your skin." I therefore
+submitted with as good a grace as possible, and took my shirt off,
+while some of them, especially the women, pinched and patted the skin
+on my back amid cries of approval and delight.
+
+They asked if the skin of the Tuan Muda (the Rajah) was as white, and,
+on being told that it was, a long and serious conversation took place
+among them, during which the name of the Tuan Muda kept constantly
+cropping up.
+
+The great naturalist, Wallace, met with much the same experience
+among the Dayaks, and as the natives of many other countries among
+whom I have lived never seemed to display the same curiosity about
+my white skin, I put it down to the Dayaks wishing to see what kind
+of a skin the great white Rajah, who rules over them, possesses.
+
+The next two or three nights the crowd that waited to see me change
+into my pyjamas was, if anything, still larger, a good many Dayaks
+from neighbouring villages coming over to see the sight. But gradually
+the novelty wore off, to my great joy, as I was getting a bit tired
+of the whole performance. I had come here to see the Dayaks, but it
+appeared that they were even more anxious to see me.
+
+For the next two or three weeks an odd Dayak would from time to time
+ask to see my skin, so that at length I had absolutely to refuse to
+exhibit myself any longer.
+
+I had luckily brought several illustrated magazines with me to use
+as papers for my butterflies, and these were a source of endless
+delight to the crowds around me in the evenings. They behaved like a
+lot of small children, and roared with laughter over the pictures. They
+generally looked at the pictures upside down, and even then they seemed
+to find something amusing about them. With Dubi as my interpreter
+I used to make up stories about the pictures, and, pointing to
+the portrait of some well-known actress, described the number of
+husbands she had killed, and I'm afraid I grossly libelled many a
+well-known politician, general, or divine in telling the Dayaks how
+many heads they possessed or how many wives they owned, till it was
+quite a natural thing for me to join in their uproarious merriment,
+as I pictured in my mind some venerable bishop on the war-path.
+
+As is well known, the Dayak women all wear rings of brass around
+their waists. They are called "gronong," and they are made of pliable
+rattan inside, with small brass rings fastened around the rattan. In
+the centre of each ring there are generally two or three small red
+and black rings of coloured rattan between the brass ones. Some wore
+only four or five, while others possessed twenty or more, and then
+they rather resembled a corset. Even the little girls of four or five
+wore two or three of them.
+
+I noticed on my first arrival that the women and some of the men seemed
+to have their teeth plentifully filled with gold, but I soon found out
+that it was brass that they had ornamented their teeth with, a small
+piece being inserted in some way in the centre of each tooth. Their
+teeth are generally black from the continual chewing of the betel-nut,
+and I noticed small children of four or five years of age going in for
+this dirty habit, and still younger children smoking cigarettes, the
+covering of which is made out of the dried leaf of the sago-palm. The
+Dayaks are almost as dirty as the Negritos in the Philippines, and yet
+they are both certainly the merriest people I have ever met with. The
+heartiest and most unaffected laughter I have ever heard proceeded
+from the throats of Dayaks and Negritos. It almost seems as if dirt
+in some cases constitutes true happiness.
+
+The Dayak women seemed to bathe more often than the men, but they
+never seemed to take off their brass waist-rings when bathing in the
+river. The women also have their wrists covered with brass bangles,
+which are all fastened together in one piece. The noise in the house
+was deafening at times, especially in the evening, when all come home
+from working in their "padi" fields, where the women are supposed to
+do most of the work, the men generally going hunting. The continual
+hum of conversation and loud laughter, with the noise made by the
+pigs and chickens under the house, the dogs and chickens in the house,
+and the beating of deep-toned gongs at times nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I was writing.
+
+They resembled a lot of small children and would beat their gongs
+simply to amuse themselves. Very often a Dayak, on returning from
+his work or a hunt in the jungle, would walk straight up to a large
+gong that was hanging up and hammer on it for a few minutes in a most
+businesslike way, looking all the time as if it bored him. Then he
+would walk away in much the same way as a man would leave the telephone
+(as if he had just got through some business). I suppose it soothed
+them after their day's work, but it irritated me.
+
+The Dayak dogs are fearful and wonderful animals, both as regards
+shape and colour, and I could get very little sleep on account of
+the noise they made; yet the Dayaks seemed to sleep through it all.
+
+One night I woke up after a particularly noisy fight, and saw what
+appeared to me to be a dog sitting calmly by my bed with its back
+turned to me. Lifting my mosquito net, therefore, very quietly, I let
+drive with my fist at it, putting all my pent-up indignation and anger
+for sleepless nights into the blow. Alas! it was a very solid dog that
+I struck against, being nothing more nor less than the side of one of
+my boxes, and I barked my knuckles rather badly. The laughter of the
+Dayaks was loud and prolonged when Dubi translated the yarn to them
+next day, and they remembered it long afterwards. Until I heard the
+roar of laughter that went up, the story had not struck me as being
+so very amusing!
+
+All around the house for some distance was a forest of tall
+fruit-trees. They had of course all been planted in times past by
+the Dayaks' ancestors, and every tree had its owner, but they had
+become mixed up with many beautiful wild tropic growths which had
+sprung up between the trees. Some of these fruit-trees, such as the
+"durian," "rambutan," mango, mangosteen, "tamadac" or jackfruit,
+"lansat" and bananas, were familiar to me, but there were a great
+number of fruits that I had never heard of before, and I got their
+names from my Dayak friends. [13]
+
+Needless to say, I never before tasted so many fruits that were
+entirely new to me, and most of them were ripe at the time of my
+visit. The "durian" comes easily first. It is without doubt the
+king of all fruit in both the tropic and temperate zones, and is
+popular alike with man and beast, the orang-utan being a great
+culprit in robbing the Dayaks of their "durians." I never saw the
+"good" "durian" growing wild in Sarawak, but I tasted here a small
+wild kind with an orange centre which made me violently sick. No
+description of the "durian" taste can do it justice. But its smell
+is also past description. It is so bad that many people refuse to
+taste it. It is a very large and heavy fruit, covered with strong,
+sharp spines, and as it grows on a very tall tree, it is dangerous
+to walk underneath in the fruiting season when they are falling,
+accidents being common among the Dayaks through this cause. I myself
+had a narrow escape one windy day. I was sitting at the foot of one
+of these trees eating some of the fallen fruit, when a large "durian"
+fell from above and buried itself in the mud not half a yard from me.
+
+Danna, the second chief, would always leave one or two of the fruit
+for me on a box close by my head where I slept, before he went off
+to his "padi "-planting early in the morning, so that I got quite
+used to the bad smell.
+
+The Dayak house was surrounded on three sides by a horrible swamp,
+the roads through which consisted of fallen trees laid end to end,
+or else of two or three thick poles, laid side by side, and kept in
+place by being lashed here and there to two upright stakes, so that
+I had to balance myself well or come to grief in the thick mud. The
+Dayak bridges, made chiefly of poles and bamboos, were in many cases
+awkward things to negotiate, and I had one or two rather nasty falls
+from them. While the Dayak women and children never showed any fear
+of me in the house, whenever I met them out in the woods or jungle
+they would run from me as if I were some kind of wild animal.
+
+I saw several Dayak dances. The men put on their war-plumes and with
+shield and "parang" (mentioned above) twirl round and round and cut
+with their "parangs" at an imaginary foe, the women all the time
+accompanying them with the beating of gongs. Dubi one night showed
+them a Malay dance, which consisted of a sort of gliding motion
+and a graceful waving of the hands, quite the reverse of the Dayak
+dance. One night I noticed a general bustle in the house. The women
+seemed greatly excited, and the men passed to and fro with their
+"parangs" and "sumpitans" (blowpipes), and cast anxious looks in my
+direction as they passed me. They told Dubi they were going fishing;
+but it seemed strange that they should go fishing with these warlike
+weapons, and I told Dubi so. He himself thought they were going
+head-hunting, and I felt sure of it, as they left only the old men,
+youths, women and children behind. I did not see them again till the
+following evening, nor did I then see signs of any fish. I told Dubi
+that I thought it best that he should not ask them any questions, as it
+might be awkward if they thought we suspected them. At the same time,
+I am bound to admit that there was no direct proof to show that they
+had been headhunting; and for this I was glad, as there was no cause
+for me to say anything to the Government about it, and so get my kind
+hosts into trouble. Some months later I read in a Singapore paper that
+"the Dayaks in this district," between Sibu and Kuching, were restless
+and inclined to join form with the Dayaks at Kapit, who had sent
+Dr. Hose a spear, signifying their defiance of the Sarawak Government.
+
+One evening, when out looking for birds, Dubi and I came across two
+Dayaks, who were perched up in trees, waiting for wild pigs that
+came to feed on the fallen fruit, when they would spear them from
+above. They seemed rather annoyed with us for coming and frightening
+the pigs away, and that evening they told everyone that we were the
+cause of their not getting a pig. I rather scored them off, by telling
+Dubi in an angry voice to ask them what "the dickens" they meant by
+getting up in trees and frightening all my birds away. This highly
+amused all the other Dayaks, who laughed loud and long, and my two
+pig-hunting friends retired into the background discomfited. I myself
+went out one evening with a party of Dayaks after wild pig, and stayed
+for two hours upon a platform in a tree while they climbed other
+trees close by. However, no pigs turned up, although two "plandok"
+(mouse-deer) did, though I did not shoot them for fear of frightening
+the pigs away. I took my revolver with me, to the great amusement of
+the Dayaks, who, of course, had not seen one before, and ridiculed the
+idea of so small a weapon being able to kill a pig. The Dayaks told
+me that there were plenty of bears here, but I never saw any myself in
+this part of Borneo. They told me the bears were very fierce, and had
+often nearly killed some of their friends. The Dayak dogs are fearful
+cowards, and I was told that they run away at the sight of a wild pig.
+
+Animal life here was not plentiful, and quite the reverse of what I
+had seen in the forests of North Borneo, where it was very plentiful.
+
+I noticed the prevalence of that horrible scurvy-like skin-disease
+among several of the Dayaks. It was common in New Guinea among
+the Papuans, where it was termed "supuma." I cured two little Dayak
+children of intermittent fever by giving them quinine and Eno's fruit
+salts. The result was that I was greatly troubled by demands on my
+limited stock of medicines. One old man had been growing blind for
+the last two years, and another was troubled with aches all over him,
+and they would hardly believe me when I said that I could not cure
+them. They told Dubi that they thought that the white people who
+could make such things as I possessed could do anything. So much of
+my property seemed to amuse and astonish them, that it was a treat to
+show them such things as my looking-glass, hair-brush, socks, guns,
+umbrella, watch, etc. I showed them that child's trick of making the
+lid of my watch fly open, and they were delighted.
+
+The Dayak women can hardly be considered good-looking. I saw one or two
+that were rather pretty, but they were very young and unmarried. Dubi
+fell madly in love with one of them and she with him, and when I left
+there were two broken hearts. Many of the little girls of about five
+and six years old would have been regular pictures if they had only
+been cleaner. I made the discovery that some of my Dayak friends were
+addicted to the horrible habit of eating clay, and actually found
+a regular little digging in the side of a hill where they worked
+to get these lumps of reddish grey clay, and soon caught some of
+the old men eating it. They declared that they enjoyed it. All my
+empty tins (from tinned meats, etc.) were in great demand, and so
+to save jealousy I actually demoralized the Dayaks to the extent of
+introducing the raffling system among them. Great was the excitement
+every evening when I raffled old tins and bottles. Dubi would hand
+the bits of paper and they would be a long time making up their minds
+which to take. One night Dubi overheard my Chinese cook telling some
+of the Dayaks that "the white tuan had no use for these tins himself,
+that is why he gives them to you."
+
+This cook, whom I used to call Cookie, was a great nuisance to me,
+but he was the most amusing character I ever came across, and he
+was the source of endless delight to the Dayaks, who enjoyed teasing
+him and jokingly threatened to cut off his head, until he was almost
+paralyzed with fright and came and begged me to leave, as we should
+all have our heads cut off. After a week or two his courage returned
+and I learned that when I was out of the house he would stand on his
+head for the amusement of the women and children, though he was by
+no means a young man. He soon became quite popular with the women,
+who found him highly amusing, and who were always in fits of laughter
+whenever he talked. In the evenings he sometimes joined a group of
+Dayak youths and would start to air his opinions. Then it was not long
+before they were all jeering and mimicking him, and poor old Cookie
+would look very foolish and a sickly smile would spread over his yellow
+features. Finally he would go off and sulk, and when I asked him what
+the matter was, he would reply, "Damn Dayak no wantee." Whenever I
+called out for Cookie, the whole house would resound with jeering
+Dayak cries of "Cookie, Cookie." He and Dubi were always quarrelling,
+and Cookie would work himself up into such a state of excitement that
+the place would be full of Dayak laughter, though the Dayak understood
+not a word of what they were talking about. In my later wanderings
+in Borneo the quarrel between my two servants, Dayak and Chinaman,
+grew to such an extent that I feared it would end in murder.
+
+The foregoing account, short as it is, will, I trust, give some idea of
+what my long stay among head-hunting Dayaks was like. All things must
+have an ending, however, and having finished my collecting in this
+neighbourhood I said good-bye to my Dayak friends, with deep regret,
+and I think the sorrow was mutual. I know well that Dubi and his little
+Dayak sweetheart were almost heartbroken. The Dayaks begged me to stay
+longer, but I had already stayed longer than I had at first intended.
+
+Old Usit, the chief, and his crew of Dayaks paddled me all the way
+to Sibu. There is little to relate about the journey there, except
+that the canoe leaked very badly and the Dayaks had to keep bailing
+her out. At night we tied the canoe up to a small wooden platform
+outside a Malay house on the Rejang River, to await the change of
+the tide, and one of the Dayaks knocked at the door of the house so
+that we could cook some food, but the Malays thought that we were
+head-hunters, and there was great lamentation, and for some time they
+refused to open. While eating my food, with my legs dangling over the
+side of the wooden platform, I noticed a dark object that glistened
+in the moonlight noiselessly swimming toward me, and I pulled up my
+legs pretty quickly. It was a large crocodile, attracted, no doubt,
+by the smell of my dinner. The only objection I had was that it might
+have taken me for the dinner.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+Visit to the Birds'-nest Caves of Gomanton.
+
+    My stay in British North Borneo--Visit to a Tobacco Estate
+    (Batu Puteh)--Start for the Birds'-nest Caves--News of the
+    Local Chief's Death--Applicants for the Panglima-ship--We
+    Visit the late Chief's House-Widows in white--The Hadji "who
+    longed to be King"--Extraordinary Grove of Banyan-trees--Pigs,
+    Crocodiles and Monkeys--Astonishing Swimming Performance of a
+    Monkey--Water Birds Feeding on the Carcase of a Stag--The Hadji
+    and his Men pray at a Native Grave-shrine--An Elephant charges past
+    us--Arrival at the Caves--The Entrance--A Cave of enormous Height,
+    description of the Interior--Return to the Village--Visit to the
+    Upper Caves--Beautiful Climbing Plants--We reach the Largest
+    Cave of all: its Extreme Grandeur--"White" Nests and "Black"
+    Nests secured--Distinctions between the two kinds of Swallows by
+    whom the Nests are made--Millions of small Bats: an Astonishing
+    Sight--Methods of Securing the Nests described--Perilous Climbing
+    Feats--Report of numerous Large Snakes--Cave-coffins, and their
+    (traditional) rich contents--Dangers of the Descent--All's well
+    that ends well.
+
+
+I had just returned down the river with Richardson from
+Tangkulap. Tangkulap is a journey of several days up the Kinabatangan
+River in British North Borneo. Richardson was the magistrate for this
+district, and his rule extended over practically the whole of this
+river, Tangkulap being his headquarters. Only three or four white men
+had ever been up the river as far as Tangkulap, it being a very lonely
+spot in the midst of dense forests, with no other white man living
+anywhere near. I had stayed with him for two months, making large
+natural history collections and seeing a great deal of both native
+and animal life. We had then returned down the river in Richardson's
+"gobang" (canoe) to Batu Puteh, a large tobacco estate, and the
+only one on this river. Here we were the guests of Paul Brietag, the
+manager, a most hospitable German. He and his three German, French,
+and Dutch assistants were the only other white men on the whole of
+this great river.
+
+While here, Richardson and I determined to visit the wonderful
+Gomanton birds'-nest caves, from which great quantities of edible
+birds' nests are annually taken. Very few Europeans had ever visited
+them, though they are considered among the wonders of the world.
+
+We left Batu Puteh in Richardson's canoe early one morning, and,
+although we had a strong stream with us going down, we did not reach
+Bilit till evening. Bilit is a large village made up of Malays,
+Orang Sungei, and Sulus. Quite a crowd met us on our arrival, and
+they seemed not a little excited. It appeared that their late Panglima
+(chief), who was also a Hadji, had been on a second voyage to Mecca,
+and they had just heard that he had died on his way back. "That was
+quite right," they said; "his time had come, and, besides, it had
+been foretold that he would die if he tried to go to Mecca again."
+
+Two men were most anxious to gain favour with Richardson--viz., the
+dead man's son and another Hadji, who was the richest man in Bilit,
+and who had a large share in the Gomanton caves. The reason was that
+Richardson had the power to appoint whom he liked as the new Panglima,
+provided, of course, that the man was of some standing and fairly
+popular. Richardson sent for one of the most influential men in the
+village to come and talk the matter over, but he lived on the other
+side of the river, and, it being late, they said he dared not cross
+in his small "gobang," as the crocodiles are very bad indeed here,
+and at night they often help themselves to a man out of his canoe. We
+went to the late Panglima's house and had a chat, but nothing was said
+about the new Panglima. I caught sight of one of the widows swathed in
+white, going through all sorts of contortions by way of mourning for
+her late husband. We found that the people were going to the caves in
+two or three days to collect the black nests. The white nests had been
+collected earlier in the year, but the influential Hadji "who would
+be king" offered to go with us on the morrow and start work earlier
+than he at first intended if his dreams were favourable, and thus
+we should be able to see them at work collecting the nests. Here was
+luck both for ourselves and the Hadji: it meant a step in his hopes
+of the much-desired Panglima-ship by thus gaining favour with the
+magistrate over his younger rival. He was a tall, haughty-looking man,
+with an orange-coloured turban, worn only by Hadjis, and the people
+seemed to stand in great awe of him and addressed him as "Tuan" or
+"Tuan Hadji," the word "Tuan" being usually used only when addressing
+Europeans like ourselves; still, his house in which we spent the night
+was little better than a pigsty, although he was a very wealthy man.
+
+The next morning we were off before sunrise. After leaving the
+village we had a walk of about an hour and a half over a very steep
+hill through luxuriant, tall forest, and on the other side came to a
+small river, the Menungal, on the banks of which was a shed full of
+"gobangs" (canoes) which were speedily launched, we both getting into
+the leading one. We were followed by three others, in one of which was
+the Hadji. Most of the way was through fine forest, the trees arching
+overhead to shade us from the hot sun, the only exception being when
+we passed through a stretch of swamps, with low, tangled growth, when
+the river broadened out, but in the shady forest it was delightful,
+gliding along to the music of the even dip of the paddles.
+
+The most striking feature about the forest on this Menungal River
+was the extraordinary growth of a species of banyan trees (_Ficus_
+sp.). I have seen many curious stilted trees of this _Ficus_ family in
+various tropical countries I have visited, but these I think were more
+curious than any I had ever seen. One hardly knew where they began and
+where they ended, for they all seemed joined together, and roots and
+branches seemed one and the same thing. It was the acme of vegetable
+confusion. Even the river could not stop their progress, and we were
+constantly gliding between their roots and branches. The growth of
+ferns, orchids and parasites on the branches and roots of these trees
+was luxuriant to a degree and formed veritable hanging gardens.
+
+On these Bornean rivers one is constantly seeing pigs, crocodiles and
+monkeys, but I noticed on this river an abundance of a monkey which
+one seldom sees on the large Kinabatangan River. I refer to the very
+curious proboscis or long-nosed monkey (_Nasalis larvatus_). These
+animals often sat still overhead and stared down at us in the most
+contemptuous and indifferent manner, and they looked so human and yet
+so comical with their enormous red noses that I found myself laughing
+aloud, our scullers doing the same, till the monkeys actually grinned
+with indignation. They axe large monkeys with long tails, and are
+beautifully marked with various shades of grey and brown, and their
+large, fleshy, red noses give them an extraordinary appearance.
+
+One of them did a performance that astonished me. We saw a group of
+them on a branch over the river about forty yards ahead of us, when
+one of them jumped into the middle of the river and coolly swam to a
+hanging creeper up which it climbed, none the worse for its voluntary
+bath. This was the only time that I had ever seen a monkey swim, but
+the natives assured me that these monkeys are very good swimmers. It
+struck me as being a very risky performance, as this river was full
+of crocodiles.
+
+I saw on this river a wonderful orchid growing on large trees. This
+was a _Grammatophyllum_ with bulbs some times over eight feet in
+length. The length of the name is certainly suitable for so large
+an orchid. I saw plenty of water-birds, including white egrets and
+a long-necked diver which is called the "snake-bird," owing to its
+long neck projecting lout of the water and thus greatly resembling a
+snake. I shot several of each kind of bird, plucking the fine plumes
+from the backs of the egrets. We ate some of the divers that evening
+and found them first-class food, tasting much like goose. We later in
+the day disturbed a whole colony of these water-birds feeding on the
+carcase of a large stag in the river, and the smell was very strong
+for some distance. I did not attempt to shoot any more mock geese
+till we had put a good many miles between ourselves and the dead
+stag. We passed several canoes slowly wending their way to the eaves,
+the people taking it easy and camping on the banks and fishing. They
+dried the fish on the roofs of their thatched canoes. Some of these
+people had very curious rattan pyramid-shaped hats gaily ornamented
+with strips of bright-coloured cloth.
+
+Toward evening the river got exceedingly narrow, and fallen trees
+obstructed our way, so that we had sometimes to lie flat on our backs
+to pass under them, and at other times we had to get out while our
+canoe was hauled over the mud at the side.
+
+Just before we reached our destination for the night, we came to a
+spot where the bank was hung with bits of coloured cloth and calico
+fastened to sticks, I also noticed some bananas and dried fish tied to
+the sticks. This signified that there was a native burial ground close
+by, and all the canoes were stopped, the scullers putting their paddles
+down, while the Hadji and all his men proceeded to wash their faces
+in the river. This they did to ensure success in their nest-collecting.
+
+We stayed the night in one of two raised half-thatched huts used only
+by the natives in the collecting seasons, a ladder from the river
+leading into them. It was almost dark when we arrived, and hardly were
+we under shelter when rain came down in torrents. It poured all night,
+and when we started off on foot at sunrise the next morning we found
+the track in the forest a regular quagmire; in places we waded through
+mud up to our knees. As we scrambled and floundered through the mud
+at our best pace we heard a great crashing noise just in front of us,
+and the air resounded with cries of "Gajah, gajah!" (elephant). I was
+just in time to see a large elephant tear by. It literally seemed to
+fly, and knocked down small trees as if they were grass. It seemed
+greatly frightened, and made a sort of coughing noise. It went by so
+quickly that I was unable to see whether it had tusks or not.
+
+After about three hours' hard tramping, I caught sight of a high
+mass of white limestone gleaming through the trees. It made a pretty
+picture in the early morning, the white rock peeping out of luxuriant
+creepers and foliage. It rises very abruptly from the surrounding
+forest, and at a distance looked quite inaccessible to a climber.
+
+We waded through a stream of clear water, washing the horrible forest
+mud from off us, and soon found ourselves in a most picturesque
+village at the very base of the rock. We disturbed quite a crowd of
+native girls bathing in a spring, and they seemed very much alarmed
+and surprised at seeing two Europeans suddenly turn the corner. Out
+of season I don't believe any one lives in this village except some
+watchers at the mouths of the eaves to guard against thieves. The
+Hadji gave us a rough hut with a flooring of split bamboo and kept us
+provided with chickens. All this no doubt was in his estimation part
+of the necessary steps to securing that much-desired Panglima-ship.
+
+The two days we were here, people kept flocking into the village,
+most of the men carrying long steel-pointed spears, in many cases
+beautifully mounted with engraved silver: others carried long "parangs"
+and "krises" in rough wooden sheaths, but the handles were often of
+carved ivory and silver.
+
+After some breakfast we started off to see the near lower cave, which
+was one of the smaller ones. We followed a very pretty ferny track
+by the side of a rocky stream for a short distance, the forest being
+partially cleared and open, with large boulders scattered around. The
+sky overhead was thick with swallows, in fact one could almost say
+the air was black with them. These of course were the birds that make
+the nests. The mouth of the cave partly prepared me for what I was to
+see. I had expected a small entrance, but here it was, I should say,
+sixty feet in height and of great width, the entrance being partly
+overhung with a curtain of luxuriant creepers. The smell of guano
+had been strong before, but here it was overpowering.
+
+Extending inside the cave for about one hundred yards was a small
+village of native huts used chiefly by the guards or watchers of
+these caves. Compared with the vastness of the interior of the cave--I
+believe about four hundred and eighty feet in height--one could almost
+imagine that one was looking at the small model of a village. A small
+stream ran out of a large hill of guano, and if you left the track you
+sank over your knees in guano. The vastness of the interior of this
+cave impressed me beyond words. It was stupendous, and to describe
+it properly would take a better pen than mine. One could actually see
+the very roof overhead, as there were two or three openings near the
+top (reminding one of windows high up in a cathedral) through which
+broad shafts of light forced their way, making some old hanging rattan
+ladders high up appear like silvery spider webs. Of course there were
+recesses overhead where the light could not penetrate, and these were
+the homes of millions of small bats, of which more presently. As
+for the birds themselves, this was one of their nesting seasons,
+and the cave was full of myriads of them. The twittering they made
+resembled the whisperings of a multitude. The majority of them kept
+near the roof, and as they flew to and fro through the shafts of light
+they presented a most curious effect and looked like swarms of gnats;
+lower down they resembled silvery butterflies. Where the light shone
+on the rocky walls and roofs one could distinguish masses upon masses
+of little silver black specks. These were their nests, as this was a
+black-nest cave. Somewhere below in the bowels of the earth rumbled
+an underground river with a noise like distant thunder. This cavernous
+roar far below and the twittering whisper of the swallows far overhead,
+combined to add much to the mysteriousness of these wonderful caves.
+
+On the ground in the guano I picked up several eggs, unbroken. How
+they could fall that distance and yet not get smashed is hard to
+understand, unless it is that they fell in the soft guano on their
+ends. We were told that when a man fell from the top he was smashed
+literally into jelly. I also picked up a few birds which had been
+stunned when flying against the rocks. This saved me from shooting any.
+
+Spread out on the ground in the cave and also drying outside, raised
+from the ground on stakes, were coil after coil of rattan ropes and
+ladders used for collecting the nests. These always have to be new
+each season, and are first carefully tested. The ladders are made
+of well twisted strands of rattan with steps of strong, hard wood,
+generally "bilian."
+
+On our return to the village we bathed in a shady stream of clear
+water, the banks of which I noted were composed chiefly of guano. In
+the afternoon we started off in search of the upper eaves. After
+a short, stiff climb amid natural rockeries of jagged limestone,
+we passed under a rock archway or bridge, under which were perched
+frail-looking raised native huts of the watchers. As we stood under
+this curious archway we looked down a precipice on our left. It was
+very steep at our feet, but from the far side it took the form of a
+slanting shaft, which terminated in a little window or inlet into the
+lower cave we had visited in the morning. In our ascent we had to climb
+up very rough, steep ladders fastened against the rocky ledges. The
+rocks were in many places gay with variegated plants, the most notable
+being a very pretty-leafed begonia, covered with pink and silver spots,
+the spots being half pink, half white. The natives with us seemed to
+enjoy eating these leaves; they certainly looked tempting enough.
+
+Another fine plant growing among these rocks was a climbing _pothos,_
+with very dark green leaves, ornamented with a silver band across
+each leaf, but the finest of all was a fine velvet-leafed climber,
+veined with crimson, pink, or white (_Cissus_ sp.).
+
+We at length came to the entrance of a long chain of eaves, through
+which we passed, going down a very steep grade, and our guides had to
+carry lights. After a climb down some steep rocks in semi-darkness,
+we at length found ourselves in the largest cave of all, supposed to be
+about five hundred and sixty feet in height. [14] It, too, had two or
+three natural windows, through which the light penetrated. One of them
+was on the top, in the very centre of the cave, and from down below
+it looked like a distant star. This opening was on the very summit of
+the Gomanton rock. This cave greatly resembled the smaller one I have
+already described, except that it was of much grander dimensions. As in
+the first cave, one could hear the roar of an underground torrent, and
+the swallows seemed even more numerous. On the rocky walls I noticed
+plenty of large spiders and a curious insect, with a long body and
+long, thin legs, which ran very fast, and whose bite we were told
+was very poisonous.
+
+On the way back, when passing through some very low caves, the Hadji
+got some of his men to knock down for me a few of the white nests from
+the sides of the cave with long poles, and in another cave they got me
+some black nests. The difference between these white and black nests
+is this: they are made by two different kinds of swallows. The white
+nest is made by a very small bird, but the bird that builds the black
+nest is twice the size of the other. The white nest looks something
+like pure white gelatine, and is very clean, and has no feathers
+in it. The black nest, on the contrary, is plentifully coated with
+feathers, and it is, in consequence, not worth nearly as much as the
+white nest. The nests are made from the saliva of the birds. Both
+are very plain coloured birds; an ordinary swallow is brilliant in
+comparison. This is unusual in a country so full of brilliant-plumaged
+birds as Borneo is; but, as they spend most of their lives in the
+depths of these sombre caves, I suppose it is only natural that their
+plumage should be obscure and plain. These birds'-nest caves are found
+all over Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, and also in Java and other
+parts of the Malay archipelago, but these are by far the largest. The
+revenue from these caves alone brings the Government a very large
+sum. By far the greatest number of these nests are sent to China,
+where birds'-nest soup is an expensive luxury. The natives of Borneo
+do not eat them. For myself, I found the soup rather tasteless.
+
+We were told that if they missed one season's nest collecting, most
+of the birds would forsake these caves, possibly because there would
+be so little room for them to build again. I learned that they build
+and lay four times a year, but I think that they meant that both
+the black and the white-nest birds lay twice each. The white kind
+build their first nests about March, and the black kind in May, and,
+as these nests are all collected before they have time to hatch their
+eggs, there are no young birds till later in the year, when the nests
+are not disturbed, but the old nests are collected with the new ones
+the following year. If the guano could be easily transported to the
+coast it would be a paying proposition, but the Government fears that
+it might frighten the birds away.
+
+About dusk that evening after we had returned to our hut, I heard a
+noise like the whistling of the wind, and, going outside, I saw a truly
+wonderful sight, in fact a sight that filled me with amazement. The
+millions of small bats which share these caves with the birds were
+issuing forth for the night from the small hole I spoke about on the
+very top of the rock leading into the large cave, but what a sight it
+was! As far as the eye could see they stretched in one even unbroken
+column across the sky. They issued from the cave in a compact mass
+and preserved the same even formation till they disappeared in the far
+distance. As far as I could see there were no stragglers. They rather
+resembled a thick line of smoke coming out of the funnel of a steamer,
+with this exception that they kept the same thick line till they went
+out of sight. The most curious thing about it was that the thick line
+twisted and wriggled across the sky for all the world like a giant
+snake, as if it were blown about by gusts of wind, of which, however,
+there was none. Even with these strange manoeuvres the bats kept the
+same unbroken solid formation. They were still coming forth in the same
+manner till darkness set in, and then I could only hear the beating
+of myriads of wings like the sighing of the wind in the tree-tops.
+
+They return in early morning in much the same fashion. I heard that
+the swallows usually did the same thing, only the other way about;
+when the bats came out, the swallows entered the eaves, and when the
+bats went in, the swallows came out, but it being now their nesting
+season, they went in and out of the eaves irregularly all day, but
+I was quite satisfied to see the bats go through the performance,
+as it was one of the most wonderful sights I have ever seen.
+
+We had been told that it would be three or four more days before the
+collecting would take place, and also that they had to wait for a
+good omen in the shape of a good dream coming to one of the chief
+owners of the caves. Our pleasure was great, therefore, when the
+Hadji and some of his followers paid us a visit that night and told
+us that work should start in the largest cave the next morning for
+our benefit. That was good news, indeed, as Richardson could not wait
+more than another day. It was another good move for the Hadji and his
+Panglima-ship, and I told Richardson he ought to give it him forthwith.
+
+The next morning we climbed to the top of the rock. It was hard
+work climbing over the brittle rocks and up perpendicular and
+shaky ladders. On reaching the summit we got a splendid view of the
+surrounding country, and could plainly see the distant sea; but all
+else was thick, billowy forest, dotted at long intervals with limestone
+ridges, also covered with forest. Here we found the hole on the top
+of the large cave, and stretching across it were two long, thick
+"bilian" logs, to which the natives were now fastening their long
+rattan ladders before descending them to collect the nests. We crept
+along the logs and listened to the everlasting twittering far below;
+but, although we could see nothing but pitchy darkness, the thought
+of what was below made me soon crawl back with a very shaky feeling
+in my legs.
+
+We then descended again till we came to the mouth of a curious cave,
+which was practically a dark chasm at our feet. We climbed down
+into the depths on a straight, swaying ladder, which required a good
+grip, and then, after a climb over slanting, slippery rocks, we found
+ourselves in the large cave, on a sort of ledge, within perhaps sixty
+feet of the roof. We were told that we were the first Europeans who
+had ever descended on to this ledge. From here we watched the natives
+collecting the nests. In a short account of this description it is
+impossible for me to detail all the wonderful methods the natives
+had for collecting the nests, but the chief method was by descending
+rattan ladders, which were let down through the hole on the top of
+the cave. It made one quite giddy even to watch the men descending
+these frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space
+below them. The man on the nearest ladder had a long rattan rope
+attached low down to his ladder, with a kind of wooden anchor at
+the end of it. At the second attempt he succeeded with a wonderful
+throw in getting the anchor to stick in the soft guano on the edge
+of the slanting ledge where we were. It was then seized by several
+men waiting there; by these it was hauled up until they were enabled
+to catch hold of the end of the ladder, which they dragged higher and
+higher up the steep, slanting rocks we had come down by. This in time
+brought the flexible ladder, at least the part on which the man was,
+level with the roof, and he, lying on his back on the thin ladder,
+pulled the nests off the rocky roof, putting them into a large rattan
+basket fastened about his body.
+
+We saw many other methods they have of collecting these nests by the
+aid of long bamboo poles and rattan ropes, up which they climbed to
+dizzy heights.
+
+These eaves, we were told, were full of very large harmless snakes,
+but we did not come across them. If I had had a good head and plenty
+of skill and pluck as a climber, I might have come away a wealthy man,
+as the Hadji told us that in a sort of side cave high up in the large
+cave were the coffins of the men that first discovered these caves,
+and with them were large jars of gold and jewels, but no one dared
+touch them, as they said it would be certain death to the man who did
+so. A man once did take some, but a few days later was taken violently
+ill and so had them put back and thus recovered. It was not for any
+scruples of this kind that I declined the Hadji's offer to help myself
+when he pointed out to me the spot where they were, but I think he
+must have guessed that I would not have trusted myself on one of those
+frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space beneath me.
+
+On the way back we scrambled up to a small cave where there were
+numerous carved coffins and bones which belonged to some of the former
+owners of the caves, but alas! no jars of gold; possibly poor men, they
+did not realize good prices. We returned down the rocks a different
+way, which made Richardson indulge in some hearty language at the
+Hadji's expense, who must have had fears that the Panglima-ship was
+at the last moment slipping away from him. It certainly was awkward
+and dangerous work climbing down the steep precipices, and we could
+never have done it, but that the rocks were quite honeycombed with
+small holes which enabled us to get a good hold for our hands.
+
+That night was a busy one for me, skinning my numerous birds and
+blowing the eggs by a dim light to the accompaniment of Richardson's
+snores, and I did not get to bed till 2 a.m. We were up again at 4
+a.m. for the return journey. But I had seen one of the most wonderful
+sights in the world, and to me it seemed extraordinary that until I
+came to Borneo I had never even heard of the Gomanton eaves. Some
+day, perhaps within our time, they will become widely advertised,
+and swarms of noisy tourists will come over in airships from London
+and New York, but there will be one thing lacking--all romance will
+have gone from these lonely wilds and forests, and that is the chief
+thing. The Hadji returned with us to Bilit, and got his desire,
+the Panglima-ship, and well he deserved it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+
+[1] C is pronounced as Th.: _e.g.,_ "Cawa"--"Thawa."
+
+[2] Nabuna, pron. Nambuna.
+
+[3] Panes of glass in a _Fijian_ house are very unusual, but this
+house, being Government-built, was European. I can only recall one
+other instance, that of Ratu Kandavu Levu on his small island of
+Bau, and then it was only in the native house where he entertained
+European guests.
+
+[4] These circumstances were a matter of common knowledge, at the time
+of my visit, all over Fiji. On the other hand it must be remembered
+that Ratu Lala did not think he was doing any harm, for the woman,
+having done wrong, required punishing, and naturally South Sea Island
+ideas of punishment, inherited from past generations, differ radically
+from those of Europeans.
+
+[5] _Ptychosperma_ sp.
+
+[6] _Pritchardia Pacifica._
+
+[7] _Elateridae_
+
+[8] Pron.: longa-longa.
+
+[9] Pronounced "Samothe."
+
+[10] "b" pronounced "mb."
+
+[11] R. Shelford's Report.
+
+[12] From a Singapore Paper.
+
+[13] Some of these names that I got were "kudong" "blimbing," "mawang,"
+"sima" "lakat," "kamayan," "nika," "esu," "kubal," "padalai" and
+"rambai."
+
+[14] These were the heights given me by the Malays.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And
+in Borneo and the Philippines, by H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH SEA SAVAGES ***
+
+***** This file should be named 2564.txt or 2564.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/6/2564/
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/old/2564.zip b/old/2564.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a38356f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/2564.zip
diff --git a/old/wasss10.txt b/old/wasss10.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..049f73a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/wasss10.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5698 @@
+Project Gutenberg's Wanderings Among South Sea Savages by Walker
+
+
+Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check
+the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!!
+
+Please take a look at the important information in this header.
+We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an
+electronic path open for the next readers.  Do not remove this.
+
+
+**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
+
+**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
+
+*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations*
+
+Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and
+further information is included below.  We need your donations.
+
+
+Title:  Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+Author:  H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+March, 2001  [Etext #2564]
+
+
+Project Gutenberg's Wanderings Among South Sea Savages by Walker
+******This file should be named wasss10.txt or wasss10.zip******
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, wasss11.txt
+VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, wasss10a.txt
+
+
+Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions,
+all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a
+copyright notice is included.  Therefore, we usually do NOT keep any
+of these books in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+We are now trying to release all our books one month in advance
+of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing.
+
+Please note:  neither this list nor its contents are final till
+midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement.
+The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at
+Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month.  A
+preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment
+and editing by those who wish to do so.  To be sure you have an
+up to date first edition [xxxxx10x.xxx] please check file sizes
+in the first week of the next month.  Since our ftp program has
+a bug in it that scrambles the date [tried to fix and failed] a
+look at the file size will have to do, but we will try to see a
+new copy has at least one byte more or less.
+
+
+Information about Project Gutenberg (one page)
+
+We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work.  The
+time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours
+to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright
+searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc.  This
+projected audience is one hundred million readers.  If our value
+per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2
+million dollars per hour this year as we release thirty-six text
+files per month, or 432 more Etexts in 1999 for a total of 2000+
+If these reach just 10% of the computerized population, then the
+total should reach over 200 billion Etexts given away this year.
+
+The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext
+Files by December 31, 2001.  [10,000 x 100,000,000 = 1 Trillion]
+This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers,
+which is only ~5% of the present number of computer users.
