. The new New Guinea. all the treasures ofthe town—formed the cargo of every canoe. We called to them, and even sent an interpreter tohail them from the bank, but they only paddled thefaster, and were soon altogether lost to view. This was hardly sociable of the Goari-Barians onan alleged friendly visit, the removal of the womenbeing always a sign of distrust and hostility. How-ever, our party abandoned the point for the moment,to return to it later, and continued the walk downthe dubu. We emerged at the farther end into sun-shine that seemed almost blinding and heat thatstruck upwards from th
. The new New Guinea. all the treasures ofthe town—formed the cargo of every canoe. We called to them, and even sent an interpreter tohail them from the bank, but they only paddled thefaster, and were soon altogether lost to view. This was hardly sociable of the Goari-Barians onan alleged friendly visit, the removal of the womenbeing always a sign of distrust and hostility. How-ever, our party abandoned the point for the moment,to return to it later, and continued the walk downthe dubu. We emerged at the farther end into sun-shine that seemed almost blinding and heat thatstruck upwards from the black mud of the swamplike the blast of a furnace. A few natives were hover-ing and twittering about beyond the dubu, runninglightly up and down the slimy logs that served aspathways through the mud. We gave them somebeads and some calico, both of which excited analmost religious emotion of delight. I do not think Ishall ever forget the spectacle of a dozen sturdycannibals sprawling on their hands and knees in the. RIBBONS OVERCOME FEAR 233 mud and reeds, trying to pick up about an ounce ofsmall embroidery beads that someone had let fall intothat hopeless tangle. There is little doubt that, ifthey took a week to it, they would manage tosucceed. While some of us were thus engaged, a canoereappeared tentatively in the far distance, hoveringabout the corner of the river. Feminine curiosity, itseemed, was, after all, stronger than fear—an incidentscarcely new in the history of the world. We seizedthe opportunity and, advancing to the bank, hailedthe canoe. It vanished instantly, much to everyonesdisappointment. Then an inspiration seized me, and getting awayfrom my party a hundred yards or so, I stood up on alog, called out loudly, and began waving some colouredribbons. The canoes must have been within watchingdistance after all, for one crept cautiously out. Call-ing, signalling, and displaying the ribbons, I managedto lure the shy game to hand, and by and by we had twoor th
Size: 1060px × 2358px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherphila, bookyear1911
