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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. 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, _dracćnas,_ 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, _dracćnas,_ +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 _dracćna,_ 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, Seńor 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 seńoritas 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 _dracćnas,_ +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 _dracćna_ 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 _dracćnas,_ +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 _dracćna,_ +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] _Elateridć_ + +[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. 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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 Binary files differnew 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. 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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 Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ff0cb57 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/wasss10.zip |