Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
56 islands in Amazon Bay, where we intended to spend a quiet Sabbath after a hard week's work, and previous to beginning another. After anchoring, canoes with men and boys kept crossing from the mainland, and all day Sunday it was the same. They halted at the islands, and with the next tide went on to Toulon. Landing on the Saturday evening to shoot pigeons, we met several natives, and learned that their plantations were on the mainland, and that they crossed to plant and fight, taking their boys with them. Afterwards at Aroma, they told me they left their wives and daughters at home in charge of a few men, whilst the majority crossed to the main, and stayed away for some time, returning with food, to spend a few days at home on the island. During their absence, the women sail about and trade, going as far as Dedele in Cloudy Bay, being one and the same people. Canoes from the westward might have called at Toulon when the men were on the mainland fighting and planting, and seeing only women, would soon report a woman's land. Many years ago an Elema canoe was carried away there. They were kindly treated by the Amazons, but at Dedele on returning, were attacked and several killed; they naturally reported a woman's land too. The following week we visited Dedele in Cloudy Bay, which had been visited two years previously by Messrs. Lawes and McFarlane. The village was barricaded with high and thick mangrove sticks, with a narrow opening to the sea. They objected to my landing, and formed a crescent in front of the boat. I sprung ashore and asked for the chief. I held out a piece of hoop-iron, and a rather short, well-built man, dressed with boar's tusks and other ornaments, stepped forward and took my present. He took me by the hand, and led me to the village, just allowing me to peep in at the opening. I could see the women rushing out by an opening at the other side; pigs, dogs, nets, and other valuables were being carried off; they were rushing off wildly away into the bush. I was very anxious to get right in, and meant to before I went to the boat. My beads were
57 all done up in small parcels, so I could throw them about easily. A poor old woman was sitting under the nearest house, bewailing her sad lot, with an infant, the mother of which had very likely gone off to the bush to hide the valuables and to return for the child, or perhaps she was upstairs packing up. I threw the poor old dame a packet of beads for herself and another for the child. Spying another old lady close by on the opposite side, I threw her one. It had the desired effect; my friend, the chief, who stood guard at the opening, now conceived the "happy thought" that something could be made out of me. "Would you like to walk round and look at the village?" "Yes, I should." "Come, then;" and, giving me his hand, he led me, attended by an armed crowd, to every house, on the verandahs of which I deposited a packet of beads. He was the chief, and was named Gidage. When going round he said-- "You are no longer Tamate, you are Gidage." "Right, my friend; you are no longer Gidage, you are Tamate." I gave him an extra present, and he gave me a return one, saying, "Gidage, we are friends; stay, and I, Tamate, will kill you a pig." "No, Tamate. Gidage must go; but hopes to re-return, and will then eat Tamate's pig." "No, stay now; we are friends, and you must be fed!"
- Page 5 and 6: 5 by the natives, has added enormou
- Page 7 and 8: 7 vegetable products--fine timber,
- Page 9 and 10: 9 take long for the natives to lear
- Page 11 and 12: 11 "To all to whom these presents s
- Page 13 and 14: 13 We left Sydney by the Dutch stea
- Page 15 and 16: 15 Murray Island. We went ashore th
- Page 17 and 18: 17 of the Loyalty Island teachers,
- Page 19 and 20: 19 We had a bath, then supper, and
- Page 21 and 22: 21 been about thirty miles off, and
- Page 23 and 24: 23 We walked about seven miles thro
- Page 25 and 26: 25 About three in the afternoon, an
- Page 27 and 28: 27 exchanging names with us, in hop
- Page 29 and 30: 29 were still mourning. There had b
- Page 31 and 32: 31 came off to us in a small one. W
- Page 33 and 34: 33 who considers himself the chief
- Page 35 and 36: 35 walls and roof finished, when al
- Page 37 and 38: 37 moment, and one in which I am su
- Page 39 and 40: 39 natives that I had hoped to go a
- Page 41 and 42: 41 arm. On running through the vill
- Page 43 and 44: 43 child. The people continued trou
- Page 45 and 46: 45 Communication was held with some
- Page 47 and 48: 47 astern, that the first canoe wou
- Page 49 and 50: 49 formation of the land and the ma
- Page 51 and 52: 51 me, I shall return." It had the
- Page 53 and 54: 53 "Oh no, my friends; pull, you mu
- Page 55: 55 A girl steals out from the crowd
- Page 59 and 60: 59 who knows what he may be up to?
- Page 61 and 62: 61 in the distance, numbers more si
- Page 63 and 64: 63 When in the boat, we asked the H
- Page 65 and 66: 65 When sickness is in the family,
- Page 67 and 68: 67 16_th_.--Ruatoka, Joe (an Africa
- Page 69 and 70: 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
57<br />
all done up <strong>in</strong> small parcels, so I could throw them about easily. A poor<br />
old woman was sitt<strong>in</strong>g under the nearest house, bewail<strong>in</strong>g her sad lot,<br />
with an <strong>in</strong>fant, the mother of which had very likely gone off to the bush<br />
to hide the valuables and to return for the child, or perhaps she was<br />
upstairs pack<strong>in</strong>g up. I threw the poor old dame a packet of beads for<br />
herself and another for the child. Spy<strong>in</strong>g another old lady close by on<br />
the opposite side, I threw her one. It had the desired effect; my<br />
friend, the chief, who stood guard at the open<strong>in</strong>g, now conceived the<br />
"happy thought" that someth<strong>in</strong>g could be made out of me.<br />
"Would you like to walk round and look at the village?"<br />
"Yes, I should."<br />
"Come, then;" and, giv<strong>in</strong>g me his hand, he led me, attended by an armed<br />
crowd, to every house, on the verandahs of which I deposited a packet of<br />
beads. He was the chief, and was named Gidage. When go<strong>in</strong>g round he<br />
said--<br />
"You are no longer Tamate, you are Gidage."<br />
"Right, my friend; you are no longer Gidage, you are Tamate."<br />
I gave him an extra present, and he gave me a return one, say<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
"Gidage, we are friends; stay, and I, Tamate, will kill you a pig."<br />
"No, Tamate. Gidage must go; but hopes to re-return, and will then eat<br />
Tamate's pig."<br />
"No, stay now; we are friends, and you must be fed!"
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