+
+At our revised rates of production, we will reach only one-third
+of that goal by the end of 2001, or about 3,333 Etexts unless we
+manage to get some real funding; currently our funding is mostly
+from Michael Hart's salary at Carnegie-Mellon University, and an
+assortment of sporadic gifts; this salary is only good for a few
+more years, so we are looking for something to replace it, as we
+don't want Project Gutenberg to be so dependent on one person.
+
+We need your donations more than ever!
+
+
+All donations should be made to "Project Gutenberg/CMU": and are
+tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.  (CMU = Carnegie-
+Mellon University).
+
+For these and other matters, please mail to:
+
+Project Gutenberg
+P. O. Box  2782
+Champaign, IL 61825
+
+When all other email fails. . .try our Executive Director:
+Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com>
+hart@pobox.com forwards to hart@prairienet.org and archive.org
+if your mail bounces from archive.org, I will still see it, if
+it bounces from prairienet.org, better resend later on. . . .
+
+We would prefer to send you this information by email.
+
+******
+
+To access Project Gutenberg etexts, use any Web browser
+to view http://promo.net/pg.  This site lists Etexts by
+author and by title, and includes information about how
+to get involved with Project Gutenberg.  You could also
+download our past Newsletters, or subscribe here.  This
+is one of our major sites, please email hart@pobox.com,
+for a more complete list of our various sites.
+
+To go directly to the etext collections, use FTP or any
+Web browser to visit a Project Gutenberg mirror (mirror
+sites are available on 7 continents; mirrors are listed
+at http://promo.net/pg).
+
+Mac users, do NOT point and click, typing works better.
+
+Example FTP session:
+
+ftp sunsite.unc.edu
+login: anonymous
+password: your@login
+cd pub/docs/books/gutenberg
+cd etext90 through etext99
+dir [to see files]
+get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files]
+GET GUTINDEX.??  [to get a year's listing of books, e.g., GUTINDEX.99]
+GET GUTINDEX.ALL [to get a listing of ALL books]
+
+***
+
+**Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor**
+
+(Three Pages)
+
+
+***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START***
+Why is this "Small Print!" statement here?  You know: lawyers.
+They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with
+your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from
+someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our
+fault.  So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement
+disclaims most of our liability to you.  It also tells you how
+you can distribute copies of this etext if you want to.
+
+*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT
+By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
+etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept
+this "Small Print!" statement.  If you do not, you can receive
+a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by
+sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person
+you got it from.  If you received this etext on a physical
+medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request.
+
+ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS
+This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-
+tm etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor
+Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association at
+Carnegie-Mellon University (the "Project").  Among other
+things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright
+on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and
+distribute it in the United States without permission and
+without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules, set forth
+below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext
+under the Project's "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark.
+
+To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable
+efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain
+works.  Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any
+medium they may be on may contain "Defects".  Among other
+things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
+intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged
+disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer
+codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.
+
+LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES
+But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below,
+[1] the Project (and any other party you may receive this
+etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including
+legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR
+UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT,
+INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE
+OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE
+POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
+
+If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of
+receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any)
+you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that
+time to the person you received it from.  If you received it
+on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and
+such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement
+copy.  If you received it electronically, such person may
+choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to
+receive it electronically.
+
+THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS".  NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS
+TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT
+LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
+PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+
+Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or
+the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the
+above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you
+may have other legal rights.
+
+INDEMNITY
+You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors,
+officers, members and agents harmless from all liability, cost
+and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or
+indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause:
+[1] distribution of this etext, [2] alteration, modification,
+or addition to the etext, or [3] any Defect.
+
+DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm"
+You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by
+disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this
+"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg,
+or:
+
+[1]  Only give exact copies of it.  Among other things, this
+     requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the
+     etext or this "small print!" statement.  You may however,
+     if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable
+     binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form,
+     including any form resulting from conversion by word pro-
+     cessing or hypertext software, but only so long as
+     *EITHER*:
+
+     [*]  The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and
+          does *not* contain characters other than those
+          intended by the author of the work, although tilde
+          (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may
+          be used to convey punctuation intended by the
+          author, and additional characters may be used to
+          indicate hypertext links; OR
+
+     [*]  The etext may be readily converted by the reader at
+          no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent
+          form by the program that displays the etext (as is
+          the case, for instance, with most word processors);
+          OR
+
+     [*]  You provide, or agree to also provide on request at
+          no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the
+          etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC
+          or other equivalent proprietary form).
+
+[2]  Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this
+     "Small Print!" statement.
+
+[3]  Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the
+     net profits you derive calculated using the method you
+     already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  If you
+     don't derive profits, no royalty is due.  Royalties are
+     payable to "Project Gutenberg Association/Carnegie-Mellon
+     University" within the 60 days following each
+     date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare)
+     your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return.
+
+WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO?
+The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time,
+scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty
+free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution
+you can think of.  Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg
+Association / Carnegie-Mellon University".
+
+We are planning on making some changes in our donation structure
+in 2000, so you might want to email me, hart@pobox.com beforehand.
+
+
+
+
+*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*
+
+
+
+
+
+Wanderings Among
+
+South Sea Savages
+
+And in Borneo and the Philippines
+
+
+
+by H. Wilfrid Walker
+
+Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
+
+
+
+To
+
+My brother Charles
+This record of my wanderings
+in which he took so deep an interest,
+is affectionately dedicated.
+
+
+
+Preface
+
+In a book of this kind it is often the custom to begin by making
+apologies. In my case I feel it to be a sheer necessity. In the first
+place what is here printed is for the greater part copied word for
+word from private letters that I wrote in very simple language in
+Dayak or Negrito huts, or in the lonely depths of tropical forests, in
+the far-off islands of the Southern Seas. I purposely made my letters
+home as concise as possible, so that they could be easily read, and in
+consequence have left out much that might have been interesting. It is
+almost unnecessary to mention that when I wrote these letters I had
+no thought whatever of writing a book. If I had thought of doing so,
+I might have mentioned more about the customs, ornaments and weapons of
+the natives and have written about several other subjects in greater
+detail. As it is, a cursory glance will show that this book has not
+the slightest pretence of being "scientific." Far from its being
+so, I have simply related a few of the more interesting incidents,
+such as would give a GENERAL IMPRESSION of my life among savages,
+during my wanderings in many parts of the world, extending over
+nearly a score of years. I should like to have written more about
+my wanderings in North Borneo, as well as in Samoa and Celebes and
+various other countries, but the size of the book precludes this. My
+excuse for publishing this book is that certain of my relatives
+have begged me to do so. Though I was for the greater part of the
+time adding to my own collections of birds and butterflies, I have
+refrained as much as possible from writing on these subjects for
+fear that they might prove tedious to the general reader. I have
+also touched but lightly on the general customs of the people, as
+this book is not for the naturalist or ethnologist, nor have I made
+any special study of the languages concerned, but have simply jotted
+down the native words here used exactly as I heard them. As regards
+the photographs, some of them were taken by myself while others were
+given me by friends whom I cannot now trace. In a few cases I have
+no note from whom they were got, though I feel sure they were not
+from anyone who would object to their publication. In particular,
+I may mention Messrs. G. R. Lambert, Singapore; John Waters, Suva,
+Fiji; Kerry & Co., Sydney; and G. O. Manning, New Guinea. To these
+and all others who have helped me I now tender my heartiest thanks. I
+have met with so much help and kindness during my wanderings from
+Government officials and others that if I were here to mention all,
+the list would be a large one. I shall therefore have to be content
+with only mentioning the principal names of those in the countries
+I have here written about.
+
+In Fiji: -- Messrs. Sutherland, John Waters, and McOwan.
+
+In New Guinea: -- Sir Francis Winter, Mr. C. A. W. Monckton, R.M., The
+Hon. A. Musgrave, Capt. Barton, Mr. Guy O. Manning, and Dr. Vaughan.
+
+In the Philippines: -- Governor Taft, afterwards President of the
+United States, and Mr. G. d'E. Browne.
+
+In British North Borneo: -- Messrs. H. Walker, Richardson, Paul
+Brietag, F. Durege, J. H. Molyneux, and Dr. Davies.
+
+In Sarawak: -- H.H. The Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, Sir Percy
+Cunninghame, Dr. Hose, Archdeacon Sharpe, Mr. R. Shelford, and the
+officials of The Borneo Company, Ltd.
+
+To all of these and many others in other countries I take this
+opportunity of publicly tendering my cordial thanks for their unfailing
+kindness and hospitality to a wanderer in strange lands.
+
+H. Wilfrid Walker.
+
+
+
+List of Illustrations
+
+
+FRONTISPIECE -- Belles of Papua.
+A Chief's Daughter and a Daughter of the People
+A "Meke-Meke," or Fijian Girls' Dance
+Interior of a large Fijian Hut
+A Fijian Mountaineer's House
+At the Door of a Fijian House
+A Fijian Girl
+Spearing Fish in Fiji
+A Fijian Fisher Girl
+A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in Fiji
+Making Fire by Wood Friction
+An Old ex-Cannibal
+A Fijian War-Dance
+Adi Cakobau (pronounced "Andi Thakombau"), the highest Princess in
+Fiji, at her house at Navuso
+A Filipino Dwelling
+A Village Street in the Philippines
+A River Scene in the Philippines
+A Negrito Family
+Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back)
+A Negrito Shooting
+Tree Climbing by Negritos
+A Negrito Dance
+Arigita and his Wife
+Three Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War Attire
+Kaili-Kaili House on the edge of a Precipice
+"A Great Joke"
+A Ghastly Relic
+Cannibal Trophies
+A Woman and her Baby
+A Papuan Girl
+The Author with Kaili-Kaili Followers
+Wives of Native Armed Police
+A Papuan Damsel
+Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife and Son (in the
+Police)
+A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise
+The Author starting on an Expedition
+A New Guinea River Scene
+Papuan Tree-Houses
+A Village of the Agai Ambu
+H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W. Monckton
+View of Kuching from the Rajah's Garden
+Dayaks and Canoes
+Dayak in War-Coat
+Dayak Women and Children on the Platform outside a long House
+Dayaks Catching Fish
+A Dayak Woman with Mourning Ornaments round waist
+On a Tobacco Estate
+On a Bornean River
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 1
+
+Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
+
+Journey to Taviuni -- Samoan Songs -- Whistling for the Wind --
+Landing on Koro -- Nabuna -- Samoans and Fijians Compared -- Fijian
+Dances and Angona Drinking -- A Hurricane in the Southern Seas --
+Arrival at Taviuni -- First Impressions of Ratu Lala's Establishment --
+Character of Ratu Lala -- Prohibition of Cricket -- Ratu Lala Offended
+-- The Prince's Musical Box.
+
+Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my
+two months' stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni,
+ranks highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my
+life with this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow
+seems unreal and an existence far apart from the commonplace life of
+civilization. When I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary
+gave me a letter of introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I
+sailed from Suva on an Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle
+outfit and a case of whisky, the latter a present for the Prince, --
+and a more acceptable present one could not have given him.
+
+After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on the
+island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a small
+schooner which carried copra from several of the Outlying islands
+to Levuka. Her name was the LURLINE, and her captain was a Samoan,
+whilst his crew was made up of two Samoans and four Fijians. The
+captain seemed to enjoy yelling at his men in the Fijian language,
+with a strong flavouring of English "swear words," and spoke about
+the Fijians in terms of utter contempt, calling them "d --  --
+d cannibals." The cabin wag a small one with only two bunks, and
+swarmed with green beetles and cockroaches. Our meals were all taken
+together on deck, and consisted of yams, ship's biscuit and salt junk.
+
+We had a grand breeze to start with, but toward evening it died down
+and we lay becalmed. All hands being idle, the Samoans spent the time
+in singing the catchy songs of Samoa, most of which I was familiar with
+from my long stay in those islands, and their delight was great when
+I joined in. About midnight a large whale floated calmly alongside,
+not forty yards from our little schooner, and we trembled to think what
+would happen if it was at all inclined to be playful. We whistled all
+the next day for a breeze, but our efforts were not a success until
+toward evening, when we were rewarded in a very liberal manner, and
+arrived after dark at the village of Cawa Lailai,[1] on the island of
+Koro. On our landing quite a crowd of wild-looking men and women, all
+clad only in sulus, met us on the beach. Although it is a large island,
+there is only one white man on it, and he far away from here, so no
+doubt I was an interesting object. I put up at the hut of the "Buli"
+or village chief, and after eating a dish of smoking yams, I was soon
+asleep, in spite of the mosquitoes. It dawned a lovely morning and I
+was soon afoot to view my surroundings. It was a beautiful village,
+surrounded by pretty woods on all sides, and I saw and heard plenty
+of noisy crimson and green parrots everywhere. I also learnt that
+a few days previously there had been a wholesale marriage ceremony,
+when nearly all the young men and women had been joined in matrimony.
+
+Taking a guide with me, I walked across the island till I came to
+the village of Nabuna,[2] on the other coast, the LURLINE meanwhile
+sailing around the island. It was a hard walk, up steep hills and down
+narrow gorges, and then latterly along the coast beneath the shade
+of the coconuts. Fijian bridges are bad things to cross, being long
+trunks of trees smoothed off on the surface and sometimes very narrow,
+and I generally had to negotiate them by sitting astride and working
+myself along with my hands. In the village of Nabuna lived the wife
+and four daughters of the Samoan captain. He told me he had had five
+wives before, and when I asked if they were all dead, he replied that
+they were still alive, but he had got rid of them as they were no good.
+
+The daughters were all very pretty girls, especially the youngest,
+a little girl. of nine years old. I always think that the little
+Samoan girls, with their long wavy black hair, are among the prettiest
+children in the world.
+
+We had an excellent supper of native oysters, freshwater prawns and
+eels, fish, chicken, and many other native dishes. That evening
+a big Fijian dance ("meke-meke"), was given in my honour. Two of
+the captain's daughters took part in it. The girls sit down all the
+time in a row, and wave their hands and arms about and sing in a low
+key and in frightful discord. It does not in any way come up to the
+very pretty "siva-siva" dancing of the Samoans, and the Fiji dance
+lacks variety. There is a continual accompaniment of beating with
+sticks on a piece of wood. All the girls decorate themselves with
+coloured leaves, and their bodies, arms and legs glisten as in Samoa
+with coconut-oil, really a very clean custom in these hot countries,
+though it does not look prepossessing. Our two Samoans in the crew were
+most amusing; they came in dressed up only in leaves, and took off
+the Fijians to perfection with the addition of numerous extravagant
+gestures. I laughed till my sides ached, but the Fijians never even
+smiled. However, our Samoans gave them a bit of Samoan "siva-siva"
+and plenty of Samoan songs, and it was amusing to see the interest
+the Fijians took in them. It was, of course, all new to them. I drank
+plenty of "angona," that evening. It is offered you in a different way
+in Samoa. In Fiji, the man or girl, who hands you the coconut-shell
+cup on bended knee, crouches at your feet till you have finished. In
+Fijian villages a sort of crier or herald goes round the houses every
+night crying the orders for the next day in a loud resonant voice, and
+at once all talking ceases in the hut outside which he happens to be.
+
+The next two days it blew a regular hurricane, and the captain dared
+not venture out to sea, our schooner lying safely at anchor inside the
+coral reef. I have not space to describe my stay here, but it proved
+most enjoyable, and the captain's pretty Samoan daughters gave several
+"meke-mekes" (Fijian dances) in my honour, and plenty of "angona"
+was indulged in, and what with feasts, native games and first-class
+fishing inside the coral reef, the time passed all too quickly. I
+called on the "Buli" or village chief, with the captain. He was a
+boy of fifteen, and seemed a very bashful youth.
+
+We sailed again about five a.m. on the third morning, as the storm
+seemed to be dying down and the captain was anxious to get on. We
+had not gone far, however, before the gale increased in fury until it
+turned into a regular hurricane. First our foresheet was carried away;
+this was followed by our staysail, and things began to look serious,
+in fact, most unpleasantly so. The captain almost seemed to lose his
+head, and cursed loud and long. He declared that he had been a fool
+to put out to sea before the storm had gone down, and the LURLINE,
+being an old boat, could not possibly last in such a storm, and
+added that we should all be drowned. This was not pleasant news,
+and as the cabin was already half-full of water, and we expected
+each moment to be our last, I remained on deck for ten weary hours,
+clinging like grim death to the ropes, while heavy seas dashed over
+me, raking the little schooner fore and aft.
+
+Toward evening, however, the wind subsided considerably, which enabled
+us to get into the calm waters of the Somo-somo Channel between the
+islands of Vanua Levu and Taviuni.
+
+The wreckage was put to rights temporarily, the Samoans, who had
+previously made up their minds that they were going to be drowned,
+burst forth into their native songs, and we broke our long fast
+of twenty-four hours, as we had eaten nothing since the previous
+evening. It was an experience I am not likely to forget, as it was the
+worst storm I have ever been in, if I except the terrible typhoon of
+October, 1903, off Japan, when I was wrecked and treated as a Russian
+spy. On this occasion a large Japanese fishing fleet was entirely
+destroyed. I was, of course, soaked to the skin and got badly bruised,
+and was once all but washed overboard, one of the Fijians catching
+hold of me in the nick of time. We cast anchor for the night, though
+we had only a few miles yet to go, but this short distance took us
+eight or nine hours next day, as this channel is nearly always calm. We
+had light variable breezes, and tacked repeatedly, but gained ground
+slowly. These waters seemed full of large turtles, and we passed them
+in great numbers. We overhauled a large schooner, and on hailing them,
+the captain, a white man, came on deck. He would hardly believe that
+we had been all through the storm. He said that he had escaped most of
+it by getting inside the coral reef round Vanua Levu, but even during
+the short time he had been out in the storm, he had had to throw the
+greater part of his cargo overboard. From the way he spoke, he had
+evidently been drinking, possibly trying to forget his lost cargo.
+
+Before I left Fiji I heard that the LURLINE had gone to her last
+berth. She was driven on to a coral reef in a bad storm off the coast
+of Taviuni. The captain seemed to stand in much fear of Ratu Lala. He
+told me many thrilling yarns about him; said he robbed his people
+badly, and added that he did not think that I would get on well with
+him, and would soon be anxious to leave.
+
+I landed at the large village of Somo-somo, glad to be safely on
+TERRA FIRMA once more. It was a pretty village, with a large mountain
+torrent dashing over the rocks in the middle of it. The huts were
+dotted about irregularly on a natural grass lawn, and large trees,
+clumps of bamboo, coconuts, bread-fruit trees, and bright-coloured
+"crotons" added a great deal to the picturesqueness of the village. At
+the back the wooded hills towered up to a height of nearly 4,000 feet,
+and white streaks amid the mountain woods showed where many a fine
+waterfall tumbled over rocky precipices.
+
+Ratu Lala lived in a wooden house, built for him (as "Roko" for
+Taviuni), by the government, on the top of a hill overlooking the
+village, and. thither on landing I at once made my way. I found the
+Prince slowly recovering from an attack of fever, and lying on a heap
+of mats (which. formed his bed) on the floor of his own private room,
+which, however, greatly resembled an old curiosity shop. Everything
+was in great disorder, and piles of London Graphics and other papers
+littered the ground, and on the tables were piled indiscriminately
+clocks, flasks, silver cups, fishing rods, guns, musical boxes, and
+numerous other articles which I discovered later on were presents from
+high officials and other Europeans, and which he did not know what
+to do with. Nearly every window in the house had a pane of glass[3]
+broken, the floors were devoid of mats or carpets, and in places were
+rotten and full of holes. This will give some idea of the state of
+chaos that reigned in the Prince's "palace."
+
+Ratu Lala himself was a tall, broad-shouldered man of about forty, his
+hair slightly grey, with a bristly moustache and a very long sloping
+forehead. Though dignified, he wore an extremely fierce expression,
+so much so that I instinctively felt his subjects had good cause to
+treat him with the respect and fear that I had heard they gave him. He
+belongs to the Fijian royal family, and though he does not rank as
+high as his cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, whom I also visited at Bau,
+he is infinitely more powerful, and owns more territory. His father
+was evidently a "much married man" since Ratu Lala himself told me
+that he had had "exactly three hundred wives." But in spite of this
+he had been a man of prowess, as the Fijians count it, and I received
+as a present from Ratu Lala a very heavy hardwood war-club that had
+once belonged to his father, and which, he assured me, had killed a
+great many people. Ratu Lala also told me that he himself had offered
+to furnish one hundred warriors to help the British during the last
+Egyptian war, but that the government had declined his offer. One of
+the late Governors of Fiji, Sir John Thurston, was once his guardian
+and, godfather. He was educated for two years in Sydney, Australia,
+and spoke English well, though in a very thick voice. Not only does
+he hold sway over the island of Taviuni, but also over some smaller
+islands and part of the large island of Vanua Levu. He also holds
+the rank of "Roko" from the government, for which he is well paid.
+
+After reading my letter of introduction he asked me to stay as long
+as I liked, and he called his head servant and told him to find me
+a room. This servant's name was Tolu, and as he spoke English fairly
+well, I soon learned a great deal about Ratu Lala and his people.
+
+Ratu Lala was married to a very high-caste lady who was closely related
+to the King of Tonga, and several of whose relatives accompanied us
+on our expeditions. By her he had two small children named Tersi (boy)
+and Moe (girl), both of whom, during my stay (as will hereafter appear)
+were sent to school at Suva, amid great lamentations on the part of
+the women of Ratu Lala's household. Two months before my visit Ratu
+Lala had lost his eldest daughter (by his Tongan wife). She was twelve
+years old, and a favourite of his, and her grave was on a bluff below
+the house, under a kind of tent, hung round with fluttering pieces
+of "tapa" cloth. Spread over it was a kind of gravel of bright green
+Stones which he had had brought from a long distance. Little Moe and
+Tersi were always very interested in watching me skin my birds, and
+their exclamation of what sounded like "Esa!" ("Oh look!") showed their
+enjoyment. They were two of the prettiest little children I think I
+have ever seen, but they did not know a word of English, and called me
+"Misi Walk." They and their mother always took their meals sitting on
+mats in the verandah. Ratu Lala had two grown-up daughters by other
+wives, but they never came to the house, living in an adjoining hut
+where I often joined them at a game of cards. They were both very
+stately and beautiful young women, with a haughty bearing which made
+me imagine that they were filled with a sense of their own importance.
+
+As is well known all over Fiji, Ratu Lala, a few years before my stay
+with him, had been deported in disgrace for a term of several months,
+to the island of Viti Levu, where he would be under the paternal eye
+of the government. This was because he had punished a woman, who had
+offended him, by pegging her down on an ants' nest, first smearing
+her all over with honey, so that the ants would the more readily eat
+her.[4] She recovered afterwards, but was badly eaten. As regards
+his punishment, he told me that he greatly enjoyed his exile, as he
+had splendid fishing, and some of the white people sent him champagne.
+
+His people were terribly afraid of him, and whenever they passed him
+as he sat on his verandah, they would almost go down on all fours. He
+told me how on one occasion when he was sitting on the upper verandah
+of the Club Hotel in Suva with two of his servants squatting near by,
+the whisky he had drunk had made him feel so sleepy, that he nearly
+fell into the street below, but his servants dared not lay hands on him
+to pull him back into safety, as his body was considered sacred by his
+people, and they dared not touch him. He declared to me that he would
+have been killed if a white man had not arrived just in time. He was
+very fond of telling me this story, and always laughed heartily over
+it. I noticed that Ratu Lala's servants treated me with a great deal
+of respect, and whenever they passed me in the house they would walk
+in a crouching attitude, with their heads almost touching the ground.
+
+Ratu Lala's cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, is a very enthusiastic
+cricketer, and has a very good cricket club with a pavilion at his
+island of Bau. He plays many matches against the white club in Suva,
+and only last year he took an eleven over to Australia to tour that
+country. I learned that previous to my visit he had paid a visit
+to Ratu Lala, and while there had got up a match at Somo-somo in
+which he induced Ratu Lala to play, but on Ratu Lala being given
+out first ball for nought, he (Ratu Lala) pulled up the stumps and
+carried them off the ground, and henceforth forbade any of his people
+to play the game on the island of Taviuni. I was not aware of this,
+and as I had brought a bat and ball with me, I got up several games
+shortly after my arrival. However, one evening all refused to play,
+but gave no reasons for their refusal, but Tolu told me that his
+master did not like to have them play. Then I learned the reason, and
+from that time I noticed a decided coolness on the part of Ratu Lala
+toward me. The fact, no doubt, is that Ratu Lala being exceptionally
+keen on sport, this very keenness made him impatient of defeat, or
+even of any question as to a possible want of success on his part,
+as I afterwards learnt on our expedition to Ngamia.
+
+I intended upon leaving Taviuni to return to Levuka, and from thence
+go by cutter to the island of Vanua Levu, and journey up the Wainunu
+River, plans which I ultimately carried out. Ratu Lala, however,
+wished me to proceed in his boat straight across to the island of
+Vanua Levu, and walk across a long stretch of very rough country to
+the Wainunu River. My only objection was that I had a large and heavy
+box, which I told Ratu Lala I thought was too large to be carried
+across country. He at once flew into a violent passion and declared
+that I spoke as if I considered he was no prince. "For," said he,
+"if ten of my subjects cannot carry your box I command one hundred
+to do so, and if one hundred of my subjects cannot carry your box
+I tell fifteen thousand of my subjects to do so." When I tried to
+picture fifteen thousand Fijians carrying my wretched box, it was
+altogether too much for my sense of humour, and I burst forth into
+a hearty roar of laughter, which so incensed the Prince that he shut
+himself up in his own room during the few remaining days of my stay.
+
+He had a musical box, which he was very fond of, and he had a man to
+keep it going at all hours of the day and night. It played four tunes,
+among them "The Village Blacksmith," "Strolling 'Round the Town," and
+"Who'll Buy my Herrings" till at times they nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I wanted to write or sleep. Night after night the
+tunes followed each other in regular routine till I thought I should
+get them on the brain. How he could stand it was a puzzle to me,
+especially as he had possessed it for many years. I often blessed
+the European who gave it him, and wished he could take my place.
+
+Whenever a man wished to speak to Ratu Lala he would crouch at his
+feet and softly clap his hands, and sometimes Ratu Lala would wait
+several minutes before he deigned to notice him.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 2
+
+My Further Adventures with Ratu Lala.
+
+Fijian Huts -- Abundance of Game and Fish -- Methods of Capture --
+A Fijian Practical Joke -- Fijian Feasts -- Fun after Dinner -- A
+Court Jester in Fiji -- Drinking, Dress, and Methods of Mourning --
+A Bride's Ringlets -- Expedition to Vuna -- Tersi and Moe Journey
+to School -- Their Love of Sweets -- Rough Reception of Visitors to
+Vuna -- Wonderful Fish Caught -- Exhibition of Surf-board Swimming by
+Women -- Impressive Midnight Row back to Taviuni -- A Fijian Farewell.
+
+In comparison with Samoan huts, the Fijian huts were very comfortable,
+though they are not half as airy, Samoan huts being very open; but in
+most of the Fijian huts I visited the only openings were the doors,
+and, as can be imagined, the interior was rather dark and gloomy. In
+shape they greatly resembled a haystack, the sides being composed of
+grass or bunches of leaves, more often the latter. They are generally
+built on a platform of rocks, with doors upon two or more sides,
+according to the size of the hut; and a sloping sort of rough plank
+with notches on it leads from the ground to each door. In the interior,
+the sides of the walls are often beautifully lined with the stems of
+reeds, fashioned very neatly, and in some cases in really artistic
+patterns, and tied together with thin ropes of coconut fibre, dyed
+various colours, and often ornamented with rows of large white cowry
+shells. The floor of these huts is much like a springy mattress,
+being packed to a depth of several feet with palm and other leaves,
+and on the top are strips of native mats permanently fastened, whereas
+in Samoa the floor is made up of small pieces of brittle white coral,
+over which are loose mats, which can be moved at will. In Fijian
+huts there is always a sort of raised platform at one end of the hut,
+on which are piles of the best native mats, and, being the guest, I
+generally got this to myself. The roof inside is very finely thatched,
+the beams being of "Niu sau," a native palm,[5] the cross-pieces and
+main supports being enormous bits of hard wood. The smaller supports of
+the sides are generally the trunks of tree-ferns. The doors in most of
+the huts are a strip of native matting or fantastically-painted "tapa"
+cloth, fastened to two posts a few feet inside the hut. In some huts
+there are small openings in the walls which answer for windows. The
+hearth was generally near one of the doors in the centre of the hut,
+and fire was produced by rubbing a piece of hard wood on a larger
+piece of soft wood, and working it up and down in a groove till a
+spark was produced. I have myself successfully employed this method
+when out shooting green pigeon ("rupe") in the mountains.
+
+With regard to food, I at first fared very well, although we had our
+meals at all hours, as Ratu Lala was very irregular in his habits. Our
+chief food was turtle. We had it so often that I soon loathed the
+taste of it. The turtles, when brought up from the sea were laid
+on their backs under a tree close by the house, and there the poor
+brutes were left for days together. Ratu Lala's men often brought in
+a live wild pig, which they captured with the aid of their dogs. At
+other times they would run them down and spear them; this was hard
+and exciting work, as I myself found on several occasions that I went
+pig hunting. One of the most remarkable things that I saw in Taviuni,
+from a sporting point of view, was the heart of a wild pig, which,
+when killed, was found to have lived with the broken point of a
+wooden spear fully four inches in length buried in the very centre
+of its heart. It had evidently lived for many years afterwards,
+and a curious kind of growth had formed round the point.
+
+As for other game, every time I went out in the mountain woods I had
+splendid sport with the wild chickens or jungle fowl and pigeons,
+and I would often return with my guide bearing a long pole loaded
+at both ends with the birds I had shot. The pigeons, which were
+large birds, settled on the tops of the tallest trees and made a
+very peculiar kind of growling noise. Many years ago (as Ratu Lala
+told me) the natives of Taviuni had been in the habit of catching
+great quantities of pigeons by means of large nets suspended from the
+trees. The chickens would generally get up like a pheasant, and it
+was good sport taking a snap shot at an old cock bird on the wing. It
+was curious to hear them crowing away in the depths of the forest,
+and at first I kept imagining that I was close to some village. I also
+obtained some good duck shooting on a lake high up in the mountains,
+and Ratu Lala described to me what must. be a species of apteryx,
+or wingless bird (like the Kiwi of New Zealand), which he said
+was found in the mountains and lived in holes in the ground, but I
+never came across it, though I had many a weary search. Ratu Lala
+also assured me that the wild chickens were indigenous in Fiji, and
+were not descended. from the domestic fowl. We had plenty of fish,
+both salt and fresh water, and the mountain streams were full of
+large fish, which Ratu Lala, who is a keen fisherman, caught with
+the fly or grasshoppers. He sometimes caught over one hundred in
+a day, some of them over three pounds in weight. The streams were
+also full of huge eels and large prawns, and a kind of oyster was
+abundant in the sea, so what with wild pig, wild chickens, pigeons,
+turtles, oysters, prawns, crabs, eels, and fish of infinite variety,
+we fared exceedingly well. Oranges, lemons, limes, large shaddocks,
+"kavika," and other wild fruits were plentiful everywhere.
+
+During my stay here in August and September the climate was delightful,
+and it was remarkably cool for the tropics. I often accompanied Ratu
+Lala on his fishing excursions, and he would often recount to me
+many of his escapades. On one occasion he told me that he had put
+a fish-hook through the lip of his jester, a little old man of the
+name of Stivani, and played him about with rod and reel like a fish,
+and had made him swim about in the water until he had tired him out,
+and then he added, "I landed the finest fish I ever got."
+
+I added a good many interesting birds to my collection during my
+stay here, among them a dove of intense orange colour, one of the
+most striking birds I have ever seen. Plant life here was exceedingly
+beautiful and interesting, especially high up in the mountains, palms,
+PANDANUS, cycads, crotons, ACALYPHAS, LORANTHS, aroids, FREYCINETIAS,
+ferns and orchids being strongly represented, and among the latter
+may be mentioned a fine orange DENDROBIUM and a pink CALANTHE. I
+found in flower a celebrated creeper, which Ratu Lala had told me
+to look out for. It had very showy red, white and blue flowers,
+and in the old days Ratu Lala told me that the Tongan people would
+come over in their canoes all the way from the Tonga Islands, nearly
+four hundred miles away, simply to get this flower for their dances,
+and when gathered, it would last a very long time without fading. I
+tried to learn the traditions about this flower, but Ratu Lala either
+did not know of any or else he was not anxious to tell me about them.
+
+The coastal natives, like most South Sea Islanders, were splendid
+swimmers, but, so far as I was concerned, it was dangerous work bathing
+in the sea here, as man-eating sharks were very numerous, and during my
+stay I saw a Fijian carried ashore with both his legs bitten clean off.
+
+Usually, when out on expeditions, we occupied the "Buli's" hut and
+lived on the fat of the land. At meal times quite a procession of men
+and women, glistening all over with coconut oil, would enter our hut
+bearing all sorts of native food, including fish in great variety,
+yams, octopus, turtle, sucking-pig, chicken, prawns, etc. They were
+brought in on banana and other large leaves, and we, of course, ate
+them with our fingers. Good as the food undoubtedly was, I was always
+glad when the meal was over, as it is very far from comfortable to
+sit with your legs doubled up under you. Afterwards I could hardly
+stand up straight, owing to cramp. I found it especially trying in
+Samoa, where one had to sit in this manner for hours during feasts,
+"kava"-drinking and "siva-sivas" (dances). Sometimes a glistening
+damsel would fan us with a large fan made out of the leaf of a fan
+palm,[6] which at times got rather in the way. I never got waited on
+better in my life. Directly I had finished one course a dozen girls
+were ready to hand me other dishes, and when I wanted a drink a girl
+immediately handed me a cup made out of the half-shell of a coconut
+filled with a kind of soup. We generally had an audience of fully
+fifty people, and when we had finished eating, a wooden bowl of water
+was handed to us in which to wash our hands. Ratu Lala would generally
+hand the bowl to me first, and I would wash my hands in silence, but
+directly he started to wash his hands, everyone present, including
+chiefs and attendants, would start clapping their hands in even time,
+then one man would utter a deep and prolonged "Ah-h," when the crowd
+would all shout together what sounded like "Ai on dwah," followed by
+more even clapping. I never learned what the words meant. In this
+respect Ratu Lala was most curiously secretive, and always evaded
+questions. Whenever he took a drink, a clapping of hands made me
+aware of the fact.
+
+One day, when they had chanted after a meal as usual, Ratu Lala turned
+around to me and mimicked the way his jester or clown repeated it,
+and there was a general laugh. This jester, whose name was Stivani,
+was a little old man who was also jester to Ratu Lala's father. Ratu
+Lala had given him the nickname of "Punch," and made him do all
+sorts of ridiculous things -- sing and dance and go through various
+contortions dressed up in bunches of "croton" leaves. He kept us all
+much amused, and was the life and soul of our party, but at times I
+caught the old fellow looking very weary and sad, as if he was tired
+of his office as jester.
+
+The "angona" root (PIPER METHYSTICUM) is first generally pounded,
+but is sometimes grated, and more rarely chewed by young maidens. It
+is then mixed with water in a large wooden bowl, and the remains of
+the root drawn out with a bunch of fibrous material. It is then ready
+for drinking.
+
+On gala and festal occasions the Fijians were wonderfully and
+fantastically dressed up, their huge heads of hair thickly covered
+with a red or yellow powder, and they themselves wearing large skirts
+or "sulus" of coloured "tapa" and PANDANUS ribbons and necklaces of
+coloured seeds, shells, and pigs'-tusks. In out-of-the-way parts the
+"sulus" are still made of "tapa" cloth, and the women sometimes wear
+small fibrous aprons. They also often wear wild pigs'-tusks round
+their necks.
+
+I noticed that many Fijian women were tattooed on the hands and arms,
+and at each corner of the mouth (a deep blue colour). Both men and
+women gave themselves severe wounds about the body, generally as a sign
+of grief on the death of some near relative. I once noticed a young
+girl of sixteen or seventeen with a very bad unhealed wound below
+one of her breasts, which was self-inflicted. Her father, a chief,
+had died only a short time previously. They often also cut off the
+little finger for similar reasons. Like the Samoans, the Fijians often
+cover their hair with white lime, and the effect of the sun bleaches
+the hair and changes it from black to a light gold or brown colour.
+
+A marriageable young lady in Fiji would generally have a great
+quantity of long braided ringlets hanging down on ONE side of her
+head. This looked odd, considering that the rest of her hair was
+erect or frizzly. It was a great insult to have these ringlets cut. I
+heard of it once being done by a white planter, and great trouble
+and fighting were the result.
+
+I accompanied Ratu Lala on several expeditions to various parts
+of the island, and we also visited several smaller islands within
+his dominions. On these occasions we always took possession of the
+"Buli's," or village chief's, hut, turning him out, and feeding on
+all the delicacies the village could produce. After we had practically
+eaten them out of house and home we would move on and take possession
+of another village. The inhabitants did not seem to mind this; in fact,
+they seemed to enjoy our visit, as it was an excuse for big feasts,
+"meke-mekes" (dances) and "angona" drinking.
+
+One of the most enjoyable expeditions that I made with Ratu Lala
+was to Vuna, about twenty miles away to the south. A small steamer,
+the KIA ORA, which made periodical visits to the island to collect
+the government taxes in copra, arrived one day in the bay. Ratu Lala
+thought this would be a good opportunity for us to make a fishing
+expedition to Vuna. We went on board the steamer while our large boat
+was towed behind.
+
+At the same time Ratu Lala's two little children, Moe and Tersi,
+started off, in charge of Ratu Lala's Tongan wife and other women,
+to be educated in Suva. It was the first time they had ever left home,
+but I agreed with Ratu Lala, that it was time they went, as they did
+not know a word of English, and, for the matter of that, neither did
+his Tongan wife. When we all arrived at the beach to get into the
+boat, we found a large crowd, chiefly women, sitting on the ground,
+and as Ratu Lala walked past them, they greeted him with a kind of
+salutation which they chanted as with one voice. I several times
+asked him what it meant, but he always evaded the question somehow,
+and seemed too modest to tell me. I came to the conclusion that it
+ran something like "Hail, most noble prince, live for ever." The
+next minute all the women started to howl as if at a given signal,
+and they looked pictures of misery. Several of them waded out into
+the sea and embraced little Tersi and Moe. This soon set the children
+crying as well, so that I almost began to fear that the combined tears
+would sink our boat. Their old grandmother waded out into the sea
+up to her neck and stayed there, and we could hear her howling long
+after we had got on board the steamer. When we got into Ratu Lala's
+boat at Vuna there was another very affecting farewell. Some months
+later when I returned to Suva, I asked a young chief, Ratu Pope,
+to show me where they were at school, and I found them at a small
+kindergarten for the children of the Europeans in Suva.
+
+They seemed quite glad to see their old friend again, and still more
+so when I promised to bring them some lollies (the term used for
+sweets in Australasia) that afternoon.
+
+When I returned I witnessed a pretty and interesting sight The two
+little children were standing out in the school yard while several
+Fijian men and women of noble families who had been paying the little
+prince and princess a visit, were just taking their leave. It was a
+curious sight to see these old people go in turn up to these two little
+mites and go down on their knees and kiss their little hands reverently
+in silence. All this homage seemed to bore the small high-born ones,
+and hardly was the ceremony over when they caught sight of me, and,
+rushing toward me with cries of "Misi Walk siandra, lollies," they
+nearly knocked over some of their visitors, who no doubt were greatly
+scandalized at such undignified behaviour.
+
+To return to our visit to Vuna. Sometime previously, Ratu Lala had
+warned me that whenever he landed at this place with a visitor it
+was an old custom for the women to catch the visitor and throw him
+into the sea from the top of a small rocky cliff. To this I raised
+serious objections, but arrayed myself in very old thin clothes
+ready for the fray. However, upon landing, very much on the alert,
+I was agreeably surprised to find that the women left me alone. Yet in
+part Ratu Lala's story was true, as he assured me that quite recently
+he had been forced to put a stop to the custom, as one of his last
+visitors was a European of much importance who was greatly incensed
+at such treatment, and complained to the government, who told Ratu
+Lala that the custom must end.
