CHANGES AND STRANGE SCENES 
villages. These sail up to Port Moresby from the 
east to join the main expedition. About eleven 
oclock in the morning, if the wind be strong 
enough, the people of Hanuabada and Elevada begin 
to test each vessel in the harbour, trying how the 
ropes run, how the sails work, and how the lashings 
hold together. Everything is thoroughly overhauled, 
for the lives of the men folk of the village depend 
upon the fitness of their queer craft. The crew go 
on board and take up their positions. At the bow 
stands the professional pilot, a man _ thoroughly 
acquainted with the coast, and behind him, stretch- 
ing in Indian file down the gunwale on port and 
starboard, stand his crew, each man handling a long 
pole. The steering is done from behind with two 
poles slightly flattened at the ends, and forward, for 
certain emergencies, they use a small Chinese sweep. 
The crew pole gently out from land until the breeze 
strikes the sails, and then far away they go merrily 
down the harbour, tacking about in every direction — 
with wonderful dexterity, for the lakatows, clumsy 
although they appear, are quick “‘in stays.” | 
At last comes the day when the Hanuabada people 
say, “If the wind is favourable, we will start to- 
morrow. Vast quantities of farinaceous food are 
brought on board, and the small dug-outs are busy 
darting out from the village to the fleet, bearing the 
stores that are to last the voyagers for their two 
months’ trip. Then the festivities begin. The 
damsels of the village deck themselves most artisti- 
cally with finely woven garlands that lie in close 
cinctures round their brows. In most ravishing 
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