lides
and spoilt the cascade. Following the roaring river, jumping from one
block of stone to another, we soon reached our camp, a large gamal. As
we were nearing the coast its arrangements were adapted to the customs
of the tall Melanesians. There were a few small individuals, but the
tall race was predominant. The reign of the "Suque" was evident by the
floor of the gamal being divided by parallel sticks into compartments
corresponding to the number of fires and castes, and each man sat
down in his division and cooked his own food.

Next day, after having waded through the cold water of the river, we
arrived at the coast. From the last hills I sent a farewell look into
the wild green tangle of forest, rocks, ravines, cascades and valleys,
over which heavy rain-clouds were gathering. Before me the greyish-blue
mirror of Big Bay lay in the mist, and in the Jordan valley the rain
fell heavily. The high reed-grass all around us rustled dismally,
and the damp cold was depressing. I hurried home and arrived there
in the night, wet as when I had started on my expedition.

With regard to the pygmies I must not omit to mention the following
experience. The fact that among them husband and wife live together,
and that I had nowhere seen a man with two wives, made me suspect
that this race was monogamous, as other pygmy races are. I made
frequent inquiries, and was assured that each man was allowed but one
wife. Still, I was not quite convinced, for it seemed strange to find
a monogamous population in the midst of polygamous tribes. Others
having given me similar information, I began to accept this theory
as a fact. At last, however, I found I had been deceived, as all the
people had taken me for a missionary, and had fancied I was asking
them questions in order to interfere with their matrimonial customs
by sending them a teacher or a "mission-police-man." My error was
cleared up, thanks to the investigations of a trader, for which I am
much indebted to him.

CHAPTER IX

SANTO (continued)--PIGS

The sun had hardly risen, yet the air hung heavy in the shrubs
surrounding my sleeping-hut. Damp heat and light poured into the
shed-like room, where hundreds of flies and as many mosquitoes
sought an entrance into my mosquito-net. It was an atmosphere to sap
one's energy; not even the sunshine, so rare in these parts, had any
attraction for me, and only the long-drawn "Sail ho!" of the natives,
announcing the arrival o