Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

67
16_th_.--Ruatoka, Joe (an African), and I started at half-past ten for
Munikahila, where we hope to get carriers, our Moumiri friends objecting
to go. The first village we came to we found deserted, and in one old
house the skeleton of a child. We crossed to another village, and coming
suddenly upon the few who were at home, they were terribly frightened;
one woman danced up and down the village, and shouted to the people in
the neighbouring villages to come at once. We are 1170 feet above sealevel,
at a village called Keninuma. The people soon gathered round,
some with spears, clubs, and shields, others unarmed. Feeling cold after
the climb, I signed to be allowed to go into a house to change clothing,
and was given to understand that a very good place to do it was on the
verandah in front of the house, and before the assembly. When the chief,
Poroko Butoa, arrived, we were assigned a small house; a man during the
evening came rushing along with one piece of sugar-cane and calling out
for a tomahawk. A tomahawk for a piece of sugar-cane would be throwing
money to the winds. We are E.N.E. from Moumiri.
17_th_.--Rather cold during the night. Five natives who slept in the
house with us kept a fire burning all night. A child sitting in front of
the house has a taro in one hand, a bamboo pipe in the other; takes a
bite of the taro, then a draw from the charged pipe, and the mixture
seems to be thoroughly relished. Feeling sure we should get carriers
here, we took no supplies with us, so are now eating the best we can get,
doing Banting to perfection. A number of men have been sitting all day
about the house making spears, the jawbone and tusks of the wild boar
being the only implements.
18_th_.--Thermometer at sunrise 70 degrees. A number of ugly painted and
feathered fellows came in this morning on their way to the village in the
valley. The people here are much darker than the coast tribes, and their