CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I | |
| BREAKING THE GROUND | |
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| The Author’s many Journeys—New Guinea more Interesting than all—The Second Largest Island in the World, and the last to Guard its Secrets from Man—Its Vast Possibilities to the Trader and the Man of Science—Great Riches in Birds and Insects—770 known Species of Birds—The People—Their Many Dialects—A Geographical Reason for this—Toilsome Travel—Razor-like Ridges in Endless Succession—The Author’s Camps—Journeys Outlined—In Unexplored Country—Gorgeous Scenery—Variations of Temperature—The Chief Bugbear, Transport | [17] |
| CHAPTER II | |
| DISAPPOINTMENTS IN DUTCH NEW GUINEA | |
| Dutch New Guinea—The Coast—Unsavoury Mud-banks—Merauke—The Dutch Settlement described—Its Wonderful Modernity—A Fierce Tribe, the Tugeri, now described for the first time—Their Appearance and Habits—Their Continual Murderous Raids—The Fearful Bamboo Knife—Scientific Work here impossible owing to Danger of going beyond Settlement Boundaries—Outbreak of a Mysterious Disease at Merauke—Its Swift Deadliness—The Symptoms—Determine to leave Dutch New Guinea and prepare for a March into the Unexplored Interior | [37] |
| CHAPTER III | |
| CHANGES AND STRANGE SCENES | |
| We sail to Thursday Island—A Rough Voyage in a Cattle-boat—A Glimpse of Thursday Island—The Wonderful Colour of its Waters—We reach Port Moresby—Contrast to the Scenery of Dutch New Guinea—Magnificent Mountains—Evidences of Drought—Vegetation burnt up—The British Government Post of Port Moresby described—A Good Second to Hades or Aden—The Great Sight of Port Moresby—A Community of Hereditary Potters—The Pottery Trading Fleet—The Strange Vessels called Lakatois—Their Structure—Native Orgies before the Expedition starts—A New Guinea Ballet on Deck—Seclusion of Women after the Young Braves depart with the Fleet—My Inland Expedition fitted out—Official Courtesy—Details of Baggage—Transport procured after Immense Trouble | [59] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
| WE STRIKE INLAND | |
| We start Inland—Friendly Natives but Hostile Mosquitoes—Bioto Creek—Bioto—Guest Houses—A splendid Game Region—Daily Migration of Flocks of Pigeons—Greedy Coast Natives—Carriers Inadequate—A Double Journey in Relays—We meet the Chief Mavai, a great Papuan Character—Mavai’s Way of Life—His Harem—His Western Notions—His Trousers—His Red Coat—His Severe Discipline—As we proceed, Construction of Native Houses more elaborate—On to Ekeikei and Dinawa—March through Wet Vegetation—Tortured by Leeches and an Abominable Parasite, the Scrub-Itch—A Gloomy Forest—Magnificent Orchids—Carriers stimulate Laggard Comrades with Nettles—The Aculama River—I discover a New Fish | [81] |
| CHAPTER V | |
| THE FIRST CAMP | |
| Journey continued—A Glorious Scarlet Creeper—Dinawa—Site for Camp selected—Building Camp—Native Assistance—Organisation for Scientific Work—Daily Routine—Teaching the Natives how to Catch and Handle Entomological Specimens—Sudden Affluence leads one of my Native Boys to Desert—He is Caught and Reformed—My best Native Assistant and his Wife—Female Influence a great Asset with other Women—The Day’s Work—Collecting at Night—Photography—A Dark Room in the Wilds—Native Interest in Developing | [105] |
| CHAPTER VI | |
| VICISSITUDES AND A DIGRESSION | |
| The Drought affects our Work—Butterflies begin to Fail—Forest Fires—We descend to the St. Joseph River—A Temporary Camp—A Wonderful Native Suspension Bridge—River Scenery—Native Methods of Fishing—Dull Weather and Little Success in Collecting—A Comic Incident—A Native besieged by a Wild Pig—War—Native Hostility—A Chief threatens to Cook and Eat our Heads—Strict Guard kept on Camp—The Bird of Paradise—Papuan Game Laws—Natives’ Interest in Writing—Further Stay at the St. Joseph impracticable—A Flood destroys our Bridge—A Visit to a Native Village—Curious Means of Ingress—Return to Dinawa—My Cingalese Headman’s Experiences—He evades Native Treachery—Sudden Growth of New Township | [125] |
| CHAPTER VII | |
| GOOD-BYE TO DINAWA | |
| A Beautiful New Orchid discovered and described—Drought continues—Sufferings of the Natives—I practise as a Physician—Queer Native Diagnosis—Gaberio, an Intelligent Native, goes collecting on his own account—How we kept touch—The Wireless Telegraph of the Wilds—We determine to take our Specimens to the Coast—Methods of Preservation and Packing—Gaberio returns—He tells of the Murder of one of his Boys—Hardships of Camp Life—Food and Ammunition fail—We try Cockatoo Soup—A Visit from a Fine Hill Tribe, the Ibala—They brighten the Last Days of our Stay—Gorgeous Sunsets at Dinawa—The Ibala People return according to Contract to act as Carriers—We depart—Trials of the March to the Coast—A Mishap at Sea—Our Fine Herbarium ruined with Salt Water—Port Moresby once again | [141] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
