Saturday
August 21st
1926

Shortly after we had our breakfast the Papuans appeared all around us. Some were our friends of yesterday and many were new faces. A dozen or more children were present. They remembered our sitting party on the bar and those who were present yesterday when we sat and talked with them instructed the newcomers to seat themselves. They did and soon too their shyness wore off. They increased in numbers until we had 30 or more among us. As I sat and traded and tried to get some words from them Dick shot stills and movies. They watched him with interest but only a few of the children were frightened. They were reassured by the others, however, and soon all were eager to get the black slips of the film pack. The old chap reappeared and for some reason or other took a seat in the rear and did not participate in the trading as before. We had an interesting party with them until 11:30 when we broke camp and {F3.38} continued down stream. They were exceedingly friendly – not one brot a bow and arrow into camp. Many stayed in the jungle and when I went to bring those on the gringe [sic] into the family circle they retreated a few steps but came on the advice of the others. They were certainly not intelligent as others we have met and seemed to have very little. We could not get a stone ax altho they brot in stone from one. They waved a friendly farewell as we pulled away[.] Our trip down stream was swift. We past [sic] several houses but none s [sic] showed. Finally on another sand bar we stopped and traded a knife for many bows and arrows, bags and ear boxes. One youngster with a small bow and arrow demonstrated his powress [sic] as a marksman to Dick while his older brother presumably shouted and insisted on trading. He was very excited and enthused and when one hesitated he would pull the object I desired from them and hand it to me to receive whatever I offered. We left and for some distance saw neither houses [n]or people. Sago was plentiful. As we approached a house several men appeared on shore and waved to us. They intended coming out in their dug out but we pulled into shore before they could get started. They didn’t want us to land but we did. They [sic] were big fellows among them – 6 or 7 – and [they] were not showing any fear. They wanted a large knife and had fish nets, bags and 2 or 3 stone axes to offer. They were hard traders and drove tight bargains. Dick shot stills and went over to the house and looked in. A big fellow shouted and Dick thought for a moment he was going to fell him with the stone ax he waved close to his head. The house was full of women folks[,] Dick said. They were not overly friendly so we decided not to eat [the] noon day meal there as we planned. The one chap refused to trade his stone ax and held on to it in with a sour look on his face. [sic] The market was too high so I withdrew my offer and he sent a chap for another ax and I closed the deal. We left and their attitude changed for they offered all {F3.39} sorts of things to induce us to come and trade some more, but we kept on much to their sorrow for they showed their disappointment. Their bluff didn’t work. Another long stretch of swamp and then sago. We came upon another house on a mud flat. Two small children were playing with back baskets at the water[’]s edge. They waved and were unafraid until the older folks[,] alarmed at the sight of us[,] called them in. We continued for they were very much afraid. More children bathing later. They were splashing and having loads of fun. One of them swam for a short distance with great splashing and shouting on the part of the others. At 3 we pulled into a bivauc we had made on our fifth nite up with the M. transport. It was here we had had such an evening[’]s demonstration and gathered stone axes and fish nets for 1 large parang [Malay, "long knife or machete"] the site [sic] of which tickled them like children and they couldn’t wait until they had tried it several rounds. We could not see or hear a single house or person. We made camp quickly and had our food. Shortly before Dusk 2 prows appeared from upstream. We answered their calls but they didn’t seem anxious to come over. After a considerable length of time a prow appeared on the other side of the island going down stream. We shouted saro but the one chap in the head of the prow poled on. We could see 4 or 5 others who had ducked their heads and were lieing [sic] flat in the boat which disappeared around the bend. Dick had cleared a large path to the rear of us to bet [sic] some breeze to help chase the mosquitoes which were very bad. Shortly afterwards a prow with 4 Papuans appeared and poled over to us, and came ashore at the same spot. They recognized us and we recognized many of them. They had stone axes and fish nets and shell ornaments but they wanted saro’s [sic] and a big saro at that. We traded a small knife and beads for what they had but they wanted knives badly and it was hard to get them to accept beads. They did finally but not until they saw we had no more knives or would not trade them. The beads were {F3.40} very acceptable. They were friendly and enjoyed our asking and repeating their names. Everyone had to be included. They were nite hawks as before for it was an hour or more after dark before they could be induced to depart. About 10 went thru the jungle path while the 4 in the prow returned from whence they came. Dick and the Dyaks built a stockade aroung [sic] our camp and before they departed he demonstrated what they would do to a Papuan who stole up to camp in the dark by cutting a 3½ inch tree in two with one well directed blow. They backed up and opened their eyes wide. The mosquitoes are bad here so it was inside the Klambas for us immediately after the Papuans left. As I write Ponan the Dyak who is the oldest and in charge is reciting a prayer or something in a monotune [sic]. He has been talking to himself now in a steady stream for more than an hour. He did the same thing last nite. When he hesitates one of the others says something and he is off again for ten minutes or more. He delivers it very well raising and lowering his voice as one does during an oration. We sure wish we could understand it.