248 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



of bananas from his garden, or a piece of meat from a 

 freshly killed pig or kangaroo. He built a house at 

 the end of the village, and I often saw him and his 

 wife love-making as they sat together on their veranda. 



Specimens of feminine loveliness are not numerous 

 in Papua ; but, on rare occasions, even there may be 

 seen a face and figure which combine many of the 

 finer qualities of beauty. The Papuan girl has no art 

 to add to her beauty, and must stand the test almost, if 

 not quite, as nature made her : she has no crimps or 

 puffs, few ornaments, and her form is only slightly hid- 

 den by the short grass petticoat, so that any make-up 

 is impossible. 



Once, when out shooting a long distance from our 

 house, near a village on the side of a mountain, I was 

 surprised to meet a strikingly handsome girl returning 

 from the gardens. There was a startled look about 

 her, such as I have seen in a surprised deer; and, 

 "quick as thought," she turned, with a little scream, 

 to run away. I spoke pleasantly, telling her I intended 

 no harm ; that I was tired and hungry, and wanted to 

 know the way to the village. At the same time, I held 

 out a small string of beads, some of which I always 

 carried about with me. Her fear gradually vanished ; 

 and, at the sight of the beads, she began to smile, and 

 timidly held out her hand, holding herself in readiness 

 to fly down the path at the slightest warning. I 

 should judge she was sixteen or seventeen years old. 