| INACTION AND AN EXCURSION | |
| Period of Inaction at Port Moresby—Christmas in New Guinea—A Scratch Dinner—A Christmas Privilege for Cingalese to obtain Spirits—Curious Effect on One Individual—A Noteworthy Character—An Excursion to Hula—A Fisher Community—A Piebald People—Picturesque Night Fishing by Flare Light—Fishermen often Killed by Gare-Fish—Hula Houses—Various Traits of Native Life—A Walk round Hood’s Bay—Traces of Initiatory Rites at Kalo—The Kalo Houses described—On to Kerapuna—A Shooting Expedition—We lose the Trail—Class Distinctions at Kerapuna—Return to Port Moresby by Sea—A Perilous Voyage in a Little Canoe—Tragic Death of Flood, the Naturalist | [165] |
| CHAPTER IX | |
| TOWARDS THE UNEXPLORED | |
| Beginning of Furthest Journey into Unexplored Interior—The Everlasting Question of Carriers—Difficulties and Delays—Epa again—Curious Method of Water Supply—Mavai welcomes us back—He provides a Dubious Treat—Ekeikei—The Building of a Permanent Camp—An Elaborate Undertaking—House-building on a Large Scale—Ingenious Papuan Methods of Thatching—The Chief Kafulu proves Unneighbourly—He does not fulfil his Engagements—Ow-bow’s Embassy—My Deputy is robbed—Precautions in Camp against Attack—I go down to Kafulu and deal faithfully with him—He relents, and restores Ow-bow’s Goods—An Earthquake and Hurricane at Ekeikei | [183] |
| CHAPTER X | |
| UPS AND DOWNS | |
| My man Sam goes to the Kebea to collect—We go to the Coast again with our Specimens—A Dreadful Night in Bioto Creek—A Crocodile River—A Tempestuous Voyage to Thursday Island—Fever—Return to Port Moresby—Adrift for Three Days in a Heavy Sea—A German Captain’s Thrilling Story of the Storm—We return to Ekeikei—A New Trouble—Epidemic of Measles among Native Followers—Harry goes off alone among Cannibals—Adventurous Journey of a Boy of Sixteen—Description of Native Village on a 15–inch-wide Ridge | [201] |
| 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 | [221] |
| CHAPTER XII | |
| THE UNEXPLORED: AMONG PAPUAN PEAKS | |
| Still Higher in the Owen Stanley Range—The Road to Mafulu—Beauties of the Forest—The Hill Step—Curious Habit of Walking acquired in Abrupt Ground—Cold at High Altitudes—A New Camp built—Alpine Signs in Insects and Flowers—Routine Work—Food runs low again—Native Thieves—Followers discontented—They fear the Hostile Mafulu People—Daily Threats of Desertion—Strict Watch—My Rule for Night Visitors—Compulsory Carrying of Torches and Disarming—Weirdly Picturesque Night Scenes—Further Privations—Bird of Paradise Soup—Ugh!—Decide to depart—Natives burn down Camp to ensure our going | [241] |
| CHAPTER XIII | |
| LAST JOURNEY TO THE COAST | |
| A Dangerous Stream-Crossing—Babooni—Sunshine once more—Successful Work—Poor Fare—Messengers to Ekeikei—The Tree-Cabbage—Method of Cooking Tree-Cabbage—A Great Curiosity—Spiders’ Webs as Fishing-Nets—Dancing Festivals—Back to the Kebea—Our Bean Crop—A Papuan Parliament—We obtain Credit—A Wife-Beater—My only Act of Perfidy—The Journey to Ekeikei—Back to the Land of Plenty—Last Visit to Epa—Mavai unfriendly—He is talked over and supplies Carriers—Example better than Precept—The Coast again—An Accident—The Natives drink Sea-Water—Good-bye to the Mountaineers | [259] |
| CHAPTER XIV | |
| A FORTY-MILE TRAMP BY THE SHORE | |
| A Comfortless Voyage—A Forty-Mile Tramp along the Coast—Wonders of the Beach—Armies of Soldier-Crabs—A Crocodile River—A Dangerous Canoe Voyage—At Port Moresby—A Pathetic Incident—Last Days of our Stay in New Guinea | [279] |
| CHAPTER XV | |
| NATIVE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS | |
| The Papuan at Home—His Good Points—Physical Characteristics—Ceremonial Dress—Coast and Hill Tribes—Differences—Local Distribution of the Rami or Petticoat—Its Decrease in Length in the Mountains—Its Disappearance at Epa—Dandyism—The Priceless Chimani—The Shell Armlet—Household Constitution—Rudimentary Government—Courtship and Marriage—The Price of a Wife—Position of Women—Six Ways of Carrying an Infant—Meal Times—Weapons—Clubs—Their Manufacture the Monopoly of One Tribe—Weird Tribal Dances | [289] |
| CHAPTER XVI | |
