Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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which she had lived. A grave was dug two feet deep, and spread over with
mats, on which the corpse was laid. Her husband lay on the body, in the
grave, for some time, and, after some talking to the departed spirit, got
up, and lay down by the side of the grave, covered with a mat. About
midday, the grave was covered over with the earth, and friends sat on it
weeping. The relatives of the dead put on mourning by blackening their
bodies all over, and besmearing them with ashes.
On the 31st, the _Bertha_ left for Kerepunu. As I was anxious to see all
the mission stations along the coast between Port Moresby and Kerepunu, I
remained, to accompany Mr. Lawes in the small schooner _Mayri_. We left
on the following day, and sailed down the coast inside the reef. We
arrived at Tupuselei about midday. There were two teachers here, and Mr.
Lawes having decided to remove one, we got him on board, and sailed for
Kaili. The villages of Tupuselei and Kaili are quite in the sea. I fear
they are very unhealthy--mangroves and low swampy ground abound. The
Astrolabe Range is not far from the shore we were sailing along all day.
There is a fine bold coast line, with many bays.
In the early morning, our small vessel of only seven tons was crowded
with natives. We left the vessel about nine a.m. for a walk inland,
accompanied by a number of natives, who all went to their houses for
their arms before they would leave their village. They have no faith
whatever in one another. We passed through a large swamp covered with
mangroves--then into a dense tropical bush, passing through an extensive
grove of sago palms and good-sized mango trees. The mangoes were
small--about the size of a plum--and very sweet. At some distance inland
I took up a peculiar-looking seed; one of the natives, thinking I was
going to eat it, very earnestly urged me to throw it away, and with signs
gave me to understand that if I ate it I should swell out to an enormous
size, and die.