From Keneath the Window

they said they were Friends

IWAS delighted at the thought of stopping. There was so much

tcj see.

A line of heads over the stairway was watching us. One old man put his hands on his head and nodded, saying, “Sleep, Sleep,” a word they had learnt from previous visitors.

On hearing that we were stopping, the row of heads disappeared and in a few minutes there was a great deal of laughing and chattering below, as the good news spread.

Under the window, a crowd had collected and cries of “Seno” (Friend) greeted us. At first they stared at me and then put up their hands and when I put out my hand they cried, “Seno Telefomin” and pointed to the ground. By signs they continually explained that we had cpme over in the plane to Tele fomin and were going to stop, and that they had sent word to the villages to bring in all the people for a sing-sing at the camp that night which we would see before sleeping.

The men stood in front rubbing

their stomachs and shaking their heads. The women at the back with the children had net baskets on their backs, some containing babies.

In their hands they had a long piece of twine made from grass and with a small bamboo needle they were making little bags. They wore numerous little grass skirts about four inches long in front and tied behind, and each had a small charm-bag around her neck.

The men, not one of whom was over five feet, mostly wore heavy headgear; some had elaborate chin straps and fillets of shell, and neck laces of human teeth. Around the waists were loose canes twisted around about four times. Fantastic ally-shaped gourds were worn as pubic coverings.

Most of the grown men had pigs’ tusks through their noses; these gave them an animal appearance.

They also, like the women, wore charm bags.

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,s their astonishment at seeing iat the window wore off, they ke into shrill laughter. One man die front group found the support mother not enough and sat down the ground helpless with mirth mg girls with glistening white ;h. clung together; old women Ided and smiled and the chil a pointed, slapping each other, ertainly was the funniest thing j j had ever seen. [eanwhile in the enclosure there [ a great activity. Unpacking [ going on. Tins of hard biscuits, it and cowrie shells were being ■ied into the store. A Policeman cutting off lengths of khaki I lava; another was trying on a cap to replace his old one; another found a football and :ed it into a group of watching |ves. Immediately there was a tand they scattered in all direc s. Two girls, not knowing ther to laugh or cry, clung in or to their mother who backed ikly behind the house. [ football and a white woman in [day were rather too much ex ment, VENT downstairs and a crowd soon collected around me. One fould put out a hand and take e. shaking his head and say [“Seno.” Another came close to I at my teeth, and yet a third, hair. jhind me were four men sitting their haunches looking at my I A hand gave me a pinch and )ld man muttered to himself as bund my stocking was not skin.

Policeman and several carriers friendly fashion signed to the ip to move back when they sed too close. Occasionally the ball, now being kicked about ly by the Policeman, came near, ‘ then they all scrambled away, ious not to be touched by it. >wn the centre of the small house opposite, a clay stand had l constructed on which, two from the ground, a fire was ling. On a wire supported by sticks, a billy and two kettles g over the flames. Several of older men sat on their haunches tning themselves. One of the iers filled a dish with warm ?r and carried it to a stand le with sticks by the camp-house ’• Another held a cake of Life -1 soap and a towel, ready for wash. An old man shook his 1 and looked up to the sky and >ing his body, he shuddered. A ceman standing by the cook ie door remarked, “Fashion be [ white man; kanaka he stop ■ in rain.” i the growing dusk, two carriers, sed in long, flannel shirts, stood ng each other blowing on long

bamboo pipes their right hands

rSeXr t lme°%Uw PiPe , 6ndS

in perfect time. Blowing a longer note the y started to move forward till they were soon dancing swiftly, Round and rou ? d the house they went, their shirt-tails flapping against their dancing legs, followed by another couple. With short tMs S un fof L a if br a 6 n at hn 1 ;; th this up for half an hour. While we were having tea another four

thei £ pi p es -

Resting the end of a long bamboo on the ground one played a plaintive tune, a woman s lament for her absent man.

An old Telefomin man sitting

with the rest, clicked his teeth and nodded his head, requesting the tune to be repeated. With the sound of the pipers down below came the throb of a native drum; and many kanakas were gathering for the sing-sing.

In the open space the Telefomins dance d—grotesque figures with osprey and bird-of-paradise feathers bobbing on their heads. Laughing girls and children called a Police man and several carriers into the throng. Every fourth round there was a double thump on the native drum and they paused in the dance, the children facing inwards threw out their legs stiffly and called, “Ough,

jh, ough,” and the dance came an end. This was repeated with change throughout the evening, ’he old women carried burning ks in bundles, which they held as illumination for the dance, ing carriers stood apart blowing ir native tunes. sat in a chair by the doorway jching but soon I was surrounded old women. One fingered my set and turning to another, they ed closer to examine it, and to ipare it with the dirty bags iging round their necks. They wed me how they rubbed the ss up and down their thighs to te the thread and how with a iboo needle they made the bags. ) of the bags I examined was ie in a plain stitch with a purl k. and finished off in the same [ as knitting. I was completely lined in by twenty old women ;n a Policeman pushed his way my side and asked if I should [ to walk about. He had some . tobacco which he handed nd to the dancers and the jokers. As I walked amongst the ups, he kept close by my side, oticed the entire absence of the ill of herbs so popular with the Btal people. til o’clock, after a second much ded wash, I went upstairs. The flow space had been covered by roundsheet and a sack to keep tthe cold air. A serious-faced

youth was arranging parachutes for sheets and blanket on the bed.

