NATIVE OPPOSITION. 
145 
and sometimes as a turban, came quietly to my 
side, and as he rolled betel and chalk in the siri- 
leaf to place in his cheek, he begged me not to 
be angry — chewing siri and betel-nut was an 
old, old custom of the Tenimber people. Then 
he became confidential, and pointed out a great 
stalwart fellow who had lately killed one of the 
enemy, and asked me if I was not honoured to 
be in the company of a brave I 
Next morning Ii. set about trying to get a 
site for our house fixed upon. We had now 
to learn that we might only have a house where 
we were permitted ; for some days it was even 
under debate whether we might build there at 
all. They said, “There was the post-holder’s 
party settled amongst them, and now we, more 
strangers, wanted to gain a hold in their village; 
they would rather be Tenimber people and keep 
to their own old ways.” 
We then proposed to go to the village on the 
other side of the strait, and H. went over to 
negotiate the matter. For three days the debate 
went on, now with exorbitant demands which 
would have made a hopeless gap in our store 
of barter goods, then with a doubt whether we 
should be received; but finally we were point- 
blank refused permission to build there. By 
K 