| BURIAL, WITCHCRAFT, AND OTHER THEMES | |
| A Short-lived Race—An Aged Man a Curiosity—Burial Customs—The Chief Mourner painted Black—Period of Mourning brief except for the Chief Mourner—No Belief in Natural Death—Poison always Suspected—Religion all but absent—Vague Belief in Magic—Fi-fi, a Form of Divination—How practised—Its Utter Childishness—No Idea of Number—Forest Warnings—“Wada,” another Form of Sorcery—Mavai’s Hideous Magical Compounds—A People seemingly without History or Legends—Pictures understood—Fear of the Stereoscope—The “Bau-bau” or Social Pipe—How Made and Smoked—Incidents of Travel—The Stinging Trees—Ideas of Medicine—Sovereign Remedies—Bleeding—How practised—Hunting—The Corral—A Strange Delicacy—Story of Native Trust in Me—A Loan of Beads—Children and their Sports—Thirty Ways of Cat’s-Cradle | [309] |
| CHAPTER XVII | |
| A NOTE ON BRITISH TRADE PROSPECTS IN NEW GUINEA | |
| Sandalwood—The Sea-Slug—Copra and Cocoa-Nut—Coffee—Cocoa—Chillies—Rubber—Stock-Raising—Gold—Tobacco—Imports—German Enterprise—Our Lost Coaling Station | [333] |
| CHAPTER XVIII | |
| NOTES ON SOME BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA | |
| The Birds of Paradise—Remarkable Species observed—Native Names—Play-Places—Curious Habits—The Bower-Bird: Artist, Architect, and Gardener | [345] |
| APPENDICES | [351] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| Two New Guinea Dandies | [Frontispiece] |
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| Lakatois Preparing to Sail | [21] |
| The Bower-Bird | [27] |
| Guarding the Workers | [33] |
| Tugeri Natives | [41] |
| The Native Method of Tree Climbing | [47] |
| A Lakatoi and a House on Piles | [55] |
| Sam and his Wife | [63] |
| Hanuabada Girls Dancing | [69] |
| Girls Dancing on a Lakatoi | [75] |
| Epa Village | [85] |
| Ekeikei Natives | [91] |
| The Camp at Ekeikei | [97] |
| Native Collectors | [101] |
| Hill Natives at Dinawa | [109] |
| Doboi, our Native Cook | [115] |
| The Native Village of Dinawa | [121] |
| Fishing on the St. Joseph River | [131] |
| A Rough Bridge | [137] |
| Native Women at Dinawa | [145] |
| The Wireless Telegraphy of New Guinea | [149] |
| Natives of Enumaka | [155] |
| Vegetation at Dinawa | [161] |
| A Piebald People | [169] |
| A House at Kalo | [177] |
| The Villages of Elevada and Hanuabada | [187] |
| New Guinea House-Building | [193] |
| The Primeval Forest | [197] |
| Polling Lakatois | [205] |
| Houses at Hanuabada | [209] |
| A Deserted Village | [215] |
| Harry Pratt | [225] |
| Camp in the Owen Stanley Range | [231] |
| Two Views of a Native Bridge | [237] |
| Camp in the Owen Stanley Range | [245] |
| Unknown Species Discovered by the Author | [251] |
| The Author and some Native Collectors | [255] |
| A Spider’s Web Fishing-Net | [263] |
| Fishing with Spiders’ Web Nets | [269] |
| A Weird Tribal Dance | [275] |
| A Sea-Coast Scene | [283] |
| Hanuabada Women Wearing the Rami | [293] |
| Buying a Wife | [299] |
| New Guinea Weapons and Implements | [305] |
| Young Natives and Women Carriers | [313] |
| Smoking the Bau-Bau | [319] |
| A New Guinea Hunt | [327] |
| Hauling up a Log | [337] |
CHAPTER I
BREAKING THE GROUND
The Author’s many Journeys—New Guinea more interesting than all—The Second Largest Island in the World, and the last to guard its Secrets from Man—Its Vast Possibilities to the Trader and the Man of Science—Great Riches in Birds and Insects—770 known Species of Birds—The People—Their many Dialects—A Geographical Reason for this—Toilsome Travel—Razor-like Ridges in Endless Succession—The Author’s Camps—Journeys Outlined—In Unexplored Country—Gorgeous Scenery—Variations of Temperature—The Chief Bugbear, Transport.
TWO YEARS AMONG NEW GUINEA CANNIBALS
CHAPTER I
BREAKING THE GROUND
In the course of thirty years of almost continuous journeyings in both hemispheres, it has been my fortune to stray far from the beaten tracks and to know something of the spell and mystery of the earth’s solitudes. My work in quest of additions to the great natural history collections, both public and private, of England, and to a less extent of France, has led me to the Rocky Mountains, the Amazons, the Republic of Colombia, the Yangtse gorges, and the snows of Tibet; but it is safe to say that none of these has aroused my interest and curiosity in so great a degree as the scene of my latest and my next expedition, the still almost unexplored Papua, second largest of the world’s islands, and almost the last to guard its secrets from the geographer, the naturalist, and the anthropologist.