+
+We came to fish, and fish we did, just off the coral reef, but
+it would take space to describe even one-half of the curious and
+beautiful fish we caught. When I took the lead in the number of
+fish caught, Ratu Lala seemed greatly annoyed, and I was not sorry
+to let him get ahead, when he was soon in a good temper again. The
+Fijians generally fished with nets and a many-pronged fish-spear,
+with which they are very expert, and I saw them do wonderful work
+with them. They also used long wicker-work traps. Ratu Lala, on the
+contrary, being half-civilized, used an English rod and reel or line
+like a white man. Ratu Lala told the women here to give an exhibition
+of surf-board swimming for my benefit. As they rode into shore on the
+crest of a wave I many times expected to see them dashed against the
+rocks which fringed the coast. I had seen the natives in Hawaii perform
+seventeen years before, but it was tame in comparison to the wonderful
+performances of these Fijian women on this dangerous rock-girt coast.
+
+A great many "meke-mekes" or dances were got up in our honour, but Ratu
+Lala detested them, and rarely attended, but preferred staying in the
+"Buli's" hut, lying on the floor smoking or sleeping. He, however,
+always begged me to attend them in his place. After a time I found the
+performances rather wearisome, and not nearly so varied and interesting
+as the "siva-sivas" in Samoa. There the girls sang in soft, pleasing
+voices, the words being full of liquid vowels. Here in Fiji the singing
+was harsh and discordant, as k's and r's abound in the language.
+
+When it came to the ceremony of drinking "angona" I worthily did
+my part of the performance. Drinking "angona" is a taste not easily
+acquired, but when one has once got used to it, there is not a more
+refreshing drink, and I speak from long experience. In Fiji I was
+often presented with a large "angona" root, but it would be considered
+exceedingly bad form did you not return it to the giver and tell him
+to have it at once prepared for himself and his people, you yourself,
+of course, taking part in the drinking ceremony.
+
+After a stay of several days at Vuna we rowed back by night. It was
+a perfect, calm night, and with the full moon, was almost as bright
+as day. We rowed all the way close to shore, passing under the gloomy
+shade of dense forests or by countless coconuts, the only sound besides
+the plash of our oars being the cry of water fowl or some night bird,
+while the light beetles[7] flashed their green lights against the dark
+background of the forest, looking much like falling stars. There are
+certain moments in life that have made a lasting impression on me,
+and that moonlight row was one of them.
+
+We made several expeditions together that were every bit as interesting
+and enjoyable as the one to Vuna. On one occasion we visited the north
+part of the island, as well as Ngamia and other islands. We rowed
+nearly all the way close into shore and saw plenty of turtles. Ratu
+Lala started to troll with live bait, as we had come across several
+women fishing with nets, and on our approach they chanted out a
+greeting to Ratu Lala, and in return he helped himself to a lot of
+their fish. Ratu Lala had fully a dozen large fish after his bait,
+and some he hooked for a few seconds. This only made him the keener,
+and after leaving the calm Somo-somo Channel, although we encountered
+a very rough sea, he had the sail hoisted and we travelled at a great
+rate in and out amongst a lot of rocky islets, shipping any amount of
+water which soaked us and our baggage, and half-filled the boat. I
+expected we should be swamped every moment, and from the frightened
+looks of our crew I knew they expected the same thing. Hence, I was
+not reassured when Ratu Lala remarked that it was in just such a sea,
+and in the same place, that he lost his schooner (which the government
+had given him) and that on that occasion he and all his crew remained
+in the water for five hours. When I explained that I had no wish to be
+upset, he said, "I suppose you can swim?" I said "Yes! but I do not
+wish to lose my gun and other property," to which he replied, "Well,
+I lost more than that when my schooner went down." I was therefore not
+a little relieved when he had the sail lowered. He explained that he
+never liked being beaten, even if he drowned us all, and *all this
+was because I had bet him one shilling (by his own desire) that he
+would not get a fish. I mention this to show what foolhardy things
+he was capable of doing, never thinking of the consequences. I could
+mention many such cases. We at length came to some shallows between
+a lot of small and most picturesque islands, and as it was low tide,
+and we could not pass, we, viz., Ratu Lala, myself, and the other
+chiefs, got out to walk, leaving the boat and crew to come on when
+they could (they arrived at 4 a.m. the next morning). I was glad to
+get an opportunity to dry myself, and we started off at a good rate
+for our destination, but unfortunately we came to a spot where grew
+a small weed that the Fijians consider a great luxury when cooked,
+and Ratu Lala and his people stayed here fully two hours, till they
+had picked all the weed in sight, in spite of the heavy rain. It
+was amusing to see all these high-caste Fijians and old Stivani, the
+jester, running to and fro with yells of delight like so many children,
+all on account of a weed which I myself afterwards failed to enjoy.
+
+On the way I shot three duck, and later, when it was too dark to shoot,
+we could see the beach between the mangroves and the sea was almost
+black with them. On the other side of us there was a regular chorus of
+wild chickens crowing and pigeons "howling" in the woods. After four
+hours' hard walking we arrived at our destination, Qelani, long after
+dark, dead tired, and soaked to the skin. We put up at the "Buli's"
+hut; he was a cousin of Ratu Lala, and was a hideous and sulky-looking
+fellow, but his hut was one of the finest and neatest I had seen in
+Fiji. As I literally had not had a mouthful of food since the previous
+evening, I was glad when about a dozen women entered bearing banana
+leaves covered with yams, fish, octopus, chickens, etc. We stayed here
+some days, but we had miserable, wet weather. There was excellent
+fishing in the stream here, and Ratu Lala especially had very good
+sport. Many of the fish averaged one-and-a-half pounds and more, but
+he told me that they often run to five pounds. There were three kinds,
+and all excellent eating. The commonest was a beautiful silvery fish,
+and another was of a golden colour with bright red stripes. During the
+latter part of my stay in Qelani I suffered from a slight attack of
+dysentery, and it was dull lying ill on the floor of a native hut with
+no one to talk to, as Ratu Lala always tried to avoid speaking English
+whenever possible, and would often only reply in monosyllables. It
+would often seem as if he were annoyed at something, but I found that
+he did this to all white men, and meant nothing by it. I soon cured
+myself by eating a lot of raw leaves of some bush plant, also a great
+quantity of native arrow-root.
+
+In spite of my sickness I managed to shoot a fair number of duck,
+wild chickens and pigeon, and also a few birds for my collection. One
+day, in spite of the rain, I was rowed over to Ngamia, which is
+a wonderfully beautiful island, about three hours from Qelani. It
+was thickly covered with a fine cycad which grows amongst the rocks
+overhanging the sea. The natives call it "loga-loga,"[8] and eat the
+fruit. I landed and botanized a bit, finding some new and interesting
+plants, and then rowed on a few miles to call on the only white man
+on the island, an Australian named Mitchell, who has a large coconut
+property. He was astonished and pleased to see me, and introduced
+me to his Fijian wife, and his two pretty half-caste daughters soon
+got together a good breakfast for me. He seemed glad to see a white
+man again, and nearly talked my head off , and was full of anecdotes
+about the fighting they had with the Fijian cannibals in 1876. He
+told me that in the last great hurricane his house was blown over on
+to a small island which he owned nearly half-a-mile away.
+
+To describe all the incidents of my long visit would fill a book,
+but I think I have written enough to show what a very interesting
+time I spent with this Fijian Prince. It was without doubt one of
+the most curious experiences of all my travels in different parts
+of the globe. With all his faults, Ratu Lala was a good fellow, and
+he certainly was a sportsman. All Fiji knows his failings, otherwise
+I should not have alluded to them. The old blood of the Fijians ran
+in his veins, his ancestors were kings who had been used to command
+and to tyrannise; therefore he could never see any harm in the many
+stories of his escapades that he told me, and he seemed much offended
+and surprised when I advised him not to talk about them to other
+Europeans. When I started off to Levuka I was greatly surprised to
+see all the women of Somo-somo sitting on the beach waiting to see me
+depart, and as I walked down alone they greeted me in much the same
+way as they often greeted Ratu Lala, in a kind of chanting shout that
+sounded most effective. It was a Fijian farewell!
+
+
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 3
+
+Among Ex-Cannibals in Fiji.
+
+Journey into the Interior of Great Fiji -- A Guide Secured -- The Start
+-- Arrival at Navua -- Extraction of Sago -- Grandeur of Scenery --
+A Man covered with Monkey-like Hair -- A Strangely Coloured Parrot
+-- Wild Lemon and Shaddock Trees -- A Tropical "Yosemite Valley" --
+Handclapping as a Native Form of Salute -- Beauty of Namosi -- The
+Visitor inspected by ex-Cannibals -- Reversion to Cannibalism only
+prevented by fear of the Government -- A Man who would like to Eat my
+Parrot "and the White Man too" -- The Scene of Former Cannibal Feasts
+-- Revolting Accounts of Cannibalism as Formerly Practised -- Sporadic
+Cases in Recent Years -- An Instance of Unconscious Cannibalism by a
+White -- Reception at Villages EN ROUTE -- Masirewa Upset -- Descent
+of Rapids -- Dramatic Arrival at Natondre ("Fallen from the Skies").
+
+Toward the end of my stay in the Fijian Islands I determined to make
+a journey far into the interior of Viti Levu (Great Fiji), the largest
+island of the great Fijian archipelago. Suva, the chief town in Fiji,
+and the headquarters of the government, is on this island, but very few
+Europeans travel far beyond the coast, and my friends in Suva declared
+that I would have a fit of repentance before I had travelled very far,
+as the interior of the island is extremely mountainous and rough. After
+a great deal of trouble I managed to get an interpreter named Masirewa,
+who came from the small island of Bau. He was a fine-looking fellow,
+and, like most Fijians, possessed a tremendous mop of hair. His stock
+of English was limited, and we often misunderstood each other, but he
+proved a most amusing companion, if only on account of his unlimited
+"cheek."
+
+I ought here to mention that Fijians vary a great deal, both in colour
+and language. Fiji is the part of the Pacific where various types meet,
+viz., Papuan, Malayan, and Polynesian. The mountaineers around Namosi,
+which I visited, who were all cannibals twenty-five years ago, are
+much darker in colour than the coast natives, and they are undoubtedly
+of Papuan origin.
+
+I left Suva with Masirewa on the morning of October 12th, and after
+a short sea voyage of three or four hours on a small steam launch,
+we arrived at the village of Navua. I had a letter to Mr. McOwan,
+the government commissioner for that district. He put me up for the
+night, and we played several games of tennis, and my stay, though
+short, was an exceedingly pleasant one. The whites in Fiji are the
+most hospitable people in the world. They are of the old REGIME that
+is dying out fast everywhere.
+
+The next day I set out on my journey into the interior, Masirewa
+and another Fijian carrying my baggage (which was wrapped up in
+waterproof cloth) on a long bamboo pole. We followed the course of
+the Navua River for some distance. In the swamps bordering the river
+grew quantities of a variety of sago palm (SAGUS VITIENSIS) called by
+the natives Songo. They extract the sago from the trunk, and the palm
+always dies after flowering. After passing through about four miles
+of sugar cane, with small villages of the Indian coolies who work in
+the cane fields, we left behind us the last traces of civilization. We
+next came to a very beautiful bit of hilly country, densely wooded on
+the hills, though bordering the broad gravelly beaches of the river
+were long stretches of beautiful grassy pastures. Darkness set in
+as we ascended some thickly wooded hills. The atmosphere was damp
+and close, and mosquitoes plentiful, and small phosphorescent lumps
+seemed to wink at us out of the darkness on every side. I had to strike
+plenty of matches to discover the track, and continually bumped myself
+against boulders and the trunks of tree-ferns. It was late when we
+arrived at the village of Nakavu, on the banks of the Navua River,
+where I was soon asleep on a pile of mats in the hut of the "Buli,"
+or village chief.
+
+The next morning I resumed my journey with Masirewa and two canoe-men
+in a canoe, and we were punted and hauled over numerous dangerous
+rapids, at some of which I had to get out. We passed between two
+steep, rocky cliffs the whole way, and they were densely clothed
+with tree-ferns and other rank tropical vegetation, the large white
+sweet-scented DATURA being very plentiful. The scenery was very
+beautiful, and numerous waterfalls dashed over the rocky walls with
+a sullen roar. Ducks were plentiful, but my ammunition being limited,
+I shot only enough to supply us with food. I felt cramped sitting in
+a canoe all day, but I enjoyed myself in spite of the continuous and
+heavy rain.
+
+Late in the afternoon we arrived at the small village of Namuamua,
+on the right bank of the river, with the village of Beka on the
+other side. We were given a small hut all to ourselves, and we fared
+sumptuously on duck and boiled yams. The next morning I was shown
+a curious but ghastly object, viz., a man covered with hair like a
+monkey, and I was told that he had never been able to walk. He dragged
+himself about on his hands and feet, uttering groans and grunts like
+an animal.
+
+I hired two fresh bearers to carry my baggage, and after we had
+crossed the river three or four times we passed over some steep and
+slippery hills for some distance. I managed to shoot a parrot that I
+had not seen on any of the other islands. It was green, with a black
+head and yellow breast. The rain came down in torrents, and I got
+well soaked. We went for miles through woods with small timber, but
+full of bright crotons, DRACAENAS, bamboos, and a very sweetscented
+plant somewhat resembling the frangipani, the flower of which covered
+the ground. We passed under the shade of sweet-scented wild lemon
+and shaddock trees, but we got the bad with the good, as a horrible
+stench came from a small green flowering bush. A beautiful pink and
+white ground orchid (CALANTHE) was plentiful.
+
+We travelled along a steep, narrow strip of land with a river on
+each side in the valleys below. We met no one until we arrived at
+the village of Koro Wai-Wai, which is situated on the banks of a
+good-sized river at the entrance to a magnificent gorge of rocky peaks
+and precipices. Here we found the "Buli" of Namosi squatting down
+in a miserable, smoky hut where we rested for a few minutes, and the
+hut was soon filled with a crowd of natives, all anxious to view the
+"papalangi" (foreigner). The "Buli" agreed to accompany me to Namosi,
+although his home was in another village. Continuing our journey,
+we had hard work climbing over boulders, and along slippery ledges
+overhanging the foaming river many feet below. Steep precipices rose on
+each side of us, and the gorge grew more narrow as we proceeded. The
+scenery was grand, and rather resembled the Yosemite Valley, but had
+the additional attraction of a wealth of tropical foliage. Steep rocky
+spires topped by misty clouds towered above us and little openings
+between rocky walls revealed dark green lanes or vistas of tangled
+tropical growth which the sun never reached. We met many natives,
+who sat on their haunches when the "Buli" talked to them, and clapped
+their hands as we passed. This was out of respect for the "Buli,"
+who was an insignificant looking little bearded man and quite naked
+except for a small "Sulu."
+
+We soon arrived at Namosi. It is a large town situated between
+two steep walls of rock, and was by far the prettiest place I had
+seen in Fiji, and that is saying a good deal. The town is on both
+banks of the Waiandina River, with large "ivi" and other beautiful
+trees overhanging the water; brilliant coloured crotons, DRACAENAS,
+and other fine plants imparted a wealth of colour to the scene,
+and many of the grand old trees were heavily laden with ferns and
+orchids. During many years' wanderings all the world over, I do not
+think I have ever come across a more beautiful and ideal spot.
+
+The "Buli" was greeted with cries of "m-m-ka-a" in shrill voices by the
+women, for all the world like the caw of an old crow. I learned that
+the "Buli" had not been here for some time, but I seemed to be the
+chief object of interest, and was followed everywhere by an admiring
+and curious crowd of dark brown, shiny boys and girls, the former just
+as they were born and the latter wearing a strip of "Sulu." We put up
+in a chief's house, and after getting through the usual boiled yams,
+I went on a tour of inspection around the town, but I soon found that I
+was the one to be inspected. There was a hum of voices in every hut,
+and doorways were darkened with many heads. Groups of young men,
+women and children assembled to see the sight, but scampered away
+if I approached too near. No white man but the government agent had
+been here for several years, I was told. Thirty-odd years ago they
+would not have been satisfied to "look only," but would have wished
+to taste, and many of the present inhabitants would have made chops
+of me, and were no doubt peering out of their huts to see if I was
+fat or lean, and wishing for days gone by but not forgotten. Isolated
+cases of cannibalism still occur in out-of-the-way parts of Fiji, and
+it is only fear of the government that stops them, otherwise these
+mountaineers would at once return to cannibalism. Masirewa came out
+and stood with folded arms among a large crowd talking about me, and no
+doubt taking all the credit for my appearance, and staring at me as if
+he had never seen me before, so that I felt much inclined to kick him.
+
+In the evening, as I skinned the parrot I had shot, Masirewa told
+me how one man had said that he would like to eat the parrot, and
+that he had replied: "And the white man too." There was a large and
+very interested crowd around me as I worked, and they were very much
+astonished when told that the birds in England were different from
+those in Fiji, and I was inundated with childish questions about
+England. Masirewa seemed to be trying to pass himself off on these
+simple mountaineers as a chief, and was clearly beginning to give
+himself airs, so that when he started to eat with the "Buli" and
+myself, I had to snub him, and told him sharply to clean my gun and
+eat afterwards.
+
+I slept the next morning till seven o'clock, and Masirewa told me that
+the natives could not understand my sleeping so late, and that they
+thought I was drunk on "angona," of which I had partaken the night
+before. "Angona" is the same as "kava" in Samoa, and is the national
+beverage in Fiji. Masirewa now only wore a "sulu" and discarded his
+singlet. I suppose it was a case of "In Rome do as Rome does," but
+he certainly looked better in the dark skin he wore at his birth. I
+was shown the large rock by the river where more than a thousand
+people had been killed for their cannibal feasts. They were usually
+prisoners captured in the Rewa district, also a few white men. They
+were cut open alive and their hearts torn out, and their bodies were
+then cut up for cooking on the rock, which I noticed was worn quite
+smooth. Sometimes they would boil a man alive in a huge cauldron.
+
+While staying at Namosi the "Buli" gave me some lessons in throwing
+native spears, and in using the bow. Whilst practising the latter I
+narrowly missed, by a few inches, shooting a woman who stepped out
+suddenly from behind a hut.
+
+I was out most of the day shooting pigeons in the woods close by,
+accompanied by the "Buli," Masirewa, and several boys. The woods were
+full of a wonderfully beautiful creeper, a delicate pink and white
+CLERODENDRON which grew in large bunches; there was also a very pretty
+HOYA (wax flower) scrambling up the trees. We filled ourselves with
+the juicy pink fruit of the "kavika," or what is generally known as
+the Malacca or rose-apple. The trees were plentiful in the woods,
+grew to a large size, and were literally loaded with fruit, the
+fallen fruit resembling a pink carpet. Another very good fruit was
+the "wi," a golden fruit about the size of a large mango. I have seen
+both cultivated in the West Indies.
+
+On my return to the village I had a most interesting interview
+with these ex-cannibals, one old and two middle-aged men, thanks
+to Masirewa, my interpreter. He first asked them how they liked
+human flesh, and they all shouted "Venaka, venaka!" (good). Like the
+natives of New Guinea, they said it was far better than pig; they also
+declared that the legs, arms and palms of the hands were the greatest
+delicacies, and that women and children tasted best. The brains and
+eyes were especially good. They would never eat a man who had died
+a natural death. They had eaten white man; he was salty and fat, but
+he was good, though not so good as "Fiji man." One of them had tasted
+a certain Mr.  --  -- , and the meat on his legs was very fat. They
+chopped his feet off above the boots, which they thought were part
+of him, and they boiled his feet and boots for days, but they did not
+like the taste of the boots. They often kept some of their prisoners
+and fattened them up, and when the day came for killing one, it was
+the women of Namosi's duty to take him down to the large stone by the
+river, where they cut him open alive and tore his heart out. Lastly,
+I asked if they would still like to eat man if they got the chance,
+and they were not afraid of being punished, and there was no hesitation
+in their reply of "Io" (yes), uttered with one voice like the yelp
+of a hungry wolf, and it seemed to me that their eyes sparkled. They
+were certainly a very obliging lot of cannibals.
+
+Cannibalism is, of course, practically extinct now in Fiji, but in
+recent years I am told that there, have been a few odd cases far back
+in the mountains. On one occasion a man told his wife to build an oven
+and that he was going to cook her. This she did, and he then killed,
+cooked, and ate her. Whilst in Fiji I met an Englishman who in the
+seventies had tasted human meat at a native feast, he believing it
+was pig, and at the time he thought it was very good. I was told
+that in the old days when they wanted to know whether a body was
+cooked enough they looked to see if the head was loose. If the head
+fell off it was thought to be "cooked to perfection," but I will not
+vouch for this story being correct.
+
+I gave the "Buli" a box of matches, and he seemed as pleased as if it
+was a purse of gold; they light all their fires here by wood friction,
+Some of the pet pigs around here were very oddly marked with stripes
+and spots of brown, black and white. Whilst in Fiji I often came
+across natives far from any village who were being followed by pet
+pigs, as we in England might be followed by dogs. Masirewa amused
+me more each day by his cheek and self-assurance. Once I asked him
+what he said to the chief of the hut we were in, and he replied:
+"Oh! I tell him Get out, you black fellow.' "
+
+We left Namosi early the next morning, a large crowd seeing us off, and
+I was sorry to bid farewell to one of the most beautiful spots in this
+wide world. We passed through the villages of Nailili and Waivaka,
+where I called at the chiefs' huts and held a kind of "at home"
+for a few minutes, the people simply swarming in to look at me. The
+"Buli" of Namosi had sent messengers on in front to give notice of my
+approach, and at each village they had the inevitable hot yams ready
+to eat, which Masirewa made the most of. At the entrance to each
+village there was usually a palisade of bamboo or tree-fern trunks,
+and here a crowd of girls and children would often be waiting, and on
+my approach they would set up loud yells and scamper off, till I began
+to think that I must look a very ferocious kind of "papalangai." At
+Dellaisakau the natives looked a very wild lot. Some of the men had
+black patches all over their faces, and some had great masses of hair
+shaped like a parasol. One or two of the women wore only the old-time
+small aprons of coconut fibre.
+
+We followed the Waiandina River amid very fine scenery. The sloping
+hills were covered with woods, and we passed under a canopy of bamboo,
+the large trumpet flowers of the white DATURA, tree-ferns, large "ivi,"
+"dakua" and "kavika" trees loaded with ferns and fine orchids in
+flower. We crossed the river several times, and I was carried across
+by a huge Fijian whose head and neck were covered with lime. Rain
+soon set in again, and we literally wallowed in mud and water. I
+got drenched by the soaking vegetation, so I afterwards waded boldly
+through rivers and streams, as it was impossible to get any wetter.
+
+At Nasiuvou the whole village turned out to greet me, and I held my
+usual reception in the chief's hut. The chief seemed very annoyed that
+I would not stay the night. No doubt he thought that I would prove
+a great attraction for his people. The banks of the Waiandina River
+were crowded as I got into a canoe, and Masirewa, in trying to show
+off with a large paddle, lost his balance and fell into the water, the
+yells of laughter from the crowd showing that they were not lacking
+in humour. Masirewa did not like it at all, but I was very glad, as
+he had been giving himself too many airs. I dismissed my two bearers
+and took only one canoe man and made Masirewa help him. We went down
+several rapids at a great pace. It was dangerous but exhilarating, and
+we had several narrow escapes of being swamped, as the canoe, being a
+small one, was often half-filled with water. We also had several close
+shaves from striking rocks and tree trunks. Ducks were plentiful, and I
+shot one on the wing as we were tearing down a rapid. The scenery was
+very fine; steep wooded mountains, rocky peaks with odd shapes, steep
+precipices, fine waterfalls, grand forests, and picturesque villages,
+and the scenery as we wound among the mountains was most romantic.
+
+Toward evening we arrived at the large town of Nambukaluku,
+where we disembarked. Except for a few old men and children we
+found it deserted, and we learned that the "Buli," who is a very
+important chief, had gone to stay at the village of Natondre for
+some important ceremonies for a few days, and most of the inhabitants
+had gone with him. Thither I determined to go, and we set off along
+a mountain path. The rain was all gone, and it was a lovely, still
+evening. Suddenly I heard distant yells and shouts and the beating
+of the "lalis" (hollow wooden drums), and I set off running, leaving
+Masirewa and my canoe man carrying my baggage far behind, and on
+turning a sharp corner I came full upon the village of Natondre
+and a most interesting sight. Hundreds of natives were squatting
+on the ground of the village square, and about one hundred men with
+faces black and in full war paint, swinging war clubs, were rushing
+backward and forward yelling and singing while large wooden drums
+were beaten. They were dressed in most fantastic style, some only
+with fibrous strings round their loins, and others with yards of
+"tapa" cloth wound around them. Several women were jumping about with
+fibre aprons on, and all had their hair done up in many curious ways
+and sprinkled with red and yellow powders. Huge piles of mats were
+heaped in the open square, speeches were made, and the people all
+responded with a deep "Ah-h" which sounded most effective from the
+huge multitude. I came up in the growing dusk and stood behind a lot
+of people squatting down. Suddenly some one looked round and saw me
+-- sensation -- whispers of "papalangai" were heard on all sides,
+and looks of astonishment were cast in my direction. Certainly my
+entrance to Natondre could not have been more dramatic, and I believe
+that they almost thought that I had FALLEN FROM THE SKIES, which is
+the literal meaning of the word "papalangai."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 4
+
+Mock War-Scene at the Chief's House.
+
+War Ceremonies and Dances at Natondre Described -- The Great Chief of
+Nambukaluku -- The Dances continued -- A Fijian Feast -- A Native
+Orator -- The Ceremonies concluded -- The Journey continued --
+A Wonderful Fungus -- The bark of the rare Golden Dove leads to its
+CaptureReturn to more Civilised Parts -- The Author as Guest of a high
+Fijian Prince and Princess -- A SOUVENIR of Seddon -- Arrival at Suva.
+
+Masirewa soon arrived and I learned that there were some very important
+ceremonies in which one tribe was giving presents to another tribe,
+in settlement of some disputes that had been carried on since
+the old cannibal fighting days, and as I passed into the "Buli's"
+hut I noticed that the dancers were unwinding all the "tapa" cloth
+from around their bodies and throwing it on the piles of mats. I
+immediately went behind a "tapa" screen where the "Buli" slept, and
+began to get into dry clothes. This evidently made some of the crowd
+in the hut angry, as they thought I was lacking in respect to the
+"Buli" by changing in his private quarters, as in Fiji the very high
+chiefs. are looked upon as sacred. One fellow kept shouting at me in
+a very impudent way, so when Masirewa came in, I told him about it,
+and he lectured the crowd and told them that I was a very big chief;
+this seemed to frighten them. Later on, I found that Masirewa had
+complained, and the impudent man was brought up before one of the
+chiefs, who gave him a lecture before myself and a large crowd in
+the hut I put up in. Masirewa translated for me, how the chief said:
+"The white man, who is a big chief, has done us honour in visiting
+our town," and to the man: "You will give us a bad name in all Fiji
+for our rudeness to the stranger that comes to us." I learned that
+the man was going to be punished, but as he looked very repentant I
+said that I did not wish him punished, so he was allowed to sneak out
+of the hut, the people kicking him and saying angry words as he passed.
+
+I supped with the great "Buli" that evening, and we fared sumptuously
+on my duck, river oysters and all sorts of native dishes. We were
+waited upon by two warriors in full war paint, and the "Buli's" young
+and pretty wife, shining with coconut oil all over her body, sat by me
+and fanned me. The "Buli" was an aristocratic-looking old fellow with
+a large nose and a very haughty look. He is a very important chief,
+but knew no English, and we carried on our conversation through the
+medium of Masirewa. He spoke in a kind of mumble, with a very thick
+voice. Once when he had been mumbling worse than usual there was a
+kind of restrained titter from someone in the crowd at the back. The
+"Buli" heard it, and slowly turning his head he transfixed the crowd
+with his piercing gaze for many seconds amid a dead silence. I wondered
+afterwards if anything ever happened to the unfortunate one who was
+so easily amused. I learned that besides having an impediment in
+his speech, the "Buli" was also paralyzed in one leg. I Put up in a
+different hut, the "Buli" apologizing for his hut being crowded with
+the influx of visitors.
+
+I watched a "meke-meke" or native dance that evening in which about a
+dozen girls covered with oil took part. There was a sound of revelry
+the rest of the night, for there was feasting and dancing in several
+huts, and discordant chanting and the hum of many voices followed
+me into my dreams. The next morning I went out shooting pigeons in
+some thick pathless woods about two miles away, and I also shot some
+flying foxes which I gave to my companions, as the Fijians consider
+them a great delicacy, as do many Europeans. These woods were full of
+pineapples, which in places barred our way. Many of them were ripe,
+and I found they possessed a fine flavour.
+
+In the afternoon the ceremonies were continued, the "Buli" sending
+for me to sit by him in the doorway of his hut to watch them. First
+about forty women with "tapa" cloth wound around their bodies went
+through various evolutions, swaying their arms about and chanting in
+their usual discordant manner. They then unwound the "tapa" from their
+bodies and threw it in a heap on the ground, following this by more
+manoeuvres. About twenty men came into the square, some with their
+faces blacked and their bodies stained red with some pigment, and
+wearing only aprons of coconut strings, with bracelets of leaves on
+their arms and carved pigs' tusks hanging from their necks. They went
+through some splendid dancing, falling down on the ground and bouncing
+up again like india-rubber balls. They sang, or rather chanted, all the
+time, and so did a kind of chorus of men who beat on wood and bamboo,
+while the dancers danced round them in circles, and squares, and then
+bent backward, nearly touching the ground with their heads. As they
+danced they kept splendid time, with their arms, legs and heads.
+
+Then amid shrill yells and cries from the crowd, another procession
+approached from the far end of the village in single file. First came
+several men with spears, which they shook on the ground every now and
+then, shaking their bodies at the same time in a fierce manner. Behind
+them in single file came a lot of women, each bearing a. rolled-up
+mat, which they threw down in a heap. These mats are made from the
+dried "pandanus" leaf. Then several men appeared bearing enormous Fiji
+baskets full of large rolls of food wrapped up in leaves, also smaller
+baskets made of the fresh leaves of the crimson DRACAENA, also full of
+food. From the enormous number of baskets, the food supply was enough
+to feed a large multitude. They were all put down together by the mats.
+
+Then there was dead silence, in which you could almost have heard
+the proverbial pin drop, and an oldish man stepped forward and stood
+by the mats and baskets, his body wound round with "tapa" till it
+stuck out many feet from his body. The crowd broke silence with an
+ear-piercing yell. He then spoke, and was interrupted from time to time
+with cries of approval or the reverse, and sometimes loud laughter,
+while the "Buli," sitting by me, every now and then shouted out,
+or broke into a childish giggle. Then the speaker uttered a lot
+of short sentences very fast, and every one present said "Venaka"
+(good) at the end of each sentence. Then the old man unwound the
+"tapa" around him and threw it on the mats, as did others.
+
+Silence again, and I began to think all was over, but suddenly there
+was another shrill sort of yell from the crowd, and from the back of
+our hut, amid a tremendous uproar from all present and the beating of
+"lalis" (drums), appeared a procession of about fifty warriors in their
+usual picturesque get-up, all brandishing large war-clubs. They paraded
+into the square in very stately fashion, singing in their curious and
+savage discords, and then went through some grand dances, keeping
+wonderful time with their clubs and bodies, and from time to time
+giving forth a loud yell which was really thrilling. They next rushed
+backward and forward brandishing their clubs and killing an imaginary
+foe, and then clapped their hands together in even time. Then off
+came the "tapa" from around them, and the heap was made still larger.
+
+Another yell from the crowd. Then silence, followed by more speaking,
+and every now and then a deep "Ah-h" from all present, which sounded
+like distant thunder and was most impressive. Then all the people
+clapped their hands and chanted a few words in low suppressed voices,
+and the ceremony, lasting between four or five hours, was over. From
+time to time a man would approach the "Buli" and fall down on all
+fours and clap his hands before he could speak. I felt at times as
+if I was watching a comic opera or a ballet, and there were many
+amusing incidents. I think honours were fairly easy between the big
+show and myself, as the people kept whispering and looking around at
+me the whole time. I never passed a hut without causing excitement,
+and there would be cries of "papalangai" and a mass of faces would
+appear at the doors. Wherever I went I was followed at a respectful
+distance by a crowd of girls and children, but if I turned to retrace
+my steps there was a panic-stricken rush to get out of my way. On
+one occasion a little child of about two years old yelled with
+fright when I passed near it. I was much astonished that a white
+man should make such a stir in any part of Fiji, but it is only so
+in very out-of-the-way villages such as these. I was exceedingly
+lucky to witness these ceremonies, as they were the most important
+ones that had taken place in Fiji for many years, and few of the
+old white residents had seen their equal. I was all the more lucky,
+as I never expected to see them when I started from Suva.
+
+The next morning I said "Samoce"[9] (good-bye) to the great "Buli,"
+who, though he was a big chief, was not above accepting with evident
+glee the few shillings I pressed into his hand, and with Masirewa and
+two fresh bearers continued my journey in the pouring rain. Once we
+had to swim across a swift and swollen river, then we went over steep
+hills, down deep gullies, wading through streams and passing all the
+time through thick forests. We stopped once to feed on wild pineapples,
+the pink "kavika." and the golden "wi," but Masirewa was a bad bushman
+and slipped, and stumbled, swore and grumbled, and many times I had
+to wait till he came up with me. We followed a deep and beautiful
+gulch for some distance, wading all the way through a shallow stream
+which flowed over a natural slanting pavement with a smooth surface,
+and I found it hard to keep my footing. We got a magnificent view
+from the top of a high hill of the country to the eastward, with
+large rivers winding among beautiful undulating wooded country as
+far as the eye could reach. We passed through but one village, named
+Naqeldreteki, and from here I saw two very fine waterfalls falling
+side by side over a steep cliff several hundred feet straight drop
+into the forest below. It was about here that I came across a most
+beautiful sort of fungus of a bright scarlet and orange, and in the
+shape of a perfect star.
+
+I heard what I took to be the gruff bark of a dog, when it suddenly
+dawned upon me that there could not be any dogs here, as we were
+far from any village. Upon investigation I discovered that it was a
+bird that was the author of the noise, and I soon brought it down
+with a load of dust-shot, and to my great delight it proved to be
+the golden dove, a bird which I had hunted for in vain in the other
+islands. It was of a very fine metallic golden-yellow colour, and
+the feathers being long and narrow, gave it a very odd appearance. 1
+could only mutter "venaka, venaka" (good), and in spite of the heavy
+rain reverently and slowly rolled it up in cotton wool and paper, to
+the great amusement of my three Fijians. Among the most interesting
+features of bird life in the Samoan and Fijian Islands were the various
+members of the dove family, which looked wonderfully brilliant with
+their metallic greens, and their orange, crimson, purple, yellow,
+pink, cream and olive green. The latter part of the journey was through
+bushy country dotted about with many large orchid and fern-laden trees.
+
+We arrived toward dusk at the large village of Serea, on the Wainimala
+River, which is a branch of the Rewa River, and I put up in the large
+hut of the "Buli." I began to feel like an ordinary mortal again,
+as the people here did not exhibit any great surprise on seeing me,
+no doubt because, being in the Rewa district, they see a few Europeans
+from time to time. After a change into dry clothes and a supper off one
+of the large pigeons I had shot EN ROUTE, I had a large and interested
+crowd to watch me skin my dove, and there were roars of laughter
+during the process, especially when Masirewa told them it would be
+made to look like a real bird with glass eyes. Masirewa at one time
+spoke sharply to the "Buli" who, I thought, looked a bit annoyed,
+so I asked Masirewa what he said. "Oh," he said airily, "I told him
+to keep his pig of a child away from the white chief." Masirewa, was
+a character, and evidently had no respect for chiefs and princes,
+etc., as he treated all the "Bulis" as his equals, which was very
+different from the generally cringing attitude of the Fijians to their
+chiefs. Even the high and mighty "Buli" of Nabukaluku[10] seemed to
+like his cheek. Masirewa liked to show off his English, though no
+one understood a word, and his favourite way of addressing them when
+he was annoyed was "You all black devil pigs." Whilst I was skinning
+my dove, the people brought in a horrible-looking carved figure with
+staring eyes. It was about five feet high, and they waxed very merry,
+whenever I looked up at it from my skinning.
+
+I left early next morning in the pouring rain, and found as I passed
+through Serea that it was quite a town. Quite a large crowd escorted
+me down the steep banks of the river (Wainimala), and we were soon
+spinning down stream in a large canoe. We soon joined another river
+which, together with the Wainimala, formed the Rewa, the largest
+river in Fiji. The scenery was both varied and picturesque, and once
+I got the canoe paddled up a little shady creek where there was a very
+beautiful waterfall, and where I was glad to stretch my legs for a few
+minutes after being cramped up in the canoe. There were many pretty
+and quaint villages on the banks, and the people often rushed out of
+their huts to see us pass. Ducks were plentiful, and I got a fair bag
+and used up my remaining cartridges, and the rest of the way 1 had to
+be content with pointing my gun at them, which was very tantalizing. We
+arrived about three p.m. at the village of Viria, and I stayed with the
+"Buli" in his hut almost overhanging the river. In the evening I took a
+stroll with the "Buli" round the village, and then we sat on a log by
+the river chatting, with Masirewa acting as interpreter. We continued
+our journey the next morning, and late in the day we passed large
+fields of sugarcane. We had returned to civilization once more, and
+I could not help feeling a pang of regret. We arrived at the village
+of Navuso about four p.m., and I was the guest of Andi (princess)
+Cakobau (pronounced Thakombau) and her husband, Ratu (prince)
+Beni Tanoa. Princess Cakobau is the highest lady of rank in Fiji,
+and belongs to the royal family. She is very stately and ladylike,
+and in her younger days was very beautiful. She does not know any
+English, but she wrote her autograph for me in my note-book to paste
+on her photograph, as she writes a very good hand. Her husband is
+also one of the highest chiefs in Fiji, and speaks good English. They
+proved most hospitable, and presented me with some Fijian fans when
+I left the next morning, and the Princess gave me a buttonhole of
+flowers out of her garden. Dick Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand,
+had once visited them, and I noticed his portrait that he had given
+them fastened to a post in their hut. I left Navuso by steam launch
+which called at the large sugar-mills a little lower down, and reached
+Suva that afternoon, feeling very fit after one of the most enjoyable
+and interesting expeditions that I ever made.
+
+
+
+
+My Life Among Filipinos and Negritos and a Journey in Search of
+Bearded Women.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 5
+
+At Home Among Filipinos and Negritos.
+
+Arrival at Florida Blanca -- The Schoolmaster's House Kept by Pupils
+in their Master's Absence -- Everyday Scenes at Florida Blanca --
+A Filipino Sunday -- A Visit to the Cock-fighting Ring -- A Strange
+Church Clock and Chimes -- Pugnacious Scene at a Funeral -- Strained
+Relations between Filipinos and Americans -- My New Servant --
+Victoriano, an Ex-officer of Aguinaldo's Army, and his Six Wives
+-- I Start for the Mountains -- "Free and easy" Progress of my
+Buffalo-cart -- Ascent into the Mountains -- Arrival at my Future
+Abode -- Description of my Hut and Food -- Our Botanical Surroundings
+-- Meetings with the Negritos -- Friendliness and Mirth of the Little
+People -- Negritos may properly be called Pigmies -- Their Appearance,
+Dress, Ornaments and Weapons -- An Ingenious Pig-arrow -- Extraordinary
+Fish-traps -- Their Rude Barbaric Chanting -- Their Chief and His
+House -- Cure of a Malarial Fever and its Embarrassing Results --
+"Agriculture in the Tropics" -- A Hairbreadth Escape -- Filipino
+Blowpipes -- A Pigmy Hawk in Pigmyland -- The Elusive PITTA -- Names of
+the Birds -- A Moth as Scent Producer -- Flying Lizards and other kinds
+-- A "Tigre" Scare by Night -- Enforced Seclusion of Female Hornbill.
