Ruatoka and Maka have
returned; they shot a pig, which the natives who accompanied them cooked
and divided, to be carried in. The excitement is great over the
division, and the whole assembly are shouting; those from the hunt
recounting the day's proceedings, acting the shooting of the pig, to the
intense delight and amazement of the others. They eat flesh nearly raw.
A pig is put on the fire until the hair is well singed off; then division
is made, then re-divided, and eaten. They take a piece between the
teeth, hold with one hand, and with a bamboo knife cut close to the
mouth. A bird is turned on the fire a few times, then cut up and eaten.
_August_ 1_st_.--Left this morning to look for a track. We passed
through a fine large village about one mile from here, and were joined by
sixty men, all armed with spears and clubs, and faces painted. They
accompanied us for about four miles, and then turned away to the south.
We continued on the ridge for some miles further, until we could see that
all round were great inaccessible mountains with bare faces.
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