peared from behind one of
the mats, then another and another. The first made his way along the
bridge leading to the bank, stopping every now and then as if he doubted
his own discretion in thus approaching us. Our friendly signs
encouraged him, and he came on with less hesitation, followed by women
of all ages, who now came out of the huts. The men were fine-looking
fellows, their heads frizzled out in the most extraordinary manner.
Most of them wore in their belts a knife and axe, besides smaller knives
and a skin pouch, with a bamboo case containing betel root, tobacco, and
lime. Most of the women were very unattractive, their dress consisting
of strips of palm leaves worn tightly round the body, reaching to the
knees and very dirty. The men were employed while watching us in
"forking out"--for I cannot call it combing--their heads of hair with
large wooden forks having four or five prongs. They wore earrings and
necklaces made of white beads or kangaroo teeth. The earrings consisted
of thick silver-wire hoops, some of the women having the ends of their
necklaces attached to them, and then looped up into a sort of "chignon"
behind. The men wore a great number of ornaments composed of the teeth
of small animals, and they had finger rings as well as necklaces and
bracelets. Some wore bands round their arms, ornamented with bunches of
varied-coloured feathers. Others also had on anklets in the form of
hoops made of shell, or brass wire, below the knee.

Ned and Charley were now told to try if they could make themselves
understood, and to say that we had come as friends to trade with them
and to give them all sorts of articles in exchange for the productions
of their country, and then to inquire whether they had no white men
among them. First Ned addressed them, then Charley. It was pretty
evident, however, that the Papuans did not understand a word that was
said. We therefore tried what signs would do, and succeeded much
better. Having come up to us, they examined the articles we had placed
on the ground, when the chief man among them sent back several of the
others to the village, who returned laden with mats and baskets, some
empty, others full of a white flour, which on examination we found to be
sago.

Also baskets of yams, taro, bananas, and other roots, cocoa-nuts,
fruits, and oranges. We saw, indeed, a large number of cocoa-nut trees
growing in the neighbourhood. We now offered them such of the g