This Was A Very Picturesque Village, Shaded By Thousands Of Coconut
And Betel Nut Palms And Large Spreading Trees, Among Which Was A Very
Fine Tree, With Very Beautiful Green And Yellow Variegated Leaves
(ERYTHRINA Sp.).
There was also a great variety of DRACAENAS, striped
and spotted with green, crimson, white, pink and yellow.
In most of these villages there were many curious kinds of trophies -
crossed sticks, standing in the middle of the village, with a centre
pole carved and painted in various patterns, and with a fringe of
fibre placed near the top. Hanging on these sticks were the skulls
and jawbones of men, pigs and crocodiles. I went out in the afternoon
with gun and rifle, and saw several wallabies, but could not get a
shot at them on account of the tall grass.
In the evening the chiefs of the large Notu village who had in our
absence killed and eaten the two runaway carriers, visited us in
fear and trembling. Monckton told them they must give up to us the
actual murderers and send them up to the residency at Cape Nelson
(or Tufi) within the next three weeks. He did not ask for those
that ate them. Possibly one hundred or more partook of the feast,
and for this they could hardly be blamed, as, being cannibals, it
is quite natural that they should eat fresh meat when they got the
chance. Indeed, our own carriers could not understand why we would
not allow them to eat the bodies of those we had slain.
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