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Chalmers, James, 1841-1901

"Adventures in New Guinea"

Some are quite light
copper-coloured, others are very dark; nearly all are dressed with
cassowary feathers; many with ruffs round their necks made from these
feathers. There were none very tall, but all seem well-built men, with
good muscle. They have the same calabashes and chunam sticks for betel-
chewing as at Kerepunu. Some chunam sticks made from cassowary bones are
well carved. They are a very noisy lot; one would think they were trying
to see who could speak the loudest. They tell us it is impossible to
cross to the other side, as further inland the ridge ends--and there is
nothing but bare broken rook--inaccessible all round. The majority of
the men are bearded and moustached, and have cassowary feathers like a
pad behind, on which they sit. They dress with a string. The demand for
salt is very great; grains are picked up, and friends are supplied with a
few grains from what they have got for taro. The name of the place is
Kenagagara, 1810 feet above the sea-level, E.N.E. from Uakinumu.


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