76 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



I had resolved to become independent as far as 

 possible of the little trading schooners of the islands 

 on my third collecting trip. So towards the end of 

 1896 at Sydney I bought a twenty-feet whaleboat 

 and brought it with me by the steamer to Cairns, 

 where I outfitted for the new expedition. At Cairns 

 I engaged as helpers three Kanakas, Tom, Joe, and 

 Luke, and a black boy named Jimmy. Then we all 

 took steamer to Samarai and there took in stores, and 

 in 1897 set out in the whaleboat for Woodlark Island. 



I had no knowledge at all of navigation and had 

 not even a compass aboard. My idea of the best way 

 of getting to Woodlark Island was to follow the shore- 

 line of New Guinea around by way of the Trobriand 

 Islands and work round from there to Woodlark 

 Island. Thus, I reasoned out, I would never be out 

 of sight of land. From Samarai to Woodlark was 

 quite an easy run for any one who understood naviga- 

 tion, but because I did not wish to lose sight of land 

 I conceived the idea of going by way of the Trobriands. 



I was to learn in the school of experience that 

 navigation was not a matter that could be taken in 

 that casual way. As far as the Trobriands we got 

 along all right with favourable winds, but from the 

 Trobriands to Woodlark Island we encountered a 

 dead-ahead wind, and had to face the certainty that, 

 since it was the trade wind usual to the season, it 

 would neither moderate in strength nor change in 

 direction for some months. The whaleboat was very 