+
+When collecting in the Philippines, I put in most of my time in
+the Florida Blanca Mountains, in the province of Pampanga, Northern
+Luzon. I arrived one evening after dark at the good-sized village of
+Florida Blanca, which is situated a few miles from the foot of the
+mountain, whose name it shares. I carried a letter to the American
+schoolmaster, who was the only white man in the district, and had been
+a soldier in the late war. It seemed to me a curious policy on the part
+of the American government to turn their soldiers into schoolmasters,
+especially as in most cases they are very ignorant themselves. I
+believe, however, the chief object is to teach the young Filipinos
+English, and so turn them into live American citizens. The Americans
+are far from popular in the Philippines, and when in Manila I was
+strongly advised not to wear KHAKI in the jungle for fear of being
+taken for an American soldier.
+
+The American's house was dark and still when I arrived at Florida
+Blanca, but whilst I was wondering what to do, I was surprised to
+hear a small voice, coming out of a small adjoining house, say in
+good English (though slowly and with a strong accent), "Thee --
+master -- has -- gone -- into -- thee -- mountains -- to -- kill --
+deer -- and -- pigs." This was from one of the American's own pupils,
+an intelligent little fellow named Camilo. As I learnt that he was not
+expected back for two or three days, there was nothing left but to make
+myself as comfortable as possible in his house until his return. Camilo
+was soon boiling me some water, and I opened some of my provisions,
+as I had eaten nothing for eight hours. The house was an ordinary
+Filipino one, raised fully ten feet from the ground and built of
+native timber, the peaked roof, which had a frame-work of bamboo,
+being thatched with palm-leaves. The divisions between the rooms were
+of plaited bamboo work, and the sliding windows were latticed, each
+division being fitted with pieces of pearl shell. The next morning
+I was invaded by quite an army of small boys, who, to my surprise,
+all spoke English very prettily in their slow way and with a quaint
+accent. I have never come across a more bright and intelligent set
+of little fellows, all very friendly and not a bit shy, yet most
+polite and well-mannered. They were manly little fellows, with the
+faces of cherubs, and they were always smiling. Though the ages of my
+five little favourites, Camilo, Nicolas, Fernando, Dranquilino and
+Victorio, ranged only from eleven down to seven (the latter being
+little smiling-faced Victorio), they did all my errands for me,
+bought me little rolls of sweetish bread, eggs and fruit, and were
+most honest. They talked to me as if they had known me all their
+lives, acted as my guides and showed me all there was to see. They
+generally followed me in a row, with their arms round each other's
+neck in a most affectionate way, and I never heard any of them use
+one angry word amongst themselves. The few days that I spent here,
+I wandered through the narrow lanes and collected a few birds and
+butterflies. These lanes were very dusty at the time, and were hemmed
+in with an uninteresting shrubby growth on each side. The country round
+Florida Blanca was for the most part covered with rice-fields, which,
+at the time of my visit, were parched and covered with short stubble,
+this being the dry season. I was not very successful in my collecting,
+and looked forward to my visit to the mountains, which I could see
+in the distance, and which appeared well covered with damp-looking
+forests. I noticed quantities of white egrets, which settled on the
+backs of the water buffaloes. I would often pass these water buffaloes
+with their heads sticking out of a way-side pond of mud and water. They
+were generally used for drawing the curious wagons of the country,
+which were rather like those one sees in Mexico, with solid wooden
+wheels. Generally when I met these water buffaloes out of harness,
+they were horribly afraid of me and stampeded, at the same time making
+the most extraordinary noises, something between a squeak and a short
+blast on a penny trumpet. They are usually stupid-looking brutes,
+but this showed that they were intelligent enough to distinguish
+between me and a Filipino. The pigs here had three pieces of wood
+round their necks fastened together to form a triangle, an excellent
+idea, as it prevented them from breaking through the fences. The day
+following my arrival was a Sunday, and the church, a large building
+of stone and galvanized iron, was almost opposite the American's
+house. I watched the people going to early mass (the Filipinos are
+devout Roman Catholics). All the women wore gauzy veils thrown over
+their heads, white or black were the prevailing colours and sometimes
+red. I thought they looked very nice in them. I had asked Camilo to
+boil me some water, but he begged off very politely, as he had to
+go and put on his cassock and surplice to attend the service in the
+church, where he sang all alone. When he returned, I asked him to
+sing to me what he had sung in the church, and he at once complied,
+singing the "Gloria Patri" in a very clear and sweet voice. After mass
+was over, the church bell began to toll and an empty lighted bier
+came out of the church. It was preceded by three acolytes bearing
+a long cross and two large lighted candlesticks, and followed by a
+crowd of people. They were no doubt going to call at a house for the
+corpse. Shortly afterwards an old Filipino priest came out and got
+into one of the quaint covered buffalo wagons with solid wooden wheels
+(already mentioned), and drove slowly round by the road. It was hot
+and sultry, and thunder was pealing far away in the mountains. Under
+a clump of trees (of a kind of yellow flowering acacia), which grew
+just outside the large old wooden doors of the church, there was
+a group of village youths and loafers, and two or three men went
+past with their fighting cocks under their arms, Sunday afternoon
+out here being the great day for cock-fighting. There seemed to be
+a sleepiness in the air quite in keeping with the day of the week,
+and I was nearly dozing off when little Nicolas came in. I asked him
+if he knew where the cook-fighting took place, and added, "you savez"
+(slang for understand"). His eyes flashed, and he said, Me no savage,"
+but when I explained that I did not call him a "savage," his eyes,
+smiled an apology, and he willingly offered to show me the place
+where the cock-fighting was to be.
+
+On entering the large bamboo shed or theatre where the cock-fighting
+took place, I was met by the old Presidente of the village, to
+whom I had brought a letter from Governor Joven (the Governor of
+the province), whom I had visited at Bacolor on my way hither. He
+conducted me to a seat on a raised clay platform, and sat next to me
+most of the time, but as the fighting progressed he got very excited,
+and had to go down into the ring. I had often witnessed it before
+in tropical America, but here the left feet of the cocks were armed
+with large steel spurs shaped like miniature cutlasses, which before
+the fight began were encased in small leather sheaths. The onlookers
+worked themselves up into a state of great excitement, and there was
+a great deal of chaff, mixed with angry words, and plenty of silver
+"pesos" were exchanged over the results. But it was cruel work,
+and the crouching spectators were often scattered right and left by
+the furious birds, whilst on one occasion a too venturesome onlooker
+received a rather severe gash on his arm.
+
+The church clock here was a thing to wonder at. It had no dial, and
+struck only about five times a day. When it struck ten there was an
+interval of over twenty seconds between each stroke until the last
+two strokes, these coming quickly together, as if it was tired of
+such slow work! As there was no face to the clock, I was puzzled to
+know whether to set my watch at the first or last stroke, or to split
+the difference.
+
+There were a great many funerals during my stay here in December,
+there being a regular epidemic of cholera and malaria. This was the
+unhealthy season, and I was told that there were as many deaths in
+Florida Blanca during the months of December and January as during
+all the rest of the year put together.
+
+One day I watched from my window a funeral procession on its way
+from the church to the cemetery. The Padre was not there, and this
+no doubt accounted for the acrobatic display given by the three men
+in cassocks and surplices, who led the way, bearing a cross and two
+candles. They started by playfully kicking each other, and this soon
+developed into angry words, so that I expected a free fight. One
+of them tucked his unbuttoned cassock round his neck, and egged the
+other two on. The coffin followed on a lighted bier, and the string
+of mourners followed meekly behind, no doubt looking upon this display
+as nothing out of the common.
+
+The interior of the church was very cold and bare, and there were no
+seats. I learnt that the American and the Filipino Padre did not hit it
+off together. There were one or two opposition schools in the village,
+run by Filipinos, who did their utmost to prevent the children from
+learning the language of the hated Americanos. The American did
+not make himself any more popular by pulling down the old street
+sign-boards bearing Spanish names, and substituting ugly card-board
+placards marked in ink with fresh names, such as America Street,
+McKinley Street, and Roosevelt Street; he had also named a street
+after himself! Later on I learnt that this American schoolmaster
+was a kind of spy in the American secret police, and that he had to
+listen outside Filipino houses at night to overhear the conversation
+of suspected insurgents. I was told this by Victoriano, my Filipino
+servant in the mountains, who often accompanied the American in his
+nightly rounds, and was the only man in the secret. This Victoriano,
+whom I always called Vic for short, was the best servant that I
+have had during my wanderings in any part of the world. He spoke
+Spanish and knew a little English, as he had once been a servant
+to an Englishman near Manila. With my small knowledge of Spanish,
+and his smattering of English, we hit it off very well together. He
+acted as gun-bearer, cook, laundry maid, housemaid, interpreter and
+guide. Later on he told me that he had been an officer in the insurgent
+Aguinaldo's army, and that he had been imprisoned by the Spaniards for
+four years on the island of Mindanao for belonging to a revolutionary
+society. He was a tall, thin fellow of only thirty-two years of age,
+and yet his present wife in Florida Blanca was his sixth, all the
+others being dead. I used to chaff him about having poisoned them,
+which much amused him. After some days the American returned, and he
+told me of a very good spot in which to collect up in the mountains,
+so one morning I started off with Vic for a long stay in these mountain
+forests. We left Florida Blanca before the sun had risen, my luggage
+being carried in one of the curious buffalo wagons. We soon left
+the dry rice-fields behind, and for some distance passed over a wide
+uninteresting plain of tall grass, dotted about with a few trees. After
+going some distance our two buffaloes were unyoked and allowed to soak
+in a small pond. This process was repeated every time we came to any
+water, and this, together with the slow progress of the buffaloes,
+made the journey longer than I had anticipated. After crossing a
+fair-sized river, we began a gradual ascent into the mountains. My
+luggage was then carried for a short distance, and after travelling
+through some bamboo thickets and crossing a rocky stream, I beheld my
+future abode. It was a small grass-thatched hut, with a flooring of
+split bamboo, raised four feet from the ground; up to this we had to
+climb by means of a single bamboo step. About two-thirds of the hut
+consisted of a flooring of bamboo, fairly open on all sides but one;
+this part did as my bedroom, and to get to it I had to crawl through
+a hole -- one could hardly call it a door! It was quite dark inside,
+but there was just room enough to lie down on the split bamboo
+floor. All round the hut was a large clearing, planted with maize,
+belonging to a Filipino, who from time to time lived in another small
+hut about one hundred yards away. He also owned the one I was living
+in, and for this I paid him the not very exorbitant sum of one peso
+(two shillings) a month. Tall gaunt trees rose out of the corn on all
+sides, and in the early morning they were full of bird-life -- parrots,
+parakeets, cockatoos, pigeons, woodpeckers, gapers and hornbills,
+etc. A clear rocky stream flowed by the side of the hut, the sound of
+whose rushing waters by night and day was like music to the ear in this
+hot and thirsty land, whilst shaded as it was by bamboos and trees,
+it was a delightful spot to bathe in every morning and evening. I was
+well pleased with my surroundings, and looked forward to a successful
+and interesting stay. I fared well though the food was rough, and I
+subsisted chiefly on rice and papayas, together with pigeons, doves,
+parrots, and the smaller hornbill, called here "talactic," all of which
+fell to my gun. The surrounding country in these lower mountains was
+a mixture of forest and open grass-country, the grass often growing
+far over my head. The forest, which abounded in clear, rocky streams
+of cold water, was very luxuriant and beautiful, especially in many
+of the cool, damp ravines further back in the mountains. But near my
+camping ground a great deal of the forest seemed to be half smothered
+with large thickets of bamboo, and consequently the larger trees
+were rather far apart. There was also a climbing variety of bamboo,
+which scrambled up to the tops of the largest trees. The undergrowth
+in places was most luxuriant and consisted of different species of
+palms, rattans, tree-ferns, PANDANUS, giant ginger, PIPERS, POTHOS,
+BEGONIAS, bananas, CALADIUMS, ferns, SELAGINELLAS and lycopodiums,
+and many variegated plants. Growing on many of the trees were some
+fine orchids. Chief amongst them may be mentioned a very beautiful
+"vanda," which grew mostly on trees in the open grass country, and
+which I witnessed in full bloom during my stay here. They presented
+a wonderful sight. Out of the large sheaths of fan-like leaves grew
+two grand flower-spikes, bearing from thirty to forty large white,
+chocolate and crimson flowers. Of these there were two varieties,
+and on one large plant I saw fully a dozen flower-spikes. Further
+back in the mountains I came across some fine species of PHALAENOPSIS.
+
+I early made the acquaintance of the little Negritos, the aborigines of
+these mountains, and during my wanderings I would often stumble across
+their huts in small clearings in the forest. They never seemed to have
+any villages, and I hardly ever saw more than one hut in one place,
+and they were nearly always miserable bamboo hovels. As for the little
+people themselves, they seemed perfectly harmless, and from the first
+treated me with the greatest friendliness, and would often pay me a
+visit at my hut, sometimes bringing me rice and "papayas" or a large
+hornbill, which had been shot with their steel-pointed arrows. They
+were quite naked except for a very small strip of cloth. Their skin
+was of a very dark brown colour, their hair frizzly, and the nose
+flat. They were by far the smallest race of people I had ever seen,
+and they might quite properly be termed pigmies. I certainly never
+came across a Negrito man over four feet six inches, if as tall,
+and the women were a great deal smaller, coming as a rule only up to
+the men's shoulders; the elderly women looked like small children
+with old faces. Both sexes generally had their bodies covered with
+various patterns cut in their skins, a kind of tattooing it might
+be called, but the skin was very much raised. Many of them had
+the backs of their heads in the centre shaved in a curious manner,
+like a very broad parting. I did not see them wearing many ornaments,
+but the men had tight-fitting fibre bracelets on their arms and legs,
+and the women sometimes wore necklaces of seeds, berries and beads;
+they would also sometimes wear curiously carved bamboo combs in their
+hair. The men used spears and bows and arrows; these latter they were
+rarely without. Their arrows were often works of art, very fine and
+neat patterns being burnt on the bamboo shafts. The feathers on the
+heads were large, and the steel points were very neatly bound on with
+rattan. These steel points were often cruel-looking things, having
+many fishhook-like barbs set at different angles, so that if they once
+entered a man's body it would be impossible to extract them again. A
+very clever invention was an arrow made for shooting deer and pig. The
+steel point was comparatively small, and it was fitted very lightly
+to a small piece of wood, which was also lightly placed in the end
+of the arrow. Attached at one end to the arrow-head was a long piece
+of stout native cord, which was wound round the shaft, the other end
+being fastened to the main shaft. When the arrow was shot into a pig,
+for instance, the steel head soon fell apart from the small bit of
+wood, which in its turn would also drop off from the main shaft. The
+thick cord would then gradually become unwound, and together with
+the shaft would trail on the ground till at length it would be caught
+fast in the bamboos or other thick growth, and the pig would then be
+at the mercy of its pursuers. The steel head, being barbed, could
+not be pulled out in the pig's struggles to break loose. I had one
+of these arrows presented to me by the chief of these Negritos, but,
+as a rule, they are very hard to get as the Negritos value them very
+highly. An American officer I met in Manila told me that he had been
+quartered for some time in a district where there were many Negritos,
+and though he had offered large rewards for one of these arrows he was
+not successful in getting one. The women manufacture enormous baskets,
+which I often saw them carrying on their backs when I met them in
+the forest. I was much struck with the cleverness of some of their
+fish-traps; these were long cone-like objects tapering to a point,
+the insides being lined with the extraordinary barb-covered stems of
+a rattan or climbing palm, and the thorns or barbs placed (pointing
+inwards) in such a way that the fish could get in easily but not out.
+
+These Negritos were splendid marksmen with their bows and arrows, and
+during my stay amongst them I became quite an adept in that art; their
+old chief used to take a great delight in teaching me, and my first
+efforts were met with hearty roars of laughter. They were certainly
+the merriest and yet the dirtiest people I have ever met. Whenever
+I met them they were always smiling. When, as happened on more than
+one occasion, I lost my way in the forest and had at length stumbled
+upon one of their dwellings, I made signs to let them understand
+that I wanted them to show me the way back. This they cheerfully did,
+and led the way singing in their peculiar manner; it was a most wild
+and abandoned and barbaric kind of music, if it could really be called
+music at all. It consisted chiefly of shouting and yelling in different
+scales, as if the singers were overflowing with joy at the mere idea
+of being alive. I would often hear them singing, or yelling like
+children, in the deep recesses of the forest. In fact the contentment
+and happiness of these little people was quite extraordinary, and I
+had a great affection for them. They would do almost anything for me,
+and their chief and I soon became great friends. He was a most amusing
+old fellow, and nearly always seemed to be laughing. Yet they were
+also the dirtiest people I had ever seen, and never washed themselves:
+consequently they were thick with dirt, which even their dark skins
+could not hide. They grew a little rice and tobacco, and the old chief
+always kept me well supplied with rice, which seemed of very fair
+quality. He also kept a few chickens and would often send me a present
+of some eggs, which were very acceptable. In return I would give him
+an old shirt or two, which he was very proud of. By the time I left,
+these shirts were almost the colour of his skin, and he evidently did
+not wish to follow my advice as to washing them. His house was a very
+large one for a Negrito's, and far better built than any others that
+I saw. When the maize which grew round my hut was ripe, the Filipino
+owner got several men and women up from Florida Blanca to help him
+to harvest it, and many of them slept underneath my hut. At nights I
+would generally have quite a crowd round me watching me skin my birds,
+and although I did not understand a word of their Pampanga dialect,
+their exclamations of surprise and delight when a bird was finished
+were quite complimentary. Poor Vic had to endure a running fire of
+questions as to what I was going to do with my birds and butterflies,
+but to judge by the way he lectured on me, he no doubt enjoyed it,
+and possibly told them some wonderful yarns about "My English," as
+he called me. One day a man at work in the maize had a bad attack of
+"calenturas" (malarial fever). I gave him some quinine and Epsom salts
+and this treatment evidently had a good effect, as the next day I was,
+besieged by a regular crowd of Filipinos of both sexes, who wished to
+consult me as to their various ills, and Vic was called in to act as
+interpreter. A good many of them, both men and women, took off nearly
+all their clothes to show me bruises and sores that they had, and I
+was in despair as to what treatment to recommend. At last when one
+old woman had parted with most of her little clothing to show me some
+sores, I told Vic to tell her that she had better get a good wash in
+the river (as she was the reverse of clean). This prescription raised
+a laugh, but the old lady was furious, and my medical advice was not
+again asked for. After the maize was cut, the owner started to sow
+a fresh crop without even taking out the old stalks, which had been
+cut off a few inches from the ground. This was the way he did it. He
+made holes in the ground with a hoe in one hand, and in the other
+hand he held a roasted cob of corn, which he kept chewing from time
+to time. His wife followed him, dropping a grain into each hole and
+filling in the soil with her feet. It would have made a good picture
+under the heading of "Agriculture in the Tropics"! Vic told me that
+they got four crops a year, so one can hardly wonder at their taking
+things easily. A rough bamboo fence separated the maize from a copse
+of bamboo jungle and forest, in which I was one day collecting with
+Vic, when I attempted to jump over a very low part of the fence. Vic,
+however, called out to me to stop, and it was lucky he did so, as
+otherwise the consequences would have been terrible for me. Just
+hidden by a few thin creepers, there had been arranged there a very
+neat little pig-trap, consisting of a dozen or more sharp bamboo
+spears firmly planted in the ground, and leaning at a slight angle
+towards the fence. Except for Vic's timely warning I should have been
+stuck through and through, as the bamboo points would stand a heavy
+weight without breaking, and if I had escaped being killed, I should
+certainly have been crippled for life. I naturally felt very angry
+with my neighbour for not having asked Vic to tell me about this,
+as the previous day when out alone I had climbed to the top of this
+fence and then jumped down into the creepers below; luckily I had
+not then noticed this low part further down.
+
+Many of the Filipinos are very good shots with their blowpipes, and
+Vic possessed one. It was about nine feet in length, and possessed a
+sight made of a lump of wax at one end. Like the bows of the Negritos,
+it was made out of the trunk of a very beautiful fan-palm (LIVISTONA
+sp.). Two pieces of the palm-wood are hollowed out and then stuck
+together in a wonderfully clever fashion, so that the joins barely
+show. Vic was fairly good with it when shooting at birds a short
+distance away. His ammunition consisted of round clay pellets, which
+he fashioned to the right size by help of a hole in a small tin plate,
+which he always carried with him.
+
+Birds were fairly plentiful in these mountain forests, and I was glad
+to get one of the interesting racquet-tailed parrots of the genus
+PRIONITURUS, that are only found in the Philippines and Celebes. It was
+curious that up here amongst the pigmy Negritos I should get a pigmy
+hawk. It was by far the smallest hawk I had ever seen, being not much
+larger than a sparrow. Several species of very beautiful honey-suckers,
+full of metallic colours, used to frequent the bright red flowers
+of a creeper that generally clambered up the trees overhanging the
+streams, and these flowers proved very popular with many butterflies,
+especially the giant gold and black ORNITHOPTERAS and various rare
+PAPILIOS of great beauty. There was one bird I was most anxious to
+get, and though I saw it once I had to leave Luzon without it. It was
+a PITTA, a kind of ground thrush. Thrushes of this genus are amongst
+the most brilliant of all birds, and in my own collections I possess
+a great number of different species that I have collected in other
+countries. This one that I was so anxious to get was locally called
+"Tinkalu." Amongst both Filipinos and Negritos it has the reputation
+of being the cleverest of all birds, and, as Vic expressed it,
+"like a man." It hops away into the thickest undergrowth and hides
+at the least sound. Certainly no bird has ever given me such a lot of
+worry and trouble. Many a weary hour did I spend going through swamps
+and rivers, bamboo and thorny palms, dripping with perspiration and
+tormented by swarms of mosquitos and sand-flies, and all to no purpose!
+
+Thanks to Vic, I soon picked up most of the local names of the various
+birds, which were often given on account of the sounds they made. The
+large hornbill was named "Gasalo," the smaller kind "Talactic," the
+large pigeon "Buabu," a bee-eater Patirictiric," and other names were
+"Pipit," "Culiaun," "Alibasbas," "Quilaquilbunduc," "Papalacul,"
+"Batala," "Batubatu," "Culasisi." Some of the spiders here were of
+great size, and in these mountain forests their webs were a great
+nuisance. These webs were often of a yellow glutinous substance,
+which stained my clothes, and when they caught me in the face, as
+they often did, it was the reverse of pleasant.
+
+Mosquitos and sandflies were very numerous and ants were in great
+force, so that one evening when I discovered that they were hard at
+work amongst all my bird skins, it took me up to 5 a.m. to separate
+them before I could get to bed.
+
+I discovered a diurnal moth that possessed a most powerful and
+delicious scent. Vic, who had never noticed it before, was delighted,
+and proposed my catching them in quantities and turning them into
+scent. Whilst on the subject of scent, I might mention that in
+these forests I would often come across a good-sized tree which was
+called Ilang-ilang. It was covered with plain-looking green flowers,
+which possessed a wonderful fragrance. I learnt that the Filipinos
+collected the flowers, which were sent to Manila and made into scent,
+but that they generally cut down the tree in order to get the flowers.
+
+I saw here for the first time the curious flying lizards. Their
+partly transparent wings were generally of very bright colours; they
+fly fully twenty yards from one tree to another, and quickly run up
+the trees out of reach. Another quaint lizard, was what is generally
+known as the gecko. It is said to be poisonous in the Philippines,
+and is generally found on trees or bamboos and often in houses. In
+comparison to the size of this lizard the volume of its voice was
+enormous. I generally heard it at night. First would come a preliminary
+gurgling chuckle; then a pause (between the chuckle and what follows
+it). Then comes loud and clear, "Tuck-oo-o," then a slight pause, then
+"Tuck-oo-o" again repeated six or seven times at regular intervals;
+at other times it sounds like "Chuck it." When it was calling inside
+a hollow bamboo, the noise made was extraordinary. There were a
+great number of bamboos in the surrounding country, and they were
+continually snapping with loud reports, which I would often imagine
+to be the reports of a rifle until I got used to them. Wild pig were
+very plentiful, and at night they would often grub up the ground a few
+yards from my hut. One night I was skinning a bird, with Vic looking
+on, when we heard some animal growling close by, and Vic without any
+warning seized my gun (which I always kept loaded with buckshot) and
+fired into the darkness. He said that it was a "tigre," and called
+out excitedly that he had killed it, but although we hunted about
+with a light for some time, we saw no signs of it. No doubt it was
+some animal of the cat family. Vic, as in fact all Filipinos, had
+a mortal dread of snakes, and he would never venture out at night
+without a torch made of lighted bamboo, as he said they were very
+plentiful at night. The large hornbills ("Gasalo") were very hard
+to stalk, and as they generally frequented the tallest trees they
+were out of shot. They usually flew about in flocks, and made a most
+extraordinary noise, rather like a whole farmyard full of turkeys,
+guinea fowls and dogs. The whirring noise they made with their wings
+was not unlike the shunting of a locomotive. I had often before heard
+of the curious habit of the male in plastering up the female with mud
+in the hollow of a tree, leaving only a small hole through which he
+fed her until the single egg was hatched and the young one was ready to
+fly. Vic knew this, and further informed me that the smaller species,
+named here "Talactic," had the same custom of plastering up the female.
+
+Many evenings, when I had finished my work, I would get Vic to teach
+me the Pampanga, dialect, and wrote down a large vocabulary of words,
+and when some years afterwards I compared them word for word with
+other dialects and languages throughout the Malay Archipelago,
+I found that, with a few exceptions, there was not the slightest
+affinity between them.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 6
+
+A Chapter of Accidents.
+
+A Severe Bout of Malaria in the Wilds -- The "Seamy Side" of
+Exploration -- Unfortunate Shooting of the Chief's Dog -- Filipino
+Credulity -- Stories of the Buquils and their Bearded Women --
+Expedition Planned -- Succession of CONTRETEMPS -- Start for the Buquil
+Country -- Scenes on the Way -- A Negrito Mother's Method of Giving
+Drink to Her Baby -- Exhausting Marches Amid Striking Scenery -- The
+Worst Over -- A Bolt from the Blue -- Negritos in a Fury -- Violent
+Scenes at a Negrito Council of War -- They Decide on Reprisals --
+Further Progress Barred in Consequence -- Return to Florida Blanca.
+
+As I mentioned before, this was the unhealthy season in the
+Philippines, and Vic assured me that these lower mountains were even
+more unhealthy than the flat country. I myself soon arrived at a
+similar conclusion, as a regular epidemic of malaria now set in among
+my pigmy friends, the Negritos, and the old chief told us that his
+favourite son was dying with it; next my neighbour and his wife were
+prostrated with it, and when they had slightly recovered, they left
+their hut and returned to Florida Blanca. Vic himself was next laid up
+with it, and seemed to think he was going to die. When I was at work
+in the evening he would shiver and groan under a blanket by my side;
+this, coming night after night, was rather depressing for me, all
+alone as I was. At other times he would imagine we were hunting the
+wary and elusive PITTA, and would start up crying, "AH! EL TINKALU,
+it is there! POR DEOS, shoot, my English, shoot!" or he would imagine
+we were after butterflies, and would cry out, "CARAMBA, MARIPOSA AZUL
+MUY GRANDE, MUY BUENO, BUENO!" I was forced to do all the cooking for
+both of us, though it was quite pathetic to see poor Vic's efforts to
+come to my assistance, and his indignation that his "English" should
+do such work for him. At one time I half expected that he would die,
+but with careful nursing and doctoring I gradually brought him round.
+
+During all the time that he was ill. I did but little collecting,
+and no sooner was Vic on the road to recovery than I myself was seized
+with it, and Vic repaid the compliment by nursing me in turn. It was
+a most depressing illness, especially as I was living on the poorest
+fare in a close and dirty hut. When you are ill in civilization, with
+nurses and doctors and a good bed, you feel that you are in good hands,
+and confidence does much to help recovery. But it is a different matter
+being sick in the wilds, without any of these luxuries, and you wonder
+what will happen if it gets serious. Then you long for home and its
+luxuries, with a very great longing, and cordially detest the spot
+you are in, with all those wretched birds and butterflies! It is Eke
+a long nightmare, but as you get better you forget all this, and the
+jaundiced feeling soon wears off, and you start off collecting again
+as keen as ever. One day a small skinny brown dog somehow managed to
+climb up the bamboo step into my hut during Vic's temporary absence,
+and I suddenly awoke to find it helping itself to the contents of a
+plate that Vic had placed by my side. I was far too ill to do more
+than frighten it away. This happened a second time before I was strong
+enough to move, but the third time I was well enough to seize my small
+collecting gun (which was loaded with very small cartridges), and
+when it was about thirty yards away I fired at it, simply intending to
+frighten it, as at that distance these small cartridges would hardly
+have killed a small bird. It stopped suddenly and, after spinning
+round a few times yelping, it turned over on its back. Even then I
+thought it was shamming, but on going up to it I found it was dead,
+with only one No. 8 shot in its spleen. On Vic's return he was much
+alarmed, as he said the dog belonged to the Negrito chief, who was
+very fond of it, and would be very angry with me if he knew. So we
+hid the body in the middle of a clump of bamboo about a quarter of
+a mile away from the hut. But the following day the sky was thick
+with a kind of turkey buzzard, which had evidently smelt the dog's
+corpse from some distance, and they were soon quarrelling over the
+remains. Vic worked himself up into a state of panic, saying that it
+would be discovered by the Negritos, but a few days later I sent him
+over to the Negrito chief's hut to get me some rice, and the chief
+mentioned that his chief wife had lost her dog, which she was very
+fond of, and that he thought that I must have killed it. Vic in reply
+said that that could never be, as in the country that I came from
+the people were so fond of dogs that they were very kind to them,
+and treated them like their own fathers. The chief then said that a
+pig must have killed it, and so the incident ended.
+
+About this time Vic asked my permission to return to Florida Blanca
+for a few days, as he had heard that his wife had run away with another
+man, and he offered to send his brother to take his place. His brother
+could also speak English a little, and was assistant schoolmaster to
+the American. He proved, however, an arrant coward, and, like most
+Filipinos, lived in great fear of the Negritos. When out with me
+in the forest he would start, if he heard a twig snap or a bamboo
+creak, and look fearfully about him for a Negrito. He told me that
+the Negritos will kill and rob you if they think there is no chance
+of being found out, and he mentioned a case of an old Filipino being
+killed and robbed by these same Negritos a few months previously. I
+managed to string together the following absurd story from his broken
+English. He said that if you heard a twig break in the forest once or
+even twice you were safe enough, but if a twig snapped a third time,
+and you did not call out that you saw the Negrito, you would get an
+arrow into you. He said that once when he heard the stick "break three
+time" (to use his own words), he called out "Ah! I see you Negrite,
+and the Negrite he no shoot, but came out like amigo (friend)." His
+English was too limited for me to point out the many weak and absurd
+points of the story, as, for instance, why the Negrito should make the
+twigs break exactly three times, and why he should not shoot because
+he thinks he is seen. I only mention this anecdote to illustrate the
+credulity of the Filipinos. The next day, when we were out collecting
+in the morning, I suddenly saw him start when a bamboo snapped, so I
+called out, "Buenos diaz, Senor Negrite." This was too much for my man,
+who ran off home and refused to follow me in the forest that afternoon,
+and when I returned that evening he was nowhere to be seen, and I
+found out later that he had returned to Florida Blanca. In consequence
+I was forced to do all my own cooking, which was not pleasant, as I
+had to do it all in the hot sun, and this brought on a return of my
+fever. At last, one morning, as I was endeavouring to light a fire to
+cook my breakfast, and muttering unpleasant things about Vic and his
+brother, I suddenly looked up and Vic stood before me like a. silent
+ghost. I say like a ghost, because he looked like one, thin and gaunt
+as he still was from fever. He, too, had had a return of the fever
+and had not yet recovered, but sooner than that "his English" should
+be alone, he had dragged himself over in the cool of the night. The
+next day his wife and two children arrived. She had been on a visit
+to her mother in another village, which accounted for Vic's thinking
+she had run away. They occupied the hut of my late neighbour, and
+before many days had gone they were all bad with fever. It was easy
+to see that the woman hated me, and imagined I was the cause of her
+having to come and live in these lonely and unhealthy mountains. Vic
+told me that there had been so much sickness in Florida Blanca that
+there was no quinine left in the place. My own stock was getting low,
+and Vic and his family, as well as myself, used it daily. I had cured
+the old Negrito chief with it, and he was very grateful to me, and
+presented me with some very fine arrows in return.
+
+For some time past I had heard rumours of an extraordinary tribe of
+Negritos who lived further back in the mountains, and were named
+Buquils, and whose women were reported to have beards. Vic, whom
+I always found to be most truthful in everything, and who rarely
+exaggerated, declared it was true, and furthermore told me that
+these Buquils had long smooth hair, which proved that they could not
+have been Negritos. Besides, I learnt that they were quite a tall
+people. Nowhere in the whole world is there such a diversity of races
+as in the Philippines, and so it would be quite impossible even to
+guess what they were. Vic had once seen some of them himself when they
+came on a visit to the lower mountains. Though I thought the story,
+as to the women having beards, a fable, I determined to visit them
+before I left these mountains, and the old Negrito chief, who also told
+me that the women really did have beards, offered to lend me some of
+his people to carry my things. But one day Vic heard that his lather
+was dying, and when I tried to cheer him up he sobbed in a mixture
+of broken Spanish and English, "One thousand senoritas can get, one
+thousand children can get, but lose one father more cannot get." On
+this account I had to return to Florida Blanca, and besides we were
+all very bad with constant attacks of fever, and in this village we
+could at all events get bread, milk and eggs to recuperate us. The
+American had left for a long holiday, so I managed to hire a small
+house where I could sort my collections before returning to Manila,
+where I intended catching a steamer for the south Philippines.
+
+One day the village priest (a Filipino) called on me, and in course
+of conversation we spoke about these Buquils. He was most emphatic
+that it was true about the women having beards, and he also told me
+that no Englishman, American or Spaniard had ever penetrated so far
+back in the mountains as to reach their villages. When he had left I
+thought it over, and decided to go and see them for myself, though
+I was still suffering from fever. Vic, whose father had recovered
+from his illness, declared his willingness to accompany me; in fact
+I knew that he would never allow me to go without him. He was quite
+miserable at the idea of our parting, which was close at hand. As
+luck would have it, the day before we decided to start, Vic was down
+with fever again, and the following day I was seized with it. Never
+before or since have I been amongst so much fever as I was in this
+district. In any case I had made up my mind to see these Buquils,
+but we had now lost two days, and there was only just enough time
+left to get there and back and to journey back to Manila and catch
+my steamer. The day after my attack we started for the mountains once
+more at about two p.m., my fever being still too bad for me to start
+earlier. It had been very dry lately, with not a drop of rain and
+hardly a cloud to be seen, but just as we were starting it came on to
+rain in torrents and this meant that the rainy season had set in. It
+seemed as if the very elements were against us, and even Vic seemed
+struck with our various difficulties. I was sick and feverish, and
+my head felt like a lump of lead, as I plodded mechanically along in
+the rain through the tall wet grass. I felt no keenness to see these
+people at the time, fever removes all that, but I had so got it into
+my head before the fever that I must go at all hazards, that I felt
+somehow as if I was obeying someone else. We passed my old residence
+a short way off, and I stayed the night at the Negrito chief's hut,
+which I reached long after dark. He seemed very glad to see me again,
+and turned out most of his family and relations to make room for
+me. My troubles were not yet ended, as the two Filipinos whom I had
+engaged to carry my food and bedding could not start till late, and
+consequently lost their way, and were discovered in the forest by
+some Negritos, who went in search of them about 2 a.m. Meanwhile I
+had to lie on the hard ground in my wet clothes, and as I got very
+cold a fresh attack of fever resulted. I had intended to start off
+again about four a.m., but it was fully four hours later before we
+were well on our way. I managed to eat a little before I left, our
+rice and other food being cooked in bamboo (the regular method of
+cooking amongst the Negritos). I here noticed for the first time the
+method employed by the Negrito mothers for giving their babies water;
+they fill their own mouths with water from a bamboo, and the child
+drinks from its mother's mouth. In the early morning thousands of
+metallic green and cream-coloured pigeons and large green doves came
+to feed on the golden yellow fruit of a species of fig tree (FICUS),
+which grew on the edge of the forest near the chief's hut. They made
+a tremendous noise, fluttering and squeaking as they fought over the
+tempting looking fruit.
+
+We took five Negritos to carry the rice and my baggage -- two men,
+two women, and a boy. The women, though not much more than girls,
+were apportioned the heaviest loads; the men saw to that, and looked
+indignant when I made them reduce the girls' loads. As we continued
+on our journey, I noticed that our five Negrito carriers were joined
+by several others all well armed with bows and extra large bundles of
+arrows, and on my asking Vic the reason, he told me that these Buquils
+we were going to visit were very treacherous, and our Negritos would
+never venture amongst them unless in a strong body. As we went along
+the narrow track in single file some of the Negritos would suddenly
+break forth into song or shouting, and as they would yell (as if in
+answer to each other) all along the line, I could not help envying them
+the extreme health and happiness which the very sound of it seemed to
+express; my own head meanwhile feeling as if about to split. I shall
+never forget that walk up and down the steepest tracks, where in some
+places a slip would have meant a fall far down into a gorge below. If
+Vic was to be believed, I was the first white man to try that track,
+and I would not like to recommend it to any others. Deep ravines, that
+if one could only have spanned with a bridge one could have crossed in
+five minutes or less, took us fully an hour to go down and up again,
+and I could never have got down some of them except for being able
+to hang on to bushes, trees and long grass. Whenever we passed a
+Negrito hut we took a short rest. My Negritos, however, wanted to
+make it a long one, as they seemed to be very fond of yarning, and
+when I insisted on their hurrying on, Vic got frightened and declared
+they might clear out and leave us, which would certainly have been
+a misfortune. At length we arrived at a chief's hut, where we had
+arranged to spend the night. It was situated at the top of a tall,
+grassy peak, from which I got a wonderful view of the surrounding
+country: steep wooded gorges and precipices surrounded us on all
+sides, and in the distance the flat country from whence we had come,
+and far far away the sea looked like glistening silver. The flat
+country presented an extraordinary contrast to the rugged mountains
+which surrounded me. It was so wonderfully flat, not the smallest
+hill to be seen anywhere, except where the lonely isolated peak of
+Mount Aryat arose in the distance, and far away one could just see
+a long chain of lofty mountains. The effect of the shadows of the
+distant clouds on the flat country was very curious. Early the next
+morning, at sunrise, the view looked very different, though just as
+beautiful. The chief seemed very friendly. He was a brother of my old
+friend, with whom I had stayed the previous night. This chief, however,
+was very different to his brother, being very dignified, but he had
+a very good and kind face, whilst my old friend was a "typical comic
+opera" kind of character. From what I could understand these two and
+another brother ruled over this tribe of Negritos between them, each
+being chief of a third of the tribe Soon after my arrival I turned in,
+as I was very tired and feverish and had had no sleep the previous
+night. The Negritos, as usual, were very merry and made a great noise
+for so small a people. I never saw such people for laughter whenever
+anything amused them, which is very often; they were a great contrast
+in this respect to the Filipinos. This natural gaiety helps to explain
+their many and varied dances, one of which consists in their running
+round after each other in a circle.
