I gave it up at last, hungry and weary, and let
the others proceed. I stayed with a party of natives who were getting a
kind of large almond with a very thick fleshy rind, the nut inside very
hard, which they broke open with stones, filling their kits with the
kernels. They call the nut _okari_. They fed me with sugar-cane, taro,
and _okari_, and then got leaves for me to rest on. They had all their
arms handy; I was, as I am always, unarmed, and felt thoroughly
comfortable with them. Only once in New Guinea have I carried a weapon,
and then we had spears thrown at us. I consider a man safer without than
with arms. The return "home" was frightfully steep and trying to wearied
and hungry folks.
3_rd_.--Youths busy with feathers of cockatoos got yesterday, making head-
dresses. They take the feather, strip it down, throw the quill away,
fasten all the stripped feathers neatly together, dry in sun, then bind
round their combs. One youth is preparing a head-covering from the bark
of the mulberry: he is making native cloth by chewing the bark, and no
wonder he complains of his jaws being sore, for it is a long job.
Pages:
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143