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H. Wilfrid Walker - Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
Okeinas returned. They were followed by several canoes of the Baruga tribe with their chief, who
brought us four live pigs tied to poles, besides other native food, which, together with the fish, saved us
from using the rice for the police and carriers. New Guinea is not a rice-producing country, and the
natives not being used to it, are far from appreciating it. A little later some of the Notu tribe from further
north arrived by canoe. They had again been raided by the Dobodura tribe, and many of them killed and
captured. They said the enemy were very strong, and Monckton told us that it was more than likely that
they could raise one thousand to fifteen hundred fighting men. We determined to resume our journey the
next day, and go inland and attack their villages. We seemed likely to be in for a good fight, and the
police especially were highly elated. Old Giwi, who bragged so much about his fighting capabilities at
starting, shook his head and thought it a tall order, and that we were not strong enough to tackle them.
We left again early on the morning of September 20th, the canoes with our carriers having gone on the
previous night. Early in the afternoon we passed large villages situated amid groves of coconut palms.
These belonged to the Notus, who had been suffering such severe depredations at the hands of the
Doboduras. Shortly before arriving at our destination we found the carriers waiting for us on shore, they
having too much fear of the Notus to reach their villages before us.
We determined to land on the far side of one particularly large village. Rifles were handed around, and
we strapped on our revolvers, and all got ready in case of treachery. Then came a scene of excitement as
we landed in the breakers. Directly we got into shallow water the police jumped out, and with loud yells
rushed the boat ashore. There was still greater excitement getting the canoes ashore amid loud shouting,
and one of the last canoes to land, filled, but was carried ashore safely, and only a few bags of rice got
wet.
We pitched our camp on a sandy strip of land surrounded on three sides by a fresh water lagoon, our
position being a good one to defend, in case we were attacked. Monckton then took a few police and
went off to interview the Notus.
After a time he returned with the information that the Notus appeared to be quite friendly, and anxious to
unite with us against the common foe on the morrow.
Several of them visited our camp during the day and brought us native food and pigs, which latter
Monckton shot with his revolver, to prevent our carriers cooking them alive. It was quite amusing to see
the way the Notus hopped about after each report, some of them running away, and small blame to them,
seeing that it was the first time that they had ever heard the report of a firearm.
The next morning saw us up long before daybreak, and in the dim light we could see small groups of
Notu warriors wending their way amid the tall coconuts in the direction of our camp, till about seventy of
them had assembled. They were all fully armed with long hardwood spears, stone clubs and rattan shields
(oblong in shape and of wood covered with strips of rattan, with a handle at the back), and led the way
along the beach. The sun soon rose above the sea a very red colour, and a superstitious person might
have considered it an omen of bloodshed.
It was hard work walking in the loose sand, and I was glad when we branched off into the bush to walk
inland. We passed through alternate forests and open grass land, the forest in places being quite
luxuriant, and new and beautiful plants and rare and gaudy birds and butterflies made one long to loiter
by the way. Amongst the palm family new to me was a very beautiful LICUALA, perhaps the most
beautiful of all fan-leaved palms, and a climbing palm, one of the rattans (KORTHALZIA sp.), with
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