+
+I felt very much better next morning, and we started off very early,
+our numbers being increased by the chief and many of his men, so that
+I now found myself escorted by quite an army. I took note round here
+of the methods used by the Negritos in climbing tall, thick trees to
+get fruit and birds-nests. They had long bamboo poles lashed together,
+which run up to one of the highest branches fully one hundred feet from
+the ground. They often fastened them to the branch of a smaller tree,
+and thence slanting upwards to the top of a tall tree, perhaps as much
+as sixty feet and more away from the smaller tree. These Negritos axe
+splendid climbers, but it seemed wonderful for even a Negrito to trust
+himself on one of these bamboos stretching like a thread from tree
+to tree so far from the ground. I shall never forget the scramble we
+now had into the deepest gorge of all, and how we followed the bed
+of a dried-up stream, which in the rainy season must be a series of
+cascades and waterfalls, since we had to scramble all the way over
+large slippery boulders covered with ferns and BEGONIAS. We at length
+came to a tempting-looking river full of large pools of clear water,
+into which I longed to plunge. The banks were extremely beautiful,
+being overhung by the forest, and the rocky cliffs were half hidden
+by large fleshy-leaved climbers and many other beautiful tropical
+plants. It was one of those indescribably beautiful spots that one
+so often encounters in the tropical wilds, and which it is impossible
+to paint in words. A troop of monkeys were disporting themselves on a
+tree overhanging the river. Vic was most anxious for me to allow him
+to shoot one, but I have only shot one monkey in my life, and it is
+to be the last, and I always try and prevent others from doing so. We
+waded the river in a shallow place, and climbed up the steep hill on
+the other side. We had gone a good distance over hills covered with
+tall grass, and I was now looking forward to a bit of decent walking,
+as hitherto it had been nearly all miserable scrambling work, and the
+Negritos told Vic that the worst was now over. But we were approaching
+a hut, overhanging a rocky cliff, when we heard the sound of angry
+voices and wailing above us, and we soon perceived four Negritos
+(three men and a woman) approaching us. I thought the old woman was
+mad; she was making more noise than all the others put together,
+shouting and screaming in her fury. At first I thought they might be
+hostile Negritos who resented our intrusion, but they belonged to
+the tribe of the chief who was with me, and they were soon talking
+to him in loud, excited voices. Our own party soon got excited, too,
+and, as may be imagined, I was longing to find out the cause of all
+this excitement. Vic soon told me the reason. It appeared that on the
+previous day a large party of our Negritos had gone into the territory
+of the Buquils in order to get various kinds of forest produce (as they
+had often done in the past), and had been treacherously attacked by
+these Buquils, and many of them killed. One of these was the brother
+of a sub-chief, who now approached us, and who was, I believe, the
+husband of the frenzied woman. It was a very excitable scene that
+followed. I suppose one might call it a council of war. It was a
+mystery to me where all the Negritos came from and how they found us
+out; but they came in ones and twos till there was a huge concourse
+of them present, all gathered round their chief and squatting on the
+ground. About the only one who behaved sensibly was my friend the
+chief. He spoke in a slow and dignified manner, but the rest worked
+themselves up into a furious rage, and twanged their bowstrings,
+and jumped about and fitted arrows to their bows, and pointed them at
+inoffensive "papaya" trees, whilst two little boys shot small arrows
+into the green and yellow fruit, seeming to catch the fever from their
+elders. One man actually danced a kind of war-dance on his own account,
+strutting about with his bow and arrow pointed, and getting into all
+sorts of grotesque attitudes, moving about with his legs stiffened,
+and pulling the most hideous faces, till I was forced to laugh.
+
+But it seemed to be no laughing matter for the Negritos. The old woman
+beat them all; she did not want anyone to get in a word edgeways,
+but screamed and yelled, almost foaming at the mouth, till I almost
+expected to see her fall down in a fit. I never before witnessed such
+a display of fury.
+
+Vic kept me well advised as to the progress of the proceedings, and
+it was eventually settled that each of the three brother chiefs were
+to gather together three hundred fighting men, making nine hundred
+altogether, and these in a few days' time were to go up and avenge
+the deaths of their fellow tribesmen. From the enthusiasm displayed
+amongst the little men, this was evidently carried unanimously,
+but I noticed two young men sitting aloof from the rest of the
+crowd and looking rather sullen and frightened, and as they did not
+join in the general warlike demonstrations, it was evidently their
+first fight. Here, however, I made Vic interrupt in order to draw
+attention to myself. What Vic translated to me was to the effect that
+it was out of the question for us to go on into the enemy's country,
+which we should have reached in another two hours' walk. If we did
+they would certainly kill us all by shooting arrows into us from the
+long grass (in other words, we should fall into an ambush), and, in
+fact, since they had killed some of this tribe they would kill anyone
+that came into their country. By killing these men they had declared
+war. This was the sum total of Vic's translation, and I saw at once
+that it was out of the question for me to go on, as no Negrito would
+go with me, and I could not go alone. In any case I should have been
+killed. Vic told me that very few of these Buquils ever leave their
+mountain valleys, and so most of them had never seen a Filipino, much
+less a white man. And so I met with a very great disappointment, and
+was forced to leave without proving whether or no the story of these
+bearded women was a myth. Lately I heard a rumour that an American had
+visited them and proved the story true. My disappointment may well be
+imagined. I had come over the worst track I had ever travelled on in
+spite of rain and fever, but I at once saw that all my labours were
+in vain and that I could not surmount this last difficulty. But I was
+lucky in one way. The chief told Vic that if we had gone yesterday we
+should all have been killed, as without knowing anything about it,
+we should have got there just after the fight. So for once fever
+had done me a good turn, a "providencia," I think Vic called it,
+as I should have reached my destination the previous day if I had
+not been delayed by fever. Out of curiosity to see what the chief
+would say, I told Vic to tell him that I would help him with my gun,
+but the chief was ungrateful and contemptuous, saying that they
+would shoot me before I could see to shoot them. Vic thought I was
+serious, and said he would not go with me, and begged me not to go,
+saying, in a mixture of English and Spanish, "What will your father,
+your sister, and your brother say to me when Buquil arrow make you
+dead?" Needless to say I was not keen on stalking Buquils who were
+waiting for me with steel arrows in long grass, and, besides, if I
+went with the gallant little nine hundred, I should miss my steamer. I
+never heard the result of that fight, much as I should like to have
+known it. After the meeting had dispersed, we returned to the river
+and rested. I bathed and took a swim in a big, deep pool under a huge
+tree, which was one mass of beautiful white flowers. I have never
+enjoyed a swim more. Vic also took a wash, and to my great surprise
+one of the Negritos proceeded to copy him, and as Vic soaped himself
+the Negrito tried to do the same thing with a stone, with which he
+succeeded in getting rid of a great deal of dirt. It surprised and
+amused the other Negritos, both men and women, who jeered and roared
+with laughter at the unusual spectacle of a Negrito washing himself.
+
+I signed to them to give our boy carrier a wash, as he seemed the
+noisiest of the party, and two men got hold of him to duck him, but
+he seemed so terrified that I stopped them. The youngster evidently
+hated me for the fright he had received, as later on when I made him
+a present of a silver ten-cent piece to make up for his fright --
+this is a very handsome present for a Negrito -- he threw it on the
+ground and stamped his foot in anger. The Negritos shot several fish
+and large prawns with a special kind of long pointed arrow; these
+we ate with our rice by the river side before returning. The night
+I stayed with my old friend, the comic chief, I found him actually
+in tears and much cut up at the idea of his two sons having to take
+part in the fight. I suppose it was compulsory for them to fight, but
+it appeared rather odd to me that a chief should object to his sons
+taking part in a fight, as the Negritos are considered very plucky
+fighters. The chief sent four Negritos to carry my things down to
+Florida Blanca. The following day I started back to Manila, where I
+caught my steamer for the southern Philippines. Vic was much distressed
+at my departure and shed many tears as I said good-bye to him, his
+grief being such that even a handsome tip could not assuage it.
+
+
+
+In the Jungles of Cannibal Papua.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 7
+
+On the War-Trail in Cannibal Papua.
+
+Expedition against the Doboduras -- We hear reports about a Web-footed
+Tribe -- Landing at the Mouth of the Musa River -- A Good Bag --
+Barigi River Reached -- A Flight of Torres Straits Pigeons --
+A Tropical Night Scene -- Brilliant Rues of Tropical Fish --
+Arrival of Supplies -- Prospects of a Stiff Fight -- Landing of
+the Force -- Pigs Shot to Prevent them from being Cooked Alive --
+Novelty of Firearms -- A Red Sunrise -- Beauty of the Forest --
+Enemies' War Cry First Heard -- Rushing a Village -- Revolting
+Relics of Cannibal Feast -- Doboduras eat their Enemies Alive --
+Method of Extracting the Brains -- Extensive Looting -- Firing at
+the Enemies' Scouts -- An Exciting Chase -- When in Doubt Turn to
+the Right -- Another Village Rushed -- Skirmishes with the Enemy --
+Relics of Cannibalism general in the Villages -- Camp Formed at the
+Largest Village -- Capture of Prisoners -- An "Object, Lesson" --
+Carriers ask Leave to Eat one of the Slain -- Arigita's Opinion --
+Cannibal Surroundings at our Supper -- Expectation of a Night Attack.
+
+We were three white men, Monckton was the resident magistrate, while
+Acland and I myself were NON-OFFICIO members of the expedition,
+being friends of Monckton.
+
+We had been some time at Cape Nelson, where the residency was,
+a lonely though beautiful spot on the north-east coast of British
+New Guinea. Whilst here I had made good collections of birds and
+butterflies, and had made expeditions into the surrounding and little
+known country, including the mountains at the back, where no white
+man had yet been. And now (September 17th, 1902) we were off on a
+government exploring and punitive expedition into the unknown wilds
+of this fascinating and interesting country.
+
+We three sat on the stern of the large whale boat, while the twenty
+police and our four boys took turns at the oars. They were fine
+fellows these Papuan police, and their uniforms suited them well,
+consisting as they did of a deep blue serge vest, edged with red
+braid, and a "sulu" or kilt of the same material, which with their
+bare legs made a sensible costume for the work they had to perform
+in this rough country. As they pulled cheerfully at their oars they
+seemed in splendid spirits, for they felt almost sure that they were
+in for some fighting, and this they dearly love.
+
+Our boys, however, did not look quite so happy, especially my boy
+Arigita, who was a son of old Giwi, chief of the Kaili-kailis. He --
+old Giwi -- had gone on the previous day with three or four large
+canoes laden with rice and manned by men of the Kaili-kaili and
+Arifamu tribes, and we intended taking more canoes and men from the
+Okeina tribe EN ROUTE.
+
+Our expedition was partly a punitive one, as a tribe named Dobodura
+had been continually raiding and slaughtering the Notu tribe on the
+coast, with no other apparent reason than the filling of their own
+cooking pots.
+
+Although the Notus lived on the coast, little was known of them,
+though they professed friendship to the government. The Doboduras,
+on the other hand, were a strong fighting tribe a short way off in
+the unknown interior, no white men having hitherto penetrated into
+their country: hence they knew nothing about the white man except by
+dim report.
+
+After we had settled our account with them we intended going in search
+of a curious swamp-dwelling tribe, whose feet were reported to be
+webbed, like those of a duck, and many were the weird and fantastic
+rumours that reached our ears concerning them.
+
+The sea soon got very "choppy," and up went our sail, and we flew along
+pretty fast. We had left behind us Mount Victory (a volcano which
+is always sending forth volumes of dense smoke) some time before,
+and some time afterward we were joined by a fleet of fourteen large
+canoes, most of them belonging to the Okeina tribe, but also including
+the three Kaili-kaili canoes sent off on the previous day.
+
+We all then went on together, and late in the afternoon we landed
+at a spot near the mouth of the Musa River. We spent the evening
+shooting, and had splendid sport, our bag consisting of ducks of
+various species, pigeon, spur-winged plover, curlew, sandpipers,
+etc. We also saw wallaby, and numerous tracks of cassowary and wild
+pig. After some supper on the beach, the Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and
+Okeina carriers, numbering over one hundred, were drawn up in line,
+and Monckton told them that he did not want so many carriers. If they
+(the Okeinas) would like to come, he would not give them more than
+tobacco, and not axes and knives, which he gave to the Kaili-kaili and
+Arifamu carriers. They unanimously wished to go even without payment,
+as they were confident that we should have some big fighting, and
+they, being a fighting tribe, simply wished to go with us for this
+reason. Monckton sent off the carriers that night, so that they could
+get a good start of us. It was a bright moonlight night, and it was a
+picturesque scene when the fleet of canoes started off amidst a regular
+pandemonium of shouting and chatter. I do not suppose that this quiet
+spot had ever before witnessed such a sight. We were off next morning
+before sunrise, and continued our way in a dead calm and a blazing sun.
+
+We soon caught up with our canoes, which had gone on in advance on the
+previous night. A breeze sprang up and we made good progress under
+sail, and soon left the canoes far behind. We saw plenty of large
+crocodiles, and a persevering but much disappointed shark followed
+us for some distance.
+
+We camped that night just inside the mouth of the Barigi River, on the
+very spot where Monckton was attacked the previous year by the Baruga
+tribe. They had made a night attack upon him as he was encamped here
+with his police, and had evidently expected to take him by surprise,
+as they paddled quietly up. But he was ready for them, and gave the
+leading canoe a volley, with the result that the river was soon full
+of dead and wounded men, who were torn to pieces by the crocodiles. The
+rest fled, but he captured their chief, who was wounded.
+
+Upon our arrival late in the afternoon Acland and I started out with
+our guns after pigeon, taking our boys and some armed police, as it
+was not safe to venture far from the camp without protection.
+
+The vegetation was very beautiful, and there was a wonderful variety
+of the palm family. We wandered through very thorny and tangled
+vegetation. We espied a fire not far off and went to inspect it,
+but saw no natives, though there were plenty of footprints in the sand.
+
+Towards evening we saw thousands of pigeons settle on a few trees
+close by on a small island, but they were off in clouds before we got
+near. They were what is known as the Torres Straits pigeon, and were
+of a beautiful creamy-white colour. On the banks of this river were
+quantities of the curious NIPA palm growing in the water. These palms
+have enormous rough pods which hang down in the water, and there were
+quantities of oysters sticking to the lower parts of their stems. We
+dynamited for fish and got sufficient to supply us all with food.
+
+About nine p.m. all the canoes turned up and the camp was soon alive
+with noise and bustle. The carriers had had nothing to eat since
+the day before, and poor old Giwi, the chief, squeezed his stomach
+to show how empty he was, but still managed to giggle in his usual
+childish fashion.
+
+They brought with them two runaway carriers who had come from the
+Kumusi district, where many of the miners start inland for the Yodda
+Valley (the gold mining centre). They had travelled for five days
+along the coast, and had hardly eaten anything. They had avoided all
+villages EN ROUTE, otherwise they themselves would undoubtedly have
+furnished food for others, though there was little enough meat on
+them. There were many different tribes in this neighbourhood, and
+Monckton was far from satisfied as to the safety of our camp if we
+were attacked. We sent off a canoe with Okeina men up the river to get
+provisions from the Baruga tribe who had attacked Monckton the previous
+year, and they now professed friendship to the government. The Okeinas
+were friendly with them, but as they paddled away in the darkness
+Monckton shouted out after them to give him warning when they were
+coming back with the Baruga people, and they shouted back what was
+the Okeina equivalent for "You bet we will."
+
+We pitched our mosquito nets under a rough shelter of palm leaves, and
+I lay awake for some time watching the light of countless fire-flies
+and beetles which flashed around me in the darkness, while curious
+cries of nocturnal birds on the forest-clad banks and mangroves from
+time to time broke the stillness of the tropical night, and followed
+me into the land of dreams, from which I was rudely awakened early
+the next morning by clouds of small sandflies, which my mosquito net
+had failed to keep out.
+
+We stayed here the following day, and put in part of our time
+dynamiting for fish at the mouth of the river. It was a curious sight
+to see the fish blown high into the air as if by a regular geyser. We
+got about three hundred; they were of numerous species, and most of
+them of good size. Many were most brilliantly coloured, indeed the
+fish in these tropical waters are often the most gorgeous objects in
+nature, and would greatly surprise those who are only used to the fish
+of the temperate zone. During the day the Okeinas returned. They were
+followed by several canoes of the Baruga tribe with their chief, who
+brought us four live pigs tied to poles, besides other native food,
+which, together with the fish, saved us from using the rice for the
+police and carriers. New Guinea is not a rice-producing country, and
+the natives not being used to it, are far from appreciating it. A
+little later some of the Notu tribe from further north arrived by
+canoe. They had again been raided by the Dobodura tribe, and many
+of them killed and captured. They said the enemy were very strong,
+and Monckton told us that it was more than likely that they could
+raise one thousand to fifteen hundred fighting men. We determined
+to resume our journey the next day, and go inland and attack their
+villages. We seemed likely to be in for a good fight, and the police
+especially were highly elated. Old Giwi, who bragged so much about
+his fighting capabilities at starting, shook his head and thought it
+a tall order, and that we were not strong enough to tackle them.
+
+We left again early on the morning of September 20th, the canoes
+with our carriers having gone on the previous night. Early in the
+afternoon we passed large villages situated amid groves of coconut
+palms. These belonged to the Notus, who had been suffering such severe
+depredations at the hands of the Doboduras. Shortly before arriving
+at our destination we found the carriers waiting for us on shore, they
+having too much fear of the Notus to reach their villages before us.
+
+We determined to land on the far side of one particularly large
+village. Rifles were handed around, and we strapped on our revolvers,
+and all got ready in case of treachery. Then came a scene of excitement
+as we landed in the breakers. Directly we got into shallow water the
+police jumped out, and with loud yells rushed the boat ashore. There
+was still greater excitement getting the canoes ashore amid loud
+shouting, and one of the last canoes to land, filled, but was carried
+ashore safely, and only a few bags of rice got wet.
+
+We pitched our camp on a sandy strip of land surrounded on three sides
+by a fresh water lagoon, our position being a good one to defend,
+in case we were attacked. Monckton then took a few police and went
+off to interview the Notus.
+
+After a time he returned with the information that the Notus appeared
+to be quite friendly, and anxious to unite with us against the common
+foe on the morrow.
+
+Several of them visited our camp during the day and brought us native
+food and pigs, which latter Monckton shot with his revolver, to prevent
+our carriers cooking them alive. It was quite amusing to see the way
+the Notus hopped about after each report, some of them running away,
+and small blame to them, seeing that it was the first time that they
+had ever heard the report of a firearm.
+
+The next morning saw us up long before daybreak, and in the dim light
+we could see small groups of Notu warriors wending their way amid the
+tall coconuts in the direction of our camp, till about seventy of them
+had assembled. They were all fully armed with long hardwood spears,
+stone clubs and rattan shields (oblong in shape and of wood covered
+with strips of rattan, with a handle at the back), and led the way
+along the beach. The sun soon rose above the sea a very red colour, and
+a superstitious person might have considered it an omen of bloodshed.
+
+It was hard work walking in the loose sand, and I was glad when
+we branched off into the bush to walk inland. We passed through
+alternate forests and open grass land, the forest in places being
+quite luxuriant, and new and beautiful plants and rare and gaudy
+birds and butterflies made one long to loiter by the way. Amongst the
+palm family new to me was a very beautiful LICUALA, perhaps the most
+beautiful of all fan-leaved palms, and a climbing palm, one of the
+rattans (KORTHALZIA sp.), with pinkish stems and leaves resembling
+a gigantic maidenhair fern, which looked very beautiful scrambling
+over the trees, together with two or three other species of rattans.
+
+Our combined force was over two hundred strong, the Notus leading the
+way, then came most of the police, then we three white men, then more
+police, and our Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and Okeina carriers brought up
+the rear bearing our tents, baggage and bags of rice.
+
+As we wended our way down the narrow track there were several moments
+of excitement, and the Notus several times fell back on to us in alarm,
+but their fears seemed groundless.
+
+We continued our march for many hours, and just as we came to the
+end of a long bit of forest, the Notus came rushing back on to us in
+great confusion. We soon learned the reason. At the end of a grassy
+stretch of country was a village surrounded by a thick grove of coconut
+and betel-nut palms, and some of the enemy's scouts had been seen,
+and we heard their distant war-cry, a prolonged "ooh-h-h, ah-h-h,"
+which was particularly thrilling, uttered as it was by great numbers of
+voices. The Notus all huddled together, then replied in like language,
+but their cry did not seem to possess the same defiant ring as that
+of the Doboduras.
+
+We three took off our helmets and crouched down with the police just
+inside the forest, with our rifles ready for the expected rush of
+the enemy, having sent the Notus out into the open, hoping thereby
+to draw the enemy after them. We meant then to give them a lesson,
+make some captures, and come to terms with their chief. Two or three
+times the Notus came rushing back, and I fully expected to see the
+Doboduras at their heels, but they were evidently aware that the
+Notus were not alone, and all I could see was the distant village
+and palm-trees shimmering in the quivering heated air, and the heads
+of the Dobodura warriors crowned with feather head-dresses bobbing
+about amid the tall grass, while ever and anon their distant war-cry
+floated over the grassy plain.
+
+We decided to rush the village, which we later found was named Kanau,
+but when we got there we found it deserted. In the centre of the
+village was a kind of small raised platform, on which were rows of
+human skulls and quantities of bones, the remnants of many a gruesome
+cannibal feast. Many of these skulls were quite fresh, with small
+bits of meat still sticking to them, but for all that they had been
+picked very clean. Every skull had a large hole punched in the side of
+the head, varying in size, but uniform as regards position (to quote
+from Monckton's later report to the government). The explanation for
+this we soon learnt from the Notus, and later it was confirmed by our
+prisoners. When the Doboduras capture an enemy they slowly torture him
+to death, practically eating him alive. When he is almost dead they
+make a hole in the side of the head and scoop out the brains with a
+kind of wooden spoon. These brains, which were eaten warm and fresh,
+were regarded as a great delicacy. No doubt the Notus recognised some
+of their relatives amid the ghastly relics. We rested a short time in
+this village, and our people were soon busy spearing pigs and chickens,
+and looting. The loot consisted of all sorts of household articles
+and implements, including wooden pillows, bowls, and dishes, "tapa"
+cloth of quaint designs, stone adzes, beautiful feather ornaments,
+"bau-baus" or native bamboo pipes, wooden spears, and a great quantity
+of shell and dogs'-tooth necklaces.
+
+We saw three or four of the enemy scouting on the edge of the forest,
+and I was asked to try to pick one off, but before I could fire
+they had disappeared. Then several Notus ran out brandishing spears,
+and danced a war-dance in front of the forest, but their invitation
+was not accepted. We next saw several armed scouts on a small tree
+about five hundred yards away, and we all lined up and gave them
+a volley; whether we hit any of them or not it is hard to say, but
+they dropped down immediately into the long grass. At any rate, it
+must have astonished them to hear the bullets whistling round them,
+even if they were not hit, as it was the first time they had ever
+heard the report of a firearm of any description. Some of the police
+went out to sneak through the long grass, and we soon heard shots,
+and they came back with the spears, clubs and shields of two men
+they had killed. They also brought a curious fighting ornament worn
+on the head, made of upper bills of the hornbill.
+
+We continued our march through some thick forest, and at length came
+to the banks of a river, where we suddenly crouched down. An armed
+man was crawling along the river bed, peering in all directions, and
+shouting out to his friends on the opposite bank. We were anxious to
+make a capture. Monckton suddenly gave the word, and up jumped a dozen
+police in front of me and plunged into the river and gave chase. I
+followed hard, but the police in front were gradually leaving me far
+behind. Till then I always fancied I could run a bit, but I knew better
+now. Seeing the man's shield, which he had thrown away in his flight,
+I at once collared it as a trophy of the chase. Then looking around,
+I found that I was quite alone, and the thick jungle all around me
+resounded with the loud angry shouts and cries of the enemy. I found
+out afterwards that my friends and the rest had no intention of giving
+chase, but had been highly amused in watching my poor effort to keep
+up with the nimble barefooted police. I shall never forget those
+uncomfortable few minutes as I rushed down the track in the direction
+the police had taken. Visions arose before me of the part I should play
+in a cannibal feast, and I expected every minute to feel the sharp
+point of a spear entering the small of my back, just as I had been
+seeing our people drive their spears clean through some running pigs.
+
+To my dismay I found the track divided, and it was impossible to tell
+which way the police had gone. To turn back was out of the question. I
+had come a good way, and I had no idea where the rest were, and from
+the uproar at the back I imagined the Doboduras were coming down the
+track after me. I hastily decided to go by the old saying, "If you
+go to the right you are right," and it was well for me that I did so,
+as I found out later from the police that if I had gone to the left --
+well, there would have been nothing left of me, especially after one
+Dobodura meal, as the enemy were there in full force. As it was, I
+soon afterward came up with the police, feeling rather shaky and white.
+
+The police had captured a middle-aged woman, whose face and part
+of her body were thickly plastered with clay. This was a sign of
+mourning. We learnt that she was a Notu woman, who had been captured
+some time previously by the Doboduras. She was much alarmed, and
+whined and beat her breasts, and caressed some of the police. We
+made her come on with us, and the rest of the party soon joining
+us, we came to another village, which we "rushed," but it, too,
+was deserted. There was more killing of fowls and pigs, and a scene
+of great confusion as our people speared and clubbed them and ran
+about in all directions, looting the houses, picking coconuts, and
+cutting down betel-nut palms, many of them decorating themselves
+with the beautifully variegated leaves of crotons and DRACAENAS,
+some of which were of species entirely new to me. It seemed a bit
+curious that these wild cannibals should exhibit such a taste for
+these gay and brilliantly coloured leaves and flowers, which they
+had evidently transplanted from forest and jungle to their own village.
+
+We continued our way through bush and open country, our police having
+slight skirmishes with small bands of natives. One big Dobodura rushed
+at Sergeant Kimi with uplifted club, but Kimi coolly knelt down and
+shot him in the stomach when he was only a few yards off. The round,
+sharp stone on the club being an extra fine one, I soon exchanged it
+with Kimi for two sticks of tobacco (the chief article of trade in
+New Guinea, and worth about three half-pence a stick).
+
+Toku, Monckton's boy, and a brother of my boy, Arigita, who carried
+his master's small pea-rifle, shot a man in the back with it as the
+man fled, and thereafter was a hero among the boys. Arigita wished
+to emulate his brother, and begged hard to do some shooting on his
+own account with my twelve-bore shot gun, which he carried, and he
+seemed very much hurt because I would not allow it.
+
+We passed through many more villages, embowered in palm groves, and
+in each village we saw plenty of human skulls and long sticks with
+human jawbones hanging upon them. On one I counted twenty-five; there
+were also long rows of the jawbones of pigs, and a few crocodiles'
+heads. These villages were all deserted, the natives having fled. At
+length we came to what appeared, from its great size, to be the
+chief village, which we later learnt was named Dobodura. It extended
+some distance, and stood amid thousands of coconut palms. Here we
+determined to camp, but we found that most of the police had rushed
+on ahead after the Doboduras, much to Monckton's annoyance, for it
+was risky, to say the least, as the enemy might easily have attacked
+each party separately. But the police and carriers, now that they had
+"tasted blood," seemed to get quite out of hand, and their savagery
+coming to the surface, they rushed about as if demented. However,
+they soon returned with more captured weapons of warfare, having
+killed two more men, and they also brought two prisoners, a young man
+and a young woman. The prisoners looked horribly frightened, having
+never seen a white man before, and they thought they would be eaten:
+so Constable Yaidi told me.
+
+The man was a stupid looking oaf, and seemed too dazed to speak. The
+woman, however, if she had been washed, would have been quite
+good-looking. She had rather the European type of features, and was
+quite talkative. She told us that most of her people had gone off
+to fight a mountain tribe, who had threatened to swoop down on this
+village. These complications were getting exceedingly Gilbertian in
+character. To begin with, the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu carriers were
+afraid of the Okeinas, who in their turn were afraid of the Notus;
+the Notus feared this Dobodura tribe we were fighting, and the
+Doboduras seemed to be in fear of a mountain tribe. We ourselves
+were by no means sure of the Notus, and kept on guard in case of
+treachery. These tribes, we heard, were nearly always fighting,
+and always have their scouts out.
+
+To return to the prisoners. We showed them how a bullet could
+pass clean through a coconut tree, and they seemed to be greatly
+impressed. They were then told to tell their chief to come over the
+next morning and interview us, and that we wished to be friendly. We
+then gave them some tobacco and told them they could go, and it
+was evident that they were astonished beyond words at their good
+fortune. As they passed through our police and carriers, I feel sure
+that they suspected us of some trick on them.
+
+A bathe in the cool, clear river close by was delightful after a very
+hard day, but we, of course, had an armed guard of police around us,
+and practically bathed rifle in hand, as the growth was dense on the
+opposite bank.
+
+Our people seemed to be quite enjoying themselves, looting the
+houses, and one of the police was chasing a pig in this village,
+when he was attacked by a man with a club. The policeman was unarmed,
+but immediately wrenched the club from the man's hand and smashed his
+skull in, and the body lay barely one hundred yards from our tent. This
+was too tantalizing for our carriers, who came up and begged permission
+to eat it, although they knew full well that Monckton had given orders
+that there was to be no cannibalism among them. Needless to remark,
+the request was refused, but they had the pluck to ask again before
+the expedition was over.
+
+My boy Arigita had often eaten human meat, and as he expressed it in
+his quaint pidgin English, "Pig no good, man he very good." It can
+be imagined it must be really good, as the Papuan thinks a great deal
+of pig. We had a good appetite for supper, in spite of the fact that
+we ate it within a few yards of a half-burnt heap of human skulls and
+bones, which appeared quite fresh. Our various tribes were all camped
+separately, and they looked very picturesque round their different
+camp fires, with their spears stuck in the ground in their midst,
+their clubs and shields by their sides, and the firelight flickering
+upon their wild-looking faces.
+
+To our astonishment, our late man prisoner returned and said that his
+chief wished to see us that night. At once there was a great commotion
+among our police and the Notus, who all spoke excitedly together,
+and were unanimous that this implied treachery, and that behind
+the chief would come his men, who would attack us unawares. We also
+learned that it was not their usual habit to make friendly visits at
+night. Monckton thought the same, and told the man that if the chief or
+any of his people came near the camp that night they would be shot. The
+man also informed us that all his tribe had returned; no doubt swift
+messengers went after them to bring them back. The man went, and we
+waited expectantly for what might happen. Everyone seemed certain that
+we should be attacked, and if so, we had a very poor chance with from
+a thousand to fifteen hundred well-armed savages making a rush on us
+in the semi-darkness, as there was no moon, and it was cloudy.
+
+The enemy would rush up and close with our people, and while we should
+not be able to distinguish friend from foe, we should not be able to
+fire in the darkness at close quarters. They could then spear and club
+us at will. Now we had always heard that Papuans never attack at night,
+but the police and Notus told us that these Doboduras nearly always
+attacked at night, and if we had known this before we should most
+certainly have made ourselves a fortified camp outside the village. But
+it was too late to think of this now, and we knew that we were in a
+very awkward position. The fact that they could gather together so
+large a force as was alleged, was estimated by Monckton from the size
+of these villages, which showed that they were a very powerful tribe.
+
+The whole police force were put out on sentry duty, as also four or
+five Kaili-kailis who had been taught at Cape Nelson to use a rifle.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 8
+
+We Are Attacked By Night.
+
+A Night Attack -- A Little Mistake -- Horrible Barbarities of the
+Doboduras -- Eating a Man Alive -- A Sinister Warning -- Saved by Rain
+-- Daylight at Last -- "Prudence the Better Part" -- The Return --
+Welcome by the Notus -- "Orakaiba."
+
+I was busily engaged in writing my notes of the day, with my rifle
+by my side, when suddenly a shot rang out, followed by another and
+another, then a volley from all the sentries on one side of the camp,
+and the darkness was lit up by the flashes of their rifles. Then came
+the thrilling war-cry, "Ooh-h-h-h! ah-h-h-h!" that made one's blood run
+cold, especially under such surroundings. All the camp was now in the
+utmost confusion, and there was a great panic among our carriers, who
+flung themselves on the ground yelling with fear. Never was there such
+a fiendish noise! I sprang to my feet, flinging my note-book away and
+picking up my rifle, and ran back to where Monckton was yelling out:
+"Fall in, fall in, for God's sake fall in!"
+
+Two houses were hastily set on fire, and instantly became furnaces
+which lit up the surroundings and the tops of the tall coconut palms
+over-head, which even in this moment of danger appeared to me like
+a glimpse of fairyland. I noticed a line of fire-sticks waving in
+the darkness outside. They seemed to be slowly advancing, and in the
+excitement of the moment I mistook them for the enemy -- and fired!
+
+Luckily, my shot did not take effect, as I soon found out that these
+fire-sticks were held by some of our own carriers, who had been told
+by Monckton to carry them so that we could distinguish them from the
+enemy in case we were attacked. Monckton turned to where the Notus,
+were, and seeing them all decked out in their war plumes, dancing
+about among the prostrate carriers, and waving their clubs and spears,
+naturally took them for Dobodura warriors, and nearly fired at them. He
+angrily ordered them to take off their feathers.
+
+Calmness soon settled down again, and we learned that the police had
+fired at some Doboduras who were creeping up into the camp. How many
+there were we could not tell, but later on we learnt that some of
+them had been killed, and seeing the flash of the rifles, which was
+a new experience to them, the rest had retreated for the time being,
+but soon rallied together for attack that night or in the small hours
+of the morning. Knowing that if they once rushed us in the darkness
+we should all be doomed for their cooking pots, the state of our
+feelings can be imagined.
+
+The first attempt came rather as a shock to a peaceful novice like
+myself, and seeing warriors in full war paint and feathers rushing
+about with uplifted club and spear amid our prostrate squirming
+carriers, I had a very strong inclination to bury myself in the nearest
+hut and softly hum the lines, "I care not for wars and quarrels,"
+etc. We sat talking in subdued tones for some time, expecting every
+minute to hear the thrilling war cry of the Doboduras, but nothing was
+to be heard but the crackling of the embers of the burning houses,
+the low murmur of our people around their camp fire, and the most
+dismal falsetto howls of the native dogs in the distance. These howls
+were not particularly exhilarating at such a time, and I more than
+once mistook them for the distant war-cry of the Doboduras.
+
+The Papuans, as a rule, do not torture their prisoners for the
+mere idea of torture, though they have often been known to roast a
+man alive, for the reason that the meat is supposed to taste better
+thus. This they also do to pigs, and I myself, on this very expedition,
+caught some of our carriers making preparations to roast a pig alive,
+and just stopped them in time. For this reason Monckton would always
+shoot the pigs brought in for his carriers, but in this case one pig
+was overlooked. I have heard of cases of white men having been roasted
+alive, one case being that of the two miners, Campion and King. But
+we had learnt that this Dobodura tribe had a system of torture that
+was brutal beyond words. In the first place they always try to wound
+slightly and capture a man alive, so that they can have fresh meat
+for many days. They keep their prisoner tied up alive in the house and
+cut out pieces of his flesh just when they want it, and we were told,
+incredible as it seems, that they sometimes manage to keep him alive
+for a week or more, and have some preparation which prevents him from
+bleeding to death.
+
+Monckton advised both Acland and myself to shoot ourselves with
+our revolvers if we saw that we were overwhelmed, so as to escape
+these terrible tortures, and he assured us that he should keep the
+last bullet in his own revolver for himself. This was my first taste
+of warfare. Monckton had had many fights with Papuans, and Acland,
+besides, had seen many severe engagements in the Boer war, but he
+said he would rather be fighting the Boers than risking the infernal
+tortures of these cannibals. It all, somehow, seemed unreal to me,
+and I could hardly realise that I was in serious danger of being
+tortured, cooked and eaten. It is impossible to depict faithfully
+our weird surroundings. We chatted on for some time, and tried
+to cheer each other up by making jokes about the matter, such as
+"This time to-morrow we shall be laughing over the whole affair,"
+but the depressed tone of our voices belied our words, and it proved
+to be but a very feeble attempt at joking. We longed for the moon,
+though that would have helped us little, as it was cloudy.
+
+It is quite unnecessary to go into further details of that awful
+night. I know we all owned up afterward that it was the most trying
+night we had ever spent, and for my part I hope I may never spend
+another like it. None of us got a wink of sleep. I tried to sleep,
+but I was too excited to do so; besides, all my pockets were crammed
+full of rifle and revolver cartridges, and I had my revolver strapped
+to my side, ready for an attack, or in case we got separated in the
+confusion that was sure to ensue. At about 3 a.m. it began to rain,
+the first rain we had had in New Guinea for five or six weeks,
+and that saved us, for we learned later on that about that time
+the Doboduras were gathering together for a rush on our camp, when
+the rain set in, and, odd as it may seem, we heard that they had a
+superstition against attacking in the rain. What their reason was,
+I never got to hear fully, but we were unaware of all these things as
+we silently waited and longed for the dawn to break. I never before
+so wished for daylight. It came at length, and what a load it took
+off our minds! We could now see to shoot at all events. We saw the
+Dobodura scouts in the distance on the edge of the forest, but we had
+made up our minds to "heau" (Papuan for "run away") as things were
+too hot for us. There was a scene of great excitement as we left, and
+from the noise our people made they were evidently glad to get away.
+
+The Notus led the way, and they started to hop about, brandishing
+their spears. They did excellent scouting work in the long grass,
+rushing ahead with their spears poised. This time the rear guard
+was formed by some of the police. All the villages we passed through
+were again deserted, but we heard the enemy crying out to one another
+in the forest and jungle, telling each other of our whereabouts. We
+expected an attack, and I often nearly mistook the screeches and cries
+of cockatoos and parrots and the loud, curious call of the birds
+of paradise for some distant war-cry, which was quite excusable,
+considering the state of our nerves and the sleepless night we
+had spent.
+
+The Notus were great looters, and as we passed through the various
+villages they took everything they could lay their hands on, and our
+entrance into a village was marked by a scene of great confusion. Pigs
+and chickens were speared, betel-nut palms cut down, and hunting
+nets, bowls, spears and food hauled out of the house, but Monckton
+was very strict in stopping them from cutting houses and coconut
+palms down. Ere long we left the last village behind, and halting
+just inside the forest, sent a man up a tree, who reported the last
+village we had passed through to be full of people. The police had
+a few shots, but apparently without success.
+
+When we again reached the coast we knew that we were now safe from
+attack. Monckton was much puzzled that no attack had been made on us
+during the return journey, as he felt sure they were not afraid of us,
+and after we had killed so many of their people he was certain they
+would try for revenge. He also thought they expected us to camp that
+night in their country, and that we were only out hunting for them,
+as we did not hurry away very fast, but stopped a short time in
+each village.
+
+We found the tide high, so we took off our boots and waded most of
+the way, and in time arrived at a creek up which the sea was rushing
+in and out with great violence. We were helped over by police on each
+side of us, who half dragged us across, otherwise we should have been
+washed off our legs, so great was the suction. I was very fond of
+these strong, plucky, good tempered and amusing Papuan police. Often
+when we were encamped for the night, I would hear them chaffing each
+other in pidgin English for the benefit of the "taubadas" (masters);
+they would slyly turn their heads to see if we were amused, and how
+delighted they were if they saw us smile at their quaint English,
+
+In the evening we found ourselves back in the Notu villages, and were
+met by many Notus bearing coconuts, which they opened and handed to
+us. I suppose these were meant as refreshment for the victors, for as
+such they no doubt regarded us, as well as saviours of their tribe. I
+could quite imagine the Notu warriors bragging on their return of
+their own deeds of valour, although all the killing was done by the
+police. Meanwhile, however, as we passed through the squatting crowds,
+we were greeted with loud cries of "orakaiba" (peace).
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 9
+
+On the War-Trail Once More.
+
+Further Expedition Planned -- Thank-offerings of Notu Chiefs --
+The Voyage -- A Gigantic Flatfish -- Negotiating a Difficult Bar
+-- Moat Unhealthy Spot in New Guinea -- Hostility of Natives --
+Precautions at Night -- Catching Ground Sharks and a "Groper" --
+Shark-flesh a Delicacy to the Natives -- Wakened by a War Cry -- A
+False Alarm -- A Hairbreadth Escape -- Between "Devil and Deep Sea"
+-- Dangers of the Goldfield -- Two Miners Eaten Alive -- Unexpected
+Visit from a White Man -- "Where's that Razor?" -- Crime of Cutting
+Down a Coconut Tree -- Walsh's Camp -- Torres Straits Pigeons -- My
+Boy an ex-Cannibal -- A Probable Trap -- Relapse into Cannibalism
+of our Own Allies -- Narrow Escape from a New Guinea Mantrap --
+Attack on a Village -- Second Visit to Dobodura -- Toku's Exploit --
+Interview with our Prisoners -- Reasons for Cannibalism -- The Night
+Attack on our Camp and Enemies' Fear of our Rifles described by our
+Prisoners -- Bravery of one of our Carriers -- Treatment of a Prisoner.
