. Wanderings among South sea savages and in Borneo and the Philippines. ed, sent downat Moncktons request from the Mambare orNorthern Station. These, with Walshs nine,made an addition of nineteen police to our celebrated old Mambare chief named Busimaiwaarrived at the same time, together with many ofhis tribe, which was friendly to the say celebrated because he was the leader in themurder of the resident magistrate of the Northern Division, the late Mr. , together with aU his police. But he has since been pardoned by thegovernment. The magistrate and his poUce werekiUed th
. Wanderings among South sea savages and in Borneo and the Philippines. ed, sent downat Moncktons request from the Mambare orNorthern Station. These, with Walshs nine,made an addition of nineteen police to our celebrated old Mambare chief named Busimaiwaarrived at the same time, together with many ofhis tribe, which was friendly to the say celebrated because he was the leader in themurder of the resident magistrate of the Northern Division, the late Mr. , together with aU his police. But he has since been pardoned by thegovernment. The magistrate and his poUce werekiUed through treachery, being unarmed at the time. They were all eaten, but s skull was afterwards recovered. Old Busimaiwa had a sonin our police force. We were off early the next morning, we fourwhite men and most of the police going in thetwo whaleboats, while the rest walked along theshore. These latter had to pass through manysmall villages on the way, but the inhabitantsdid not wait to find out whether they were friendsor foes, and the police foimd the villages « o W CD CRIME OF FELLING COCONUTS 143 From the whaleboat I suddenly noticed a taUcoconut palm come falling to the ground, and Iimmediately called Moncktons attention to thefact. He was very much annoyed, as he knewthat it was cut down by some of our party, contraryto regulations. According to government laws,to cut down a coconut tree in New Guinea is acrime, and a serious one at that. Even whenattacking a hostUe village it is strictly forbidden,though one may loot houses, kill pigs, cut downbetel-nut palms, and even kiU the the coconut-palm is sacred in their eyes. However, the government has an eye to thefuture of the country, as, besides being the mainarticle of food in a country whose food supply islimited, the coconut tree means wealth to thecountry, when it gets more settled and the nativesare able to do a large business in copra with thewhite traders. That evening, when in camp, we discove
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectethnology, bookyear19
