Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

70
21_st_.--The village is built on the ridge, the chief's house right on
the high end and looking east, our small house close by on the side of
the others, on each side, leaving a pathway in the centre. At the very
end of the ridge is a house on a very high tree, used as a look-out house
and a refuge for women and children in case of attack. There are quite a
number of tree houses in the various villages on the ridges seen from
here. The people are anxious to get Maka, a light-coloured and very finelooking
native lad, married to one of their girls and settled down
amongst them. I said to our African, "They want Maka to marry one of
their girls." Joe, I suppose, felt slighted that he too had not an
offer, and he replied, "Well, sir, in Madagascar, a very big chief was
real anxious I marry his daughter; fine-looking girl; he make me chief,
and give me plenty land; far cleaner people than them be."
I find the people have the same sign of friendship as in the east end of
New Guinea--nose and stomach pointed to. They speak of a land, Daui,
with which they are friendly, a very long way off. Daunai, of Orangerie
Bay, is called Daui in some places. To their tree houses they have
ladders with long vines on each side to assist ascent. Our delay here
will help us to know the people. I have just been showing them the
likenesses of two young friends, and the excitement has been great, men,
women, and children crowding round, thumb in mouth, scratching and
shaking heads, and leaping and screaming, coming again and again to have
a look.
22_nd_.--A number of strangers slept, or rather made a noise all night in
houses close by, and amongst them a spiritist, whose hideous singing and
chanting of revelations was enough to drive one frantic. We tried to
quiet him, but it was of no use--silenced he would not be. A man sitting
by us when having morning tea asked for some of the salt we were using.
We told him it was not salt, but sugar. He insisted it was salt, and we