Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
64 they terribly fear. Sickness in the family, death, famine, scarcity of fish, etc.--these terrible spirits are at work and must be propitiated. Pigs are never killed but in the one place, and then they are offered to the spirit. The blood is poured out there, and the carcase is then carried back to the village, to be divided, cooked, and eaten. Pigs' skulls are kept and hung up in the house. Food for a feast, such as at house-building, is placed near the post where the skulls hang, and a prayer is said. When the centre-post is put up, the spirits have wallaby, fish, and bananas presented to them, and they are besought to keep that house always full of food, and that it may not fall when the wind is strong. The great spirit causes food to grow, and to him presentations of food are made. Spirits, when they leave the body, take a canoe, cross the lagoon, and depart to the mountains, where they remain in perfect bliss; no work, and nothing to trouble them, with plenty of betel-nuts. They dance all night long, and rest all day. When the natives begin planting, they first take a bunch of bananas and sugar-cane, and go to the centre of the plantation, and call over the names of the dead belonging to their family, adding, "There is your food, your bananas and sugar-cane; let our food grow well, and let it be plentiful. If it does not grow well and plentiful, you all will be full of shame, and so shall we." When they go on trading expeditions, they present their food to the spirits at the centre post of the house, and ask the spirits to go before them and prepare the people, so that the trading may be prosperous. No great work and no expedition is undertaken without offerings and prayer.
65 When sickness is in the family, a pig is brought to the sacred place of the great spirit, and killed. The carcase is then taken to the sacred place of the family, and the spirits are asked to accept it. Sins are confessed, such as bananas that are taken, or cocoanuts, and none have been presented, and leave not given to eat them. "There is a pig; accept, and remove the sickness." Death follows, and the day of burial arrives. The friends all stand round the open grave, and the chief's sister or cousin calls out in a loud voice, "You have been angry with us for the bananas we have taken (or cocoanuts, as the case may be), and you have, in your anger, taken this child. Now let it suffice, and bury your anger." The body is then placed in the grave, and covered over with earth. CHAPTER III. SKETCHES OF PAPUAN LIFE. Journey inland from Port Moresby--Evening with a chief--Savage life--Tree houses--Uakinumu--Inland natives--Native habits of eating--Mountain scenery--Upland natives--Return to Uakinumu--Drinking out of a bamboo--Native conversation--Keninumu--Munikahila--Native spiritists--Habits and influence of these men--Meroka--Kerianumu--Makapili--The Laroki Falls--Epakari--Return to Port Moresby. In 1879, I made a long journey inland, in a north-easterly direction from Port Moresby. I visited many native villages, and explored the mountainous country along the course of and between the Goldie and Laroki
- 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 and 56: 55 A girl steals out from the crowd
- Page 57 and 58: 57 all done up in small parcels, so
- 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: 63 When in the boat, we asked the H
- 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
- Page 107 and 108: 107 the sea was too high, breaking
- Page 109 and 110: 109 different. To get into Motumotu
- Page 111 and 112: 111 I landed with them, and went up
- Page 113 and 114: 113 In the afternoon we held servic
65<br />
When sickness is <strong>in</strong> the family, a pig is brought to the sacred place of<br />
the great spirit, and killed. The carcase is then taken to the sacred<br />
place of the family, and the spirits are asked to accept it. S<strong>in</strong>s are<br />
confessed, such as bananas that are taken, or cocoanuts, and none have<br />
been presented, and leave not given to eat them. "There is a pig;<br />
accept, and remove the sickness." Death follows, and the day of burial<br />
arrives. The friends all stand round the open grave, and the chief's<br />
sister or cous<strong>in</strong> calls out <strong>in</strong> a loud voice, "You have been angry with us<br />
for the bananas we have taken (or cocoanuts, as the case may be), and you<br />
have, <strong>in</strong> your anger, taken this child. Now let it suffice, and bury your<br />
anger." The body is then placed <strong>in</strong> the grave, and covered over with<br />
earth.<br />
CHAPTER III. SKETCHES OF PAPUAN LIFE.<br />
Journey <strong>in</strong>land from Port Moresby--Even<strong>in</strong>g with a chief--Savage life--Tree<br />
houses--Uak<strong>in</strong>umu--Inland natives--Native habits of eat<strong>in</strong>g--Mounta<strong>in</strong><br />
scenery--Upland natives--Return to Uak<strong>in</strong>umu--Dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g out of a<br />
bamboo--Native conversation--Ken<strong>in</strong>umu--Munikahila--Native<br />
spiritists--Habits and <strong>in</strong>fluence of these<br />
men--Meroka--Kerianumu--Makapili--The Laroki Falls--Epakari--Return to<br />
Port Moresby.<br />
In 1879, I made a long journey <strong>in</strong>land, <strong>in</strong> a north-easterly direction from<br />
Port Moresby. I visited many native villages, and explored the<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>ous country along the course of and between the Goldie and Laroki
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