" At all the
villages Lohiamalaka repeated all he could remember of what he had been
told, and of our singing and praying. Every evening he would sit at the
tent door and get us to sing for the benefit of a crowd of natives
outside, who, having heard from himself of our musical powers, refused to
go to their homes at sunset, and insisted on remaining until after _noko_
(singing). When the Koiari visit the coast they go in for begging
largely, and they generally get what they ask, as the Motu people are
very much afraid of their spiritual power, they being thought to hold
power over the sun, wind, and rain, and manufacturing or withholding the
latter at will. When the Motu people hear that Koiarians are coming,
they hide their valuables. All the young swells here have head-dresses
of dogs' teeth, got from the seaside natives. At Eikiri, they told us
they got theirs by killing and stealing. We can truly say we are under
arms in this house--sixty-two spears overhead, four shields on walls, and
two stone clubs keeping watch at the door.
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