THE FIRST CAMP 
to wait quite a long time before he could fill the 
billies. 
We built our fire outside the house in the open 
space, gipsy fashion, and hung the billy, in which we 
did all our cooking, on a stick resting on two forked 
upright sticks. Gradually our working day fell into 
a regular routine. We awoke with the dawn, but 
had always to trust to ourselves to make the first 
start, as your Papuan will not wake a sleeping man. 
He has indeed a superstitious awe of the slumberer. 
If one must be awakened, it must not be by a shake, 
and when Doboi had advanced far enough to bring 
us a cup of tea in the morning, he would tread very 
warily. 
When we were fairly astir, we found Doboi already 
about and the fire going. Then he would make tea 
while Harry or I baked cakes. The bread rises easily 
in New Guinea owing to the temperature, and we 
were never at a loss for yeast; for I had brought 
with me a small quantity of hops, and we kept our 
supply going by keeping back a piece of dough from 
every batch. This fragment, no bigger than a pocket 
matchbox, we placed in an ordinary pound tin, and 
by noon it had swelled right over the edges. We 
breakfasted on bread and dripping of pig, when we 
had been able to buy one from the natives, and some- 
times we substituted coffee for tea. By seven o’clock 
breakfast was finished, the boys having had theirs 
under the verandah. It was then time for them to 
be off to their collecting, but they were difficult to 
move. ‘hey wanted to sit and smoke. Once off, 
they might do a day’s work, but on the other hand 
snr 
