186 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



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brown skins, fine muscular development, and frizzy 

 hair (unlike the Indian), which stood up on their 

 heads six or eight inches, gave them an imposing 

 appearance. For ornaments, they wore tortoise-shell 

 ear-rings, white shell rings on their arms and ankles, 

 dogs'-tooth necklaces, and round pieces of boar's tusk 

 through the septum of their noses. 



They brought cocoa-nuts, bananas, sugar-cane, and 

 paradise-bird skins ; all of which they threw upon the 

 deck, without asking what would be given in return. 

 Armit gave them flour, sugar, and tobacco ; the latter 

 pleasing them immensely. They were very inquisitive, 

 and wanted to see everything, and know its use. They 

 could not speak English; but Belford, who had been to 

 New Guinea before, acted as interpreter, and we man- 

 aged very well. They staid with us about an hour ; 

 then, with shouts and laughter, clambered over the 

 ship's side into their small boat, and were shortly out 

 of sight. 



The deck was soon littered with banana skins, cocoa- 

 nut husks, and sugar-cane refuse, as the fruit was a 

 great treat after our rough journey. 



The next day we passed Red-Scar Head, a promon- 

 tory jutting into the sea; and the following day, by 

 beating up inside the reef, we arrived toward evening 

 at Port Moresby. The harbor was alrnost enclosed by 

 high hills, covered with long, dry grass, with here and 

 there a garden. In the ravines between the hills grew 



