SMOKING THE BAU-BAU.
This curious pipe is made of a length of bamboo closed at each end. Into a small hole at one end is inserted a small green leaf rolled like a grocer’s paper bag. In this the lighted tobacco is placed. The smoker then reverses the tube, and sucks in the smoke until the bamboo is filled. He now takes out the tobacco and inhales a long whiff. The operation is repeated as long as the tobacco lasts.
Over the “Bau-bau,” or social pipe, I trust there may be some discoveries in store for me. The Papuan pipe is itself a most interesting instrument, not only in its everyday use, but in its construction and in the method of smoking. It is made of one joint of bamboo, closed at both ends by the natural section of the bamboo. In the side of the cylinder near one end they drill a hole by applying a piece of hard wood made red-hot. They press the red-hot wood to the bamboo, and blow it to incandescence, repeating the operation until a hole is pierced. They next knock a hole in the opposite end of the bamboo, so as to admit a current of air. The red-hot wood is now applied again to the original hole, and they blow through the hole knocked in the opposite end until the small hole in the side is gradually enlarged. The “Bau-bau” is now complete, except for its ornamentation. Elaborate patterns are scratched on the hard enamel of the bamboo with glass, a knife, a stone, or red-hot wood, and the speed with which this decoration is accomplished is extraordinary.
In the accompanying illustration I show some of the prevailing patterns. On the march our men would cut a bamboo, and on reaching camp would borrow some suitable tool from us, and make a pipe in a very short time. They were sufficiently accomplished smokers, however, to like an old “Bau-bau” best, and gave the reason, which will be appreciated by every smoker, that tobacco is not good in a new one.
The method of smoking is elaborate. They roll a leaf into a little horn, and insert it in the smaller hole on the side of the “Bau-bau,” within this leaf is placed the charge of tobacco which they light, and then placing their lips to the end hole they draw. The little horn, or cigarette as one may call it, is now removed from the hole in the side, and if the pipe is new they blow away the first charge of smoke, by placing their lips to the hole in which the cigarette was originally inserted. Again the cigarette is placed in the small hole, and the pipe is drawn from the end hole. This time the smoke is intended to be used, so the cigarette is removed from the small hole, and the smoker applying his lips thereto inhales the whole charge. Again the cigarette is removed, and the pipe is filled by a long pull at the end hole, but this time the smoker does not inhale the charge himself, but removes the cigarette and politely hands the charged pipe to his neighbour, who punctiliously rubs the mouthpiece, and enjoys the long whiff. Very often there is one drawer for an entire party, whose duty it is to fill the pipe with smoke, and pass it so filled to each of his companions in turn.
They usually sit in a circle for these smoking parties; and in camp the “Bau-bau” is continually used. They grow their own tobacco, which is very rank, and not good smoking at all. In fact, the natives themselves cannot inhale much, as it makes them giddy; and they are not infrequently seized with severe fits of coughing when the fumes have proved particularly suffocating.
The supply of tobacco is carried in the armlet or behind the ear—this last method being not unknown to the festive Cockney, who, on Bank Holiday, is seldom complete without a cigarette so worn.
The pipe at the end of the day’s march was invariably well earned, for the heartiness and endurance of my carriers were almost incredible. On one occasion I despatched a party to one of my camps, thirty miles distant, through an almost inaccessible mountain region. They left at eight o’clock in the morning, and came into camp again at five in the afternoon of the following day, having accomplished the whole journey of sixty miles, and the latter half while they were burdened with their loads of rice, tinned provisions, tobacco and hardware, and all the other miscellaneous articles known as “trade.” The women’s loads weighed about 50 lbs., the men’s somewhat less, for the women are the great burden-bearers in New Guinea.
The difficulties of our march were heightened by certain natural features, particularly the stinging trees, which occurred close to Madui. The tree in shape, size, and foliage resembles a sycamore, and has a leaf of which the under side is extremely rough and covered with spines. These possess a stinging power like that of the nettle, only much worse, and the irritation lasts far longer. The slightest touch is sufficient to wound. First a white blister appears, then redness, covering about a square inch around each pustule; rubbing aggravates the irritation, which shortly becomes maddening. The pain is not allayed for at least twelve hours; and I have never observed any natural antidote growing in the vicinity of this stinging-tree, as the dock-leaf grows near the nettle. Needless to say, the natives take the utmost care to give these trees a wide berth.
A smaller stinging-plant, resembling our nettle, only larger, with a rough under side of pale pea-green, is also found at intervals in the forest; both sides of the leaf possess the power of irritation. The natives use it as a universal specific for all ailments. As soon as they come on a clump of this plant the women discard their loads and gather bundles of the leaves, which they carefully preserve for future requirements. It is also applied probably for the sheer pleasure of it when they have no actual disorder, and it is quite common for them to rub their bodies lightly with the leaves. This causes violent irritation, followed by a feeling of pleasant numbness, like that which results from the application of menthol. For a mosquito bite this is a most admirable remedy, since the irritation of the bite is allayed and goes down long before the irritation of the leaf has passed. It is a curious example of the old medical practice of counter-irritation. Although we were glad to resort to it for mosquito bites, no European would without that cause risk the irritation for the sake of possible future benefits.