Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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the natives wears great head-dresses and neck-ruffs made from the
feathers. Our highest ascent to-day was to 2360 feet above the
sea-level; we call it Mount Bellamy; it stands out alone, and from it we
saw the Astrolabe, Vetura, and Munikahila.
2_nd_.--We left this morning for a pig and cassowary hunt, but were
unsuccessful. We bagged four cockatoos, one green parrot, one brueros,
and three pigeons. Of my travelling in this land, to-day beats all; it
was along mere goat tracks, on the edge of frightful precipices, down
precipitous mountain-sides and up steep ridges, on hands and knees at
times, hanging on to roots and vines, and glad when a tree offered a
little rest and support. I gave it up at last, hungry and weary, and let
the others proceed. I stayed with a party of natives who were getting a
kind of large almond with a very thick fleshy rind, the nut inside very
hard, which they broke open with stones, filling their kits with the
kernels. They call the nut _okari_. They fed me with sugar-cane, taro,
and _okari_, and then got leaves for me to rest on. They had all their
arms handy; I was, as I am always, unarmed, and felt thoroughly
comfortable with them. Only once in New Guinea have I carried a weapon,
and then we had spears thrown at us. I consider a man safer without than
with arms. The return "home" was frightfully steep and trying to wearied
and hungry folks.
3_rd_.--Youths busy with feathers of cockatoos got yesterday, making headdresses.
They take the feather, strip it down, throw the quill away,
fasten all the stripped feathers neatly together, dry in sun, then bind
round their combs. One youth is preparing a head-covering from the bark
of the mulberry: he is making native cloth by chewing the bark, and no
wonder he complains of his jaws being sore, for it is a long job. I gave
the children presents of beads this morning, and some of the old
gentlemen objected, saying they ought to have had them; but I did not