Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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94 get the taro cooked for Maka, rose again and fetched more firewood, then sat down in front of the path, looking steadily and anxiously for the travellers. Poor body! they came in sight, but her son was not one of them. She seemed to feel it very much, rose, went to her house, and was not seen again until this morning. God grant the day is near when the song the heavenly host sang, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will toward men," shall be known and enjoyed here! _September_ 1_st_.--We left this morning at seven o'clock and drew up at Makapili at four p.m., resting by the way. For salt, tobacco, and beads, we had help all the way. What appears a fine level plain in the distance turns out to be a fine country, full of ridges and luxuriant valleys, abounding in every kind of native vegetable. From the departure this morning until our bringing-up we could have ridden horses at a fine canter along the ridges from one to another. This is the best country I have yet seen in New Guinea, and the natives seem very kind and friendly. At the Laroki we had to strip, and, just above small rapids, holding on by a long line fastened to poles on each side, we crossed over. The natives have the line to help them when the river is up. We called at several villages on the ridges, passed others, some on large table-rocks. Fancy a table-rock with twenty or thirty houses on it. At Chokinumu, a village 1600 feet above the sea, S.E. from Marivaenumu seven miles, we alarmed the people so that they rushed away, leaving us the village. Shortly a man came back, pretending to be very unconcerned, chewing betelnut; we soon were friends, and he called out to the others, and they returned. We told him where we were going, and he said he and his wife would accompany us, as we were the first foreigners who had ever been to his village, and he would not leave us. At other villages they also cleared out, screaming terribly. Gimenumu, 1900 feet above sea-level, and two miles east from Chokinumu, will make a fine mission station--a large village, fine plantations, and plenty of water. We crossed several
95 streams from the Astrolabe Range, all flowing into the Laroki. The whole drainage of the Astrolabe Range and of this country falls into the Laroki. We are now in Vaiako, Makipili district, 2250 feet, in a really lovely spot. There are a great many natives in this district. About four miles from here we passed a deserted village on a table-rock, at one time the home of this people; but the Sogeri natives came over and killed eleven of them, and the others thought it time to settle somewhere else. We have now a splendid view of Mount Owen Stanley, due north of us, and rising far away, clear and distinct above a thick mass of cloud. Mount Bellamy stands alone, with a bare south-east side, and Mount Nisbet just across from here, behind which is Sogeri, so much dreaded by this people. On all the ridges stretching away to the eastward from here behind Kapakapa are natives. A woman, coming to have a look at us, spied our black dog, Misi Dake, and off she went, climbing a tree, kit and all, quicker than I ever saw a native climb before. We met a fine old patriarch in a stream about two miles from here, and the meeting with our friend from Chokinumu was most affecting, touching chins and falling into one another's arms weeping. He sat down beside me with grave dignity, and the woman from Chokinumu sat in front of him, chanting and weeping. We had strawberries coming along, with little or none of the flavour of the home strawberry. The raspberry bush is very abundant. 2_nd_.--Just after sunrise we had a great crowd up at the tent to have a peep at us. At eight o'clock, we started for the summit of the Astrolabe, to have a look at the sea. It is very broken on the summit, and we had a good deal of ascending and descending before we got over Kaili, to be disappointed in not seeing the sea, the fog hanging thick under our feet. We returned by a very circuitous path, passing several villages built on rocks and trees. On one large table-rock was a snug
Page 1 and 2:
1 Adventures in New Guinea James Ch
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3 Partial surveys of the south coas
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5 by the natives, has added enormou
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7 vegetable products--fine timber,
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9 take long for the natives to lear
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11 "To all to whom these presents s
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13 We left Sydney by the Dutch stea
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15 Murray Island. We went ashore th
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17 of the Loyalty Island teachers,
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19 We had a bath, then supper, and
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21 been about thirty miles off, and
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23 We walked about seven miles thro
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25 About three in the afternoon, an
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27 exchanging names with us, in hop
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29 were still mourning. There had b
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31 came off to us in a small one. W
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33 who considers himself the chief
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35 walls and roof finished, when al
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37 moment, and one in which I am su
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39 natives that I had hoped to go a
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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 and 82: 81 Owen Stanley. There will be plen
Page 83 and 84: 83 20_th_.--Last night, after turni
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: 93 natives. This part of the plain
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
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Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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