+
+"Yes," said Monckton on our return to the coast, "we have got to
+punish those Doboduras at all costs. They are the worst brutes I've
+come across in New Guinea." And Monckton knew what he was talking
+about, as he had been a resident magistrate in British New Guinea for
+many years and had travelled all over the country, and had a wider
+experience of the cannibals than any man living.
+
+This tribe (as has already been mentioned), when they capture a
+prisoner, tie him to a post, keep him alive for days, and meanwhile
+feed on him slowly by cutting out pieces of flesh, and prevent his
+bleeding to death with a special preparation of their own concoction,
+and finally, when he is nearly dead, they make a hole in the side of
+the head and feed on the hot fresh brains.
+
+Both Acland and I myself fully agreed with Monckton, as we were not
+by any means grateful to the Doboduras for giving us the worst fright
+of our lives. We had, it is true, killed a good many of them, but we
+recognised the fact that our force was insufficient to hold its own,
+much less to punish these brutal tribesmen. So we determined to journey
+up north and get help from the magistrate of the Northern Division
+on the Mambare River, before returning to the Dobodura country.
+
+That evening four Notu chiefs came into camp to thank us for killing
+their enemies, and they brought with them presents of dogs' teeth and
+shell necklaces, and seemed greatly excited, all talking at once,
+each trying to out-talk his fellows, and wagged their heads at us
+in turn. We left very early the next morning in our whaleboat for
+the Kumusi River, but left all our carriers and stores with most of
+the police behind in one of the Notu villages to await our return,
+as we now felt sure that we could trust the Notu tribe.
+
+It was a hot and uneventful voyage. A fish which looked like an
+enormous sole, but which was larger than the whaleboat, jumped high in
+the air not many yards away. Toward evening we arrived opposite the
+bar of the Kumusi River, and we had a very uncomfortable few minutes
+getting through the breakers into the river, for if we had been
+upset we should soon have become food for the sharks and crocodiles,
+which literally swarmed here. We got through the worst part safely,
+but then stuck fast on a small sand-bank, and one or two good-sized
+breakers half-filled the boat; but we all jumped out and hauled her
+off the sand into the deep, calm waters beyond.
+
+After rowing up the river a short distance, we landed at a spot
+where there was a trader's store, looked after by an Australian
+named Owen. From here miners go up the river to the gold fields in
+the Yodda Valley, and cutters are constantly putting in at this store
+with miners and provisions.
+
+This district has the reputation of being one of the most unhealthy
+spots in New Guinea, and the natives round here are none too friendly,
+and hate the government and their police, so that during the last
+three years, three or four resident magistrates in the locality have
+either been murdered or have died of fever.
+
+We arranged to have our meals with Owen at the store, and we slept in a
+rough palm-thatched shed with a raised flooring of split palm-trunks,
+which was very hard and rough to sleep on, and gave me a sleepless
+night. We got two of our police to sleep in front of the doorway,
+as it was more than likely that the natives might attempt to murder
+us. These precautions may have been justified as, in the middle of the
+night both Acland and I myself saw two natives peering into the hut.
+
+The next day we sent off a messenger to the northern station for more
+police, and it was fully a week before they arrived. Meanwhile we spent
+our time dynamiting and catching fish. We caught some large ground
+sharks fully four hundred pounds in weight, and also a "gorupa"
+("groper"), a very large fish of about three hundred and fifty
+pounds. This fish is the terror of divers in these parts they fear
+it more than any shark. Both shark and fish proved most acceptable
+to our police; they are especially fond of shark.
+
+One morning about five o'clock I was aroused by hearing a shrill
+war-cry close by. The police rushed up with their rifles and told us
+we were attacked. It can be imagined it did not take us long to buckle
+on our revolvers and seize our rifles and run, half-asleep as we were,
+in the direction of the noise, which was repeated from time to time
+in a very ferocious manner. On turning a sharp corner by the river,
+instead of warlike warriors, we beheld about a dozen natives hauling
+in the sharkline we had left baited in the water the previous evening,
+with a very large shark at the end of it. Being greatly excited they
+had from time to time yelled out their war-cry. We felt very foolish
+at being roused from our slumbers for nothing, but still there was
+some slight consolation in knowing that even the police were deceived.
+
+Owen, the Australian, not long before had had rather an amusing,
+and at the same time exciting, adventure with a large crocodile in
+a swamp close to the store. He noticed it fast asleep in the swamp,
+and so waded out to it through the mud, making no noise whatever. When
+within a few yards of the saurian, he threw a double charge of dynamite
+close up to it, and then turned to fly. He found he could not move,
+but was stuck firmly in the mud. His struggles and yells for help had
+meanwhile awoke the crocodile, which came for him with open jaws. It
+looked as if it was a case of either being blown to pieces by the
+dynamite or furnishing a meal for the crocodile.
+
+Luckily the fuse was a long one, and the crocodile floundered about
+a good deal in the mud ere it could reach him. Some friendly natives
+rushed in and dragged him out just as the crocodile reached him. The
+crocodile fled in one direction and the dynamite went off in another,
+but Owen and the natives only just avoided the explosion.
+
+Owen told me that there were about fifty miners in the goldfields
+of the Yodda Valley, but that most of them were beginning to leave,
+although there is plenty of gold to be got. The climate is a bad one,
+and provisions, etc., are very dear, and so gold has to be got in
+very large quantities to pay. As the miners decrease, there is bound
+to be trouble with the natives, who are very treacherous. The miners,
+who are nearly all Australians or New Zealanders, have generally to
+work in strong bands with their rifles close at hand.
+
+Only a short time ago the two miners, Campion and King (whom I
+have elsewhere mentioned), while working in the bed of a creek,
+had just traded with some apparently friendly natives for a pig and
+some yams, and sat down for a smoke and a rest, thinking that the
+natives had left, but these cunning cannibals were awaiting just
+such an opportunity, and were lying hid amidst the thick foliage
+clothing the steep banks of the creek. Suddenly, making a rush, they
+got between the miners and their rifles, and speared both in the
+legs, taking care not to kill them, as the cannibals in this part
+of New Guinea consider that meat tastes better, be it pig or man,
+when cooked alive. They then tied them with ropes of rattan to long
+poles and carried them off to their village, where they were both
+roasted alive over a slow fire. These facts were gathered from some
+prisoners afterwards captured by a government force. A strong band
+of miners also attacked their villages, and gave no quarter.
+
+On the fifth day of our stay here one of our police came rushing up
+to us excitedly with the information that a whaleboat was in sight,
+and we knew that a white man would be in it. There was at once a
+cry from Monckton, "After you with the razor, Acland." Now it had
+been understood that none of us were to shave during the expedition,
+and consequently we had grown large crops of beards and whiskers,
+and looked a veritable trio of cut-throats. However, it appeared
+that Acland had smuggled away a razor-possibly for all we knew to
+enable him to captivate some fair Amazon, who might otherwise have
+thought he was only good for her cooking pot. Half-an-hour later three
+clean-shaven individuals met a tall unshaven man as he stepped out
+of his boat on to the beach, and his first remark was, "Oh, I say,
+(reproachfully) you fellows, where's that razor!" It was Walsh,
+Assistant Resident Magistrate for the Northern Division, and none of
+us had met him before.
+
+He and another Englishman, a celebrated trader named Clark (he was
+an old resident, well-known in New Guinea), with a force of police,
+were returning from an expedition down the coast, and were at present
+encamped about sixteen miles south of here, near some small islands
+known as Mangrove Islands.
+
+Leaving Clark in charge, Walsh had come over with a small cutter, which
+we promptly hired to carry the extra stores of rice and provisions
+which we had purchased from Owen. It is astonishing the amount of
+rice it takes to feed one hundred carriers and twenty-five native
+police during a six weeks' exploring expedition.
+
+Two days later ten police arrived, sent down at Monckton's request
+from the Mambare or Northern Station. These, with Walsh's nine, made
+an addition of nineteen police to our force. A celebrated old Mambare
+chief named Busimaiwa arrived at the same time, together with many
+of his tribe, which was friendly to the government. I say celebrated
+because he was the leader in the murder of the resident magistrate
+of the Northern Division, the late Mr.  --  -- , together with all
+his police. But he has since been pardoned by the government. The
+magistrate and his police were killed through treachery, being unarmed
+at the time. They were all eaten, but  --  -- 's skull was afterwards
+recovered. Old Busimaiwa, had a son in our police force.
+
+We were off early the next morning, we four white men and most of the
+police going in the two whaleboats, while the rest walked along the
+shore. These latter had to pass through many small villages on the
+way, but the inhabitants did not wait to find out whether they were
+friends or foes, and the police found the villages empty.
+
+From the whaleboat I suddenly noticed a tall coconut palm come falling
+to the ground, and I immediately called Monckton's attention to the
+fact. He was very much annoyed, as he knew that it was cut down by some
+of our party, contrary to regulations. According to government laws,
+to cut down a coconut tree in New Guinea is a crime, and a serious
+one at that. Even when attacking a hostile village it is strictly
+forbidden, though one may loot houses, kill pigs, out down betel-nut
+palms, and even kill the inhabitants. But the coconut-palm is sacred
+in their eyes.
+
+However, the government has an eye to the future of the country,
+as, besides being the main article of food in a country whose food
+supply is limited, the coconut tree means wealth to the country,
+when it gets more settled and the natives are able to do a large
+business in copra with the white traders.
+
+That evening, when in camp, we discovered the culprit to be no less a
+personage than the sergeant of Walsh's police, who was in command of
+the shore party, his sole excuse for breaking the law being that he
+thought it too much trouble to climb the tree after the coconuts. When
+the whole of the police force had been drawn up in line Monckton,
+as leader of the expedition, cut the red stripes from the blue tunic
+of the sergeant, and he was reduced to the ranks.
+
+After a rough voyage, there being a good swell on, we arrived at
+Walsh's camp on the mainland, opposite the Mangrove Islands, and
+here we found Clark, whom I had met before in Samarai. The camp
+was situated in the midst of a small native village, and later on
+the inhabitants and others turned up armed with their stone clubs,
+spears and shields, and offered to help us. They also wanted us to
+go and fight their enemies a short way inland from here. Monckton's
+reply was not over polite. He ended by ordering them at once to clear
+out of their village, as he had no use for them.
+
+Toward evening we all went pigeon shooting, as thousands of Torres
+Straits pigeons flock round here at twilight and settle chiefly on
+the small islands close to the mainland. We had excellent sport. The
+birds flew overhead, and we shot a great number between us.
+
+Three of us white men were down with fever that evening. As the
+cutter had not arrived with the rice, etc., from the Kumusi River,
+we had to remain here the whole of the next day.
+
+Toward evening we again went pigeon shooting, each of us taking
+possession of a small island, but the birds were not nearly as
+plentiful as yesterday, and small bags were the result. On these
+islands were plenty of houses, which we heard were deserted a few weeks
+ago, owing to the frequent attacks of hungry cannibals on the mainland.
+
+On my island I discovered several very fresh-looking human skulls
+and bones. My boy, Arigita, regaled me with yarns while we waited for
+the pigeons. He told me he had often eaten human meat, and expressed
+the same opinion on the matter as the ex-cannibals I had met in the
+interior of Fiji had done. I had good reason for suspecting the young
+rascal of having partaken of human meat since he had been my servant.
+
+I noticed plenty of double red hibiscus bushes on these islands,
+and I came across a new and curious DRACAENA with extremely short
+and broad red and green leaves, that was certainly worth introducing
+into cultivation.
+
+We continued our journey in the whaleboats the next morning, and after
+going some distance we heard a shout, and saw a man on the beach
+frantically waving to us, but as he would not venture near enough,
+we had to go on without finding out what was the matter. Shortly
+afterward we heard three loud blasts on a conch shell, which is
+always used to call natives together, but the bush being thick, we
+could see nothing. I myself believe it was a trap, the man evidently
+trying to get us ashore, so that his tribe might attack us. However,
+our shore party, who came along later, saw no sign of any natives.
+
+Towards evening we landed at the spot where we had started inland
+last time against the Doboduras. Here we determined to camp. We
+immediately sent down to Notu for our carriers and the rest of the
+police, who arrived after dark, all seeming delighted and relieved
+to be with us once more. We learned that after we had left the Notu
+people killed and ate two runaway carriers from the Kumusi, and after
+indulging in a great feast, fled and deserted their villages, so our
+late cannibalistic allies evidently feared retribution at our hands.
+
+These carriers, belonging to the miners in the Kumusi and Mambare
+districts, are constantly running away, and they then try to work their
+way down the coast to Samarai, from whence they are shipped. But they
+never get there, being always killed and eaten on the way. One of our
+own carriers had died at Notu, but the police had seen to it that he
+was properly buried. However, it is more than likely that he was dug
+up after they had left, and eaten.
+
+The cutter arrived early the next morning.. The rice was soon landed,
+and we started off along the same track as before. We now had over
+forty police, and although we did not this time have the assistance
+of the Notus, we had many more carriers.
+
+During this march our police luckily discovered in time some slanting
+spears set as a man trap, which projected from the tall grass over
+the narrow track. Such spears are hard to see, especially for anyone
+travelling at a good speed, and I was told that the points were
+poisoned. Another trap, common in New Guinea, is to place a fallen
+tree across the track and dig a deep pit on the other side from which
+the enemy is expected to come. This pit is filled with sharp upright
+spears, and then lightly covered over so that a man stepping over the
+tree, which hides the ground on the other side, will fall into the pit.
+
+After marching for some distance, we came to the end of a bit
+of forest, from whence we could see the first hostile village. We
+frightened away several armed scouts. The village appeared to be full
+of armed men in full war-paint and plumes, so we divided our force
+into two parties, each cutting round through the forest on both sides
+of the village, in an endeavour to surprise the enemy. We were only
+partially successful, as the Doboduras discovered our plans just
+in time. Though we rushed the village, and a few shots were fired,
+we only succeeded in capturing two old men and a small boy, who were
+not able to get away in time. The houses were full of household goods,
+in spite of our previous raid, when this and other villages were well
+looted by our people, so we were evidently not expected to return.
+
+We did not stay long here, but soon resumed our march. It was a very
+hot day, and after walking through the open bits of grass country,
+it was always pleasant to get into the cool and shady forest, full
+of delicate ferns, rare palms and orchid-laden trees. We passed on
+through two other villages, with their gruesome platforms of grinning
+skulls as the only vestige of humanity.
+
+At length we came to the large village, which is named Dobodura,
+after the tribe, and in which we had spent such a horrible night on
+our last visit. The village was full of yelling warriors. Rushing up,
+we shot several who showed fight. Most of them, however, fled before
+us. Toku, Monckton's boy, and brother of my boy Arigita, again made
+use of his master's pea-rifle, but this time he did not meet with
+any success, and very narrowly escaped getting a spear through him.
+
+A short time before, when Monckton was out on an expedition, Toku was
+carrying his master's revolver, but happened to lag behind the rest of
+the party without being noticed, when a man jumped out of the jungle
+and picked young Toku up in his arms, covering up his mouth so that he
+could not cry out, and proceeded to carry him off, no doubt intending
+to have a live roast. But Toku, managing to draw Monckton's revolver,
+shot him dead right through the head, and Monckton, hearing the shot,
+turned back, and soon discovered young Toku calmly sitting on his
+enemy's dead body. But, alas! the hero had to suffer in the hour of
+his triumph, as Monckton ordered him to be flogged for lagging behind
+the rear guard of police.
+
+Besides killing several of the Doboduras, we also took several
+prisoners, both men and women. We rested here, but several of the
+police, whose fighting blood was now fully roused, went out with some
+of our armed natives, skirmishing in one or two parties till late,
+and we could hear shots in all directions. As we found out later,
+they had slain several more of the enemy, with no loss to themselves.
+
+We chose a splendid camp, with the river (which we were informed was
+the Tamboga River) on one side.
+
+The forest trees were felled on the other side, forming a strong
+barrier, very different from our last camp here in the centre of the
+village, and without any defences at all. We had a most refreshing
+bathe in the river, but kept our rifles close at hand, as the enemy
+could have easily speared us from the reeds on the opposite bank.
+
+After supper we interviewed the prisoners, and we now learned the
+real sequel to our last visit and what a narrow escape we had that
+night from being all massacred. It appeared that our fighting during
+the daytime astonished them much, as they could not understand how we
+could kill at such a distance, rifles being quite new to them. Our
+fame soon reached a large village much further on, and they said
+to the Dobodura people: "Ye are all cowards; we will show you that
+we can destroy these strange people." They started off that night
+and surrounding our camp on all sides, crept up for a rush; but,
+luckily for us, our sentries saw some of them and fired. The first
+shot killed one of them, and others were hit. Then came the blaze of
+many rifles. This terrified them and they fled. The horrible noise of
+the rifles and the flashes of fire in the darkness astonished them, but
+what made them depart for good was seeing one of their men fall at the
+first shot. It was a very lucky shot, and it probably saved our lives
+that night. When asked why they raided the Notus, the prisoners said
+that they were friends until two years ago, when they quarrelled, and
+had been constantly fighting since. In particular they now blamed the
+Notus for the late drought, which they said was due to their sorcery,
+the result being that they were forced to live on sago alone, and to
+vary this diet were compelled to get human meat.
+
+I was the only one out of five white men not down with fever, but I
+was glad that we passed a quiet night, with no attack on the camp. In
+the morning one of our carriers, who ventured less than fifty yards
+beyond the barrier, received a spear through his left arm and another
+through his side, and though I am almost afraid to relate it for
+fear of being thought guilty of exaggeration, the man plucked the
+spear out of his side in a moment, and, hurling it back, killed his
+opponent. I ventured outside and proved the truth of the man's story,
+by finding the Dobodura man transfixed with his own spear. Both our
+man's wounds were bad ones, but he did not seem to mind them at all,
+and was for some time surrounded by a crowd of admiring natives.
+
+We started off early in search of a large village of which a prisoner
+told us, but had not gone far when a man jumped out of the long grass
+and threw a spear at one of our carriers, only a few paces in front
+of me. Fortunately he missed him, but only by a few inches. As he
+was preparing to throw another spear, one of our men, whom he had not
+noticed, owing to an abrupt bend in the narrow track, which brought
+him close to the spearman, sprang forward and buried his stone club
+in the man's head, who sank down without a groan.
+
+It was cloudy, but very close, and we passed through open grass
+country, bounded on each side by tall forest, in which bird-life
+seemed plentiful, cockatoos and parrots making a great noise. Birds
+of paradise were also calling out with their very noticeable and
+peculiar falsetto cry.
+
+After going some distance we catechized the prisoners, and while
+an old man declared that there was a large village ahead, the two
+women prisoners said that the track was only a hunting one and led
+to the mountains.
+
+The old man evidently wanted to get us away from his village, to
+enable his tribe to return, but the women, not being so loyal, told
+us the truth, no doubt because they found the forced marching on a
+hot day a little too much for them. We sat down for a consultation,
+but hearing a loud outcry in the rear, I suddenly came across about a
+dozen of the now indignant police pelting the old man with darts made
+out of a peculiar kind of grass, which grew around here. The old man,
+who was handcuffed, hopped high in the air, uttering loud yells every
+time a dart hit him, so I imagined they hurt, and though I, too, felt
+much annoyed, I had to put a stop to this cruel sport, when one of
+the aggrieved policemen cried out to me: "Taubada (master), why you
+stop him get hurt? This fellow he ki-ki (eat) you if he get chance."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 10
+
+The Return From Dobodura.
+
+Horrible Fate of one of our Enemies -- Collecting in Cannibal --
+Haunted Forest -- I Shoot a new Kingfisher, and a Bird of Paradise
+-- Natives' Interest in Bird-Stuffing -- Return Journey begun --
+Tree-house in a Notu Village -- Peacemaking Ceremonies -- Notu Village
+described -- Our Allies sentenced for Cannibalism -- Parting with
+Walsh and Clark.
+
+We decided to return, and sent off a strong body of police in advance
+to surprise some of the surrounding villages. On the way back we found
+the man who was brained by one of our carriers still breathing. He
+was a ghastly sight, with his brains projecting out, and he was being
+eaten alive by swarms of red ants, which almost hid his body and found
+their way into his eyes, ears and nose. By the convulsions that from
+time to time shook the man's body, he was evidently still conscious,
+but could not possibly have lived for more than a few hours at most,
+after our thus finding him. New Guinea, like most tropical countries,
+had its full share of these pests (ants), some species of which
+actually make webs, and, by way of supplementing the web itself,
+work leaves in.
+
+Acland, who had been suffering all day long from bad fever, now
+collapsed and could walk no further, but had to be carried in a
+hammock. When we got back to our old camping ground, I took an armed
+guard of police and went in search of birds for my collection, in
+the adjoining forest, and shot a new kingfisher (TANYSIPTERA) and a
+bird of paradise (PARADISEA INTERMEDIA). It was rather exciting work,
+as one went warily through the thick growth, from whence might issue
+a spear any minute, and I held on to my rifle all the time, except,
+of course, when I saw a bird, and then I made a quick change to my
+shotgun, lest I should prove a case of the hunter hunted.
+
+On my return I had a large crowd of carriers around me watching me
+skin my birds, while Arigita explained everything to them in lordly
+fashion, only too pleased to get the chance of being listened to,
+while he expounded to them his superior knowledge. What he told them
+I, of course, could not tell, but he informed me that when I put the
+final stitch in the nostrils of the birds, my audience declared that
+I did this to prevent the birds from breathing and so one day coming
+to life again. When the wise Arigita asked them how this could be,
+since they had seen me take out the body and brains, they scoffed at
+him and said that spirits would come inside the skins so that they
+could sing again.
+
+Monckton, meanwhile, had made a raid on the native gardens and brought
+in quite a lot of taro. The police had killed several more Doboduras,
+and in one place they had quite a fight. Our old man prisoner escaped
+in the night, although he was handcuffed.
+
+We returned to the coast the next day, as there seemed no chance of our
+coming to terms with these Doboduras. Our only chance would have been
+to defeat them in a big engagement. They seemed too frightened of us
+to stand up for a big fight, but hid themselves in the bush, and were
+thus hard to get at. We left ten police behind to trap the natives,
+and, thinking we had left, a few of them returned to the village,
+and the police shot four more of them and soon caught up with us,
+bringing in the shields, stone clubs and spears of the slain.
+
+During both these expeditions we had killed a good many of these
+people, and it ought to be a lesson to them to leave the Notus alone
+in future, although there is little doubt that the Notus themselves
+make cannibalistic raids on some of their weaker neighbours. I did
+not like the looks of the Notus, and they, as well as the Doboduras,
+have a most repellent type of features, and look capable of any
+kind of cruelty and treachery. They are very different from the
+gentle-looking Kaili-kailis.
+
+The sea was very rough, and it was exciting work launching the
+canoes. One was thrown clean out of the water by a breaker. The
+majority of the carriers and half the police went round by the beach,
+but we in the two whaleboats had some exciting moments in the rough
+sea, though with the sails up we made good progress. We passed two
+of the canoes partially wrecked, and apparently in great difficulties.
+
+We eventually landed long after dark in Eoro Bay, some distance the
+other side of the large Notu village, near which we had previously
+camped. We landed opposite a good-sized village belonging to the
+Notu tribe, from which all the inhabitants fled on our approach. We
+wandered about the village with flaming torches, looking out for huts
+to pass the night in, as it was too late to pitch camp. But unhappily
+the huts were full of lice, and it was impossible to get any sleep.
+
+I saw here for the first time one of the curious native tree houses. It
+was high up in a tall pandanus tree, and had a very odd appearance. We
+spent the whole of the next day in this village, while our carriers
+brought in and mended their canoes. They, too, had a very rough time
+of it, but no lives were lost.
+
+During the day I witnessed a very interesting ceremony, which I
+take the liberty of describing in Monckton's own words, given in his
+report to the Government. He says: "October 7th. Found that some of
+the mountain people had been out to Notu and wished to make peace
+with them. The Notu people had also ascertained that the Dobodura
+had retreated into the large sago swamp, and were quite certain that
+they had no danger to fear from them for some time to come. They
+also said that after the police had departed they would very likely
+be able to re-establish their ancient friendly relations with the
+Dobodura. A peace-offering was brought from the mountain people,
+which the Notu people asked me to receive for them. The ceremony was
+strange to me, and had several peculiar features. Two minor chiefs
+came to where I was sitting and sat down. About twenty men then
+approached and drove their spears into the ground in a circle with
+the butts all leaning inwards. Many of the spears had a small piece
+broken off at the butt end. From these spears were then hung clubs,
+spears and shields, and native masks and fighting ornaments. An old
+chief then said they had given me their arms. Next they placed cloth,
+fishing nets and spears and other native ornaments inside the circle,
+and the same old chief said they had given me their property. After
+this ten pigs, five male and five female, were brought and placed
+inside the ring with a quantity of sago and a little other food. Then
+followed cooking vessels full of cooked food. The old chief then said,
+'We have given you all we have as a sign we are now the people of the
+Government.' I gave them a good return present, and told them that
+they were at liberty to take any articles they wanted or their pigs
+back again, but this they absolutely refused to do, saying that it
+would destroy the effect of what they had done. The female prisoners
+were now sent back to Dobodura with a message to the Dobodura, that
+I should return in a few months and make peace with them, should they
+in the meantime refrain from murdering the coastal people, but should
+they persist in their raiding I should return and handle them still
+more severely." In return we gave them presents of axes, knives,
+beads, tobacco, etc., which were laid down on the top of each pig.
+
+Monckton very kindly presented Acland and myself with all the clubs,
+native masks, "tapa" cloth and ornaments, and the pigs and other food
+came in very useful for our police and carriers, as our rice supply
+was getting low.
+
+This was a very picturesque village, shaded by thousands of coconut
+and betel nut palms and large spreading trees, among which was a very
+fine tree, with very beautiful green and yellow variegated leaves
+(ERYTHRINA sp.). There was also a great variety of DRACAENAS, striped
+and spotted with green, crimson, white, pink and yellow.
+
+In most of these villages there were many curious kinds of trophies --
+crossed sticks, standing in the middle of the village, with a centre
+pole carved and painted in various patterns, and with a fringe of
+fibre placed near the top. Hanging on these sticks were the skulls
+and jawbones of men, pigs and crocodiles. I went out in the afternoon
+with gun and rifle, and saw several wallabies, but could not get a
+shot at them on account of the tall grass.
+
+In the evening the chiefs of the large Notu village who had in our
+absence killed and eaten the two runaway carriers, visited us in
+fear and trembling. Monckton told them they must give up to us the
+actual murderers and send them up to the residency at Cape Nelson
+(or Tufi) within the next three weeks. He did not ask for those
+that ate them. Possibly one hundred or more partook of the feast,
+and for this they could hardly be blamed, as, being cannibals, it
+is quite natural that they should eat fresh meat when they got the
+chance. Indeed, our own carriers could not understand why we would
+not allow them to eat the bodies of those we had slain.
+
+The next morning we five white men parted company, Walsh and Clark,
+with the Mambare and their own police, returning to the north,
+while Monckton, Acland and I went southward again to continue our
+explorations in another direction.
+
+
+
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 11
+
+Our Discovery of Flat-Footed Lake Dwellers.
+
+Rumours at Cape Nelson of a "Duckfooted" People in the Interior --
+Conflicting Opinions -- Views of a Confirmed Sceptic -- Start of the
+Expedition -- Magnificence of the Vegetation -- Friendliness of the
+Barugas -- The "Orakaibas" (Criers of "Peace") -- Tree-huts eighty feet
+from the ground-Loveliness of this part of the Jungle -- Description
+of its Plants -- A Dry Season -- First Glimpse of Agai Ambu Huts --
+Remarkable Scene on the Lake -- Flight of the Agai Ambu in Canoes --
+Success at Last -- A Voluntary Surrender -- The Agai Ambu Flat-footed,
+not Web-footed -- Sir Francis Winter's subsequent Visit and fuller
+Description of these People -- Their Physical Appearance, Houses,
+Canoes, Food, Speech and Customs -- My Account Resumed -- Making
+Friends with the Agai Ambu -- A Country of Swamps -- Second Agai
+Ambu Village -- Extraordinary Abundance and Variety of Water-fowl --
+Strange Behaviour of an Agai Ambu Women -- Disposal of the Dead in
+Mid-lake Food of the Agai Ambu -- Their Method of Catching Ducks
+by Diving for them -- An Odd Experience -- Mosquitos and Fever --
+Last View of Agai Ambu -- An Amusing FINALE.
+
+Many were the wild and fantastic rumours we had heard at the Residency
+at Cape Nelson, on the north-east coast of British New Guinea,
+concerning a curious tribe of natives whose feet were reported to be
+webbed like those of a duck, and who lived in a swamp a short way in
+the interior, some distance to the north of us. I myself had at first
+been inclined to sneer at these reports, but Monckton, the Resident
+Magistrate, with his superior knowledge of the Papuans, as the natives
+of New Guinea are called, was sure that there was some truth in the
+reports, as the Papuan who has not come much in contact with the
+white man is singularly truthful though guilty of exaggeration.
+
+I knew this, but I had in mind the case of the Doriri tribe, who
+lived in the interior a little to the south of us. These Doriri (who
+had had the kindly forethought to send us word that they were coming
+down to pay us a visit to eat us, for the Papuan, though a savage,
+is often most suave and courteous and by no means lacking in humour),
+were reported to us as having many tails, but needless to say when
+we made some prisoners, we were scarcely disappointed to find that
+the said tails protruded from the back of the head (in much the same
+fashion as the Chinaman's pigtail); in this case each man had many
+tails, which were fashioned by rolling layers of bark from a certain
+tree -- closely allied, I believe to the "paper tree" of Australia --
+round long strands of hair.
+
+We three white men had many a long talk as to whether these
+swamp-dwellers were worth going in search of, but I soon came round to
+Monckton's way of thinking. Acland, alone, however, maintained to the
+last that the whole thing was a myth, and jokingly said to Monckton:
+"When you find these duck-footed people, you had better see that Walker
+does not take them for birds, and shoot and skin a couple of specimens
+of each sex and add them to his collection." (For my chief hobby in
+this and many other countries all over the world consisted in adding
+to my fine collections of birds and butterflies in the old country.)
+
+As we three, with our twenty-five native police and four servant
+boys, rowed up the Barigi River in our large government whaleboat,
+on our way to search for these "duck-footed" people, I could not help
+being struck with the very great beauty of the scene. Giant trees
+laden with their burden of orchids, parasites and dangling lianas,
+surrounded us on both sides, their wide-spreading branches forming
+a leafy arcade far over our heads, while palms in infinite variety,
+intermixed with all sorts of tropical forms of vegetation, and rare
+ferns, grew thickly on the banks.
+
+Some distance behind us came our large fleet of canoes, bearing our
+bags of rice and over one hundred carriers, and as they paddled down
+the dark green oily waters of this natural arcade, with much shouting
+and the splashing of many paddles, it made a scene which is with me
+yet and is never to be forgotten. As we proceeded, the river got more
+narrow, and fallen trees from time to time obstructed our way. We at
+length landed at a spot where we were met by a large number of the
+Baruga tribe, who brought us several live pigs tied to poles, and
+great quantities of sago, plantains and yams. They had expected us,
+as we had camped in their country the previous night. They had been
+"licked" into friendliness by Monckton, who less than a year ago (as
+elsewhere mentioned) had sunk their canoes, and together with the aid
+of the crocodiles, which swarm in this river, had annihilated a large
+force of them. And now to show their friendliness they were prepared
+to do us a good turn, by helping us to find these duck-footed people,
+with whom (they told us) they were well acquainted.
+
+Oyogoba, the chief of the Baruga tribe, came to meet us. He assured us
+of the friendliness of his people, and himself offered to accompany
+us. His arm had been broken in the encounter with Monckton and his
+police, and Monckton had immediately afterwards set it himself. It
+now seemed quite sound.
+
+We soon resumed our journey, on foot, passing through very varied
+country, plains covered with tall grass and bounded by forest,
+through which at times we passed. At other times we had to force our
+way through thick swamps in which the sago-palm abounded, from the
+trunks of which the natives extract sago in great quantities.
+
+About mid-day we arrived at a fair-sized village belonging to the
+Baruga tribe. It was surrounded by a tall stockade of poles, and as
+we entered it, the women sitting in their huts greeted us with their
+incessant cries of "orakaiba, orakaiba" (peace). On this account the
+natives of this part of New Guinea are generally termed "Orakaibas"
+by other tribes.
+
+The houses here seemed larger and better built than most Papuan houses
+that I had hitherto seen, and there were many curious tree-houses
+high up among the branches of some very large, trees in the village,
+some being fully eighty feet from the ground. They had broad ladders
+reaching up to them, and looked very curious and picturesque. These
+ladders are made of long rattans from various climbing palms. These
+rattans, of which there were three double strings, are twisted in
+such a way as to support the pieces of wood which form the steps. In
+one case a ladder led from the ground in the usual way to a house
+built in a small tree about thirty feet from the ground, but a second
+ladder connected this house with another one in a much larger tree
+about eighty feet off the ground. I climbed the first ladder, but
+the second one swayed too much.
+
+These tree-houses axe built partly as look-out houses, from which the
+approach of the enemy is discovered, and partly as vantage points
+from which the natives hurl down spears at their opponents below
+when attacked.
+
+Resuming our journey, after a brief halt in this village, we soon
+came to the Barigi River again, which we crossed, camping in a small
+deserted village close by. Here I noticed several more tree-houses in
+the larger trees. This had been a very hot day, even for New Guinea,
+and I could not resist taking a most refreshing bathe in the river,
+though I must confess I was glad to get out again, having rather a
+dread of the crocodiles, which infest parts of this river, though
+they were not nearly so numerous up here as in the lower reaches of
+the river which we had traversed in the morning.
+
+We were up the following morning before sunrise, and were all
+much excited at the prospect before us of discovering this curious
+tribe. This day would show whether or no our journey was to prove
+fruitless. Soon after leaving the village we entered a dense forest,
+the growth of which was wonderfully beautiful. Tall PANDANUS trees,
+some of them supported by a hundred and more long stilted roots, which
+rose many feet above our heads, reared their crowns of ribbon-like
+leaves above even some of the giants of the forest. Palms of all shapes
+and sizes, dwarfed, tall, slender and thick, surrounded us on every
+side, and at least three different species of climbing palms scrambled
+over the tallest trees. The tree trunks were hidden by climbing ferns
+and by a white variegated fleshy-leafed POTHOS. Orchids, though not
+numerous, were by no means scarce on the branches of some of the
+larger trees, and were intermixed with many curious and beautiful
+ferns. There were many large-leafed tropical plants somewhat resembling
+the HELICONIAS and MARANTAS of tropical America.
+
+Flowers were not very plentiful, but here and there the forest
+would be literally ablaze with what is said to be the most showy
+flowering creeper in the world, huge bunches of large flowers of so
+vivid a scarlet that Monckton and I agreed no painting could do them
+justice. It is sometimes known as the DALBERTIA, but its botanical name
+is MUCUNA BENNETTI. It has been found impossible to introduce it into
+cultivation. Among other flowers were some very large sweet-scented
+CRINUM lilies and some very pretty pink flowering BEGONIAS, with their
+leaves beautifully mottled with silver. Here and there we would notice
+a variegated CROTON or pink-leafed DRACAENA, but these were uncommon.
+
+As we proceeded, I noticed that in spite of the very dry weather
+we had been having, the ground each moment became more moist, which
+indicated that we were approaching the swamps we had heard about. It
+was a rough track over fallen trees and dry streams, but before long
+we passed along the banks of a creek full of stagnant water.
+
+We at length left the forest and found ourselves in open country,
+covered with reeds and rank grass, through which we slowly wended
+our way. Suddenly, however, we halted, and looking through the
+tall grass, saw some of the houses of the Agai Ambu tribe close
+at hand. Down we all crouched, hiding ourselves among the grass,
+while two of our Baruga guides, who speak the language of the Agai
+Ambu, went forward to try and parley with them and induce them to be
+friendly with us. We soon heard them yelling out to the Agai Ambu,
+who yelled back in reply. This went on for some minutes, when the
+Baruga men called out to us to come on.
+
+Jumping up, we rushed forward through the grass and witnessed a
+remarkable scene. In front of us was a lake thickly covered with
+water-lilies, most of them long-stemmed and of a very beautiful blue,
+with a yellow centre, and with large leaves, the edges of which were
+covered with a kind of thorn; there were also some white ones with
+yellow centre.
+
+On the other side of the lake were several curious houses built on
+long poles in the water, the houses themselves being a good height
+above the water. The lake presented a scene of great confusion. The
+inhabitants were fleeing away from us in their curious canoes, which,
+unlike most Papuan canoes, had no outrigger whatever. Their paddles
+also were peculiar, the blades being very broad. Close to us were
+our two Baruga guides in a canoe with one of the Agai Ambu tribe,
+who directly he saw us plunged into the lake and disappeared under
+the tangled masses of water lilies.
+
+He remained under some time, but on his coming to the surface again,
+one of the Baruga men plunged in after him, and we witnessed an
+exciting wrestling match in the water. The Baruga man was by far
+the more powerful of the two, but he was no match for the almost
+amphibious Agai Ambu, who slipped away from his grasp like an eel,
+and swam away, with the Baruga man in close pursuit. All this time
+a canoe full of the Agai Ambu was rapidly approaching to the rescue,
+waving their paddles over their heads, and the Baruga man, seeing this,
+climbed back into his canoe and paddled back to us.
+
+Meanwhile the police had made a rush for a canoe which was close at
+hand; but it at once upset, having no outrigger and being exceedingly
+light and thin; it was, in fact, a species of canoe quite new to our
+police. In any case they would not have had the slightest chance of
+overtaking the fleet Agai Ambu in their own canoes. It looked very
+much as if after all we were not to have the chance of verifying
+the strange reports about the formation of these people. As a last
+resource we sent over our two Baruga guides in a canoe to speak with
+those of the tribe who had not fled. As the guides approached they
+shouted out that we were friends, and that as we were friends of the
+Baruga tribe, we must be friends of the Agai Ambu tribe as well.
+
+We held up various tempting trade goods, including a calico known as
+Turkey-red, bottles of beads, etc. This and a long conversation with
+the Baruga men seemed to carry some weight with them, for the Baruga
+soon returned with one of their number, who turned round in the canoe
+with his arms outstretched to his friends and cried or rather chanted,
+in a sobbing voice, what sounded like a very weird song, which seemed
+quite in keeping with the mournful surroundings and lonely life of
+these people.
+
+This weird song, heard under such circumstances, quite thrilled me,
+and wild and savage though the singer was, the song appealed to me
+more than any other song has ever done. It looked as if he might
+be a ne'er-do-weel or an idiot whom his friends could afford to
+experiment with before taking the risk of coming over themselves,
+but his song was no doubt a farewell to his friends, whom he possibly
+never expected to see again.
+
+He certainly looked horribly frightened as he stepped out of the
+canoe. We at once saw that there was some truth in the reports about
+the physical formation of these people, although there had been
+exaggeration in the descriptions of their feet as "webbed." There
+was, between the toes, an epidermal growth more distinct than in the
+case of other peoples, though not so conspicuous as to permit of the
+epithet "half-webbed," much less "webbed," being applied to them. The
+most noticeable difference was that their legs below the knee were
+distinctly shorter than those of the ordinary Papuan, and that their
+feet seemed much broader and shorter and very flat, so that altogether
+they presented a most extraordinary appearance. The Agai Ambu hardly
+ever walk on dry land, and their feet bleed if they attempt to do
+so. They appeared to be slightly bowlegged and walk with a mincing
+gait, lifting their feet straight up, as if they were pulling them
+out of the mud.
