Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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122 is now daylight, so we do not care much. The fight has begun in the village. Some Loloans, running after Delena natives, rush uphill; we warn them back, and they retire. There is a loud shout for us to go to the village and fight. I leave Bob with guns and cartridges to keep watch over camp. I have more confidence in the skirmish unarmed, and have no wish for the savages to think I have come to fight. I shout out _Maino_, and soon there is a hush in the terrible storm. I am allowed to walk through the village, disarm one or two, and, on my return to our friend Kone's end of the village, he whispers to me, "There is Arua," understanding him to mean the chief, or _vata tauna_ (sorcerer). I recognize in him the man introduced to me on a former visit, and who in wrath cleared out from my presence. Now might be his time to pay me out. I take his weapons from him, link him on to me, and walk him up the hill. I speak kindly to him, show him flag, and tell him we are _maino_, and warn him that his people must on no account ascend the hill. All right, he will stop the fighting. I sit down to write this, when again they rush up for me, saying Kone was to be killed. Leaving Bob with arms in charge, I go down to the village, and without my hat. More canoes have arrived. What a crowd of painted fiends! I get surrounded, and have no way of escape. Sticks and spears rattle round. I get a knock on the head, and a piece of stick falls on my hand. My old Lavao friend gets hold of me and walks me to outskirt. Arua and Lauma of Lolo assure me they will not ascend the hill, and we had better not interfere with them. "Right, friend; but you must stop, and on no account injure my friend Kone." It would frighten them were we to go armed to the village; but then we dare not stay here twenty-four hours after. I can do more for the natives unarmed. I am glad I am able to mix with both parties; it shows they mean us no harm, and speaks well for the future. No one was killed, but several were severely wounded, and a few houses destroyed. They have made peace at last, and I have had a meeting in the village with all; the Loloans have promised to be quiet. I told them we could
123 not stay if they were to be constantly threatening. In the afternoon the chiefs came up, and I promised to visit them all. My head aches a little. Had I been killed, I alone should have been to blame, and not the natives. The Delena natives say: "Well, Tamate, had you not been here, many of us would have been killed, and the remainder gone to Naara, never to return." There is some pleasure in being of a little use even to savages. The next Sunday we had a splendid service. All the young fellows dressed for it by painting their faces. It was amusing and interesting to hear them interpret all I said from Motuan into Loloan; and when I attempted to use a Lolo word, they corrected me if I wrongly pronounced or misplaced it. After service we had all the children and young men to school. A goodly number have got a pretty fair hold of letters. Some would beat native cloth, and Kone grew very angry, and, because they would not listen to him, threatened to pull up his recently buried child. I sent word that he must on no account do that, and must say no more to the men beating cloth; that by-and-by the people will become enlightened, and then they will understand the Sabbath. Poor Kone's idea is that now and at once they should understand. On June 6th, I once more left Delena to proceed to Maiva, and, although a heavy sea was running at the time, landed safely about eleven a.m. at Miria's village, on the Maiva coast. I saw a number of people with _karevas_ (long fighting sticks), and wondered what was the matter. I said to my old friend Rua, who met me on the beach, "Are you going to fight?" "No, no; it is all right now." I gave him a large axe for Meauri and party to cut wood for a house at their village. Meauri and a number of followers soon made their appearance: it seemed strange that they should have come down so soon. Miria, the chief, being away cutting wood, went to Meauri's village, passing through several seaside villages.
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1 Adventures in New Guinea James Ch
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3 Partial surveys of the south coas
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5 by the natives, has added enormou
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7 vegetable products--fine timber,
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9 take long for the natives to lear
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11 "To all to whom these presents s
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13 We left Sydney by the Dutch stea
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15 Murray Island. We went ashore th
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17 of the Loyalty Island teachers,
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19 We had a bath, then supper, and
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21 been about thirty miles off, and
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23 We walked about seven miles thro
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25 About three in the afternoon, an
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27 exchanging names with us, in hop
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29 were still mourning. There had b
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31 came off to us in a small one. W
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33 who considers himself the chief
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35 walls and roof finished, when al
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37 moment, and one in which I am su
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39 natives that I had hoped to go a
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41 arm. On running through the vill
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43 child. The people continued trou
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45 Communication was held with some
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47 astern, that the first canoe wou
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49 formation of the land and the ma
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51 me, I shall return." It had the
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53 "Oh no, my friends; pull, you mu
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55 A girl steals out from the crowd
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57 all done up in small parcels, so
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59 who knows what he may be up to?
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61 in the distance, numbers more si
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63 When in the boat, we asked the H
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65 When sickness is in the family,
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67 16_th_.--Ruatoka, Joe (an Africa
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69 20_th_.--Yesterday evening, abou
Page 71 and 72: 71 gave him some on his taro. He be
Page 73 and 74: 73 "If you go on you will be devour
Page 75 and 76: 75 teeth, hold with one hand, and w
Page 77 and 78: 77 understand them. It is very conv
Page 79 and 80: 79 to get tobacco and salt, their h
Page 81 and 82: 81 Owen Stanley. There will be plen
Page 83 and 84: 83 20_th_.--Last night, after turni
Page 85 and 86: 85 _Nao_, _nao_! (foreigners), and
Page 87 and 88: 87 They seem very much attached to
Page 89 and 90: 89 Seeing there was nothing for it-
Page 91 and 92: 91 Sogerians. I was sitting on the
Page 93 and 94: 93 natives. This part of the plain
Page 95 and 96: 95 streams from the Astrolabe Range
Page 97 and 98: 97 places precipitous rocks. The fa
Page 99 and 100: 99 true it was the Great Spirit or
Page 101 and 102: 101 grass bound tight at one end, a
Page 103 and 104: 103 afraid, expecting a raid, and a
Page 105 and 106: 105 "I am going to Motumotu, and no
Page 107 and 108: 107 the sea was too high, breaking
Page 109 and 110: 109 different. To get into Motumotu
Page 111 and 112: 111 I landed with them, and went up
Page 113 and 114: 113 In the afternoon we held servic
Page 115 and 116: 115 CHAPTER V. THE KALO MASSACRE. T
Page 117 and 118: 117 and, after the first moments of
Page 119 and 120: 119 at once offered me as much land
Page 121: 121 fighting all round, avenging Oa
Page 125 and 126: 125 and praying that He would care
Page 127 and 128: 127 at from aft, fell overboard, an
Page 129 and 130: 129 CHAPTER V. EAST CAPE IN 1878 AN
Page 131 and 132: 131 at East Cape on a Sunday. Morni
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Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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