328 



A KATUHJLJST'S WANDEBINOS 



sound them on the subject* Accompaoied by an Orang Kaya 

 or chief, from Sera, ou the west coast, who happened to be in 

 Ritiibel on a visit, and who spok^ a little Malay, I proceeded 

 to Waitidal. As like most of the Tenimberese villages, it was 

 situated on a flat apace of some extent on the summit of a blufV 

 which stood a good way back from the shore, we had in order to 

 reach the gateway to ascend the perpendicular face of the cllfif 

 by a steep wooden trap stair, which I observed was of dark -red 

 wood, its sides elaborately sculptured with alligators and 

 lizards, and surmounted by a carved hea^l ou each side. On 

 entering I saluted those near the gate, but we were rather 

 coldly received. As w^e proceeded up the centre of the vil- 

 lage two elderly men, who were evidently intoxicated, rushed 

 at us with poised spears, gesticulating and shouting to those 

 around to oppose us. The tumult brought out the Oramj 

 Ea}ja, whose approach prevented auy immediate act t>f hos- 

 tility, and to him my guide explained the ^object of our 

 visit Hi! ring shaken hands with us — a sign of friendship — 

 he, accompanied by the older men, conducted us to his house, 

 through the door-hole of which I ascended with the uneasy 

 feeling of enteriug a trap. My proposals being fully ex- 

 plained to them, they were received at tirst with little opp«j- 

 sition, till my intoxicated friends joined the -circh\ One was 

 evidently a man of some importance in the village, and at once 

 opposed the project in a spirit of hostility, which gradually 

 spread to the others. As no palaver is ever conducted without 

 profuse libations raw palm-spirit distilled by themselves, was 

 passed round in cocoanut-shell cu|>s, and I was expected to 

 keep pace — no slow one — with their drinking. As the spirit 

 circulated the hostile feeling developed, especially as the 

 discussion had merged into another, viz., that I should bo per- 

 suaded to leave Ritabel and dwell in \\'"aitidal. They found I 

 had sold much cloth and knives in liitabel, but had brought 

 none over to them ; I could have pieuty of fowls among them ; 

 they w*ould find me no end of birds, and would not cheat me in 

 the way the Ritabel people were doing. To this, of course, 1 

 could not agree, and put my refusal as pleasantly as 1 could. 

 I tried to bring the palaver to a close by rising to leave ; 

 but this they would nut permit, for one of them barrotl my 

 exit by sitting on guard on the top uf the hatch. 1 sliorfly 



