To Wanumbai. 457 



horror of small boats at sea, and from all I could learn Wate- 

 lai village was not a place to stop at (no birds of paradise be- 

 ing found there), I detei'mined to return and go to a village I 

 had heard of up a tributary of the Wetelai River, and situated 

 nearly in the centre of the main-land of Aru. The people 

 there were said to be good, and to be accustomed to hunting 

 and bii'd-catching, being too far inland to get any part of their 

 food from the sea. While I was deciding this point the squall 

 burst upon us, and soon raised a rolling sea in the shallow wa- 

 ter, which upset an oil-bottle and a lamp, broke some of my 

 crockery, and threw us all into confusion. Rowing hard, we 

 managed to get back into the main river by dusk, and looked 

 out for a place to cook our suppers. It happened to be high 

 water, and a very high tide, so that every piece of sand or 

 beach was covered; and it was with the greatest difficulty, 

 and after much groping in the dark, that we discovered a lit- 

 tle sloping piece of rock about two feet square on which to 

 make a fire and cook some rice. The next day we continued 

 our way back, and on the following day entered a stream on 

 the south side of the Watelai River, and, ascending to where 

 navigation ceased, found the little village of Wanumbai, con- 

 sisting of two large houses surrounded by plantations, amid 

 the virgin foi-ests of Aru. 



As I liked the look of the jDlace, and was desirous of stay- 

 ing some time, I sent my pilot to try and make a bargain for 

 house accommodation. The owner and chief man of the place 

 made many excuses. First, he was afraid I would not like 

 his house, and then was doubtful whether his son who Avas 

 away would like his admitting me, I had a long talk with 

 him myself, and tried to explain what t was doing, and how 

 many things I would buy of them, and showed him my stock 

 of beads and knives and cloth and tobacco, all of which I 

 would spend with his family and friends if he would give nie 

 house-room. He seemed a little staggered at this, and said he 

 would talk to his wife, and in the mean time I went for a 

 little walk to see the neighborhood. When I came back I 

 again sent my pilot, saying that I would go away if he would 

 not give me part of his house. In about half an hour he re- 

 turned with a demand for about half the cost of building a 

 house, for the rent of a small portion of it for a few weeks. 



