Two Years with the Natives in the Western Pacific

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ss one of the many streams a dam of great boulders is laid, so that about the same amount of water is constantly kept running into a channel. These channels are often very long, they skirt steep slopes and are generally cut into the earth, sometimes into the rock; sometimes a little aqueduct is built of planks, mud and earth, supported by bamboo and other poles that stand in the valley. In the fields the channel usually divides into several streams,

, and this is the reason why the east coast is so much damper than the west, and why the vegetation is so immoderately thick on the one side, and much less luxuriant on the other. On the west side the bush is thinner and there are wide stretches of reed-grass,

TARO FIELD

re, falling in almost perpendicular walls straight down into the sea. Deep narrow valleys led inland into the very heart of the island. Several times, when we were passing the openings of these valleys, a squall caught us, and rain poure

, and saw how all along the coast immense masses of earth fell into the sea from the high cliffs, so that the water boiled and foamed wildly. Then yellow smoke came out of all the bays, and hung in heavy clouds over the devastated spots, and

me a specimen of pottery. It was finished in ten minutes, without any tool but a small, flat, bamboo splinter. Without using a

suddenly began to shake and tremble, as if a giant hand were shaking it, and at the same time more earth fell down into the water. The shocks recurred for several weeks, and after a while we became accustomed to them. The vibrations seemed to slacken and to

t of a thick bamboo, is used. On this the clay is wound up in spirals and the surface smoothed inside and out. This is the method by which most of the prehistoric European pottery was made. The existence of the potter's art in these two villages only of all the New H

carry his load myself, and although it was not the heaviest one, I was glad when I found a substitut

lamacco by boat; the earthquake had been very violent there, and had caused the greatest dam

attack each other with clubs and other weapons, only neither side dared to begin. I asked them to do the fighting out in the open, so that I could take a picture of it, and

ure of being Mr. C.'s guest. My object there was to follow the traces of the pygmy population, but as the natives mostly live inland, and only rarely come to the coast, I had to go in search of them. At that time I was often ill with fever, and could not do as much as I could have wished. Once I tried to reach the highest mountain of the islands, Santo Peak, but my guides from the mission village of Vualappa led me for ten days through most uninteres

y only one deep valley, as far as I could judge in the tangle of forest that covered everything. The guides again pretended that we were standing on the highest mountain then, and that it would take at least a fortnight to reach the real Peak. I assured them that I meant to be on its top by noon, and when they showed no inclination whatever to go on, I left them and went on with my boys. We had to dive into a deep ravine, where we found a little water and refilled our bottles. Then we had to ascend the other side, which was trying, as we had lost the trail and had to climb over rocks and through the thickest bush I ever met. The ground was covered with a dense network of mo

ive has probably found by this time. We were wet and hungry, and as it was not likely that the fog would lift, we began the descent. Without the natives I never could have found the way back in the fog; but they followed the path easily enough, and half-way down we met the other guides coming slowly up the mountain. They seemed pleased to have escaped the tiresome climb; possibly they may have had other reasons for their dislike of the Peak. They were rather disappointed, I thought, that I had had my way in spite of their resistance. They now promised to lead us back by another route, and we descended a narrow valley for several hours; then came a long halt, as my guides had to chat

chman while on their way to a plantation on the Segond Channel, where they meant to work a few days. The women are now deprived of their husbands for at least three years, unless they fi

ative population. (I have since heard that by request of the British authorities these men were brought back, but only after about ni

villagers, and the women especially who had hardly ever tasted rice or tinned meat, were delighted. One old

il, small as a fly, that drifted slowly seaward and was swallowed up by the darkness, from which the stars emerged one by one. The women

and the experiences we had had, and how often the others had tried to shoot me, etc. In short, I found out a great many things I had never known, and I shivered a little at hearing what I had esc

breath of wind was stirring. These rollers were caused by a cyclone, and gave us some idea of its violence. I despaired of ever reaching the steamer, but Mr. B. was an expert sailor, and making the most of a slight lull, he brought me safely through the surf and on board. His goods, however, could not be loaded on to the steamer, which immediately sailed. We passed New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at a

ula, on a blue, shining sea, with all the landscape as peaceful an

ly transplanted to all the luxuries of civilized life once more. I spent the days packing the collections awaiting me at Vila, and which I found in fairly good condition; the evenings were passed in the interesting society of Mr. King, who had travelled extensively and was an a

ean Roux, who were coming to New Caledonia in order to pursue studies similar to mine. The time I spent with