Wednesday
July 21
1926

As I was drying myself thusly we heard the horn of a motor boat and sure enough coming down stream was the motor boat and one canoe. We answered their signal and they pulled towards shore. something evidently was seriously wrong up ahead and they were coming with the news. Everyone was up and out by the time the motor boat had tied alongside ours and we learned that Jordans at Head Camp was having serious trouble with the natives there. They had previously visited the camp and stolen two Dyaks[’] knives and a Dyak had shot at one the next evening when they returned. He missed him however. Now we learn {F2.19} the small force of 5 soldiers who are established at Head Camp had shot and killed two Papuans. The natives had been getting bolder and bolder all of the time and when the 2 were shot about 70 had attacked them with bows and arrows. They narrowly missed one soldier for an arrow came close to his ear. They had to fire in self protection and two were killed and the rest retreated. Jordans who was on the line between M.C. [Motor Camp] and Head Camp at the time immediately sent back word for more soldiers to cope with them. Whether it will be a lesson to them or whether it will inspire them further in a revenge attack we do not know. 2 soldiers and 5 Dyaks were in the motor boat and canoe going back for help. Leroux pondered whether or not he should read the note they carried to Posthumus and finally decided to do so. He read only three pages but enough to learn that we should proceed rapidly for we had 5 soldiers with us. (note. yesterday afternoon a soldier fainted in the large prow alongside just before nite. It was the sun and heat. Leroux brot him to after a few minutes by dashing cold water on him. All of us felt fine after our bath. It is not so nice to set out in that burning sun from 6 to 5 all day.) The motor boat departed after Leroux had written a note to Posthumus. We did likewise. The news was not good and we all wondered what affect [sic] it would have on our trip into the mountains. Posthumus has made a serious mistake to establish H.C. [Head Camp] so soon or without a scientific man to help with the contact with the natives. We shall learn more of the details later when we arrive in Motor Camp. The day was dark and dreary and it rained while we were packing. Everything was wet from last evening[’]s rain however, so it made no difference. I got a Dyak to get my tin from the small prow and changed into dry things. It was a comfortable feeling. We pulled our damp things together[;] mine were soaked and while we were loading our Papuan friends of the nite before came and visited as they said they would. Matt traded with them and succeeded in getting many {F2.20} more anthropological collections. We didn’t have much time to waste on them however. They stood by while we loaded. We had a good supply of bows and arrows and other Papuan material and their eyes stuck out when they saw all the bows and arrows.we [sic] had. They had probably never seen as many in their lives and must have thot we were going to war with the natives inside. One of them reached over and tried to get one that caught his fancy as I handed a large bunch down to Matt, but we were too quick for them..[sic] They waved[,] shouted and danced as we pulled away. The big fellow came down in the river and helped shove us off. A few hundred feet up stream we saw their canoe. It was another crude affair[,] nothing more than a hollow log. I forgot to mention we obtained another of the crude[,] spoon shaped paddles they use last even[ing]. We soon past [sic] their village and several houses close to shore. There were no signs of any humans, however, but smoke was rising from the tree tops. Perhaps their wives were preparing breakfast for them. After about 15 minutes running we came to the junction of the Rouffaer and Van Daalen rivers and continued up the Rouffaer. The scenery was not so beautiful as that of the Vander [sic] Willigen, it was lower and the jungle vegetation was without the picturesque palms and other large impressive trees, we had seen the last day or two. (Had some figs last nite[;] they were refreshing and tasted real good.) We were making good time today and at noon it appeared that we would reach M.C. if all continued well in 5½ days. This is our fourth day. A little after 12[,] we sighted 2 Papuans in a canoe near the mouth of a small river. They held up their bows and arrows. We pulled over to them and one chap jumped ashore. Another was standing there with a large number of arrows in his hand. He had one fitted to the bow. The oldest of the three stood up in his log of a canoe and as we approached him he would pole away from us. The two on shore retreated into the jungle. They wanted to trade but they were afraid. {F2.21} Finally after considerable maneuvering we got alongside of him. His face registered the greatest of fear but he was anxious to get the small knife Leroux held aloft. As soon as he turned over the bow and arrows he glanced nervously towards shore as if to say “You will have to protect me now for I’ve no weapons.” He was anxious to get away and it was with difficulty that Matt induced him back with another knife and secured the rest of his outfit. The two on shore kept their arrows fitted to their bows. He glanced nervously at them from time to time. Dick shot movies and stills of them. We pulled out finally and he was a happy man. He shouted to his companions on shore and held up his prizes shouting excitedly all the while. As we departed they ran to the bank and looked over what he had received. They were most timid and the one chap who came out was rather brave at that when the others deserted him. We were getting well along the Rouffaer by this time and in this vicinity there are many people. A half hour after we had traded with these 3, 3 more appeared on shore. They had a rough canoe tied to the shore but would not come out to us. They stood on the jungle shore and offered us arrows and bows and as we approached fled into the jungle. Leroux and Matt followed them in. Dick stood on the forward