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Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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47<br />

astern, that the first canoe would come near. The natives approached,<br />

picked up the red cloth, and <strong>in</strong> show<strong>in</strong>g them pieces of hoop-iron, they<br />

gradually came near enough to take hold of a piece, look well at it, and<br />

f<strong>in</strong>ally decide to come alongside. Once alongside we were soon<br />

fraterniz<strong>in</strong>g, and on see<strong>in</strong>g this other canoes came off, and trad<strong>in</strong>g for<br />

curios began. Ask<strong>in</strong>g the capta<strong>in</strong> to keep on trad<strong>in</strong>g as long as possible,<br />

I hastened ashore, to see the chief of one of the villages. As long as<br />

trad<strong>in</strong>g canoes rema<strong>in</strong> alongside, the parties land<strong>in</strong>g are perfectly safe;<br />

care should be taken to get away as soon as possible after the canoes<br />

leave the vessel.<br />

The tide was far out when our boat touched the beach. A crowd met us,<br />

and <strong>in</strong> every hand was a club or spear. I went on to the bow, to spr<strong>in</strong>g<br />

ashore, but was warned not to land. I told them I had come to see the<br />

chief, had a present for him, and must see him.<br />

"Give us your present, and we will give it to him, but you must not<br />

land."<br />

"I am Tamate, from Suau, and have come as a friend to visit your old<br />

chief, and I must land."<br />

An elderly woman came close up to the boat, say<strong>in</strong>g, "You must not land,<br />

but I will take the present, or," po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g to a young man close by, "he<br />

will take it for his father," he be<strong>in</strong>g the chief's son.<br />

"No; I must see the chief for myself; but the son I should also like to<br />

know, and will give him a present too."<br />

Spr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g ashore, followed by the mate, a f<strong>in</strong>e, dar<strong>in</strong>g fellow, much<br />

accustomed to rough<strong>in</strong>g it on the digg<strong>in</strong>gs, and not the least afraid of

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