COMMERCE AND LANGUAGE. 697 



down astounding loads of vegetables from their gardens in the bush, carrying them 

 on their backs in palm-leaf baskets, the weight being supported by a band which 

 passes across the forehead. Besides this vegetable load they frequently carry an infant 

 as well, slung in front in a native bark-cloth fastened over the shoulders. All the 

 infants at a certain age have their small bodies beset with numerous raised sores 

 nearly an inch in diameter. To the inexperienced eye they present a shocking ap- 

 pearance at this stage, but one soon learns that the mothers cherish these sores and 

 even, I believe, keep them open. If the sores do not break out there is cause for 

 anxiety for the future health of the child. The markets are aboriginal institutions 

 and are held in the bush, far from the influence of the white man, as well as on the 

 beach. 



As a general rule fish caught in the fish-baskets can only be bought with diwara, 

 while yams and taro may be paid for with tobacco. 



The natives are born traders in their own way, and liberality is likely to have 

 a demoralising effect upon them. But their ways are peculiar, and appear at times 

 unreasonable ; in fact their actions are often quite devoid of reason, being based either 

 upon tradition or inherited instinct or else upon some chronic, deep-seated, primary 

 logical fallacy to which they are held in ineradicable subjection. Unfortunately besides 

 these primal, more or less picturesque attributes, they well understand the subtleties 

 of double-dealing and sophistry. If, for example, one applies soothing balsam to their 

 sores, they are ready to assume that the obligation rests with the donor, unless perhaps 

 their idea is that a little tobacco is necessary to complete the cure. On one occasion 

 the paddles had been left for a few moments unguarded in my canoe on the beach. 

 A passing native promptly appropriated them, took them to a neighbouring compound 

 and had the impudence to ask for payment in response to my indignant demand for 

 restitution. 



It is not difficult to acquire a cursory knowledge of the New Britain language, 

 which possesses simple detached particles and a straightforward syntax 1 . Of course 

 the natives spend a good deal of their time lounging about or idly amusing them- 

 selves, and the word they use to express this pastime is " limlibur." Often during my 

 operations in the Bay or on shore, natives whom we passed in canoes or on the 

 beach inquired whether I was amusing myself in the sense of " limlibur." 



There is no telling for how many years the Nautilus-fishevy has been earned on 

 by these natives. It is not a regular source of food but is resorted to when other 

 provender is scarce. The range in size and age of the individuals taken in the fish- 

 traps is considerable, and as the young are tender and tempting, it happened that 

 I had some difficulty in impressing upon the fishermen that it was precisely these 

 which I particularly desired to procure. They had no knowledge whatever of the 

 possible egg-laying properties of the " pal-a-lialia'V' on the contrary they scouted the 



1 An exceedingly useful and reliable dictionary, following the plan adopted by the Bev. G. Brown for the 

 language of the Duke of York Island, is entitled "A Dictionary of the New Britain Dialect ********** a l so 

 a Grammar" by the Kev. B. H. Bickards, 1889. It has not been printed, but I am informed that there is 

 a copy in the library of the British Museum. 



2 The native name for Nautilus. 



