Friday
October 22
1926

The squaking [sic] of a large group of hornbeeks [sic, = hornbills] and white cockadoos [sic] awoke camp at an early hour. They perched in the trees about camp and set up an awful racket for some reason or other. Birds of Paradise as a rule generally wake us up with their musical whistle calls but this racuasios [sic] noise was harsh compared to them and we all were soon out of bed. They flew away immediately before Dick could get a shot at them. Late yesterday afternoon we shot the twenty two for practice and the Pygmies all stood around in awe and admiration at the various shots made by Dick and Doc. A new group of Pygmies from up the Nogolow arrived in camp early and Matt immediately got their measurements. We also got some good movies and stills of them. The gang from Damoonarue left for their village early today after completing their trading operations yesterday. As soon as one gang departs another arrives to look us over. PoorIgoone [sic] is kept busy entertaining and feeding his hosts. Dick showed them how a magnifying glass could set fire to a film and paper and they jumped with excitement as [sic] this novel method of starting a fire. All wanted to buy it immediately, and offered all of their prize possessions, to no avail of course. All morning long the camp rang with their expressions of who who who and penis cases were tapped furiously while the women folks bit their fingers and fanned their breasts as they saw civilization for the {F4.50} first time. They always finger the blankets and Clamboos and cooking utensils with a longing look in their eyes. The large tins are fingered and each handle and corner is admired with envy. The new arrivals proved to be good folks to film and we succeeded in obtaining some good movies and stills[;] we got a close up of them building a fire and then showed them how we did it with a magnifying glass. Dick shot away while I illustrated a match to them and just as I lighted four of them at once, they all jumped in terror when they saw it ignite. We also got some good stuff of them watching the typewriter, another arrow war dance by another different bird with a large picturesque head dress and a corking good scene showing them shaving with a stone knife. In the fire scene one of the chaps with the headdress bit the small one with his mouth from a rather large stick while the other assisted. It was the best action stuff and more natural then [sic] any we have taken so far. All in all it was a good day[’]s work and the newcomers were amply rewarded for their assistance. They get a large laugh out of our desire to have them do their stuff for the camera and laugh heartily when we illustrate what we want them to do. These folks[,] with the assistance of our star of yesterday[,] were quick to grasp what we wanted and did splendidly. Our star actor of course instructed them of his own free will and accord, and was quick to tell them when they were not doing as they should or as he had instructed them. Igoone came just as we were finished and looked to see what we were doing. He is not good for some unknown reason and rather hesitates to get into the pictures. It was nearly one when we returned and Oompah had our lunch ready. Our Pygmy friends accompanied us and assisted willingly to carry the cameras and accessories. They are getting a big thrill out of the whole affair. The transport of four dyaks returned from the top and brought word that they had reached the range next to us and an altitude of twenty-five {F4.51} hundred meters from which they can see the snow of the Idenburg and Carsten[s]z top. The view in all directions except the west is excellent. A large range lies directly in front of them to the west and it will be impossible for them to go farther. It took three days to get there and a day for the Dyaks to return. Leroux is with Saleh while Van Leeuwen is stopped this side doing his botanical work. He has six cases of collection and needs three more cases which Jordans is going to send up to them. Leroux will be back the twenty-eighth while Van Leeuwen expects to return the twenty-fifth. Leroux asked for Peck to come up and make a film and Jordans says that it will be impossible when the Dyaks return, so we ought to be able to get a good view of the mountains country, and the snow and a general mountain top scene which will be fine. Matt took a walk down to the gardens below but found no women working there. Igoone was busy working with one of the large Parangs he had obtained from us. Matt also reported two Papuans taking a bath down in the creek having a great time laughing over the experience. They have seen us do it and I suppose are trying it out secretly to see what it is like for they never have bathed before. The newcomers were anxious to trade and the afternoon was devoted to bargaining for their bows and arrows and the other things they had brought to trade with. They had several good head dresses[,] one excellent Bird of Paradise one besides many good net bags excellently colored with yellow and red orchid bard woven into an artistic design. It takes a long time to make a bag of this nature[,] some of which are very large and contain many colored designs. As was the case with our last visitors[,] these folks were easy to trade with and were immensely pleased with the cowries they received for their possessions. The children generally wear one cowrie in their neck band ornaments and once in a while you see a man with one in his but that is rare. Dick had developed a small strip of movie {F4.52} film last night and it happened to be the star man with his bow and arrows, dan cing [sic] around and illustrating how he shot. He recognized himself immediately on the little strip and was pleased beyond words when Dick told him he could have it. He ran from one to the other exhibiting it very proudly. Our collection is growing and we will have another one to go down when the next transport arrives, in a few days. Yesterday one of the Pygmies brought us a seed or a nut of some kind which he had gathered. He placed a dozen or more of them on the table and told us they were mum which is their word for food. We broke it open and it tasted like an almond. They were delicous [sic] so we instructed him to bring us more and we would give him a cowrie for it. They bake them in the ashes but we found them good just as they were. They were sweet and crisp and diamond shaped. They called them Gweo. We had our dinner and they visited our camp in the evening, sitting around the fire. It was a good scene and we decided to try and get it with the movies and flares. They were singing their songs and the soldiers and Malay convicts were singing Hurrah Hurrah Chin Chin for them. It was a congenial group. Igoone was present with his little daughter. Dick shot two other scenes. The flares were somewhat damp though and all of them failed to ignite. However, with the close up scene he believes he has enough light and that it will be all right. It should be a good picture. The new Pygmies who were visiting got a big thrill out of the flares[;] each made everything in camp as light as day. After the fun was all over they took firebrands out of the fire and went back to the village talking long into the night over the strange things they had seen. Matt and I could hear them discussing the events of the day in our camp. It was another bright moonlight nite, full moon and a few stars to boot. No rain except a little sun shower during the afternoon. Dick developed until nearly midnight. {F4.53}