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H. Wilfrid Walker - Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
pinkish stems and leaves resembling a gigantic maidenhair fern, which looked very beautiful scrambling
over the trees, together with two or three other species of rattans.
Our combined force was over two hundred strong, the Notus leading the way, then came most of the
police, then we three white men, then more police, and our Kaili-kaili, Arifamu and Okeina carriers
brought up the rear bearing our tents, baggage and bags of rice.
As we wended our way down the narrow track there were several moments of excitement, and the Notus
several times fell back on to us in alarm, but their fears seemed groundless.
We continued our march for many hours, and just as we came to the end of a long bit of forest, the Notus
came rushing back on to us in great confusion. We soon learned the reason. At the end of a grassy stretch
of country was a village surrounded by a thick grove of coconut and betel-nut palms, and some of the
enemy's scouts had been seen, and we heard their distant war-cry, a prolonged "ooh-h-h, ah-h-h," which
was particularly thrilling, uttered as it was by great numbers of voices. The Notus all huddled together,
then replied in like language, but their cry did not seem to possess the same defiant ring as that of the
Doboduras.
We three took off our helmets and crouched down with the police just inside the forest, with our rifles
ready for the expected rush of the enemy, having sent the Notus out into the open, hoping thereby to
draw the enemy after them. We meant then to give them a lesson, make some captures, and come to
terms with their chief. Two or three times the Notus came rushing back, and I fully expected to see the
Doboduras at their heels, but they were evidently aware that the Notus were not alone, and all I could see
was the distant village and palm-trees shimmering in the quivering heated air, and the heads of the
Dobodura warriors crowned with feather head-dresses bobbing about amid the tall grass, while ever and
anon their distant war-cry floated over the grassy plain.
We decided to rush the village, which we later found was named Kanau, but when we got there we found
it deserted. In the centre of the village was a kind of small raised platform, on which were rows of human
skulls and quantities of bones, the remnants of many a gruesome cannibal feast. Many of these skulls
were quite fresh, with small bits of meat still sticking to them, but for all that they had been picked very
clean. Every skull had a large hole punched in the side of the head, varying in size, but uniform as
regards position (to quote from Monckton's later report to the government). The explanation for this we
soon learnt from the Notus, and later it was confirmed by our prisoners. When the Doboduras capture an
enemy they slowly torture him to death, practically eating him alive. When he is almost dead they make a
hole in the side of the head and scoop out the brains with a kind of wooden spoon. These brains, which
were eaten warm and fresh, were regarded as a great delicacy. No doubt the Notus recognised some of
their relatives amid the ghastly relics. We rested a short time in this village, and our people were soon
busy spearing pigs and chickens, and looting. The loot consisted of all sorts of household articles and
implements, including wooden pillows, bowls, and dishes, "tapa" cloth of quaint designs, stone adzes,
beautiful feather ornaments, "bau-baus" or native bamboo pipes, wooden spears, and a great quantity of
shell and dogs'-tooth necklaces.
We saw three or four of the enemy scouting on the edge of the forest, and I was asked to try to pick one
off, but before I could fire they had disappeared. Then several Notus ran out brandishing spears, and
danced a war-dance in front of the forest, but their invitation was not accepted. We next saw several
armed scouts on a small tree about five hundred yards away, and we all lined up and gave them a volley;
whether we hit any of them or not it is hard to say, but they dropped down immediately into the long
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