THE WAWAMBA. 155 



It is only women that appear to carry on any 

 kind of communication between the different 

 villages. They had an impression that all Euro- 

 peans were robbers. One man whom I induced 

 after great trouble to go with me as a guide to 

 the head of the valley gave me a good idea of 

 their character. On arriving there, he at once 

 began to steal bananas, supposing he could do 

 anything he liked under my protection. On the 

 way home, we passed a poor starved woman with 

 a baby and a big basket of the edible Arum leaves. 

 He was going to steal these ; and finally, when we 

 reached the settlement at the foot of the camp, he 

 was going to plunder a hut of its most valuable 

 contents ; but by that time I had had enough and 

 sent him home. 



I promised two or three of those at the head of 

 the valley a present of beads, but they dared not 

 face the return journey by themselves. 



These people are extremely superstitious ; in 

 every stretch of cultivation one finds curious little 

 houses two or three feet high, in which are sus- 

 pended little bits of bark cloth or banana, or 

 occasionally some little grisly thing or other. 

 These are to keep the spirits in good humour. 

 They are also firm believers in charms and 

 amulets, of which they have a very large va- 

 riety. 



All these little traits constantly reminded me of 

 West Africa, and led me to believe that I was, at 



