Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

41
arm. On running through the village to the house, to get something for
the wounded man, I was stopped to see a young man bleeding profusely,
shot through the left arm, the bullet entering the chest. I got some
medicine and applied it to both.
When I reached the house, I found Mrs. Chalmers the only calm person
there. Natives were all around armed. When at the chief's house with
medicine I was told there was still another, and he was on board. They
kept shouting "Bocasi, Bocasi," the name of the man who was on board in
the morning. I found a small canoe all over blood, and two natives
paddled me off. On getting alongside, I saw the captain sitting on deck,
looking very white, and blood all about him. I asked, "Is there still a
man on board?" Answer: "Yes." "Is he shot?" "Yes." "Dead?" "Yes." He
was dead, and lying below. I was afraid to remain long on board, and
would not risk landing with the body; nor would it do for the body to be
landed before me, as then I might be prevented from landing at all; so I
got into the canoe, in which one native was sitting. The other was
getting the body to place in the canoe; but I said, "Not in this one, but
a larger one." So ashore I went, and hastened to the house. I
understood the captain to say that they attempted to take his life, and
this big man, armed with a large sugar-cane knife, was coming close up,
and he shot him dead. The captain's foot was frightfully cut. He had a
spear-head in his side, and several other wounds.
The principal people seemed friendly, and kept assuring us that all was
right, we should not be harmed. Great was the wailing when the body was
landed, and arms were up and down pretty frequently. Canoes began to
crowd in from the regions around. A man who has all along been very
friendly and kept close by us advised us strongly to leave during the
night, as, assuredly, when the war canoes from the different parts came
in, we should be murdered. Mrs. Chalmers decidedly opposed our leaving.