GOOD-BYE TO DINAWA 
On the third day, about ten in the morning, they 
announced that they were going. ‘They got together 
the bags in which a Papuan carries his effects, packed 
up their new acquisitions, and did a little business 
with the Dinawa people in small articles I had traded 
with the villagers, such as matches, tobacco, or an 
axe, the greatest of treasures—for “‘trade,” in the 
Papuan sense, had not reached Ibala. I myself made 
a few purchases from them, chiefly of clubs, for 
which I gave in exchange some small knives. ‘To 
the Dinawa people they gave some sugar-cane, which 
was greedily snapped up by our destitute neighbours. 
Then they formed up, shook hands most cordially 
with us all, took the route, and disappeared into the 
forest, a party of men in front, the women in the 
centre carrying the loads, and another party of braves 
bringing up the rear. For a long time their shouts 
came echoing back to us through the trees. It was 
a most pleasant interlude, and when these cheerful 
fellows were gone we felt the camp almost painfully 
quiet. 
One or two incidents occurred to break the mono- 
tony of the remaining days. While I was collecting, 
close to the Aculama, I heard the missionary dog 
barking in great excitement, and discovered that he 
had seen a tremendous snake. This I shot in the 
head and brought into camp, where, on measuring it, 
I found it to be 18 feet long and 4 inches in diameter. 
It was of a non-poisonous variety—one of those 
snakes that live on the small arboreal mammals. I 
still retain the skin and skeleton as trophies. HEven 
minor incidents of these dull days seemed worthy of 
159 