end of the motor boat and shot pictures (stills)[.] Matt and Leroux disappeared from sight and Dick said he saw 4 or 5 of them scattered about with their bows and arrows all ready to let fly as they dickered with Doc and Leroux. Matt came out with a whole armful of stuff. They were frightened to death. They [sic] were hundreds of them in the jungle and they shouted to one another all the time very excitedly. Others on the opposite shore also ad’eh oh’d [sic] and they set up a furious racket. It was evidently planned for our benefit to show us that there were many of them. As the trading progressed[,] out would come a good quantity of material and as the man who traded received his knife or cloth or {F2.22} what not he would shout across the river evidently telling them of his success. We stopped the motor at this point and stayed for some time. They were profusely ornamented and as a general rule[,] large of stature. As soon as we shoved off a half dozen or so would appear on the bank and shout and dance or feel with his arrows. It would be in the same manner that one would try with a pistol. We had not gone far when we arrived at a huge mud flat point. standing alone on shore was an elderly Papuan also all dressed up. He[,] like the others[,] offered his bow and arrows. He had a heavy beard and presented a striking picture. Matt, Leroux, Dick and I jumped out. He traded his few possessions for a knife and some tobacco. During the procedure his friends on the other side of the river set up a howl similar to the others. They talk very fast and sing a “go ho” ada ho how. It is a jerky and impressive savage yell. Dick shot many good pictures with our transport in the background. A house or two was [sic] situated back in the trees and while deserted had all the family possessions in it. We wanted to visit it but to no avail. He was off in the canoe immediately and shouted nervously to his friends for assistance to stop us from invading their homes. They were afraid of [sic, = for] their women folks. We did not go altho every move towards it brot forth a babble of excited Papuan talk. Doc saw many interesting things in the house and we offered knives and everything for an opportunity to look in but the chap in the prow kept on going across the river. They seem to pole the prows in this vicinity. We left and as we started up the river they took after us in a canoe holding up huge bunches of green bananas. We were late tho and decided to keep going for we could spend months with them and we are anxious to get to Motor Camp. They kept going, however, and then our water pump broke down and we had to anchor. They are approaching us as I write. Five of them are in the prow and several more are in the jungles close to {F2.23} shore. In the midst of all their jabber it sounded as the one of them shouted “How are you” in perfect English, altho it must have been something else. They want us to come ashore and when we sit here as the mechanic fixes the water pump they talk fast and furiously. They sure can talk and talk fast. We have been meeting so many of them that it is hard to keep up with the events of the day. Ya ya do a ya ya ya. They are coming now after leaving 2 who were afraid to come ashore. Their prow is large and had [sic] a bow front and end. It is also a crude dugout affair. They come alongside and trade more bows and arrows, paddles and ornaments. Those on shore[,] braver now[,] talk constantly and yell excitedly when they see a new trade article[,] apparently advising them to get it at whatever the cost. We obtain another bunch of bananas[,] green and hard but in a few days they will be delicious. The Javanese mechanis [sic] is working on the water pump which has become clogged and dives under the boat now and then. It is fixed finally and to test its working the motor is started. One of the Papuans who thot we were leaving jumped over board with his bow and arrows. He was very much scared. The boat did not move, however, and those on shore in addition to those in the canoe gave him the laugh as did we also. He reached shore safely. By this time the old chap with whom we had traded just below – who feared we were going to visit his house [–] arrived. Another knife was produced and the chap who had jumped overboard waved his bow and arrows yelling and motioning to the others who were stripped of everything to come and get his. The old chap saw we were preparing to start for the motor was running, so grabbing the bow and arrows from the younger one he jumped into the river and swam out to the canoe with one hand holding the bow and arrows in the other. He was a good swimmer and illustrated that fact for the distance was considerable and the current swift. He lost no ground, however, and soon was in the canoe. The knife was his and the bow and arrows ours, we left them amid their dancing, wav-{F2.24} ing and musical talking. It was nearly four and ahead of us we could see rain coming so we searched for a camp site. We found it just around the bend. It began to rain, however, before we landed and camp had to be built in the rain. It was done quickly however, and in an hour we were all established and had our coco[a]. They were more careful in putting up the canvass [sic] this evening and saw to it that new and not old coverings were used. Becker and Anji also saw to it that last nite[’]s occurrence of mine would not be repeated. The mosquitoes of course drove us to bed early as usual. When they were clearing the site it looked like it would be a bad place for those pests but they were not so bad. Dick had put a can of pineapple in his little handbag and we had that luxury. It certainly tasted well. I was delighted with my dry bed for I had sunned the bedding on top of the motor boat and I lay in my cot warm and dry as the rain came down rather heavy during most of the even[ing]. It was as Briggs would say, A grand and glorious feeling after sleeping in water with a couple of spouts of water playing on one all nite long as I did last evening. And so I dropped off to a restful slumber as comfortable as if I were in the best of hotels.