EXPERIENCES WITH THE NATIVES 159 



their best you do not worry about small faults, and 

 learn to treat them like children, which indeed they 

 are. But one thing you must never tolerate, that is, 

 for a boy to tell another boy to do some task which 

 you have entrusted to him. If you tell a boy to do 

 a thing and he passes the task on, it is well that you 

 should make trouble straight away. You find it 

 also an advantage to watch your new boys and find 

 out the man among them there is always one who 

 is inclined to be what is called in Australia a " bush 

 lawyer," that is to say, a man who wishes to make a 

 grievance if none exists, or to exaggerate the little 

 troubles that must occur. When you have picked 

 upon your " bush lawyer " you may find it necessary 

 to give him some wholesome correction. Once he 

 has come to heel you have very little trouble with 

 the rest. 



On this expedition I had with me the two Eich- 

 horns, whom I had engaged at Samarai, and two 

 good Kanaka boys for shooting game, one of whom I 

 had brought from Queensland ten years previously. 

 From a Kumusi River camp I struck inland, and my 

 vessel went back to Samarai with instructions to call 

 back for me some three months later. I had great 

 difficulty in getting carriers, as the natives had been 

 doing a great deal of carrying work for the Govern- 

 ment recently, and were well supplied with all trade 

 articles. It took me a month to get about eighty 

 miles inland and about 6000 feet high. 