+
+Sir Francis Winter, the acting Governor of British New Guinea, was so
+interested in our discovery, that he himself made another expedition
+with Monckton to see these people, while I was still in New Guinea. On
+his return I stayed with him for some time at Government House,
+Port Moresby, and he gave me a copy of his report on the Agai Ambu,
+which explains the curious physical formation of these people better
+than I could do.
+
+He says: "On the other side of this mere, and close to a bed of reeds
+and flags, was a little village of the small Ahgai-ambo tribe, and
+about three-quarters of a mile off was a second village. After much
+shouting our Baruga followers induced two men and a woman to come
+across to us from the nearest village. Each came in a small canoe,
+which, standing up, they propelled with a long pole. One man and the
+woman ventured on shore to where we were standing.
+
+"The Ahgai-ambo have for a period that extends beyond native traditions
+lived in this swamp. At one time they were fairly numerous, but a
+few years ago some epidemic reduced them to about forty. They never
+leave their morass, and the Baruga assured us that they are not able
+to walk properly on hard ground, and that their feet soon bleed
+if they try to do so. The man that came on shore was for a native
+middle-aged. He would have been a fair-sized native, had his body
+from the hips downward been proportionate to the upper part of his
+frame. He had a good chest and, for a native, a thick neck; and his
+arms matched his trunk. His buttocks and thighs were disproportionately
+small, and his legs still more so. His feet were short and broad,
+and very thin and flat, with, for a native, weak-looking toes. This
+last feature was still more noticeable in the woman, whose toes were
+long and slight and stood out rigidly from the foot as though they
+possessed no joints. The feet of both the man and the woman seemed to
+rest on the ground something as wooden feet would do. The skin above
+the knees of the man was in loose folds, and the sinews and muscles
+around the knee were not well developed. The muscles of the shin were
+much better developed than those of the calf. In the ordinary native
+the skin on the loins is smooth and tight, and the anatomy of the body
+is clearly discernible; but the Ahgai-ambo man had several folds of
+thick skin or muscle across the loins, which concealed the outline
+of his frame. On placing one of our natives, of the same height,
+alongside the marsh man, we noticed that our native was about three
+inches higher at the hips.
+
+"I had a good view of our visitor, while he was standing sideways
+towards me, and in figure and carriage he looked to me more ape-like
+than any human being that I have seen. The woman, who was of middle
+age, was much more slightly formed than the man, but her legs were
+short and slender in proportion to her figure, which from the waist
+to the knees was clothed in a wrapper of native cloth.
+
+"The houses of the near village were built on piles, at a height of
+about twelve feet from the surface of the water, but one house at the
+far village must have been three or four feet more elevated. Their
+canoes, which are small, long, and narrow, and have no outrigger, axe
+hollowed out to a mere shell to give them buoyancy. Although the open
+water was several feet deep, it was so full of aquatic plants that
+a craft of any width, or drawing more than a few inches, would make
+but slow progress through it. Needless to say that these craft, which
+retain the round form of the log, are exceedingly unstable, but their
+owners stand up in them and, pole them along without any difficulty.
+
+"These people are very expert swimmers, and can glide through beds
+of reeds or rushes, or over masses of floating vegetable matter,
+with ease. They live on wild fowl, fish, sago and marsh plants,
+and on vegetables procured from the Baruga in exchange for fish and
+sago. They keep a few pigs on platforms built underneath or alongside
+their houses. Their dead they place on small platforms among the reeds,
+and cover the corpse over with a roof of rude matting. Their dialect
+is almost the same as that of the Baruga. Probably their ancestors
+at one time lived close to the swamp, and in order to escape from
+their enemies were driven to seek a permanent refuge in it."
+
+Thus it will be seen that Sir Francis was much impressed with these
+people, and he heartily congratulated me upon our discovery.
+
+To resume my personal account. We soon gave the man confidence
+by presenting him with an axe, some calico and beads, and a small
+looking-glass, which was held in front of him. He gazed in stupefied
+wonderment at his own features so plainly depicted before him. He was
+taken back to the other side, and soon returned with two more of his
+tribe, who brought us a live pig, which they hauled out from a raised
+flooring beneath one of their houses.
+
+The country all round us seemed to be one large swamp, and we stood
+upon a springy foundation of reeds and mud; except for these, we
+should undoubtedly have soon sunk out of sight in the mud. As it was,
+we stood in a foot of water most of the time, and in places we had
+to wade through mud over our knees.
+
+The lake swarmed with many kinds of curious water-birds, the most
+common being a red-headed kind of plover; there was also a great
+variety of duck and teal. The swamps were full of large spiders, which
+crawled all over us; we had to keep continually brushing them off.
+
+Farther down the lake we saw another small village, and we were
+told that these two villages comprised the whole of this curious
+tribe. Whether they axe the remnants of a once powerful tribe it
+is impossible to say, but their position is well-nigh impregnable
+in case they are ever attacked, as their houses are surrounded by
+swamps and water on all sides, and no outsider could very well get
+through the swamps to their villages. The only possible way to get
+there would be to cross the water in their shell-like canoes, a feat
+which no man of any other tribe would ever be able to manage.
+
+Monckton thought that these swamps and lake were formed by an overflow
+of the Musa River. This had been a phenomenally dry season for New
+Guinea, so these swamps in an ordinary wet season must be under water
+to the depth of many feet.
+
+We camped close by on the borders of the forest amid a jungle of
+rank luxuriant vegetation, over which hovered large and brilliant
+butterflies, among them a very large metallic green and black species
+(ORNITHOPTERA PRIAMUS) and a large one of a bright blue (PAPILIO
+ULYSES). The same afternoon we three went out shooting on the lake. Two
+of the Agai Ambu canoes were lashed together and a raft of split
+bamboo put across them, and two Agai Ambu men punted and paddled us
+about. Before starting we had first educated them up to the report
+of our guns, and after a few shots they soon got over their fright.
+
+The lake positively swarmed with water-fowl, including several
+varieties of duck, also shag, divers, pigmy geese, small teal, grebe,
+red-headed plover, spur-wing plover, curlew, sandpipers, snipe,
+swamp hen, water-rail, and many other birds. The red-headed plover
+were especially numerous, and ran about on the surface of the lake,
+which was covered with the water-lily leaves and a thick sort of mossy
+weed. All the birds seemed remarkably tame, and we got a good assorted
+bag, chiefly duck -- enough to supply most of our large force with.
+
+I stopped most of the time on the raised platform of one of the
+houses and shot the duck, which Acland and Monckton put up, as
+they flew over my head. I had a companion in old Giwi, the chief
+of the Kaili-kailis, many of whom were among our carriers. He
+seemed to be on very friendly terms with one of the Agai Ambu on
+whose hut I was. Presently a woman came over in a canoe from one
+of the houses in the far village, and climbed up on to the platform
+where we were. Directly she saw old Giwi, she caught hold of him and
+hugged and kissed him all over and rubbed her face against his body,
+covering him with the black pigment with which she had smeared her
+face. She was sobbing all the time and chanting a very mournful but
+not unmusical kind of song. This exhibition lasted over half an hour,
+and poor old Giwi looked quite bewildered, and gazed up at me in a
+most piteous way, as much as to say: "Awful nuisance, this woman --
+but what am I to do?" He understood the meaning of this performance
+as little as I did. Possibly the woman was frightened of us, and
+seeing a stranger of her own colour in old Giwi, appealed to him
+for protection. The Baruga, however, had previously told us that the
+Agai Ambu had recently captured one of their women, and I have since
+thought that this might possibly have been the woman, and am sorry I
+did not make inquiries at the time. At all events, old Giwi was too
+courteous to shake her off, though to me it was a most amusing sight,
+and it was all I could do to refrain from laughing aloud.
+
+We saw the dead body of a man half-wrapped in mats tied to poles
+in the middle of the lake. They always dispose of their dead thus,
+and I suppose leave them there till they rot or dry up.
+
+The chief food of these people seemed to be the bulbs of the
+water-lilies, fish and shellfish. They catch plenty of water-fowl by
+diving under them and pulling them under the water by the legs before
+they have time to make any noise. By this method they do not frighten
+the rest away, and this accounts for the birds' extreme tameness.
+
+It seemed odd that we should be paddled about the lake, to shoot wild
+fowl, by these people, who until to-day had never seen a white man
+before and had fled from us in the morning. However, most of them
+had fled and would not return until we had left their country.
+
+There is little doubt that this part of the country is most
+unhealthy. Many of our police and carriers were two days later down
+with fever, and a few weeks later I had a bad attack of fever, with
+which I was laid up in Samarai for some time, and which I feel sure I
+got into my system in this swamp. The mosquitoes were certainly very
+plentiful and vicious.
+
+We spent the following day here, duck-shooting on the lake, and I did
+a little natural-history collecting in the adjacent forest. We had
+intended to try and induce two of the Agai Ambu to accompany us back to
+Cape Nelson, but most unfortunately they understood that we were going
+to take them forcibly away. They became alarmed and all disappeared,
+and we were not able to get into communication with them again.
+
+When Sir Francis Winter visited them about a month later they were
+evidently quite friendly again, but on the second day of his visit
+his native followers demanded a pig of the Agai Ambu in his, Sir
+Francis's, name. At this they became alarmed and retreated to the
+further village, and he was unable to see any more of them. Since
+then I believe nothing more has been seen of these flat-footed people.
+
+We returned to our old camping ground in the Baruga village on the
+banks of the Barigi River, and the friendly Baruga people brought
+us a big supply of pigs, sago and other native food. The next day
+we continued our journey to the coast, and camped at the mouth of
+the Barigi River. We had intended making an expedition into the
+Hydrographer range of mountains, which we could see from here, and
+which were unexplored, but Monckton and Acland were far from well, and
+most of our carriers and police were down with fever, and so, greatly
+to my disappointment, this had to be abandoned. We resumed our homeward
+journey in the whaleboat early the following morning. We started with
+a fair breeze, but this changed after a time to a head wind, against
+which it was quite impossible to make any headway, so we landed at a
+place where there was a small inlet leading into a lagoon. We stayed
+here till six p.m., when the wind dropped sufficiently to enable
+us to start off again, and, passing the mouth of the Musa River,
+we landed about one a.m. in Porlock Bay, where we camped for the night.
+
+We spent the following day shooting, which entailed a lot of wading
+amongst the shallow streams, lagoons and small lakes. I had a bit of a
+fright here, as I suddenly stepped into some quicksands and felt myself
+sinking fast, but, thanks to Arigita and the branch of a tree, I was
+able to pull myself out after a great deal of trouble and anxiety,
+though if I had not had Arigita with me I should most certainly
+have gone under. We got a splendid bag between us of various birds,
+chiefly duck and pigeon. One of the police shot a large cassowary,
+and also a large wild pig and a wallaby, so there was plenty of food
+for all. We sailed again that night at eleven p.m., and got six of
+the Okeina canoes to tow us along. This they did not seem to relish,
+and before they got into line there was a great deal of angry talking
+and shouting, and Monckton had to call them to order by firing a rifle
+in the air. It was amusing to see the way the long line of canoes
+pulled us round and round in the form of the letter "S," and they
+would often bump against each other, and plenty of angry words were
+exchanged. It was an amusing FINALE to the expedition. They left us
+for their homes when we got near the Okeina country. We landed in the
+early morning on the beach, where we had breakfast, and then rowed on,
+followed by the Kaili-kaili and Arifamu canoes, and eventually landed
+again at the station at Tufi, Cape Nelson, about two p.m.
+
+In conclusion I should mention that Mr. Oelrechs, Monckton's assistant,
+had heard rumours that we had all been massacred, and he told me that
+he had been seriously thinking of gathering together a large army of
+friendly natives to go down and avenge us, though I think he would
+have found it no easy matter, but, as can be seen, we saved him the
+trouble, and so our expedition ended.
+
+
+
+
+Wanderings and Wonders in Borneo.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 12
+
+On the War-Path in Borneo.
+
+The "Orang-utan" and the "Man of the Jungle" -- Voyage to Sarawak
+-- The Borneo Company, Limited -- Kuching, a Picturesque Capital --
+Independence of Sarawak -- I meet the Rajah and the Chief Officials
+-- Etiquette of the Sarawak Court -- The "Club" -- The "Rangers" of
+Sarawak and their Trophies -- Execution by means of the Long Kris --
+Degeneracy of the Land Dayaks -- Ascent of the Rejang River -- Mud
+Banks and Crocodiles -- Dr. Hose at his Sarawak Home -- The Fort at
+Sibu -- Enormous length of Dayak Canoes -- A Brush with Head-Hunters
+-- Dayak Vengeance on Chinamen -- First Impressions of the Sea Dayak,
+"picturesque and interesting" -- A Head-Hunting raid, Dayaks attack
+the Punans -- I accompany the Punitive Expedition -- Voyage Upstream
+-- A Clever "Bird Scare" -- Houses on the top of Tree-stumps -- The
+Kelamantans -- Kanawit Village -- The Fort at Kapit -- Capture of a
+notorious Head-Hunting Chief -- I inspect the "Heads" of the Victims
+-- Cause of Head-Hunting -- Savage Revenge of a Dayak Lover and its
+Sequel -- Hose's stem Ultimatum -- Accepted by the Head-Hunters --
+I return to Sibu -- A Fatal Misconception.
+
+I had spent about seven months in the forests of British North
+Borneo, going many days' journey into the heart of the country, had
+made fine natural-history collections and had come across a great
+deal of game, including elephant, rhinoceros, bear, and "tembadu" or
+wild cattle, huge wild pig and deer of three species being especially
+plentiful. But above all I had come across a great many "orang-utan"
+(Malay for "jungle-man") and had been able to study their habits. One
+of these great apes has the strength of eight men and possesses an
+extraordinary amount of vitality. One that I shot lived for nearly
+three hours with five soft-nosed Mauser bullets in its body.
+
+But I had not yet seen the REAL jungle-man in his native haunts --
+the head-hunting Dayak, as the Dayaks are rarely to be found in North
+Borneo, whereas the people on the Kinabatangan River (where I spent
+most of my time) were a sort of Malay termed "Orang Sungei" (River
+People). So, as I was anxious to see the real head-hunting Dayak,
+I determined to go to Sarawak, which is in quite a different part of
+Borneo. To do this, I had to return to Singapore, and thence, after a
+two days' voyage, I arrived at Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. Except
+for a Chinese towkay, I was the only saloon passenger, as strangers
+rarely visit this country.
+
+Kuching is about twenty-five miles up the Sarawak River, and contains
+about thirty thousand inhabitants, chiefly Malays and Chinese,
+with about fifty Europeans, who are for the most part government
+officials or belong to the Borneo Company, Limited. This company is
+very wealthy and owns the only steamship line, plying between Singapore
+and Kuching. It has several gold mines and a great quantity of land
+planted to pepper, gambier, gutta percha and rubber. The Rajah will
+not allow any other company or private individual to buy lands or
+open up an estate, neither will he allow any traders in the country.
+
+It would be difficult to imagine a more picturesque town than
+Kuching. It chiefly consists of substantial Chinese dwellings of brick
+and plaster, with beautiful tile-work of quaint figures, while temples
+glittering with gold peep out of thick, luxuriant, tropical growth. Two
+miles out of the city you can lose yourself in a dense tropical forest
+of the greatest beauty, and in the background is a chain of mountains,
+some of them of extraordinary shape. The reigning monarch or Rajah
+is an Englishman, Sir Charles Brooke, a nephew of Sir James Brooke,
+the first Rajah, who was an officer in the British Navy and who,
+after conquering Malay pirates, was made Rajah of the country by the
+grateful Dayaks.
+
+Though Sarawak is supposed to be under British protection, and though
+all his officials are Britishers, Rajah Brooke considers his country
+independent and will not allow the Union Jack to be flown in his
+dominions. He possesses his own flag, a mixture of red, black and
+yellow, and his own national anthem; moreover his officials refer
+to him as the King, and to his son, the heir to the throne, as the
+"young King" (or "Rajah Muda").
+
+Two days after my arrival, the Rajah left on his steam yacht for
+England, but the day before he left, he held a great reception at his
+"palace" (or "astana," as it is called in Malay). It was attended
+by all his officials, by high Malay chiefs and the chief Chinese
+merchants. The reins of government were formally handed over to his
+son, the Rajah Muda, after which champagne was passed round. The chief
+resident, Sir Percy Cunninghame, then introduced me to the Rajah. He is
+a fine-looking old man with a white moustache and white hair, and is
+greatly beloved by every one. He conversed with me for some time, and
+asked me many questions about the Chartered Company in British North
+Borneo. It was rather embarrassing for me, with every one silently and
+respectfully standing around listening to every word. He wished me
+success in my travels in the interior, and told his officials to do
+all in their power to help me. When you talk about the Rajah you say
+"His Highness," but when you address him, you simply say "Rajah" after
+every few words -- "Yes, Rajah," or "No, Rajah." The native chiefs,
+I noticed, kissed the hands of both the Rajah and the Rajah Muda.
+
+There is no hotel in Kuching, so I put up at the rather dilapidated
+government Rest-House, part of which I had to myself, the other half
+being occupied by two government officers. The club in Kuching seems
+a most popular institution with all the officials, and "gin pahits"
+(or "bitters") the popular drink of this part of the world; billiards
+and pool help to pass many a pleasant evening, the Rajah Muda often
+joining us at a game of black pool, like any ordinary mortal.
+
+The Rajah's troops, the Rangers, are a fine body of men; they are
+chiefly recruited from the Malays and Dayaks, and have an English
+sergeant to drill them. I was told that when they go fighting the wild
+head-hunters, they are allowed to bring in as trophies the heads of
+those they kill, in the same way that the Dayaks themselves do. The
+method of execution here is the same as in other Malay countries,
+the criminal being taken down to the banks of the river, where a long
+"kris" is thrust down through the shoulder into the heart, and is
+then twisted about till the man is dead.
+
+After a visit to Bau, further up the Sarawak River, where the Borneo
+Company, whose guest I was, have a gold mine (the clay being treated
+by the "cyanide" process), I collected specimens for some time in the
+beautiful forests at the foot of the limestone mountains of Poak. Here
+I saw something of the Land Dayaks, but they are a poor degenerate
+breed, and not to be compared to the Sea Dayaks, who are born fighters,
+and whose predatory head-hunting instincts give a great deal of trouble
+to the government. These latter were the Dayaks I was anxious to meet,
+and I soon made arrangements to visit their country, which is a good
+way from Kuching, the real Sea Dayak rarely visiting the capital.
+
+So one morning early I found myself with my two servants, a Chinese
+cook and a civilized Dayak named Dubi (Mr. R. Shelford also going),
+on board a government paddle-wheel steamer which was bound for Sibu,
+on the Rejang River. Twenty-five miles' descent of the Sarawak River
+brought us to the sea. We did not skirt the coast, but cut across a
+large open expanse of sea for about ninety miles. We then came to the
+delta of the Rejang River, and went up one of its many mouths, which
+was of great width, though the scenery all the way was monotonous,
+and consisted of nothing but mangroves, PANDANUS, the feathery NIPA
+palm and the tall, slender "nibong" palm, with here and there a
+crocodile lying, out on the mud banks -- a dismal scene.
+
+At nightfall we anchored a short way up the river, as the government
+will not allow their boats to travel up the river by night, it being
+unsafe. We were off again at daylight the next morning, the scenery
+improving as the interminable mangroves gave place to the forest. Sixty
+miles up the river found us at Sibu, where I put up with Dr. Hose,
+the Resident, the celebrated Bornean explorer and naturalist. The
+only other Europeans here were two junior officials, Messrs. Johnson
+and Bolt. And yet there is a club at Sibu, a club for three, and here
+these three officials meet every evening and play pool.
+
+There is a fort in Sibu, as indeed there is at most of the river
+places in Sarawak. It is generally a square-shaped wooden building,
+perforated all round with small holes for rifles, while just below
+the roof is a slanting grill-work through which it is easy to shoot,
+though, as it is on the slant, it is hard for spears to enter from the
+outside. There are one or two cannons in most of these forts. The fort
+at Sibu was close to Dr. Hose's house and was attacked by Dayaks only
+a few years ago. Johnson, one of Dr. Hose's assistants, showed me a
+very long Dayak canoe capable of seating over one hundred men. It was
+made out of one tree, but large as it was, it did not equal some of the
+Kayan canoes on this river, one of which was one hundred and forty-five
+feet in length. This Dayak canoe was literally riddled with bullets,
+and Johnson told me that a few weeks' ago he was fighting some Dayaks
+on the Kanawit, a branch river near here, when he was attacked by some
+Dayaks in this very canoe. As they came up throwing spears he told his
+men to fire, with the result that eighteen Dayaks were killed. The
+river at Sibu was of great width, over a mile across, in fact, and
+close to the bank is a Malay village, and a bazaar where the wily
+Chinaman does a thriving trade in the wild produce of the country,
+and makes huge profits out of the Dayaks and other natives on this
+river. But the Dayaks often have their revenge and attack the Chinamen
+with great slaughter, the result being that they take home with them
+plenty of yellow-skinned heads with nice long pig-tails to hang them
+up by. During my stay on this river there were two or three cases of
+Chinamen being slaughtered by the Dayaks, and if it were not for the
+forts on these rivers, every Chinaman would be wiped out of existence.
+
+My first real acquaintance with the Sea Dayak was in the long bazaar
+at Sibu, and I was by no means disappointed in my first impressions,
+as I found him a most picturesque and interesting individual. The men
+usually have long black hair hanging down their backs, often with a
+long fringe on their foreheads. Their skin is brown, they have snub
+noses but resolute eyes, and they are of fine proportions, though they
+rarely exceed five feet five inches in height. Beyond the "jawat,"
+a long piece of cloth which hangs down between their legs, they wear
+nothing, if I except their many and varied ornaments. They wear a great
+variety of earrings. These are often composed of heavy bits of brass,
+which draw the lobes of the ears down below the shoulder. When they
+go on the war-path they generally wear war-coats made from the skins
+of various wild animals, and these are often padded as a protection
+against the small poisonous darts of the "sumpitan" or blow-pipe which,
+together with the "parang" (a kind of sword) and long spears with
+broad steel points constitute their chief weapons. They also have
+large shields of light wood; often fantastically painted in curious
+patterns, or ornamented with human hair.
+
+I had been at Sibu only three or four days, when word was brought down
+to Dr. Hose that the Ulu Ai Dayaks, near Fort Kapit, about one hundred
+miles up the river, had attacked and killed a party of Punans for
+the sake of their heads. These Punans are a nomadic tribe who wander
+about through the great forests with no settled dwelling-places, but
+build themselves rough huts and hunt the wild game of the forest and
+feed on the many wild fruits that are found in these forests. Hose
+at once decided to go up to Fort Kapit and punish these Dayaks, and
+gave me leave to accompany him and Shelford. So one morning at six
+o'clock we boarded a large steam launch with a party of the Rangers,
+mentioned above, as the Rajah's troops. We took, from near Sibu,
+several friendly Dayaks, who were armed to the teeth with spears,
+"parangs," "sumpitans," shields and war ornaments, all highly elated
+at the prospect of the fighting in store for them.
+
+In a short account like this, it is of course impossible to describe
+the many interesting things that I saw on the journey up the river. We
+passed many of the long, curious Dayak houses and plenty of canoes full
+of these picturesque people, and at some of the villages little Dayak
+children hurriedly pushed out small canoes from the shore so as to
+get rocked by the waves made by our launch. This they seemed to enjoy,
+to judge from the delighted yells they gave forth. I several times saw
+a most ingenious invention for frightening away the birds and monkeys
+from the large fruit trees which surrounded every Dayak village. At
+one end of a large rattan cord was a sort of wooden rattle, fixed on
+the top of one of the largest fruit trees. The other end of the rattan
+was fastened to a slender bamboo stick which was stuck into the river,
+and the action of the stream caused the bamboo to sway to and fro,
+thus jerking the rattan which in turn set the rattle going. We passed
+several small houses built on the tops of large tree-stumps. These,
+Dr. Hose informed me, were built by Kanawits, of a race of people
+known as Kelamantans. These Kelamantans are supposed to be the oldest
+residents of Borneo, being here long before the Dayaks and Kayans,
+but they axe fast dying out, as are the Punans, I believe chiefly
+owing to the raids of the warlike Dayaks. They were once ferocious
+head-hunters, but now they are a very inoffensive people.
+
+About mid-day we stopped at the village of Kanawit, at the mouth of the
+river of that name. This village, like Sibu, is composed entirely of
+Chinese and Malays. They are all traders and do a thriving business
+with the Dayaks and other natives. Here also was a fort with its
+cannon, with a Dayak or Malay sergeant and a dozen men in charge. As
+we proceeded up river, the scenery became rather monotonous. There
+was little tall forest, the country being either cleared for planting
+"padi" (rice) or in secondary forest growth or jungle, a sure sign
+of a thick population. We saw many Dayaks burning the felled jungle
+for planting their "padi," and the air was full of ashes and smoke,
+which obscured the rays of the sun and cast a reddish glare on the
+surrounding country.
+
+Toward evening we reached the village of Song and stayed here all
+night, fastening our launch to the bank. In spite of the fort here,
+we learned that the Chinamen were in great fear of an attack by the
+Dayaks, which they daily expected. Leaving Song at half-past five the
+next morning, we arrived at Kapit about ten a.m. and put up at the
+fort, which was a large one. A long, narrow platform from the top of
+the fort led to a larger platform on which, overlooking the river,
+there was a large cannon which could be turned round so as to cover
+all the approaches from the river in case there was an attack on the
+fort. We learned that the day before we arrived at Kapit, Mingo, the
+Portuguese in charge of the fort, had captured the worst ringleader of
+the head-hunters in the bazaar at Kapit, and small parties of loyal
+Dayaks were at once sent off to the homes of the other head-hunters
+with strict injunctions to bring back the guilty ones, and, failing
+persuasion and threats, to attack them.[11] In most cases they were
+successful, and I saw many of the prisoners brought in, together with
+some of the heads of their victims.
+
+The next morning Hose suddenly called out to me that if I wished
+to inspect the heads I would find them hanging up under the cannon
+platform by the river, and he sent a Dayak to undo the wrappings
+of native cloth and mats in which they were done up. They were a
+sickening sight, and all the horrors of head-hunting were brought
+before me with vivid and startling reality far more than could have
+been done by any writer, and I pictured those same heads full of life
+only a few days before, and then suddenly a rush from the outside
+amid the unprepared Punans in their rude huts in the depths of the
+forest, a woman's scream of terror, followed by the sickening sound of
+hacking blows from the sharp Dayak "parangs," and the Dayak war-cry,
+"Hoo-hah! hoo-hah!" ringing through the night air, as every single
+Punan man, woman and child, who has not had time to escape, is cut
+down in cold blood. When all are dead, the proud Dayaks, proceed to
+hack off the heads of their victims and bind them round with rattan
+strings with which to carry them, and then, returning in triumph,
+are hailed with shouts of delight by their envious fellow-villagers,
+for this means wives, a Dayak maiden thinking as much of heads as a
+white girl would of jewellery. The old Dayak who undid the wrappings
+pretended to be horrified, but I felt sure that the old hypocrite
+wished that he owned them himself.
+
+Only seven of the heads had been brought in, and two of them were
+heads of women, and although they had been smoked, I could easily
+see that one of them was that of a quite young, good-looking girl,
+with masses of long, dark hair. She had evidently been killed by a
+blow from a "parang," as the flesh on the head had been separated by
+a large cut which had split the skull open. In one of the men's heads
+there were two small pieces of wood inserted in the nose. They were
+all ghastly sights to look at, and smelt a bit, and I was not sorry
+to be able to turn my back on them.
+
+As in the present case, the brass-encircled young Dayak women are
+generally the cause of these head-hunts, as they often refuse to
+marry a man unless he has one or more heads, and in many cases a
+man is absolutely driven to get a head if he wishes to marry. The
+heads are handed down from father to son, and the rank of a Dayak is
+generally determined by the number of heads he or his ancestors have
+collected. A Dayak goes on the war-path more for the sake of the heads
+he may get, than for the honour and glory of the fighting. Generally,
+though, there is precious little fighting, as the Dayak attacks only
+when his victims are unprepared.
+
+While I was in Borneo I heard the following story of Dayak barbarity,
+which is a good example of the way the women incite their men to go
+on these head-hunting expeditions. In a certain district where some
+missionaries were doing good work among the Dayaks, a Dayak young
+man named Hathnaveng had been persuaded by the missionaries to give
+up the barbaric custom of headhunting. One day, however, he fell in
+love with a Dayak maiden. The girl, although returning his passion,
+disdained his offer of marriage, because he no longer indulged in the
+ancient practice of cutting off and bringing home the heads of the
+enemies of the tribe. Hathnaveng, goaded by the taunts of the girl,
+who told him to dress in women's clothes in the future, as he no
+longer had the courage of a man, left the village and remained away
+for some time. When he returned, he entered his sweetheart's hut,
+carrying a sack on his shoulders. He opened it, and four human heads
+rolled upon the bamboo floor. At the sight of the trophies, the girl
+at once took him back into her favour, and flinging her arms round
+his neck, embraced him passionately.
+
+"You wanted heads," declared her lover. "I have brought them. Do you
+not recognize them?"
+
+Then to her horror she saw they were the heads of her father, her
+mother, her brother and of a young man who was Hathnaveng's rival
+for her affections. Hathnaveng was immediately seized by some of
+the tribesmen, and by way of punishment was placed in a small bamboo
+structure such as is commonly used by the Dayaks for pigs, and allowed
+to starve to death.[12] This is a true story, and occurred while I
+was still in Borneo.
+
+The day after we arrived at Kapit a great crowd of Dayaks, belonging to
+the tribe of those implicated in the attack on the Punans, assembled
+at the fort to talk with Dr. Hose on the matter, and the upshot of
+it all was startling in its severity. This was Hose's ultimatum:
+They must give up the rest of those that took part in the raid, and
+they would all get various terms of imprisonment. They must return
+the rest of the heads. They must pay enormous fines, and, lastly,
+those villages which had men who took part in the raid, must move
+down the river opposite Sibu, and thus be under Hose's eye as well
+as under the guns of the fort. I watched the faces of the crowd, and
+it was interesting to witness their various emotions. Some looked
+stupefied, others looked very angry, and that they could not agree
+among themselves was plainly evident from their angry squabbling. They
+were a curious crowd with their long black hair and fringes and round
+tattoo marks on their bodies. They finally agreed to these terms, as
+Hose told them that if they did not do so, he would come and make them,
+even if he had to kill them all. The following days I witnessed large
+bands of Dayaks bringing to the fort their fines, which consisted of
+large jars and brass gongs, which are the Dayak forms of currency. The
+total fine amounted to $5,200, and the jars were carefully examined,
+the gongs weighed and their values assessed. Some of the jars were
+very old, but the older they are the more they are worth. Three of
+the poorest looking ones were valued at $1,400 (the dollar in Borneo
+is about two of our shillings). Of the total, $1,200 was later paid to
+the Punans as compensation ("pati nyawa"). I watched some Dayaks -- who
+had just brought in their fines -- as they went away in one of their
+large canoes, and they crossed the river with a quick, short stroke
+of their paddles in splendid time, so that one heard the sound of
+their paddles, as they beat against the side of the canoe, come in one
+short tr-r-up. They seemed to be very angry, all talking at once, and
+I still heard the sound of their angry voices above the paddles' beat,
+long after they had disappeared up a narrow creek on the other side.
+
+I had intended going with my two servants further up the river and
+living for some time among the Dayaks, but Dr. Hose made objections
+to my doing so. He said it would be very unsafe for me to live among
+these Kapit Dayaks at the present time, as they were naturally in a
+very excitable state, and would have thought little of killing one of
+the "orang puteh" (white men), whom they no doubt considered the cause
+of all their trouble. They would be sure to take me for a government
+official. Hose instead advised me to go up a small unexplored branch
+river below Sibu, so as the launch was returning to Sibu I determined
+to return in her, leaving Hose and Shelford at Kapit.
+
+During my short stay at Kapit I added very few new specimens to
+my collections of birds and butterflies; in fact, it was the worst
+collecting-ground that I struck during more than a year's wanderings
+in Borneo. I, however, made a fine collection of Dayak weapons,
+shields and war ornaments from our friendly Dayaks, who seemed very
+low-spirited now that there was to be no fighting, and on this
+account traded some of their property to me which at other times
+nothing would have induced them to part with, at a very low figure.
+
+I returned to Sibu with Mingo, and we took with us the ringleader of
+the head-hunters. He was kept handcuffed in the hold, and he worked
+himself up into a pitiable state of fright. He thought he was going to
+be killed, and the whole of the voyage he was chanting a most mournful
+kind of song, a regular torrent of words going to one note. My Dayak
+servant Dubi informed me that he was singing about the heads he had
+taken, and for which he thought he was now going to die.
+
+After a day's stay in Sibu I went up the Sarekei River with my
+two servants, and made a long stay in a Dayak house. I will try to
+describe my life among the Dayaks in the next chapter. In conclusion,
+I must tell the tragic story of a fatal mistake, which was told me by
+Johnson, one of the officials at Sibu, which serves to illustrate the
+superstitious beliefs of the Malays. A Chinese prisoner at Sibu had
+died, at least Johnson and Bolt both thought so, and they sent some of
+the Malay soldiers to bury the body on the other side of the river. A
+few days later one of them casually remarked to Johnson that they had
+often heard it said that the spirit of a man sometimes returned to
+his body again for a short time after death (a Malay belief), but he
+(this Malay) had not believed it before, but he now knew that it was
+true. Johnson, much amused, asked him how that was. "Oh," said the
+Malay, "when the Tuan (Johnson) sent us across the river to bury the
+dead man the other day, his spirit came back to him and his body sat
+up and talked, and we were much afraid, and seized hold of the body;
+which gave us much trouble to put it into the hole we had digged,
+and when we had quickly filled in the hole so that the body could not
+come out again, we fled away quickly, so now we know that the saying
+is true." It thus transpired that they had buried a live Chinaman
+without being aware of the fact.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 13
+
+Home-Life Among Head-Hunting Dayaks.
+
+I leave the Main Stream and journey up the Sarekei -- A Stream
+overarched by Vegetation -- House 200 feet long -- I make Friends with
+the Chief -- My New Quarters -- Rarity of White Men -- Friendliness
+of my New Hosts -- Embarrassing Request from a Lady, "like we your
+skin" -- Similar Experience of Wallace -- Crowds to see me Undress --
+Dayak's interest in Illustrated Papers -- Waist-rings of Dayak Women
+-- Teeth filled with brass -- Noisiness of a Dayak House -- Dayak
+Dogs -- A well-meant Blow and its Sequel -- Uproarious Amusement of
+the Dayaks -- Dayak Fruit-Trees  -- The Durian as King of all Fruits
+-- Dayak "Bridges" across the Swamp-Dances of the Head-Hunters --
+A Secret "Fishing" Expedition -- A Spear sent by way of defiance to
+the Government -- I "score" off the Pig-Hunters -- Dayak Diseases --
+Dayak Women and Girls -- Two "Broken Hearts" -- I Raffle my Tins --
+"Cookie" and the Head-Hunters, their Jokes and Quarrels -- My Adventure
+with a Crocodile.
+
+The Rejang is one of the many large rivers which abound in Borneo,
+and its tributaries are numerous and for the most part unexplored. The
+Rejang is tidal for fully one hundred and fifty miles, and at Sibu
+is over a mile in width. The banks of this river are inhabited by
+a large population of Malays, Chinese, Dayaks, Kayans, Kanawits,
+Punans and numerous other tribes. Thus it is a highly interesting
+region for an ethnologist.
+
+It was with feelings of pleasant anticipation that I started down
+the river in the government steam-launch from Sibu just as dawn was
+breaking, on my way to spend several weeks among the wild Dayaks
+on the unexplored Sarekei River. I took with me my two servants,
+Dubi, a civilized Dayak, and my Chinese cook. After a journey of
+four hours we arrived at a large Malay village near the mouth of
+the Sarekei River. Here I disembarked and sought out the chief of
+the village and demanded the loan of two canoes, with some men to
+paddle them, and in return I offered liberal payment. Accordingly,
+an hour after my arrival I found myself with all my belongings and
+servants on board the two canoes, with a crew of nine Malays. Soon
+after leaving the Malay village we branched off to the left up the
+Sarekei River. It was very monotonous at first, as the giant plumes
+of the NIPA palm hid everything from my view. My Malays worked hard
+at their paddles, and late in the afternoon we left the main Sarekei
+River and paddled up a small and extremely narrow stream. There we
+found ourselves in the depth of a most luxuriant vegetation. We were
+in a regular tunnel formed by arching ferns and orchid-laden trees,
+giant PANDANUS, various palms and arborescent ferns and CALADIUMS. Here
+grew the largest CRINUM lilies I had ever seen. They literally towered
+over me, and the sweet-scented white and pink flowers grew in huge
+bunches on stems nearly as thick as my arm.
+
+After the bright sun on the main river, the dark, gloomy depths of this
+side-stream were very striking. It was so narrow that sometimes the
+vegetation on both sides was forced into the canoes, and the "atap"
+(palm-thatched) roof of my canoe came in for severe treatment as it
+brushed against prickly PANDANUS and thorny rattans.
+
+The entrance to this stream was completely hidden from view, and no
+one but these Malays, who had been up here before, trading with the
+Dayaks, could have discovered it. I had told the Malay chief that I
+wished to visit a Dayak village where no white man had ever been and
+where they were head-hunters. He had smiled slyly and nodded as if he
+understood. Thereupon he said, "Baik (good), Tuan," and said he would
+help me. Just as darkness was setting in we arrived at a Dayak village,
+consisting of one very long house, which I afterwards found to exceed
+two hundred feet in length. It was situated about one hundred yards
+from the stream. No sooner had we sighted it than the air resounded
+with the loud beating of large gongs and plenty of shouting. There
+was a great commotion among the Dayaks.
+
+I at first felt doubtful as to the kind of reception I should get,
+and immediately made my way to the house with Dubi, who explained
+to the Dayak chief that I was no government official, but had come
+to see them and also to get some "burong" (birds) and "kopo-kopo"
+(butterflies). I forthwith presented the old chief with a bottle of
+gin, such as they often get from the Malay traders, and some Javanese
+tobacco, and his face was soon wreathed in smiles.
+
+The Dayaks soon brought all my baggage into the house and I paid
+off my Malays and proceeded to make myself as comfortable as I could
+for my stay of several weeks, the chief giving me a portion of his
+own quarters and spreading mats for me over the bamboo floor. On the
+latter I put my camp-bed and boxes. I occupied a portion of the open
+corridor or main hall, which ran the length of the house and where
+the unmarried men sleep. This long corridor was just thirty feet
+in width, and formed by far the greater portion of the house; small
+openings from this corridor led on to a kind of unsheltered platform
+twenty-five feet in width, which ran the length of the house and on
+which the Dayaks generally dry their "padi" (rice).
+
+The other side of the house was divided into several rooms, each of
+which belonged to a separate family. Here they store their wealth,
+chiefly huge jars and brass gongs. The house was raised on piles fully
+ten to twelve feet from the ground, the space underneath being fenced
+in for the accommodation of their pigs and chickens. The smells that
+came up through the half-open bamboo and "bilian"-wood flooring were
+the reverse of pleasant. The entrance at each end was by means of
+a very steep and slippery sort of ladder made out of one piece of
+wood with notches cut in it, the steps being only a few inches in
+width. One of these ladders had a rough bamboo hand-rail on each side,
+and the top part of the steps was roughly carved into the semblance
+of a human face.
+
+In the rafters over my head I noticed a great quantity of spears,
+shields, "sumpitans" or blowpipes, paddles, fish-traps, baskets and
+rolls of mats piled up indiscriminately, while just over my head where
+I slept was a rattan basket containing two human heads, though Dubi
+told me he thought the Dayaks had hidden most of their heads on my
+arrival. This description of the house I resided in for some time,
+applies more or less to all the Dayak houses I saw in Borneo.
