They seem to have no kind of worship, and their sports are
few. The children swing, bathe, and sail small canoes. The grown-up
people have their dance--a very poor sort of thing. A band of youths,
with drums, stand close together, and in a most monotonous tone sing
whilst they beat the drums. The dancers dance round the men once or
twice, and all stop to rest a bit. I have been twice present when only
the women danced. They bury their dead, and place houses over the
graves, which they fence round, planting crotons, bananas, etc., inside.
They do their cooking inside their houses. It was very hot and
uncomfortable when we were in the native house. The master being a sort
of chief, and having a large household, a great deal of cooking was
required. Three large fires were generally burning in their end of the
house for the greater part of the day. The heat and smoke from these
fires were not nice. Indeed, they generally had one or two burning all
night, to serve for blankets, I suppose.
[Natives of South-Eastern New Guinea: 59.
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