Thursday
October 28
1926

We rather expected to see Prince today but when the transport had not put in their appearance by ten we knew it would not arrive until tomorrow. It is doubtful whether Prince will be with it but we are hoping he will. Shortly before noon about twelve of the natives from Agentoowah arrived. Somony and his father, old skinflint[,] were in the party. They were evidently nervous from their actions as they approached for they had not reconed [sic] with the large numbers of visitors who were here from Goolaloo. They were not too quick to come up and exchange friendly greetings altho the kid came up and in his friendly manner snapped fingers and said wha wha. Several others followed suit when they saw we were all right even after the way they had treated us just before we left. {F4.71} Old skin flint sat down on a log near the soldiers[’] leanto while the others came up to trade. They all carried their bows and arrows and kept looking in back of them towards the village as if fearful of an attack. They were plainly nervous and didn’t haggle over prices but took whatever Matt offered the,. [sic, = them.] This was in vivid contrast to the way they acted when we were along with them at Agentuwa. Old skinflint finally approached and smiled a weak guilty sort of smile and snapped fingers with Matt. In just a few minutes Matt had another large collection. They wouldn’t trade their bows and arrows for they indicated they might need them. Relations have never been very friendly between Agentuwa and Tombe and they have always dominated the Tombe folks who are smaller then them when every [sic] they appeared. The tables were turned now for the pygmies had a large number of their friends from Goulaloo and dominated the situation. It was interesting to watch them. They made presents of potatoes, lemons and other little things they had brought with them. It was evidently their purpose to trade their stuff and be on their way back. When Skinflint tried his old stuff of refusing a good offer Matt promptly pocketed his cowries and refused to dicker with him. He soon came back and accepted what he offered and tried it no more. They traded fast and furiously[;] as soon as one had finished offering his wares another stepped up and brought out his. While this was in progress they had several of their tribe stationed in various advantageous positions around camp watching the paths of the village. Igoone failed to put in his appearance but several of the old chaps from Goulaloo with their whiskers walked about unconcerned without any bows or arrows and seemed not to pay any attention to the new visitors who generally worried Igoone and his people here. Several of the larger fellows [from] Goulaloo came over and as they approached the others stopped trading and stood by in readiness. They walked over to us and we greeted {F4.72} them as old friends and the Agentuwa folks disappeared one by one. One chap who looks as though he might be the missing link stuck around. I got several pictures of him. Matt says he would like to take his skull back for it is of the ________ type. Old Skinflint is evidently having a heavy conference with Igoone. He is a shrewd old cuss and I don’t trust him very far. Igoone was afraid of him and his tribe at Agentuwa so I’m pleased he has a large humber [sic] of friends here so he can be more independent. Whether he will be or not remains to be seen. Matt had great difficulty finding time to finish his lunch and they wanted to trade. Several new chaps from Goulaloo arrived at this time and the competition to get knives was great. Matt refused the Agentuwa folks to teach them a lesson and to remind them that we had not forgotten they [sic, = the] way they had acted when we were at their village. The newcomers from Goulaloo had the best bows and arrows we have seen to date[;] their other possessions were good also, so they received the preference in the trading. Old skinflint had never seen the typewriter work before and he was afraid of it at first. Shortly after lunch two of the Goulaloo folks, a man and his wife came over and said Goodbye[;] they were going back. The woman carried a load of potatoes and empty tins and what not they had received from members of the camp while the man carried his bow and arrows. They had announced yesterday that as soon as they had seen Leroux they were going back but would return with many more men and women with a large quantily [sic] of things to trade for knives and woos. Shortly afterwards a half dozen more came to say Goodbye[,] including the chief[,] and announced they too were coming back, with women loaded with things to trade for knives and woos. They seem to have taken a strong desire for the large parangs and small knives. Matt presented the Head Bird and another chap each with a small knife as a present because they had been such nice traders and didn’t {F4.73} haggle over things. They were pleased beyond words and left camp on the run in order to be back quickly. It will take them four days to reach their village from what we understood of their sign language[,] and three or four to return. It is a long way. They have to cross ten rivers. Four days of Papuan travelling [sic] is about seven or eight for us with carriers for they can travel through very quickly. It is phenominal [sic] the speed they can show in the jungle. Of course they travel light and carry nothing but their net bag over their shoulder and a few arrows and a bow. Igoone evidently wanted to getin [sic] on the fast and furious trading which was going on so he dispatched two of his sons to our camp with several stone axes and bags. One of the other chaps from Tombe brought us a big sack of lemons as a present. Matt gave the Tombe folks a little better of the trading for we are staying here and he [Igoone] is contributing much potatoes and as a result of our being here has to feed the large number of people who come. It is a serious drain on his gardens but he remains the same friendly Igoone he has been since the first arrival although he is getting a little sophisticated which is of course inevitable considering all the attention he receives. The new arrivals from Goulaloo[,] three at least[,] were interested in all the things about camp with the same degree of interest exhibited by their fellows who have been here four or five days now and are used to matches, typewriter and the magazines. Shortly after two o’clock, all but the newcomers, the old chap, a boy and two of Igoone’s sons were all that was [sic] left in camp. Old skinflint and his tribe have not put in their appearance. Whether they are in conference