Missions -- New Guinea; New Guinea -- Description and travel
The following week we visited Dedele in Cloudy Bay, which had been
visited two years previously by Messrs. Lawes and McFarlane. The village
was barricaded with high and thick mangrove sticks, with a narrow opening
to the sea. They objected to my landing, and formed a crescent in front
of the boat. I sprung ashore and asked for the chief. I held out a
piece of hoop-iron, and a rather short, well-built man, dressed with
boar's tusks and other ornaments, stepped forward and took my present. He
took me by the hand, and led me to the village, just allowing me to peep
in at the opening. I could see the women rushing out by an opening at
the other side; pigs, dogs, nets, and other valuables were being carried
off; they were rushing off wildly away into the bush. I was very anxious
to get right in, and meant to before I went to the boat. My beads were
all done up in small parcels, so I could throw them about easily. A poor
old woman was sitting under the nearest house, bewailing her sad lot,
with an infant, the mother of which had very likely gone off to the bush
to hide the valuables and to return for the child, or perhaps she was
upstairs packing up. I threw the poor old dame a packet of beads for
herself and another for the child. Spying another old lady close by on
the opposite side, I threw her one. It had the desired effect; my
friend, the chief, who stood guard at the opening, now conceived the
"happy thought" that something could be made out of me.
"Would you like to walk round and look at the village?"
"Yes, I should."
"Come, then;" and, giving me his hand, he led me, attended by an armed
crowd, to every house, on the verandahs of which I deposited a packet of
beads. He was the chief, and was named Gidage. When going round he
said--
"You are no longer Tamate, you are Gidage."
"Right, my friend; you are no longer Gidage, you are Tamate."
I gave him an extra present, and he gave me a return one, saying,
"Gidage, we are friends; stay, and I, Tamate, will kill you a pig."
"No, Tamate. Gidage must go; but hopes to re-return, and will then eat
Tamate's pig."
"No, stay now; we are friends, and you must be fed!"
"No, I cannot stay; but when I return, then pig-eating"--not a very
pleasant employment when, other things can be had.
Pigs are very valuable animals here, and much thought of, and only true
friends can be regaled with them. The women nurse the pig. I have seen
a woman suckling a child at one breast and a small pig at the other; that
was at South Cape. I have seen it also at Hula and Aroma. Proceeding to
the beach, we parted, old and well-known friends.
"Gidage, must you go?"
"Yes; I cannot now stay, Tamate."
"Go, Gidage; how many moons until you return?"
"Tamate, I cannot say; but hope to return."
"_Kaione_ (good-bye), Tamate."
"_Kaione_, Gidage;" and away he started, leaving Tamate on the beach,
surrounded by an interesting crowd of natives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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