248 A VILLAGE BELLE 



The civilisation of the people about here seemed to have not 

 yet produced a paddle; a split bamboo supplied (very im- 

 perfectly) the place of one. Owing to the strong current and 

 the feeble navigating appliances available, not more than about 

 four trips over and back again could be made in an hour. And 

 so there on the bank we sat from a little after two o'clock until 

 nearly six, watching the ferrying over of our baggage, and then 

 of our bearers. At sunset a good number of our men were 

 still on the wrong side of the water, and so, as there was no 

 possibility of getting them all over that day, and neither Mr 

 S. nor I relished the prospect of a voyage on a zdhitra in the dark, 

 we crossed at a little after sunset. We made a safe passage, 

 but got considerably wet during its progress ; Mr. S. took an 

 involuntary foot-bath, and I a sitz-bath. The rest of our men 

 returned to a village overlooking the river, while we went a 

 little way up the woods and, finding a level spot, pitched the 

 tent there, our bearers who had crossed occupying two or three 

 woodcutters' huts which were fortunately close at hand. 



During the three or four hours' waiting on the river bank we 

 had a good opportunity of observing the people from the 

 village just above, who came down to watch our passage over 

 the water. Amongst them was a girl whose appearance was so 

 striking that I must attempt a description of her. She was a 

 comely lassie, although a dark-skinned one, and was so orna- 

 mented as to be conspicuous among her companions even at 

 some distance. Round her head she had the same fillet of white 

 beads with a metal plate in the front which we had observecTat 

 Ivohitrosa, but from it depended a row of small beads like drops. 

 On each side of her temples hung a long ornament of hair and 

 beads reaching below her chin, several beads hung frorh~'her 

 ears, and a number of white and oblong beads were worked into 

 her hair at the back. Round her neck she had six strings of 

 large beads, and another passing over one shoulder and under 

 the arm. On each wrist were three or four silver bracelets, 

 while on every finger and thumb were several coils of brass wire. 

 Her clothing was a piece of bark cloth fastened just above the 

 hips, over a skirt of fine mat, and on each toe was a brass ring. 

 Thus " from top to toe " she was got up regardless of expense ; 

 she was probably the daughter of the chief ; anyhow, she was 

 evidently the village belle, and seemed well aware of the fact. 



^^^MHMBMVM^' 