with Igoone or have departed is unknown to us. Old skinflint is clever enough to make some sort of deal with Igoone so I suppose he will stay. After the way he treated Igoone when he visited us at Agentoowa[,] Igoone should tell him to be on his way. He probably will not though for he is not always aided by so many friends and the old chap could {F4.74} prove troublesome to him later on. Van [Leeuwen] was busy packing most of the day but the non arrival of the transport made his future movements uncertain. He succeeded in securing a large banana tree to take back to Java, for classification. It is possible that the transport will arrive tomorrow. In that event he will leave with them the day after on their return. Dick should reach the top of the ridge[,] which is 2,500 meters high[,] tonight and get his first view of the snow early tomorrow morning. Leroux came over and asked Matt if he had the note Jordans had written to him when we were at Agentuwa and which he (Leroux) brought to us when he came up. Matt happened to have it in his pocket but it was in three pieces. Leroux said there was something politic in it and asked if he could have it. He brought it over to Van and they laughed in glee as they pieced it together. Whatever it was it was not funny to us for they didn’t explain. Van has not much of a collection from these parts. The most famous flower is the one known as the Mamberamo flower and is a vine with a bright red flower at the end. He has found several up here at this altitude. One vine which he planted in a bark basket grew six meters in one day and he is afraid that it will be wound all about the trail from here to Albatros Camp on the way back. It grows very rapidly. I shot a picture of his bark baskets and the banana tree he purchased with the Papuans carrying it into our camp. It rained last night for the first time in about a week. We have had an excellent long period without rain although a little falls in the later afternoon and some in the night, but not as much as we have been accustomed to. It is about time for the rainy season to commence also. Hope it delays its coming a few weeks longer until we get down to Motor Camp at least for it will make it difficult to cross the various streams between here and Head Camp if they are high. It will also make the going along the Rouffaer River difficult. Igoone came around shortly after four and visited {F4.75} all parties concerned, soldiers, Matt and I, dyaks and then Leroux and Van Leeuwen. He informed us that the Agentuwa visitors had departed. He said they were bah. One chap (our missing link friend whose name is Paree) evidently is thought O.K. for he remained behind. He and Leroux’[s] guide friend are friendly and later informed us that they were going to Damoonarus. Probably for more things. I notice that today is October 28, Alvor’s birthday. I send him birthday greetings from Pygmy Land. Van Leeuwen donated a bottle of developer and a bottle of fixer which should develop the stills we have on hand as yet undeveloped. It was nice of him and we are grateful. One of the Dyaks is sick (blood in the urine) and after trying unsuccessfully to obtain some whickey [sic] or alcohol from us and Leroux and Van Leeuwen we found the others tapping his vien [sic] to let out some blood for they believed that he had too much blood in him. It was a funny idea and brought back to us the fact that our Dyak carriers are as primitive in their ways as the people we are studying here. They are as much interested in the typewriter and the things we used to open the eyes of the pygmies as are the natives here themselves. Being with them sonstantly [sic] it is an easy matter to overlook that fact. The soldier finished dressing the bird of paradise which one of the Dyaks fave [sic] us and did a good job of it. It is a young one though and hasn’t very many feathers in the tail which is the most beautiful part of the bird. The colors in his neck, back and wings are very brilliant, however. It is the only one we have so we are keeping it in case none happens to come our way. At five-thirty Lieut. Jordans arrived in camp. He and Dick had made the three [day] trip up in two days and Jordans had come back in one day making it three days up and back. He reported it an excellent view. Dick, however, did not have enough light to make a photo, so had to stay over. Perhaps he will get it today. He will probably stay until he gets it. Jordans reported he had no {F4.76} water to drink for twenty hours for they had no rain. It was not until he reached water at two o’clock this afternoon that he had a drink. They were able to aqueeze [sic] out a little from the moss[,] enough to cook with and enough to wet their lips with. He left the carriers at two o’clock and has not seen them since. They will probably get in tomorrow morning. Jordans[’] foot was all right and he was able to make the trip in good style with the exception of it being a little hard going the first day because of his lack of training for two months. His foot has confined him to camp ever since he has arrived here. Leroux visited the village late this afternoon to take some stills of the new arrivals and the camp was deserted until almost dusk when Igoone and a few of the others came over to trade. It was evident at once that ole skinflint had been talking to them about holding out for more woos for they demanded exoribitant [sic] prices for their rather plain offerings. Previously before his visit here they were very good to trade with. Matt turned them down to illustrate that he knew the value and they soon came back and accepted the market price which Matt had fixed for various articles since he arrived. Old skinflint is a bad influence[,] no question about that. I doubt whether he has returned as Igoone said he had. If he has he certainly passed out the word to hold out and demand more woose [sic] than we have been giving. It isn’t a question of cowries but a question of keeping the cowrie value high as it has been[;] if Matt starts to increase his number of cowries for an article those who traded in the beginning all of their fine things will be dissatisfied and rightly so. He has all objects well classified and up to the visit of old Skinflint they knew just what each bag and stone axe[,] knife or bunch of arrows was worth. If he can keep that value established it will be well. It will be an easy thing to do for we have a large {F4.77} collection now and can afford to turn things down. They will offer them in time especially when they realize it is close to our time for departure for they will want to get every cowrie possible before we go away.