I measured the five men and made a few notes on them, and Wilkin took a few photographs. These natives are somewhat darker than the coast tribes, of more rugged countenance, and wear beards and moustaches. Ray obtained some information as to the nature of their language; like our Torres Straits friends they have names for only the numerals “one” and “two.”
When strolling about we came across the old chief sitting on a log whittling saplings into spears with a boar’s tusk for a knife. It was the first time I had seen this primitive knife in actual use, and much to the man’s astonishment I bought the tusk after we had photographed him using it. Unfortunately for the picturesqueness of the photograph, he was wearing a shirt; the wearing of a shirt by a chief is the recognised symbol of loyalty in this district.
Our cooking was of a very primitive kind, and the results were not of a palatable quality. Every scrap that we dropped through the crevices of the verandah was immediately devoured by pigs. It was also a new sensation to hear pigs grunting and scrunching underneath one at night, and to feel the vibration of their rubbing against the verandah posts. The nights were comparatively quite cold; we all felt chilly, and my teeth chattered, but I doubt if the thermometer sank much below 55°.
This is a village of the Taburi tribe, who with others are called Koiari by the Motu, a name which simply means “bushmen,” but it probably will be convenient to retain the latter as a general name for the small tribes of the whole district round about.
We rested all Sunday, but Ballantine walked on Saturday afternoon to Hogeri (Sogeri), a distance of seventeen miles. He returned from Hogeri on Monday morning, bringing along with him a crowd of inland natives amongst whom was Gewe, the chief of Agi, a noted warrior who a year previously would have been shot if he could have been caught, as he had more than once raided unoffending tribes; now the chief came of his own free will to visit Port Moresby. There were several men from Wamai and one or two from Hogeri and Ubere. Two of the natives carried a live pig tied to a pole, others had stone clubs, native food, and various articles.
We formed a long procession as we went back to Port Moresby in single file. For a long time the natives kept up well with us, but eventually they dropped behind. We had a very pleasant and by no means tiring ride home. At sunset we arrived at Boumana to find a liberal meal provided by Ballantine and prepared by Peter Lifu’s wife. We had fresh wallaby-tail soup, stew, tinned raspberries, and coffee. Then we walked our horses in the dark to Port Moresby, arriving shortly before ten o’clock; we unsaddled at Ballantine’s, and he invited us in to have a drink. We started with whisky and water and finished off with bread and cheese and beer. In fact, we had a “small-fellow Christmas.” I had a good night, and woke up next morning in good form and not very stiff or sore.
PLATE XIX
GEWE, CHIEF OF AGI, WHEN DEPRIVED OF HIS HAT
GEWE, WITH HIS HAT RESTORED TO HIM