Amplified Note on the Journey to Yo-ya-ka

For my journey to Yo-ya-ka I started from a point opposite the Kebea and went down past one of the Yuni-Yuni villages, situated on a spur of the mountains. We then made a long ascent of some 2000 feet leading up to the same ridge as Mount Kebea where the village of Yo-ya-ka is situated. It was a most remarkable place, and it is difficult to convey exactly to those who have never seen it, the idea of what these Papuan ridges with their strangely perched villages are. They come up almost to a razor edge, relatively speaking, and certainly the free footway on that Yo-ya-ka ridge was no wider than fifteen inches. This narrow strip of foothold followed the main street of the village, and on each side of it the houses were on supporting poles. The extreme sharpness of the declivity on each side, of course, made the houses much higher on the side farthest from the road than on that facing it. As structures they were not much to boast of; there were about twenty of them and all were tumble-down. The Yo-ya-ka people were preparing for a feast, and when I arrived the men were strutting about in their feathers and paint. Various tribesmen from a distance had assembled; three were from Yuni-Yuni and some from Baw-boi. Among the visitors we noticed some familiar faces. A native helper named Gavashana recognised me at once. He asked me to come in, so I sat down and gave him some tobacco. The Baw-boi people, however, were greatly alarmed at my appearance. They began to cry and retreated, saying it was “Fi-fi,” that is, magic. Their acquaintances, however, reassured them and made them come up to me and shake hands. I then tried to induce a few men to enter our service as carriers, but failed, so I determined to return and started at once. When I had gone a little way up the ridge, Ow-bow, for some reason best known to himself, persuaded me to let off my gun, whereat the whole of the merry-makers turned out and began to jabber at the rate of nineteen to the dozen.

I returned to the camp at Mount Kebea, and for the next week or so experienced rainy weather and great discomfort. All my provisions were gone, and I had to live on sweet potatoes and a few birds we could shoot. I tried eating the Drepanornis Albertisii, but it was the most shocking flesh I have ever eaten. We roasted the bird on a split stick and found it as bitter as gall; as was to be expected, I did not go further than the first mouthful, although I was very hungry.

CHAPTER XI
A BOY OF SIXTEEN ALONE WITH CANNIBALS

Further into the Mountains—A Murder—The Settlement of the Blood Price—A Pig for a Life—Harry’s Further Adventures alone among Cannibals—Various other Murders—The Village of Amana—A Tree-House—The Lunatic at Amana—Foula—A Pretty Village.

CHAPTER XI

ALONE WITH CANNIBALS

The next day or two are thus outlined in Harry’s diary:—

“July 17th, 1903.—Some natives arrived from Deva-Deva and two from a village close by called Coo-lu-coo-lu. These natives are going for us to Ekeikei to fetch up our things, but they ask for a gun as they are afraid of the Madui people—likely!

“July 21st.—Father down with fever.

“July 23rd.—Yesterday’s report that a man had been killed proved correct. Getting some fine moths, about 300 last night—good nights are rare. Sam returned to-day with the three boys he took with him; they are to have a few days’ holiday and then they will return to us. Warm, misty, dark nights such as we are having are best for moths.

“July 28th.—To-night the best night we have had as yet, 750 specimens—94 of which were Sphingadae. On nights like this we do not go to bed at all. Getting short of boxes. We have to send to Ekeikei for material.”