MY FIRST EXPEDITION TO NEW GUINEA 57 



but their hearts failed them and their plans fell 

 through. This occurred at about 4 p.m. 



" I made a stretcher and had our dying carrier 

 carried on about half-a-mile, where we camped for 

 the night. The carrier died that evening, and we 

 buried him next morning. We saw nothing more of 

 the natives. Our carriers were very frightened and 

 most of them spent a sleepless night. These natives 

 are a fine type of men ; light-coloured, and averaging 

 about five feet four inches in height, and strongly 

 built. Their weapons consist of bows and arrows, and 

 a small stone disc club, and for ornaments they wore 

 dried human hands, cassowary plumes, land shells, 

 and seed necklaces." 



Now that, I should say, was a case of sheer bad 

 luck. Probably the attacking natives had their 

 cupidity aroused by seeing some of the " trade " of 

 the exploring party; and were ignorant of the power 

 of the white man's arms. If they had been kept at a 

 distance until they had seen the effects of a gun- 

 shot on a pig or some other animal, probably they 

 would not have dared to meddle. 



The coast people in New Guinea as a rule are great 

 thieves. The hill people on the other hand are fairly 

 honest. After contact with white people the natives 

 generally become less honest. Sometimes their dis- 

 honesty is so naive as to be amusing. They will 

 come and steal things from your camp and openly 

 wear them as ornaments, and after you have bought 



