226 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



worse to the white trader, or the white collector, than 

 a later stage, when, from long contact with the white 

 man, the savages have gained as much iron and cloth 

 as they wish for. Once the native has learnt about 

 iron he will covet it until he has enough for his needs. 

 But I have noticed that the native, as soon as he 

 comes to possess iron, promptly degenerates in his 

 old art of carving. The native who has an iron tool 

 never does as good carving as he did before with his 

 rough implements made of shells and animals' teeth. 

 After this visit of the natives to my camp I waited 

 for a long while, hoping that their curiosity would 

 induce them to come again. But it was in vain. So 

 then I decided that I should return their call. Without 

 telling any of my boys of my intention I went down 

 to the village alone one day. The natives were thrown 

 into a state of violent alarm at my approach. They 

 yelled and screamed, rushed for their weapons, and 

 made signals warning me not to approach. I how- 

 ever, kept on and made signs that I only wanted 

 a smoke. They seemed to understand that as a sign 

 of peace, for they brought tobacco l and a pipe, but 



1 See footnote on page 115. It may be presumed with some 

 certainty that these hill tribes had never come into contact with 

 white men before, and had, therefore, not got their tobacco plants 

 from Europeans. Nor did they seem to have any communication 

 with the coast tribes. The weight of evidence on this tobacco 

 question the facts that the hill tribes in New Guinea have 

 native tobacco : and the coast tribes have not until it comes to 

 them from the white man points to one of two conclusions, 



