DISCOVERY OF THE PYGMIES 157 



caught after an exciting chase two small men, whose 

 build and dress and appearance proclaimed them to 

 belong to another race than the Papuan. A day or 

 two later two more were captured, while they were 

 crossing the river ; they were kindly treated and 

 presents were given to them, but they showed no 

 inclination to conduct strangers to their home, a large 

 clearing in the jungle on the hill side, which could be 

 plainly seen from the Kapare River. We learnt from 

 the Papuans that these little people were called Tapiro.* 

 At the beginning of March I accompanied one of the 

 food-transports up the Mimika and went with Rawling 

 out to the Kapare, where he had made a camp and was 

 occupied with some of the Gurkhas in cutting a track 

 through the jungle. By that time we had no coolies 

 available for land transport ; in six weeks our fifty 

 coolies had diminished to ten, who were all wanted for 

 the canoes, so we were entirely dependent on native 

 assistance for land journeys. There was not much 

 difficulty in persuading people to carry loads for us 

 from Parimau to the nearest point of the Kapare River, 

 for they were accustomed to go over there to fish. But 

 it was a different business on the second day, when we 

 wanted to push the camp a few miles further up the 

 river so as to be in a better position for reaching the 

 clearing of the Tapiro. At first they resolutely refused 

 to start at all and retired to the shelters they had made 

 at a little distance from the camp. From there they 

 had to be led back by the hand one by one and then be 

 severally introduced to their loads, but even so a number 

 * The accent is placed on the firs t syllable— Tapiro. 



