84 PYGMIES AND PAPUANS 



up into branches in the jungle, while the small stream 

 which flowed through the village was the river flowing 

 directly from the mountains. 



It should be explained that this information was 

 conveyed to us partly by long speeches of which we 

 understood little or nothing, but chiefly by means of 

 maps drawn on the ground. Some of the men drew 

 their rivers crossing one another in a rather improbable 

 manner, but many of them drew charts very intelligently, 

 and at different times we obtained from the natives a 

 good deal of geographical information which was sub- 

 stantially correct. On this occasion their maps all 

 agreed in tracing the big river to branches in the jungle, 

 and the small river to the mountains, so we were rather 

 reluctantly persuaded that they were right, and we 

 tried to induce some of them to go with us. Many of 

 them offered to go the next day, but not one would 

 start then — it was too late, it was going to rain, they 

 had not eaten, and many other excuses — so we got 

 into our canoes and attempted to paddle up the stream 

 and found, what the natives doubtless knew, that we 

 could not advance at all. Several times we tried, but 

 were always driven back by the strong current, to the 

 great delight of the natives who lined the banks and 

 laughed at our feeble efforts, so there was nothing for 

 it but to make a camp near the village and wait till the 

 next day. 



There was some difficulty about inducing the men 

 to start in the morning, for it was raining, and, like 

 other naked peoples, the Papuans dislike being wetted 

 by rain, but we got off eventually with two natives, 