+
+This house or village was called Menus, and the old chief's name
+was Usit. In spelling these names one has to be entirely guided by
+the sounds and write them after the fashion of the English method
+of spelling Malay. The village or house of Menus seemed to contain
+about one hundred inhabitants, not counting small children. Upon my
+arrival I was soon surrounded by a most curious throng, many of whom
+gazed at me with open mouths, in astonishment at the sight of an
+"orang puteh" (white man), as of course no white man had ever been
+here before and but very few of the people had ever seen one. One old
+woman remembered having seen a white man, and some of the older men
+had from time to time seen government officials on the Rejang River,
+but except to these few I was a complete novelty. Considering this,
+I was greatly astonished at their friendliness, as not only the men,
+but the women and children squatted around me in the most amicable
+fashion, and sometimes even became a decided nuisance. My first evening
+among them, however, I found extremely amusing, and as my Chinese cook
+placed the food he had cooked before me, and as I ate it with knife,
+fork and spoon, they watched every mouthful I took amid a loud buzz
+of comments and exclamations of delight.
+
+Though by no means the first time I have had to endure this sort of
+popularity, or rather notoriety, in various countries of the world,
+I do not think I have ever come across a people so full of friendly
+curiosity as were these Dayaks. About midnight I began to feel a bit
+sleepy, but the admiring multitude did not seem inclined to move,
+so I told Dubi to tell them that I wanted to change my clothes and
+go to sleep. No one moved. "Tell the ladies to go, Dubi," I said,
+but on his translating my message a woman in the background called
+out something that met with loud cries of approval.
+
+"What does she say, Dubi?" I asked.
+
+"She says, Tuan," replied Dubi, "they like see your skin, if white
+the same all over."
+
+This was rather embarrassing, and I told Dubi to insist upon their
+going; but Dubi, whose advice I generally took, replied, "I think,
+Tuan (master), more better you show to them your skin." I therefore
+submitted with as good a grace as possible, and took my shirt off,
+while some of them, especially the women, pinched and patted the skin
+on my back amid cries of approval and delight.
+
+They asked if the skin of the Tuan Muda (the Rajah) was as white, and,
+on being told that it was, a long and serious conversation took place
+among them, during which the name of the Tuan Muda kept constantly
+cropping up.
+
+The great naturalist, Wallace, met with much the same experience
+among the Dayaks, and as the natives of many other countries among
+whom I have lived never seemed to display the same curiosity about
+my white skin, I put it down to the Dayaks wishing to see what kind
+of a skin the great white Rajah, who rules over them, possesses.
+
+The next two or three nights the crowd that waited to see me change
+into my pyjamas was, if anything, still larger, a good many Dayaks
+from neighbouring villages coming over to see the sight. But gradually
+the novelty wore off, to my great joy, as I was getting a bit tired
+of the whole performance. I had come here to see the Dayaks, but it
+appeared that they were even more anxious to see me.
+
+For the next two or three weeks an odd Dayak would from time to time
+ask to see my skin, so that at length I had absolutely to refuse to
+exhibit myself any longer.
+
+I had luckily brought several illustrated magazines with me to use
+as papers for my butterflies, and these were a source of endless
+delight to the crowds around me in the evenings. They behaved like a
+lot of small children, and roared with laughter over the pictures. They
+generally looked at the pictures upside down, and even then they seemed
+to find something amusing about them. With Dubi as my interpreter
+I used to make up stories about the pictures, and, pointing to
+the portrait of some well-known actress, described the number of
+husbands she had killed, and I'm afraid I grossly libelled many a
+well-known politician, general, or divine in telling the Dayaks how
+many heads they possessed or how many wives they owned, till it was
+quite a natural thing for me to join in their uproarious merriment,
+as I pictured in my mind some venerable bishop on the war-path.
+
+As is well known, the Dayak women all wear rings of brass around
+their waists. They are called "gronong," and they are made of pliable
+rattan inside, with small brass rings fastened around the rattan. In
+the centre of each ring there are generally two or three small red
+and black rings of coloured rattan between the brass ones. Some wore
+only four or five, while others possessed twenty or more, and then
+they rather resembled a corset. Even the little girls of four or five
+wore two or three of them.
+
+I noticed on my first arrival that the women and some of the men seemed
+to have their teeth plentifully filled with gold, but I soon found out
+that it was brass that they had ornamented their teeth with, a small
+piece being inserted in some way in the centre of each tooth. Their
+teeth are generally black from the continual chewing of the betel-nut,
+and I noticed small children of four or five years of age going in for
+this dirty habit, and still younger children smoking cigarettes, the
+covering of which is made out of the dried leaf of the sago-palm. The
+Dayaks are almost as dirty as the Negritos in the Philippines, and yet
+they are both certainly the merriest people I have ever met with. The
+heartiest and most unaffected laughter I have ever heard proceeded
+from the throats of Dayaks and Negritos. It almost seems as if dirt
+in some cases constitutes true happiness.
+
+The Dayak women seemed to bathe more often than the men, but they
+never seemed to take off their brass waist-rings when bathing in the
+river. The women also have their wrists covered with brass bangles,
+which are all fastened together in one piece. The noise in the house
+was deafening at times, especially in the evening, when all come home
+from working in their "padi" fields, where the women are supposed to
+do most of the work, the men generally going hunting. The continual
+hum of conversation and loud laughter, with the noise made by the
+pigs and chickens under the house, the dogs and chickens in the house,
+and the beating of deep-toned gongs at times nearly drove me frantic,
+especially when I was writing.
+
+They resembled a lot of small children and would beat their gongs
+simply to amuse themselves. Very often a Dayak, on returning from
+his work or a hunt in the jungle, would walk straight up to a large
+gong that was hanging up and hammer on it for a few minutes in a most
+businesslike way, looking all the time as if it bored him. Then he
+would walk away in much the same way as a man would leave the telephone
+(as if he had just got through some business). I suppose it soothed
+them after their day's work, but it irritated me.
+
+The Dayak dogs are fearful and wonderful animals, both as regards
+shape and colour, and I could get very little sleep on account of
+the noise they made; yet the Dayaks seemed to sleep through it all.
+
+One night I woke up after a particularly noisy fight, and saw what
+appeared to me to be a dog sitting calmly by my bed with its back
+turned to me. Lifting my mosquito net, therefore, very quietly, I let
+drive with my fist at it, putting all my pent-up indignation and anger
+for sleepless nights into the blow. Alas! it was a very solid dog that
+I struck against, being nothing more nor less than the side of one of
+my boxes, and I barked my knuckles rather badly. The laughter of the
+Dayaks was loud and prolonged when Dubi translated the yarn to them
+next day, and they remembered it long afterwards. Until I heard the
+roar of laughter that went up, the story had not struck me as being
+so very amusing!
+
+All around the house for some distance was a forest of tall
+fruit-trees. They had of course all been planted in times past by
+the Dayaks' ancestors, and every tree had its owner, but they had
+become mixed up with many beautiful wild tropic growths which had
+sprung up between the trees. Some of these fruit-trees, such as the
+"durian," "rambutan," mango, mangosteen, "tamadac" or jackfruit,
+"lansat" and bananas, were familiar to me, but there were a great
+number of fruits that I had never heard of before, and I got their
+names from my Dayak friends.[13]
+
+Needless to say, I never before tasted so many fruits that were
+entirely new to me, and most of them were ripe at the time of my
+visit. The "durian" comes easily first. It is without doubt the
+king of all fruit in both the tropic and temperate zones, and is
+popular alike with man and beast, the orang-utan being a great
+culprit in robbing the Dayaks of their "durians." I never saw the
+"good" "durian" growing wild in Sarawak, but I tasted here a small
+wild kind with an orange centre which made me violently sick. No
+description of the "durian" taste can do it justice. But its smell
+is also past description. It is so bad that many people refuse to
+taste it. It is a very large and heavy fruit, covered with strong,
+sharp spines, and as it grows on a very tall tree, it is dangerous
+to walk underneath in the fruiting season when they are falling,
+accidents being common among the Dayaks through this cause. I myself
+had a narrow escape one windy day. I was sitting at the foot of one
+of these trees eating some of the fallen fruit, when a large "durian"
+fell from above and buried itself in the mud not half a yard from me.
+
+Danna, the second chief, would always leave one or two of the fruit
+for me on a box close by my head where I slept, before he went off
+to his "padi "-planting early in the morning, so that I got quite
+used to the bad smell.
+
+The Dayak house was surrounded on three sides by a horrible swamp,
+the roads through which consisted of fallen trees laid end to end,
+or else of two or three thick poles, laid side by side, and kept in
+place by being lashed here and there to two upright stakes, so that
+I had to balance myself well or come to grief in the thick mud. The
+Dayak bridges, made chiefly of poles and bamboos, were in many cases
+awkward things to negotiate, and I had one or two rather nasty falls
+from them. While the Dayak women and children never showed any fear
+of me in the house, whenever I met them out in the woods or jungle
+they would run from me as if I were some kind of wild animal.
+
+I saw several Dayak dances. The men put on their war-plumes and with
+shield and "parang" (mentioned above) twirl round and round and cut
+with their "parangs" at an imaginary foe, the women all the time
+accompanying them with the beating of gongs. Dubi one night showed
+them a Malay dance, which consisted of a sort of gliding motion
+and a graceful waving of the hands, quite the reverse of the Dayak
+dance. One night I noticed a general bustle in the house. The women
+seemed greatly excited, and the men passed to and fro with their
+"parangs" and "sumpitans" (blowpipes), and cast anxious looks in my
+direction as they passed me. They told Dubi they were going fishing;
+but it seemed strange that they should go fishing with these warlike
+weapons, and I told Dubi so. He himself thought they were going
+head-hunting, and I felt sure of it, as they left only the old men,
+youths, women and children behind. I did not see them again till the
+following evening, nor did I then see signs of any fish. I told Dubi
+that I thought it best that he should not ask them any questions, as it
+might be awkward if they thought we suspected them. At the same time,
+I am bound to admit that there was no direct proof to show that they
+had been headhunting; and for this I was glad, as there was no cause
+for me to say anything to the Government about it, and so get my kind
+hosts into trouble. Some months later I read in a Singapore paper that
+"the Dayaks in this district," between Sibu and Kuching, were restless
+and inclined to join form with the Dayaks at Kapit, who had sent
+Dr. Hose a spear, signifying their defiance of the Sarawak Government.
+
+One evening, when out looking for birds, Dubi and I came across two
+Dayaks, who were perched up in trees, waiting for wild pigs that
+came to feed on the fallen fruit, when they would spear them from
+above. They seemed rather annoyed with us for coming and frightening
+the pigs away, and that evening they told everyone that we were the
+cause of their not getting a pig. I rather scored them off, by telling
+Dubi in an angry voice to ask them what "the dickens" they meant by
+getting up in trees and frightening all my birds away. This highly
+amused all the other Dayaks, who laughed loud and long, and my two
+pig-hunting friends retired into the background discomfited. I myself
+went out one evening with a party of Dayaks after wild pig, and stayed
+for two hours upon a platform in a tree while they climbed other
+trees close by. However, no pigs turned up, although two "plandok"
+(mouse-deer) did, though I did not shoot them for fear of frightening
+the pigs away. I took my revolver with me, to the great amusement of
+the Dayaks, who, of course, had not seen one before, and ridiculed the
+idea of so small a weapon being able to kill a pig. The Dayaks told
+me that there were plenty of bears here, but I never saw any myself in
+this part of Borneo. They told me the bears were very fierce, and had
+often nearly killed some of their friends. The Dayak dogs are fearful
+cowards, and I was told that they run away at the sight of a wild pig.
+
+Animal life here was not plentiful, and quite the reverse of what I
+had seen in the forests of North Borneo, where it was very plentiful.
+
+I noticed the prevalence of that horrible scurvy-like skin-disease
+among several of the Dayaks. It was common in New Guinea among
+the Papuans, where it was termed "supuma." I cured two little Dayak
+children of intermittent fever by giving them quinine and Eno's fruit
+salts. The result was that I was greatly troubled by demands on my
+limited stock of medicines. One old man had been growing blind for
+the last two years, and another was troubled with aches all over him,
+and they would hardly believe me when I said that I could not cure
+them. They told Dubi that they thought that the white people who
+could make such things as I possessed could do anything. So much of
+my property seemed to amuse and astonish them, that it was a treat to
+show them such things as my looking-glass, hair-brush, socks, guns,
+umbrella, watch, etc. I showed them that child's trick of making the
+lid of my watch fly open, and they were delighted.
+
+The Dayak women can hardly be considered good-looking. I saw one or two
+that were rather pretty, but they were very young and unmarried. Dubi
+fell madly in love with one of them and she with him, and when I left
+there were two broken hearts. Many of the little girls of about five
+and six years old would have been regular pictures if they had only
+been cleaner. I made the discovery that some of my Dayak friends were
+addicted to the horrible habit of eating clay, and actually found
+a regular little digging in the side of a hill where they worked
+to get these lumps of reddish grey clay, and soon caught some of
+the old men eating it. They declared that they enjoyed it. All my
+empty tins (from tinned meats, etc.) were in great demand, and so
+to save jealousy I actually demoralized the Dayaks to the extent of
+introducing the raffling system among them. Great was the excitement
+every evening when I raffled old tins and bottles. Dubi would hand
+the bits of paper and they would be a long time making up their minds
+which to take. One night Dubi overheard my Chinese cook telling some
+of the Dayaks that "the white tuan had no use for these tins himself,
+that is why he gives them to you."
+
+This cook, whom I used to call Cookie, was a great nuisance to me,
+but he was the most amusing character I ever came across, and he
+was the source of endless delight to the Dayaks, who enjoyed teasing
+him and jokingly threatened to cut off his head, until he was almost
+paralyzed with fright and came and begged me to leave, as we should
+all have our heads cut off. After a week or two his courage returned
+and I learned that when I was out of the house he would stand on his
+head for the amusement of the women and children, though he was by
+no means a young man. He soon became quite popular with the women,
+who found him highly amusing, and who were always in fits of laughter
+whenever he talked. In the evenings he sometimes joined a group of
+Dayak youths and would start to air his opinions. Then it was not long
+before they were all jeering and mimicking him, and poor old Cookie
+would look very foolish and a sickly smile would spread over his yellow
+features. Finally he would go off and sulk, and when I asked him what
+the matter was, he would reply, "Damn Dayak no wantee." Whenever I
+called out for Cookie, the whole house would resound with jeering
+Dayak cries of "Cookie, Cookie." He and Dubi were always quarrelling,
+and Cookie would work himself up into such a state of excitement that
+the place would be full of Dayak laughter, though the Dayak understood
+not a word of what they were talking about. In my later wanderings
+in Borneo the quarrel between my two servants, Dayak and Chinaman,
+grew to such an extent that I feared it would end in murder.
+
+The foregoing account, short as it is, will, I trust, give some idea of
+what my long stay among head-hunting Dayaks was like. All things must
+have an ending, however, and having finished my collecting in this
+neighbourhood I said good-bye to my Dayak friends, with deep regret,
+and I think the sorrow was mutual. I know well that Dubi and his little
+Dayak sweetheart were almost heartbroken. The Dayaks begged me to stay
+longer, but I had already stayed longer than I had at first intended.
+
+Old Usit, the chief, and his crew of Dayaks paddled me all the way
+to Sibu. There is little to relate about the journey there, except
+that the canoe leaked very badly and the Dayaks had to keep bailing
+her out. At night we tied the canoe up to a small wooden platform
+outside a Malay house on the Rejang River, to await the change of
+the tide, and one of the Dayaks knocked at the door of the house so
+that we could cook some food, but the Malays thought that we were
+head-hunters, and there was great lamentation, and for some time they
+refused to open. While eating my food, with my legs dangling over the
+side of the wooden platform, I noticed a dark object that glistened
+in the moonlight noiselessly swimming toward me, and I pulled up my
+legs pretty quickly. It was a large crocodile, attracted, no doubt,
+by the smell of my dinner. The only objection I had was that it might
+have taken me for the dinner.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER 14
+
+Visit to the Birds'-nest Caves of Gomanton.
+
+My stay in British North Borneo -- Visit to a Tobacco Estate (Batu
+Puteh) -- Start for the Birds'-nest Caves -- News of the Local
+Chief's Death -- Applicants for the Panglima-ship -- We Visit the late
+Chief's House-Widows in white -- The Hadji "who longed to be King" --
+Extraordinary Grove of Banyan-trees -- Pigs, Crocodiles and Monkeys --
+Astonishing Swimming Performance of a Monkey -- Water Birds Feeding
+on the Carcase of a Stag -- The Hadji and his Men pray at a Native
+Grave-shrine -- An Elephant charges past us -- Arrival at the Caves
+-- The Entrance -- A Cave of enormous Height, description of the
+Interior -- Return to the Village -- Visit to the Upper Caves --
+Beautiful Climbing Plants -- We reach the Largest Cave of all:
+its Extreme Grandeur -- "White" Nests and "Black" Nests secured --
+Distinctions between the two kinds of Swallows by whom the Nests are
+made -- Millions of small Bats: an Astonishing Sight -- Methods of
+Securing the Nests described -- Perilous Climbing Feats -- Report
+of numerous Large Snakes -- Cave-coffins, and their (traditional)
+rich contents -- Dangers of the Descent -- All's well that ends well.
+
+I had just returned down the river with Richardson from
+Tangkulap. Tangkulap is a journey of several days up the Kinabatangan
+River in British North Borneo. Richardson was the magistrate for this
+district, and his rule extended over practically the whole of this
+river, Tangkulap being his headquarters. Only three or four white men
+had ever been up the river as far as Tangkulap, it being a very lonely
+spot in the midst of dense forests, with no other white man living
+anywhere near. I had stayed with him for two months, making large
+natural history collections and seeing a great deal of both native
+and animal life. We had then returned down the river in Richardson's
+"gobang" (canoe) to Batu Puteh, a large tobacco estate, and the
+only one on this river. Here we were the guests of Paul Brietag, the
+manager, a most hospitable German. He and his three German, French,
+and Dutch assistants were the only other white men on the whole of
+this great river.
+
+While here, Richardson and I determined to visit the wonderful
+Gomanton birds'-nest caves, from which great quantities of edible
+birds' nests are annually taken. Very few Europeans had ever visited
+them, though they are considered among the wonders of the world.
+
+We left Batu Puteh in Richardson's canoe early one morning, and,
+although we had a strong stream with us going down, we did not reach
+Bilit till evening. Bilit is a large village made up of Malays,
+Orang Sungei, and Sulus. Quite a crowd met us on our arrival, and
+they seemed not a little excited. It appeared that their late Panglima
+(chief), who was also a Hadji, had been on a second voyage to Mecca,
+and they had just heard that he had died on his way back. "That was
+quite right," they said; "his time had come, and, besides, it had
+been foretold that he would die if he tried to go to Mecca again."
+
+Two men were most anxious to gain favour with Richardson -- viz., the
+dead man's son and another Hadji, who was the richest man in Bilit,
+and who had a large share in the Gomanton caves. The reason was that
+Richardson had the power to appoint whom he liked as the new Panglima,
+provided, of course, that the man was of some standing and fairly
+popular. Richardson sent for one of the most influential men in the
+village to come and talk the matter over, but he lived on the other
+side of the river, and, it being late, they said he dared not cross
+in his small "gobang," as the crocodiles are very bad indeed here,
+and at night they often help themselves to a man out of his canoe. We
+went to the late Panglima's house and had a chat, but nothing was said
+about the new Panglima. I caught sight of one of the widows swathed in
+white, going through all sorts of contortions by way of mourning for
+her late husband. We found that the people were going to the caves in
+two or three days to collect the black nests. The white nests had been
+collected earlier in the year, but the influential Hadji "who would
+be king" offered to go with us on the morrow and start work earlier
+than he at first intended if his dreams were favourable, and thus
+we should be able to see them at work collecting the nests. Here was
+luck both for ourselves and the Hadji: it meant a step in his hopes
+of the much-desired Panglima-ship by thus gaining favour with the
+magistrate over his younger rival. He was a tall, haughty-looking man,
+with an orange-coloured turban, worn only by Hadjis, and the people
+seemed to stand in great awe of him and addressed him as "Tuan" or
+"Tuan Hadji," the word "Tuan" being usually used only when addressing
+Europeans like ourselves; still, his house in which we spent the night
+was little better than a pigsty, although he was a very wealthy man.
+
+The next morning we were off before sunrise. After leaving the
+village we had a walk of about an hour and a half over a very steep
+hill through luxuriant, tall forest, and on the other side came to a
+small river, the Menungal, on the banks of which was a shed full of
+"gobangs" (canoes) which were speedily launched, we both getting into
+the leading one. We were followed by three others, in one of which was
+the Hadji. Most of the way was through fine forest, the trees arching
+overhead to shade us from the hot sun, the only exception being when
+we passed through a stretch of swamps, with low, tangled growth, when
+the river broadened out, but in the shady forest it was delightful,
+gliding along to the music of the even dip of the paddles.
+
+The most striking feature about the forest on this Menungal River
+was the extraordinary growth of a species of banyan trees (FICUS
+sp.). I have seen many curious stilted trees of this FICUS family in
+various tropical countries I have visited, but these I think were more
+curious than any I had ever seen. One hardly knew where they began and
+where they ended, for they all seemed joined together, and roots and
+branches seemed one and the same thing. It was the acme of vegetable
+confusion. Even the river could not stop their progress, and we were
+constantly gliding between their roots and branches. The growth of
+ferns, orchids and parasites on the branches and roots of these trees
+was luxuriant to a degree and formed veritable hanging gardens.
+
+On these Bornean rivers one is constantly seeing pigs, crocodiles and
+monkeys, but I noticed on this river an abundance of a monkey which
+one seldom sees on the large Kinabatangan River. I refer to the very
+curious proboscis or long-nosed monkey (NASALIS LARVATUS). These
+animals often sat still overhead and stared down at us in the most
+contemptuous and indifferent manner, and they looked so human and yet
+so comical with their enormous red noses that I found myself laughing
+aloud, our scullers doing the same, till the monkeys actually grinned
+with indignation. They axe large monkeys with long tails, and are
+beautifully marked with various shades of grey and brown, and their
+large, fleshy, red noses give them an extraordinary appearance.
+
+One of them did a performance that astonished me. We saw a group of
+them on a branch over the river about forty yards ahead of us, when
+one of them jumped into the middle of the river and coolly swam to a
+hanging creeper up which it climbed, none the worse for its voluntary
+bath. This was the only time that I had ever seen a monkey swim, but
+the natives assured me that these monkeys are very good swimmers. It
+struck me as being a very risky performance, as this river was full
+of crocodiles.
+
+I saw on this river a wonderful orchid growing on large trees. This
+was a GRAMMATOPHYLLUM with bulbs some times over eight feet in
+length. The length of the name is certainly suitable for so large
+an orchid. I saw plenty of water-birds, including white egrets and
+a long-necked diver which is called the "snake-bird," owing to its
+long neck projecting lout of the water and thus greatly resembling a
+snake. I shot several of each kind of bird, plucking the fine plumes
+from the backs of the egrets. We ate some of the divers that evening
+and found them first-class food, tasting much like goose. We later in
+the day disturbed a whole colony of these water-birds feeding on the
+carcase of a large stag in the river, and the smell was very strong
+for some distance. I did not attempt to shoot any more mock geese
+till we had put a good many miles between ourselves and the dead
+stag. We passed several canoes slowly wending their way to the eaves,
+the people taking it easy and camping on the banks and fishing. They
+dried the fish on the roofs of their thatched canoes. Some of these
+people had very curious rattan pyramid-shaped hats gaily ornamented
+with strips of bright-coloured cloth.
+
+Toward evening the river got exceedingly narrow, and fallen trees
+obstructed our way, so that we had sometimes to lie flat on our backs
+to pass under them, and at other times we had to get out while our
+canoe was hauled over the mud at the side.
+
+Just before we reached our destination for the night, we came to a
+spot where the bank was hung with bits of coloured cloth and calico
+fastened to sticks, I also noticed some bananas and dried fish tied to
+the sticks. This signified that there was a native burial ground close
+by, and all the canoes were stopped, the scullers putting their paddles
+down, while the Hadji and all his men proceeded to wash their faces
+in the river. This they did to ensure success in their nest-collecting.
+
+We stayed the night in one of two raised half-thatched huts used only
+by the natives in the collecting seasons, a ladder from the river
+leading into them. It was almost dark when we arrived, and hardly were
+we under shelter when rain came down in torrents. It poured all night,
+and when we started off on foot at sunrise the next morning we found
+the track in the forest a regular quagmire; in places we waded through
+mud up to our knees. As we scrambled and floundered through the mud
+at our best pace we heard a great crashing noise just in front of us,
+and the air resounded with cries of "Gajah, gajah!" (elephant). I was
+just in time to see a large elephant tear by. It literally seemed to
+fly, and knocked down small trees as if they were grass. It seemed
+greatly frightened, and made a sort of coughing noise. It went by so
+quickly that I was unable to see whether it had tusks or not.
+
+After about three hours' hard tramping, I caught sight of a high
+mass of white limestone gleaming through the trees. It made a pretty
+picture in the early morning, the white rock peeping out of luxuriant
+creepers and foliage. It rises very abruptly from the surrounding
+forest, and at a distance looked quite inaccessible to a climber.
+
+We waded through a stream of clear water, washing the horrible forest
+mud from off us, and soon found ourselves in a most picturesque
+village at the very base of the rock. We disturbed quite a crowd of
+native girls bathing in a spring, and they seemed very much alarmed
+and surprised at seeing two Europeans suddenly turn the corner. Out
+of season I don't believe any one lives in this village except some
+watchers at the mouths of the eaves to guard against thieves. The
+Hadji gave us a rough hut with a flooring of split bamboo and kept us
+provided with chickens. All this no doubt was in his estimation part
+of the necessary steps to securing that much-desired Panglima-ship.
+
+The two days we were here, people kept flocking into the village,
+most of the men carrying long steel-pointed spears, in many cases
+beautifully mounted with engraved silver: others carried long "parangs"
+and "krises" in rough wooden sheaths, but the handles were often of
+carved ivory and silver.
+
+After some breakfast we started off to see the near lower cave, which
+was one of the smaller ones. We followed a very pretty ferny track
+by the side of a rocky stream for a short distance, the forest being
+partially cleared and open, with large boulders scattered around. The
+sky overhead was thick with swallows, in fact one could almost say
+the air was black with them. These of course were the birds that make
+the nests. The mouth of the cave partly prepared me for what I was to
+see. I had expected a small entrance, but here it was, I should say,
+sixty feet in height and of great width, the entrance being partly
+overhung with a curtain of luxuriant creepers. The smell of guano
+had been strong before, but here it was overpowering.
+
+Extending inside the cave for about one hundred yards was a small
+village of native huts used chiefly by the guards or watchers of
+these caves. Compared with the vastness of the interior of the cave
+-- I believe about four hundred and eighty feet in height -- one
+could almost imagine that one was looking at the small model of a
+village. A small stream ran out of a large hill of guano, and if you
+left the track you sank over your knees in guano. The vastness of the
+interior of this cave impressed me beyond words. It was stupendous,
+and to describe it properly would take a better pen than mine. One
+could actually see the very roof overhead, as there were two or
+three openings near the top (reminding one of windows high up in
+a cathedral) through which broad shafts of light forced their way,
+making some old hanging rattan ladders high up appear like silvery
+spider webs. Of course there were recesses overhead where the light
+could not penetrate, and these were the homes of millions of small
+bats, of which more presently. As for the birds themselves, this
+was one of their nesting seasons, and the cave was full of myriads
+of them. The twittering they made resembled the whisperings of a
+multitude. The majority of them kept near the roof, and as they
+flew to and fro through the shafts of light they presented a most
+curious effect and looked like swarms of gnats; lower down they
+resembled silvery butterflies. Where the light shone on the rocky
+walls and roofs one could distinguish masses upon masses of little
+silver black specks. These were their nests, as this was a black-nest
+cave. Somewhere below in the bowels of the earth rumbled an underground
+river with a noise like distant thunder. This cavernous roar far below
+and the twittering whisper of the swallows far overhead, combined to
+add much to the mysteriousness of these wonderful caves.
+
+On the ground in the guano I picked up several eggs, unbroken. How
+they could fall that distance and yet not get smashed is hard to
+understand, unless it is that they fell in the soft guano on their
+ends. We were told that when a man fell from the top he was smashed
+literally into jelly. I also picked up a few birds which had been
+stunned when flying against the rocks. This saved me from shooting any.
+
+Spread out on the ground in the cave and also drying outside, raised
+from the ground on stakes, were coil after coil of rattan ropes and
+ladders used for collecting the nests. These always have to be new
+each season, and are first carefully tested. The ladders are made
+of well twisted strands of rattan with steps of strong, hard wood,
+generally "bilian."
+
+On our return to the village we bathed in a shady stream of clear
+water, the banks of which I noted were composed chiefly of guano. In
+the afternoon we started off in search of the upper eaves. After
+a short, stiff climb amid natural rockeries of jagged limestone,
+we passed under a rock archway or bridge, under which were perched
+frail-looking raised native huts of the watchers. As we stood under
+this curious archway we looked down a precipice on our left. It was
+very steep at our feet, but from the far side it took the form of a
+slanting shaft, which terminated in a little window or inlet into the
+lower cave we had visited in the morning. In our ascent we had to climb
+up very rough, steep ladders fastened against the rocky ledges. The
+rocks were in many places gay with variegated plants, the most notable
+being a very pretty-leafed begonia, covered with pink and silver spots,
+the spots being half pink, half white. The natives with us seemed to
+enjoy eating these leaves; they certainly looked tempting enough.
+
+Another fine plant growing among these rocks was a climbing POTHOS,
+with very dark green leaves, ornamented with a silver band across
+each leaf, but the finest of all was a fine velvet-leafed climber,
+veined with crimson, pink, or white (CISSUS sp.).
+
+We at length came to the entrance of a long chain of eaves, through
+which we passed, going down a very steep grade, and our guides had to
+carry lights. After a climb down some steep rocks in semi-darkness,
+we at length found ourselves in the largest cave of all, supposed to
+be about five hundred and sixty feet in height.[14] It, too, had two or
+three natural windows, through which the light penetrated. One of them
+was on the top, in the very centre of the cave, and from down below
+it looked like a distant star. This opening was on the very summit of
+the Gomanton rock. This cave greatly resembled the smaller one I have
+already described, except that it was of much grander dimensions. As in
+the first cave, one could hear the roar of an underground torrent, and
+the swallows seemed even more numerous. On the rocky walls I noticed
+plenty of large spiders and a curious insect, with a long body and
+long, thin legs, which ran very fast, and whose bite we were told
+was very poisonous.
+
+On the way back, when passing through some very low caves, the Hadji
+got some of his men to knock down for me a few of the white nests from
+the sides of the cave with long poles, and in another cave they got me
+some black nests. The difference between these white and black nests
+is this: they are made by two different kinds of swallows. The white
+nest is made by a very small bird, but the bird that builds the black
+nest is twice the size of the other. The white nest looks something
+like pure white gelatine, and is very clean, and has no feathers
+in it. The black nest, on the contrary, is plentifully coated with
+feathers, and it is, in consequence, not worth nearly as much as the
+white nest. The nests are made from the saliva of the birds. Both
+are very plain coloured birds; an ordinary swallow is brilliant in
+comparison. This is unusual in a country so full of brilliant-plumaged
+birds as Borneo is; but, as they spend most of their lives in the
+depths of these sombre caves, I suppose it is only natural that their
+plumage should be obscure and plain. These birds'-nest caves are found
+all over Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, and also in Java and other
+parts of the Malay archipelago, but these are by far the largest. The
+revenue from these caves alone brings the Government a very large
+sum. By far the greatest number of these nests are sent to China,
+where birds'-nest soup is an expensive luxury. The natives of Borneo
+do not eat them. For myself, I found the soup rather tasteless.
+
+We were told that if they missed one season's nest collecting, most
+of the birds would forsake these caves, possibly because there would
+be so little room for them to build again. I learned that they build
+and lay four times a year, but I think that they meant that both
+the black and the white-nest birds lay twice each. The white kind
+build their first nests about March, and the black kind in May, and,
+as these nests are all collected before they have time to hatch their
+eggs, there are no young birds till later in the year, when the nests
+are not disturbed, but the old nests are collected with the new ones
+the following year. If the guano could be easily transported to the
+coast it would be a paying proposition, but the Government fears that
+it might frighten the birds away.
+
+About dusk that evening after we had returned to our hut, I heard a
+noise like the whistling of the wind, and, going outside, I saw a truly
+wonderful sight, in fact a sight that filled me with amazement. The
+millions of small bats which share these caves with the birds were
+issuing forth for the night from the small hole I spoke about on the
+very top of the rock leading into the large cave, but what a sight it
+was! As far as the eye could see they stretched in one even unbroken
+column across the sky. They issued from the cave in a compact mass
+and preserved the same even formation till they disappeared in the far
+distance. As far as I could see there were no stragglers. They rather
+resembled a thick line of smoke coming out of the funnel of a steamer,
+with this exception that they kept the same thick line till they went
+out of sight. The most curious thing about it was that the thick line
+twisted and wriggled across the sky for all the world like a giant
+snake, as if it were blown about by gusts of wind, of which, however,
+there was none. Even with these strange manoeuvres the bats kept the
+same unbroken solid formation. They were still coming forth in the same
+manner till darkness set in, and then I could only hear the beating
+of myriads of wings like the sighing of the wind in the tree-tops.
+
+They return in early morning in much the same fashion. I heard that
+the swallows usually did the same thing, only the other way about;
+when the bats came out, the swallows entered the eaves, and when the
+bats went in, the swallows came out, but it being now their nesting
+season, they went in and out of the eaves irregularly all day, but
+I was quite satisfied to see the bats go through the performance,
+as it was one of the most wonderful sights I have ever seen.
+
+We had been told that it would be three or four more days before the
+collecting would take place, and also that they had to wait for a
+good omen in the shape of a good dream coming to one of the chief
+owners of the caves. Our pleasure was great, therefore, when the
+Hadji and some of his followers paid us a visit that night and told
+us that work should start in the largest cave the next morning for
+our benefit. That was good news, indeed, as Richardson could not wait
+more than another day. It was another good move for the Hadji and his
+Panglima-ship, and I told Richardson he ought to give it him forthwith.
+
+The next morning we climbed to the top of the rock. It was hard
+work climbing over the brittle rocks and up perpendicular and
+shaky ladders. On reaching the summit we got a splendid view of the
+surrounding country, and could plainly see the distant sea; but all
+else was thick, billowy forest, dotted at long intervals with limestone
+ridges, also covered with forest. Here we found the hole on the top
+of the large cave, and stretching across it were two long, thick
+"bilian" logs, to which the natives were now fastening their long
+rattan ladders before descending them to collect the nests. We crept
+along the logs and listened to the everlasting twittering far below;
+but, although we could see nothing but pitchy darkness, the thought
+of what was below made me soon crawl back with a very shaky feeling
+in my legs
+
+We then descended again till we came to the mouth of a curious cave,
+which was practically a dark chasm at our feet. We climbed down
+into the depths on a straight, swaying ladder, which required a good
+grip, and then, after a climb over slanting, slippery rocks, we found
+ourselves in the large cave, on a sort of ledge, within perhaps sixty
+feet of the roof. We were told that we were the first Europeans who
+had ever descended on to this ledge. From here we watched the natives
+collecting the nests. In a short account of this description it is
+impossible for me to detail all the wonderful methods the natives
+had for collecting the nests, but the chief method was by descending
+rattan ladders, which were let down through the hole on the top of
+the cave. It made one quite giddy even to watch the men descending
+these frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space
+below them. The man on the nearest ladder had a long rattan rope
+attached low down to his ladder, with a kind of wooden anchor at
+the end of it. At the second attempt he succeeded with a wonderful
+throw in getting the anchor to stick in the soft guano on the edge
+of the slanting ledge where we were. It was then seized by several
+men waiting there; by these it was hauled up until they were enabled
+to catch hold of the end of the ladder, which they dragged higher and
+higher up the steep, slanting rocks we had come down by. This in time
+brought the flexible ladder, at least the part on which the man was,
+level with the roof, and he, lying on his back on the thin ladder,
+pulled the nests off the rocky roof, putting them into a large rattan
+basket fastened about his body.
+
+We saw many other methods they have of collecting these nests by the
+aid of long bamboo poles and rattan ropes, up which they climbed to
+dizzy heights.
+
+These eaves, we were told, were full of very large harmless snakes,
+but we did not come across them. If I had had a good head and plenty
+of skill and pluck as a climber, I might have come away a wealthy man,
+as the Hadji told us that in a sort of side cave high up in the large
+cave were the coffins of the men that first discovered these caves,
+and with them were large jars of gold and jewels, but no one dared
+touch them, as they said it would be certain death to the man who did
+so. A man once did take some, but a few days later was taken violently
+ill and so had them put back and thus recovered. It was not for any
+scruples of this kind that I declined the Hadji's offer to help myself
+when he pointed out to me the spot where they were, but I think he
+must have guessed that I would not have trusted myself on one of those
+frail swaying ladders with over five hundred feet of space beneath me.
+
+On the way back we scrambled up to a small cave where there were
+numerous carved coffins and bones which belonged to some of the former
+owners of the caves, but alas! no jars of gold; possibly poor men, they
+did not realize good prices. We returned down the rocks a different
+way, which made Richardson indulge in some hearty language at the
+Hadji's expense, who must have had fears that the Panglima-ship was
+at the last moment slipping away from him. It certainly was awkward
+and dangerous work climbing down the steep precipices, and we could
+never have done it, but that the rocks were quite honeycombed with
+small holes which enabled us to get a good hold for our hands.
+
+That night was a busy one for me, skinning my numerous birds and
+blowing the eggs by a dim light to the accompaniment of Richardson's
+snores, and I did not get to bed till 2 a.m. We were up again at 4
+a.m. for the return journey. But I had seen one of the most wonderful
+sights in the world, and to me it seemed extraordinary that until I
+came to Borneo I had never even heard of the Gomanton eaves. Some
+day, perhaps within our time, they will become widely advertised,
+and swarms of noisy tourists will come over in airships from London
+and New York, but there will be one thing lacking -- all romance
+will have gone from these lonely wilds and forests, and that is the
+chief thing. The Hadji returned with us to Bilit, and got his desire,
+the Panglima-ship, and well he deserved it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+[1] -- C is pronounced as Th.: E.G., "Cawa" -- "Thawa."
+
+[2] -- Nabuna, pron. Nambuna.
+
+[3] -- Panes of glass in a FIJIAN house are very unusual, but this
+house, being Government-built, was European. I can only recall one
+other instance, that of Ratu Kandavu Levu on his small island of
+Bau, and then it was only in the native house where he entertained
+European guests.
+
+[4] -- These circumstances were a matter of common knowledge,
+at the time of my visit, all over Fiji. On the other hand it must
+be remembered that Ratu Lala did not think he was doing any harm,
+for the woman, having done wrong, required punishing, and naturally
+South Sea Island ideas of punishment, inherited from past generations,
+differ radically from those of Europeans.
+
+[5] -- PTYCHOSPERMA sp.
+
+[6] -- PRITCHARDIA PACIFICA.
+
+[7] -- ELATERIDAE
+
+[8] -- Pron.: longa-longa.
+
+[9] -- Pronounced "Samothe."
+
+[10] -- "b" pronounced "mb."
+
+[11] -- R. Shelford's Report.
+
+[12] -- From a Singapore Paper.
+
+[13] -- Some of these names that I got were "kudong" "blimbing,"
+"mawang," "sima" "lakat," "kamayan," "nika," "esu," "kubal," "padalai"
+and "rambai."
+
+[14] -- These were the heights given me by the Malays.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Wanderings Among South Sea Savages by Walker
+
diff --git a/old/wasss10.zip b/old/wasss10.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff0cb57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/wasss10.zip
author	Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org>	2025-10-15 05:19:23 -0700
committer	Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org>	2025-10-15 05:19:23 -0700
commit	4ca4424832264f489d0a9138b9780d4e7d97ad1f (patch)
tree	2c4d9b3dd0046f69619e0bedad892c1b77462118