A SPIDER’S WEB AS A FISHING-NET: A STRANGE NEW GUINEA DEVICE.
A very huge and strong spider’s web, common to New Guinea, is used by the natives as a fishing-net. They set up in the forest a bamboo, bent as in the picture, and leave it until the spiders have covered it with a web in the manner shown.
But scientific work cannot be done on sweet potatoes alone, so I sent Wei-Yah and five men to Ekeikei to replenish our larder. They took a week on the journey, and on their return reported that the Ekeikei camp was safe, but there had been thefts from the stores at the Kebea. The foolish fellows had come back without salt, and as five men cannot carry very much, we were only a little better off than we had been. We were also in dire want of “trade,” and there would be fairly long accounts to settle with our carriers for the rest of the journey, the Foula men having exhausted all our trade when we paid them off at Babooni. In our straits, however, nature provided us with at least one delicacy, and we shall always remember Babooni gratefully for its tree-cabbage. These edible leaves grow on a small tree like a sycamore, and the manner of cooking is as follows: Each leaf is plucked separately, and when a sufficient number has been got together they are tied up into neat packets, bound round in banana leaves and cane string. Then stones are collected and heated on a large wood fire, and on the top of the hot stones the bundles of cabbage are placed, and over them the natives lay more banana leaves to a depth of about two feet, and above all another layer of hot stones. In about one hour the cabbage is cooked, the outer wrapping is taken off, and the delicacy is served on a banana leaf or a dish. It is a perfect god-send to the half-starved traveller.
From Babooni we returned to the Kebea, varying our route so as to include the village of Waley, which we entered during a heavy rainstorm. Waley is a pleasantly situated village, occupying the whole of one side of a hill, where a large clearing had been burnt out and planted with sugar-cane and bananas. The natives had also laid out extensive and well-planted gardens.
One of the curiosities of Waley, and, indeed, one of the greatest curiosities that I noted during my stay in New Guinea, was the spiders’ web fishing-net.
In the forest at this point huge spiders’ webs, 6 feet in diameter, abounded. These are woven in a large mesh, varying from 1 inch square at the outside of the web to about ⅛th inch at the centre. The web was most substantial, and had great resisting power, a fact of which the natives were not slow to avail themselves, for they have pressed into the service of man this spider, which is about the size of a small hazel-nut, with hairy, dark-brown legs, spreading to about 2 inches. This diligent creature they have beguiled into weaving their fishing-nets. At the place where the webs are thickest they set up long bamboos, bent over into a loop at the end. In a very short time the spider weaves a web on this most convenient frame, and the Papuan has his fishing-net ready to his hand. He goes down to the stream and uses it with great dexterity to catch fish of about 1 lb. weight, neither the water nor the fish sufficing to break the mesh. The usual practice is to stand on a rock in a backwater where there is an eddy. There they watch for a fish, and then dexterously dip it up and throw it on to the bank. Several men would set up bamboos so as to have nets ready all together, and would then arrange little fishing parties. It seemed to me that the substance of the web resisted water as readily as a duck’s back.
Waley was also a place for dancing. Thither the tribes came for great Terpsichorean festivals, and invitations used to be sent as far as Foula by special messengers to bid the Foula people to these entertainments. As we passed Babooni we had met these couriers on their way to tell the Foula people about a dance that was shortly to be held, and inviting them to come and bring all their fine feather-work—the Papuan dress-suit—and all their pretty women. These dances often last for a week, and the revellers feast during the day and at night dance by torch-light. During the time we were in camp the noise of dancing and singing never ceased, and the fat pigs were continually being killed. This indispensable adjunct of Papuan life is solemnly divided according to ceremonial custom, and certain parts are reserved for the leading degrees of the tribesmen. The guests receive the more honourable portions, and in this instance the chief from Foula would receive the most honoured part of all.
The tribesmen come to the dance fully armed, bearing spears 10 feet long, which were often splendidly decorated with birds’ feathers; over the point would be slung a pod full of seeds, which rattled as the spear was brandished in the dance.
When we left Waley we pursued a very winding path through steep valleys, zig-zaging up the face of precipices and along the tops of almost razor-like ridges.
On our return to the Kebea we picked a very fine crop of beans of our own sowing. The Papuan bean is broader than ours, and is gathered at a rather later stage; it is largely cultivated in the native villages. Once at the Kebea we had seriously to face the problem of getting down to the coast. Here we were with all our collections on our hands, as well as our stores and “trade” to meet the charges of our carriers none too plentiful. Obviously, the right plan would be to get the natives to engage to carry for us right down to Pokama on Hall Sound, for if we should be faced with the necessity of paying off a gang at Ekeikei, we should be cleaned right out of the equivalent of ready cash. I opened negotiations tentatively, and allowed the idea to get wind among my followers; then the thing began to be mooted in camp conversations, and the men would go off to discuss it with their womenkind. At first they were in great doubt, saying that it was very far, they did not know the country beyond such a place, and they would be very frightened in strange districts, especially on their return. At our invitation they gathered for a great conference, and I may be said to have summoned a Papuan Parliament, which immediately went into committee to discuss ways and means. I sent out Ow-bow, and several reliable fellows whom we knew to be willing to go all the way with us, to induce the others to come to the congress, and when we got them together we told them that if they would go to Hall Sound with us, we would make each man a certain payment, enumerating the different articles we were prepared to pay on our arrival at Pokama. We added that if any one preferred that his wages should include a preponderance of tobacco, or beads, or calico, over other articles, we should be quite agreeable.
