Summary of the Visit ^ hy J. Walker. 53 



imparted to these long narrow boats by means of outriggers 

 about ten feet distant from either side, and they are prac- 

 tically unsinkable. 



We found these people, without exception, very friendly 

 and well-disposed ; the women and young girls were some- 

 what shy at first, but the small boys were inquisitive, as they 

 are in most other places. In my rambles I was usually 

 accompanied by three or four little urchins, with clothing- 

 reduced to a minimum, and they proved very useful in 

 hunting up insects, land-shells, &c. for me. One beetle, a 

 large bronze-coloured Buprestid {Belionota Walkeri^ Water- 

 house), was very abundant on felled timber, but was so 

 exceedingly shy and active on the wing as to defy my efforts 

 for a long time to secure one witli a big net. The boys 

 caught them with their hands without the least trouble, 

 exactly as a schoolboy at home catches a " bluebottle," and 

 in a very little while they brought me as many specimens as 

 I wanted. On another occasion I was much amused at the 

 manner in which a little Papuan boy secured the large fresh- 

 water prawns (Pafemow, sp.) which abounded in the deeper pools 

 in the bed of the stream. He took two long fibres from the 

 pinnule of a rattan-palm, one of which he formed into a running 

 noose, while a morsel of bait was attached to the end of the 

 other. On presenting this bait to a prawn, the creature at 

 once laid hold of it with its long chel^ with an action ludi- 

 crously like that of a monkey, and, while thus busily engaged, 

 the noose was gently slipped over its tail and the Crustacean 

 flicked on to terra jinna with a smart jerk. The boy caught 

 prawn after prawn in much less time than it takes me to 

 describe the operation ; but neither my companions nor I 

 could secure a single specimen in this way, though we spent 

 more than half an hour in trying to do so. 



A brisk trade was carried on with the natives for weapons, 

 such as heavy palm-wood bows, bamboo-arrows, and spears 

 with large lancet-shaped heads of soft iron &c., besides such 

 personal ornaments as long bamboo combs and neatly carved 

 bone and tortoiseshell earrings and armlets. Old clothes and 

 silver coins were readily taken in exchange for these, the 

 latter being much appreciated for working up into ornaments; 

 but the number rather than the value of the coins appeared 

 to be taken into account when bartering, as a good deal more 

 could be obtained for four threepenny pieces than for a 

 shilling. Tobacco was also eagerly accepted. 



In the forest the most abundant birds were two very hand- 

 some large fruit-pigeons {Carpophaga concinna, Wall., and 

 C. rosacea^ Temm.). Tlie deep booming notes of these birds 



