Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
82 the interpreter, what we had expected of him, and that he had not done it, but that having told him we should pay them, we had come now to do so for the journey made. We gave our tomahawks, tobacco, and salt, and the old man was truly delighted, saying, "I and my people will take you wherever we may go with safety." He does not go to sea on the other side, as Mr. Lawes supposed, and says it is impossible to cross over unless we go up by Yule Island, and there he says it is dangerous, because of the cannibals. In returning, I saw, for the first time in New Guinea, a bush of the real South Sea Island _kava_ (_Piper methysticum_). 17_th_.--We have just had a service, and through Kena we have told the natives the object of our coming and staying, that they might know of the true God, and of Jesus Christ the Saviour. It was interesting to mark the different expressions on their faces as they heard for the first time of God--the God of love, and that as His servants we were here. When told of the resurrection they looked at one another; some laughed, others seemed serious. They were very particular in their inquiries as to the name of the Great Spirit, and of His Son--forgetting, and returning to hear it again. 18_th_.--Here we are at Uakinumu for another trip; but alas, alas! cannot get carriers. The young men are all off wallaby-hunting, so we must start. This evening, a woman came in with several bamboos of grubs, which were cooked in the bamboos, then spread on leaves; some salt was dissolved in the mouth and squirted over all, and it was amusing to see the gusto with which men, women, and children partook. Oriope is very persistent in wanting a teacher. He was greatly delighted when I gave him a large knife; he examined it all over, then pressed it with tender affection to his bosom. Fearing lest some friends who are with him at present might ask it from him, he returned it to me, requesting me to keep it until they left.
83 20_th_.--Last night, after turning in, I heard a peculiar noise, as of some one in great distress, then loud speaking in a falsetto voice, and knew then what was up--we had a spiritist in the village, and revelations were now about to be made. We were all named, and the places we were to visit. I felt somewhat anxious as to the revelation, for if it should be the least doubtful as to our going, no native would stir with us. However, the revelation, on being interpreted to us by Kena, was all right; we were good men, and kind, and the villages would all willingly receive us. The spirit dilated at length on the good qualities of foreign tobacco and the badness of the native stuff, and wound up by asking for some foreign. Oriope at once got up and gave from his own stock what was wanted. These native spiritists are terrible nuisances; they get whatever they ask, and the natives believing so thoroughly in them, they have the power of upsetting all arrangements and causing serious trouble. This morning, I found our spirit friend to be a man who sat in our house all day yesterday, a stranger from an inland village. He has quite a different look from the other natives--an anxious, melancholy expression. While at morning coffee, he came and sat down alongside of us all right, and we learned from him that the spirit of a deceased friend comes into him, and then things are revealed, the spirit speaking through him. He says, when we were at Eikiri, a few weeks ago, he knew it, and told the people of his village of it. The wallaby-hunters are to come in this afternoon with great supplies. When sitting round the fire with our old chief, we asked him if he knew of any tailed folks about inland. "Oh dear, yes." And then he gave us a perfect and laughable description of what must be some creature of the monkey tribe. It climbs, laughs, and talks a peculiar language of its own; it scratches the head, slaps the thigh, and sits down to eat like a man. I then said, "But they are not really men?" "Well, not exactly,
- 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 and 64: 63 When in the boat, we asked the H
- Page 65 and 66: 65 When sickness is in the family,
- 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: 81 Owen Stanley. There will be plen
- 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
- Page 115 and 116: 115 CHAPTER V. THE KALO MASSACRE. T
- Page 117 and 118: 117 and, after the first moments of
- Page 119 and 120: 119 at once offered me as much land
- Page 121 and 122: 121 fighting all round, avenging Oa
- Page 123 and 124: 123 not stay if they were to be con
- Page 125 and 126: 125 and praying that He would care
- Page 127 and 128: 127 at from aft, fell overboard, an
- Page 129 and 130: 129 CHAPTER V. EAST CAPE IN 1878 AN
- Page 131 and 132: 131 at East Cape on a Sunday. Morni
82<br />
the <strong>in</strong>terpreter, what we had expected of him, and that he had not done<br />
it, but that hav<strong>in</strong>g told him we should pay them, we had come now to do so<br />
for the journey made. We gave our tomahawks, tobacco, and salt, and the<br />
old man was truly delighted, say<strong>in</strong>g, "I and my people will take you<br />
wherever we may go with safety." He does not go to sea on the other<br />
side, as Mr. Lawes supposed, and says it is impossible to cross over<br />
unless we go up by Yule Island, and there he says it is dangerous,<br />
because of the cannibals. In return<strong>in</strong>g, I saw, for the first time <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong><br />
Gu<strong>in</strong>ea, a bush of the real South Sea Island _kava_ (_Piper methysticum_).<br />
17_th_.--We have just had a service, and through Kena we have told the<br />
natives the object of our com<strong>in</strong>g and stay<strong>in</strong>g, that they might know of the<br />
true God, and of Jesus Christ the Saviour. It was <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g to mark<br />
the different expressions on their faces as they heard for the first time<br />
of God--the God of love, and that as His servants we were here. When<br />
told of the resurrection they looked at one another; some laughed, others<br />
seemed serious. They were very particular <strong>in</strong> their <strong>in</strong>quiries as to the<br />
name of the Great Spirit, and of His Son--forgett<strong>in</strong>g, and return<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
hear it aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
18_th_.--Here we are at Uak<strong>in</strong>umu for another trip; but alas, alas! cannot<br />
get carriers. The young men are all off wallaby-hunt<strong>in</strong>g, so we must<br />
start. This even<strong>in</strong>g, a woman came <strong>in</strong> with several bamboos of grubs,<br />
which were cooked <strong>in</strong> the bamboos, then spread on leaves; some salt was<br />
dissolved <strong>in</strong> the mouth and squirted over all, and it was amus<strong>in</strong>g to see<br />
the gusto with which men, women, and children partook. Oriope is very<br />
persistent <strong>in</strong> want<strong>in</strong>g a teacher. He was greatly delighted when I gave<br />
him a large knife; he exam<strong>in</strong>ed it all over, then pressed it with tender<br />
affection to his bosom. Fear<strong>in</strong>g lest some friends who are with him at<br />
present might ask it from him, he returned it to me, request<strong>in</strong>g me to<br />
keep it until they left.
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