Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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gave him some on his taro. He began eating, and the look of disgust on
his face was worth seeing; he rose up, went out, spat out what he had in
his mouth, and threw the remainder away.
23_rd_.--Cannot get the natives to move; they say they are tired, and
will have to rest until to-morrow morning, and they are also afraid of
their enemies. The excitement is great, but what it all means is
difficult for us to say. Noon: all have cleared out with spears, clubs,
and shields, two men having been killed in a village near, and they have
gone to get hold of the murderers if they can. Dressed in their feathers
and fighting gear, with faces streaked, they do certainly look ugly.
After being some time gone, they returned, saying the enemy, who were
from Eikiri, had gone off to the back mountains.
28_th_.--Left this morning, and had to carry our things, no natives
accompanying us. When about four miles on, we met natives who willingly
took our bags and accompanied us to Uakinumu. The travelling was not so
bad--a good deal of descending and ascending. Oriope, the old chief, was
delighted to see us. His wives and children have gone with great burdens
of betel-nuts and taro to trade at the seaside. The old fellow goes with
us. We are now 1530 feet above sea-level, east-by-south from last
camp--Mount Owen Stanley due north. Oriope is Mr. Lawes's great friend.
He used to live in Munikahila, but trouble through marrying a wife has
sent him in here. He seems greatly attached to Ruatoka. He is a
terrible talker, long-winded and deafening.
29_th_.--We had a strange sort of a hut for sleeping-quarters on the top
of a rock. The house, being open all round, felt exceedingly cold when
the fire went down. The people here seem much lighter than at the other
place, and the children have a more pleasant expression. Basaltic rocks
lie scattered about in every direction. We had our flag flying, and the