Wednesday
October 6th
1926

Pygmies and visitors – only [a] few departed last night – were up and about early. Evidently had their breakfast in houses for when we awoke at 7:15 smoke was pouring out of crevices and door way[s] in large volumes. Did not see them eat breakfast. We had our rice and oatmeal mixture – oatmeal is running low – and coffee and the head man indicated he was ready for the pig killing ceremony. Too early for movies so we put him off. He did not like it and wanted to see the cowries he was to receive. The pig victim was on hand and was busy nosing around in search of food. He was a good porker. Finally Dick said [the] light was O.K. and we started. The ten cowries were satisfactory – they like certain kinds – large, yellow and diamond shaped. Will accept onegood [sic] one in place of 3 not to their liking and Dick has his movie set. {F4.7} The Papuans[,] some of them painted, gathered round for the ceremony. A woman led the pig to the middle of the space between the two houses and one chap stepped out and jockeyed for a favorable position and then snap went the arrow and Mr. Pig was no more. Dick shot away with native house and mountains and pygmies in [the] background. Soldiers and convicts dressed the pig and [the] head man didn’t forget to demand the head and entrails. They will probably have it for another feast tonite. Our soldier did good work cutting [the] pig up. Matt traded all morning and secured [a] good collection. Many newcomers from neighboring villages arrived during morning including 3 more women and babies. Shot more stills. Matt measured women and found smallest so far. She measured 138, smallest in other village [was] 139. Women here are small and real pygmies while men are larger. Reverse is true in Ex.C [sic, = Explorators Camp] where men are small and pygmy type and women are large. Got several good close ups of women and children. Women and men are both very jovial and laugh and greet each other affectionately. They seem to kid one another and laugh heartily. The head man of the village here is a brainy chap[;] he is all over the place and isn’t missing a thing. He holds the others in their places and lets them know we are his guest. During the morning chiefs from several other villages tried hard to induce us to go to their Kampong but we refused for we haven’t carriers or time or food and this chap is doing well. He gave us more sugar cane and sweet potatoes and we assured him we would stay. He is pleased and must be charging the rest commission or something. It is a big event in his families [sic] life. The eldest boy continues to make himself useful to our convicts and soldiers and are [sic] busy most of the day fetching water, wood and doing anything they ask him to do. He has attached himself, as have two younger ones, as our personal {F4.8} aides [sic]. After the pig killing ceremony the women retired to the fields to their labor and did not return until 4. Began same feast preparations as yesterday for they had another pig killed this morning. Shot good movies of pipe smoking and also making fire and preparing feast in fireless cooker. Same procedure in laying layers of hot rocks and fern leaves as yesterday. Movies all through showing children and dogs and pigs hanging around as women busied themselves with their tasks. Got some good kid stuff. Men, women and children and animals sat around and ate sweet potatoes after they baked in fire. Chief had some sort of row with [an]other village chief and they had a good argument and he sent a small delegation away. They were not included in the feast ceremonies. Of course we didn’t know what it was all about. They have been holding [a] conference between themselves all day and most of it is regarding the trade. Two or more slip off and talk things over and then return to trade. Matt traded all day long and as usual the space under our beds is filled with bows and arrows, stone axes and bags. In building the fire the women frequently used their teeth to crack wood. They start it with a stone ax, that is split it and then crack it over a rock and then over their heads. They also bite palms in two with their teeth. The scene upon opening the fireless cooker is always interesting. Tonight there were not as many people present for some reason or other. When the rocks and ferns are removed the women and children picked up the smoking wet greens and stuffed them in huge handfuls into their mouths. Even the smallest children including those just able to toddle, stood by and reached in for themselves. As was the case last nite the dogs and pigs interrupted constantly by breaking thru the circle. A kick or a slap or a stick over the hinds kept them yelping and squeeling [sic] all during a meal. When the circle barrier to the food was completely {F4.9} closed to them the dogs would put their front paws on the smaller children’s shoulders and nose in in [sic] that manner. Then one of the kids would stop eating long enough to push him off and when he persisted to nose in again between them the the [sic] children would continue eating but kept up a constant back fire of swift kicks with their feet in his direction. When the attack failed to keep the dog off the scene ended by the route [sic] of the dog thru chase with a stick. Both the dogs and the pigs however, are gluttons for punishment and as it[’]s the only way they can eat[,] they are persistent creatures. Those visitors who did remain were given a huge pile of greens and ate in various sections of the clearing offto [sic] the side by themselves. Last night they all joined together in the eating. There were three courses this evening. First[,] all sat around the fire and ate the sweet potatoes when they were baked. Then came the greens from the fireless cooker and then the pig head and entrails. On this course the women and children were first. Then the men and afterwards the eldest son of the chief divided what was left of the pig and passed it around in equal portions which men, women and children put away in their net bags for tomorrows breakfast and lunch. They seem to have only one main meal and that is at nite. During the day they eat a stick of sugar cane. We got quite a shock yesterday when the headman appeared eating a perfectly good ripe lemon. He ate it as we do an orange, but made as many faces as we would if we were eating a lemon. We secured several green ones for a few beads. They are exactly like our lemons. New Guinea is probably the home of the lemon and bananas for they grow wild here Matt says. After the meal the smaller boys brought water in long sections yambo [sic, = of bamboo?] and they all drank heartily from it. During the day the chief and one of the chiefs from a neighboring village tried to tell us some protest or other about our bathing with the {F4.10} water. He pointed to the other chap and indicated he was possessor of that water below and he had seen some of our carriers bathing in it. That was one version. Another was that we shouldn’t waste it by washing our hands and face as he illustrated. We acted dumb and after several attempts they gave it up. There is only a small trickle of water from a nearby spring and it might be he wanted us to pay for using so much water. The only use of water on their part we have observed is to drink, and that was only once and to sprinkle on the hot greens when the stones and ferns are removed. They wipe their hands after messing thru their food on the vegitation [sic] about, finishing the drying process by wiping the greese [sic] off completely in their hair. We watched their eating operations with great interest and when we heard the call to eat our food they sat around and watched us with as much if not more interest. They get a big kick out of our dishes and food in tins. When anything impresses them they tap their penis cases and during a meal when many are around the clicks remind one of a telegraph office[,] so fast and furious do they tap. Our towels always get a big rise out of them as does [sic] the blankets. They sit and survey our belongings with longing eyes and ask permission to fondle the various articles such as shirts, hats, shoes, leggings, blankets, etc. They pat each article and shake their heads in amazement. Matt gave one of the chief[’]s wives, he has two, a small piece of brite colored cloth and she was tickled with it as a child. I gave him an empty tobacco tin and he was as equally pleased. We had fried pork chops for dinner with baked sweets tonight and they were find [sic]. The chops were as good as any, not too fat and not too lean. When we had finished we threw the bones to the dogs and the kids entered into the competition to secure a bone. The dogs were victorious, however, for we gave them an advantage by throwing the bones directly in front of them. They gnawed their bones {F4.11} like any other dog would but seemed to enjoy them more for they evidently are not accustomed to such luxury as meat remaining on a bone given them.