Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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them. I said, "No; I will not buy what was stolen from me; the saw must
be returned, and I will give an axe to the one who goes for it, and
fetches it to me."
The following day, Sunday, the 15th, we held the usual services under a
large tree near the mission house; a great many strangers present; the
latter were very troublesome. On Monday afternoon the saw was returned.
The _Mayri_ left us that day, to visit the teachers at East Cape. The
people are getting quieter. At present they are chiefly interested in
the sawing of the wood for the flooring of the house. They work
willingly for a piece of hoop-iron and a few beads, but cannot do much
continuously. They seem to have no kind of worship, and their sports are
few. The children swing, bathe, and sail small canoes. The grown-up
people have their dance--a very poor sort of thing. A band of youths,
with drums, stand close together, and in a most monotonous tone sing
whilst they beat the drums. The dancers dance round the men once or
twice, and all stop to rest a bit. I have been twice present when only
the women danced. They bury their dead, and place houses over the
graves, which they fence round, planting crotons, bananas, etc., inside.
They do their cooking inside their houses. It was very hot and
uncomfortable when we were in the native house. The master being a sort
of chief, and having a large household, a great deal of cooking was
required. Three large fires were generally burning in their end of the
house for the greater part of the day. The heat and smoke from these
fires were not nice. Indeed, they generally had one or two burning all
night, to serve for blankets, I suppose.
[Natives of South-Eastern New Guinea: 59.jpg]
We went on with our work about the place, getting on well with the
natives and with those from other parts. We became so friendly with the