Another came up with a teapot of cocoa and some cups. Whilst we sat drinking, three groundsheets covered with parachutes were put in a row on the floor with others folded for pillows. They were red, green and yellow and a blue one strung up as a curtain to give me privacy. Kicking off my shoes, I was quickly into bed.

Just before I fell asleep I heard; “All he go finish, Master. Watch belong me to-night.” A Policeman was on guard below.

I did not wake until 8 o’clock, the daylight being shut out by the cover over the window. On looking out I saw the mountain was still covered with clouds. I crept cautiously, not to awake the others, only to find that I was the last up. A warm wash was waiting down below.

Despite the sun, it was chilly out in the air. A boy came out of the cookhouse with the teapot and fol lowed by another with breakfast on four enamelled plates. I found I had a hearty appetite and the meal of bacon, egg and fried taro was very welcome.

Master Tom said it would be im possible to leave that day as the clouds were closing in around the valley. He went with Mr. Allen and a number of carriers, to straighten the plane. Two old men sat on their haunches by the table

watching Mr. Black, who had been writing mail for us to take back, and was now making envelopes.

The day before I had seen very little of him for he had been arranging his stores and making final plans for his further journey of 30 miles to the Dutch border.

He told me that, in mountainous country, he did an average of three miles a day as the crow flies. Every morning the party broke camp at daybreak and travelled till 2 o’clock, at which hour they made camp for the day. Only one tent was carried and the 70 carriers made shelters for themselves at each stop. They had been held up a fortnight mak ing a bridge to cross the Strickland River, and, in another place, he had stopped for a longer time until the carriers had recovered from a first

attack of malaria. To watch and care for a party of 80 in this country is a tremendous task taut when speaking of it he treated it as all in a day’s work.

During the day many natives with net baskets suspended from their heads arrived with food. They went to the market house where on one side of a long bench a Police man stood with a bag of cowrie shells. As each kanaka passed his goods across, he was paid. Numbers of bananas, taro, and yams were piled on the bench with sticks of sugar cane and little bundles of ginger. Several passed over pieces of paper. lOU’s given to them be fore the plane arrived with bags of shells.

Two bright young girls stood at the side arm in arm joking with sellers, “Tasamin and Kasamin” said the Police Boy. They were de lighted when I repeated their names.

They asked if I had any children and when they heard I had two, their delight knew no bounds. They broke into shrill laughter. An old man offered me his half-smoked cigar. Another a banana, and Kasamin broke off a piece of ginger.

Many shook my hand and patted me on the back, crying, “Seno, Seno.”

Near the cookhouse a Police-boy with a pair of scissors was cutting cff the hair and headgear of an old man who was sitting quite un

concerned, smoking a cigar. I ex claimed with horror as it must have taken about ten years to grow. The Police-boy said he wished to sell it to Mr. Allen for a knife. Another boy was busy with hair-clippers on the children’s heads. A little tuft was left on top of each head to hold the string of their net bags.

Some of the girls lined up for t turns. A youngster was busy lecting the hair from the gro and passing it back to the owr When I went upstairs agai saw one old man was asleep ui a bench, the other was still sit where we had left him. He put fingers to his head and butted

e table, saying, “Nanny got, Nanny t Then I remembered that the strict Officer had taken a goat the prospecting party on his trip ' the amphibian eighteen months fore. The old man sighed and, tisfied that I understood, he lay wn with his fellow under the nch to sleep. rhe Telefomins were at war with Sages a few miles aay. They had jh watch-towers built in the bush, d when they had a fight and led any enemies they took the dies back with them to the men’s use in the village and cut them L The thigh was considered the 5t portion of meat.

STo woman was allowed to par ipate in these cannibalistic rites.

Shortly before our visit, when the [jority of the party was absent »m the camp, a kanaka stole an t and ran away. Shortly after, he s caught and brought back, imbers of kanakas stood with ;ir arrows set on their bows telling to see what was going to ppen. When the axe w r as ro ped and the culprit released, the rs and arrows were also col ted and put in the store-room, longst “friendly” natives it re tres a deal of tact to cope with (idents such as that, and months [travel through unknown virgin lest country requires a stout art. [n the evening, several of the Tiers brought little gifts for me take home: a few charm bags, a rved bamboo cigar holder and a plighting set of two stones apped in a piece of bark filled th pith. One of the old men tier the bench came out to show W to use the latter. He hit the b stones sharply together until ;le sparks fell on the pith which

ickly smouldered.

text morning the valley was rered with a thick mist but the luntains were clear. An early rt back was necessary. As soon [breakfast was finished the two m went down to the aeroplane start the engines. I followed in chair, Mr. Black walked down ;h me. On the way down an old man passed me a stone axe her sband had made, and several fe me charm bags. three hundred kanakas ne to see us go. Like children, :y explained by signs the manner our arrival out of the sky and i departure. Many hands were d out in farewell. I felt quite I to be leaving. Master Tom tried * his engine and after putting l writing pad and camera in place fastened himself into his seat, th a parting wave we were off, ding the valley several times gain height to get over the sur mding mountains. *ew Caledonia has made £7OO nlable for the annual exchange it of Australian students.