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H. Wilfrid Walker - Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
some of our party, contrary to regulations. According to government laws, to cut down a coconut tree in
New Guinea is a crime, and a serious one at that. Even when attacking a hostile village it is strictly
forbidden, though one may loot houses, kill pigs, out down betel-nut palms, and even kill the inhabitants.
But the coconut-palm is sacred in their eyes.
However, the government has an eye to the future of the country, as, besides being the main article of
food in a country whose food supply is limited, the coconut tree means wealth to the country, when it
gets more settled and the natives are able to do a large business in copra with the white traders.
That evening, when in camp, we discovered the culprit to be no less a personage than the sergeant of
Walsh's police, who was in command of the shore party, his sole excuse for breaking the law being that
he thought it too much trouble to climb the tree after the coconuts. When the whole of the police force
had been drawn up in line Monckton, as leader of the expedition, cut the red stripes from the blue tunic
of the sergeant, and he was reduced to the ranks.
After a rough voyage, there being a good swell on, we arrived at Walsh's camp on the mainland, opposite
the Mangrove Islands, and here we found Clark, whom I had met before in Samarai. The camp was
situated in the midst of a small native village, and later on the inhabitants and others turned up armed
with their stone clubs, spears and shields, and offered to help us. They also wanted us to go and fight
their enemies a short way inland from here. Monckton's reply was not over polite. He ended by ordering
them at once to clear out of their village, as he had no use for them.
Toward evening we all went pigeon shooting, as thousands of Torres Straits pigeons flock round here at
twilight and settle chiefly on the small islands close to the mainland. We had excellent sport. The birds
flew overhead, and we shot a great number between us.
Three of us white men were down with fever that evening. As the cutter had not arrived with the rice,
etc., from the Kumusi River, we had to remain here the whole of the next day.
Toward evening we again went pigeon shooting, each of us taking possession of a small island, but the
birds were not nearly as plentiful as yesterday, and small bags were the result. On these islands were
plenty of houses, which we heard were deserted a few weeks ago, owing to the frequent attacks of
hungry cannibals on the mainland.
On my island I discovered several very fresh-looking human skulls and bones. My boy, Arigita, regaled
me with yarns while we waited for the pigeons. He told me he had often eaten human meat, and
expressed the same opinion on the matter as the ex-cannibals I had met in the interior of Fiji had done. I
had good reason for suspecting the young rascal of having partaken of human meat since he had been my
servant.
I noticed plenty of double red hibiscus bushes on these islands, and I came across a new and curious
DRACAENA with extremely short and broad red and green leaves, that was certainly worth introducing
into cultivation.
We continued our journey in the whaleboats the next morning, and after going some distance we heard a
shout, and saw a man on the beach frantically waving to us, but as he would not venture near enough, we
had to go on without finding out what was the matter. Shortly afterward we heard three loud blasts on a
conch shell, which is always used to call natives together, but the bush being thick, we could see nothing.
I myself believe it was a trap, the man evidently trying to get us ashore, so that his tribe might attack us.
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