ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESULTS. 



393 



as less or, if you like, as much in common as the modem men. That they saw in us fellow- 

 men, lias sufficiently been proved by the easy-going intercourse. 



We cannot deny them a certain civilisation. The way, in which we were received, was 

 really charming. To our great surprise it appeared that shaking-hands was hère also the 

 fashion '). Of course this cordial well-come impressed us favorably and the libéral distribution 

 -of refreshments — ■ fried oebi-turnips, bananas and sugar-cane — ■ did the rest. At this first 

 acquaintance there was reaiiy a very pleasant tone. Distrust and greed remained wholly in 

 the background. It is true that the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages did not approach 

 without fear, but tranquillity"was soon re-established. Wcmen and children were présent too ; 

 they did not seem timid at ail, and it 



was highly appreciated, when we gave 

 the little-ones a looking-glass or a little 

 flûte. If the children showed some fear, 

 they were encouraged by their mothers 

 to accept the présent without any sign 

 •of greed from the latter. 



On nearer examination our new 

 friends did not disappoint us. Once an old 

 man with two little girls came to see us. 

 When I would give a ring to the younger 

 who hid herself behind her sister, she was 

 pushed to the front by the latter and 

 persuaded to accept the présent, notwith- 

 standing the older girl had not yet re- 

 ceived anything. After that the father 

 forced her to give me in return some 

 ■oebi-turnips that he carried in his net. 

 I had a mind to refuse them, but this was 

 not accepted by the old gentleman. Is 

 it not exactly a little scène from the 

 -éducation of our civilized children ? My 

 médical assistance was usually — quite 

 of their own free will — paid with some 



r l*OtO JONGEJAN5. 



turnips or some sugar-cane. And when 



we came on our excursions into the villages, we were often invited to enter the huts; we had 

 to squat on the ground in the circle and immediately some oebis were produced from under 

 the ashes and offered to us. It also happened that — when resting for a moment in a hamlet 



Fig. 15. Resting before a Timorini hut. 



Also another way of greeting was practisei and it struck me that Codrington in his well-known book desciibes 

 ■exactly the same method for the Banks' Islaods as something remarkable for Melanesia; "There is however in the 

 Banks' Islands a friendly action called varpis; two men insert each the middlefinger of his right hand betvveen two of 

 his friends' fingers, grip them tight together, and then quickly pull them asunder with a crack. This is a greeting, a 

 mark of fellowship and of approval". 



