IN THE EAST INDIES. 121 
S. S. Both, January 28, 1907. 
Dear Warren : 
We are really off now for New Guinea and so far 
all is well. The Captain is very nice and tells us great 
tales of things and people we are to see in the nearby 
future. In the first place, when we arrive in New 
Guinea I shall be the first white woman the natives 
have ever seen. I have two most beautiful (?) red silk 
parasols (badly damaged with holes and candle 
grease) which I intend to trade with them for some 
fine spear or knife or something. The last trip out 
there two officers and one engineer were killed and 
they say eaten but the Captain says they were foolish 
and tried to go too far inland. The boat was also at- 
tacked by drunken cannibals with arrows and spears 
who came out in dug-out canoes, but without avail 
naturally as this ship carries many arms. 
I wish you could see Tom after he has eaten the 
famous Dutch ‘‘rice table,’’ and donned the Dutch 
Indian dress. He is a sight for the gods. Sky blue 
silk pajamas, stopping away above his ankles and a 
thin white pajama coat! All the Dutchmen on 
beard wear this costume the whole afternoon. Bare 
feet, mind you; cool, but that’s all. The rice table is 
fearful, I think. They give you a soup plate filled 
with rice and on this you put chicken, gravy, stuffing, 
pork, vegetables floating in grease, curries, eggs and a 
little of everything you can think of, fish and dressed 
eucumbers and raw onions, ete. Then you mix this 
all up together with a spoon and fork and literally 
push the whole into your mouth with a large dessert 
spoon as quickly as possible. The Dutchmen wash it 
down with beer. As yet I am unable to really enjoy 
