LAST JOURNEY TO THE COAST 
precipices and along the tops of almost razor-like 
ridges. | 
On our return to the Kebea we picked a very fine 
crop of beans of our own sowing. The Papuan bean 
is broader than ours, and is gathered at a rather later 
stage; it is largely cultivated in the native villages. 
Once at the Kebea we had seriously to face the prob- 
lem of getting down to the coast. Here we were 
with all our collections on our hands, as well as our 
stores and “trade” to meet the charges of our carriers 
none too plentiful. Obviously, the right plan would 
be to get the natives to engage to carry for us right 
down to Pokama on Hall Sound, for if we should be 
faced with the necessity of paying off a gang at 
Kkeikei, we should be cleaned right out of the equi- 
valent of ready cash. I opened negotiations tentatively, 
and allowed the idea to get wind among my followers ; 
then the thing began to be mooted in camp conver- 
sations, and the men would go off to discuss it with 
their women-kind. At first they were in great doubt, 
saying that it was very far, they did not know the 
country beyond such a place, and they would be very 
frightened in strange districts, especially on their re- 
turn. At our invitation they gathered for a great 
conference, and I may be said to have summoned a 
Papuan Parliament, which immediately went into 
committee to discuss ways and means. I sent out 
Ow-bow, and several reliable fellows whom we knew 
to be willing to go all the way with us, to induce the 
others to come to the congress, and when we got them 
together we told them that if they would go to Hall 
Sound with us, we would make each man a certain 
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