# Picturesque New Guinea/Chapter 13

CHAPTER XIII.
HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF POTTERY TRADE. A PAPUAN ENOCH ARDEN. BY JAMES CHALMERS, F.R.G.S.
UST now, as I write, the village of Hanuabada (Port Moresby), is one scene of life—truly animated human nature from the oldest man to the youngest bairn kicking in its net cradle, rocked by an elder brother or sister to still its impetuous nature. Who can sleep amidst the thud, thud, of many native hammers (long sticks) used in ship-building, or the slap, slap, of native trowels used by women in the manufacture of native pottery? Now, what does it mean, whence has it sprung, and what object has it? Categorical, no doubt, but to an old stager easily answered.
Plate XLV.
VILLAGE AT STADE ISLAND (ENGINEER GROUP).
Reference page 92.
The Motu natives are the traders, theirs is the sea. Now it is interesting to go back to the origin of things. How interesting it would be to know to a certainty all origins. But we do know from out of a very distant past, so distant that all we have comes through cobwebs of many, very many generations, a kind of myth which many present day scholars accept before fact. Well, myth or whatever else, here it is. Away, far away, in those hoary ages, a canoe with several men on board went out fishing. They lowered their net and all dived; one, named Edae, near a large rock, in which there was a cave, and into which he looked, was seized by the spirit of the deep and kept, only his toes being left above water. His companions wondered what had become of him, and on looking around saw his toes, and at once tried to pull him up, but could not succeed. Letting go, he disappeared entirely, and they returned home disconsolate and crying all the way. When the sun was near its dipping hour, and the tide was low, they again returned and found Edae's whole foot above water, and had no difficulty in getting him on board, and laid him in the canoe, crying bitterly over him as dead until near the shore, when he opened his eyes, and told them what he saw, heard, and was told to do. It was a large cave in which a great spirit dwelt who caught him and kept him down, so that when they tried to pull him up by the feet the spirit just pulled him right in and told him not to fear, but to wait patiently and hear how the hungry north-west season might be got over—have a season of sacredness, then cut large trees, dig them out, and when finished lash them together, then get masts and sails, and when all is finished take all the pottery the wives and daughters have been making on board, and sail away to Eelema.
Plate XLVI.
THE VOYAGE HOMEWARD ON BOARD H.M.S. "DART" (ON THE JOB).
Reference page 93.
Receiving some sago the wife returned, and set to cooking for her lord when he should land. Great was her joy on landing, and rehearsing all she heard and reporting what she saw. Sago in quantities far beyond her power to describe, and all the men looking well. Soon the lakatoi anchored, and after the visiting was got over, Edae landed amidst the plaudits of the assembled villagers, another Columbus returning from an unknown region. The first part of the night he ​spent in rehearsing in a loud voice from his house the incidents of the journey, the people he was amongst, their kindness and anxiety to have him remain. He wound up his discourse by an attack on the faithless wives, who were terribly ashamed.
In the morning his sister-in-law, Nohokinoboki's wife, came to get sago, but he sent her back to live on her yams. Day after day she returned, until at last he relented, and told her to tell her husband, and not to be so bumptious in future. When her husband tasted the cooked sago, he could do nothing but praise Edae and condemn himself.
This journey to the West for sago has been continued ever since, and at present great are the preparations. Long before daylight may be heard women making their pottery, and a walk through the village is indeed interesting. Some women are just returning from the clay pits with heavy burdens of clay of various kinds, black, red, yellow, brown. Some are spreading the clay out to dry, others are pounding with a stone the dry clay, some are damping and kneading it, and mixing it with very fine sand. Salt water alone is used. Others have a lump of clay, and are beginning to make various kinds of pottery. Some have theirs half finished, others quite finished, while others are burning theirs in large fires, and staining them with a dye made from a mangrove bark. Every woman has her private mark, and marks everything she makes. Here is a list of their pottery:—
| Hodu = water vessel. | Ituru = small cup. |
| Uro = large cooking vessel. | Kebo = basin. |
| Nau = dish for serving | Kibokibo = small basin. |
| Ohuro = large cup. | Kaeva = pot with rim. |
| Keikei = small pot. | Tohe = |
The men are busy getting their canoes together, work all day, and at night pooling them well out where the man first proposed the trip, and who is captain, sleeps with a few others. Long ago the captain has been secured. In the morning at sunrise the lakatoi is brought in to have her work carried on. Four large canoes are lashed together, then bulwarks are made of leaves from the stemless palm sewn together, and well fastened ​with long poles, and caulked with dried banana leaves. A stage is made all round, so that the sailors can work her without getting inside of the bulwarks. Masts of mangrove, with the roots at right angles, are stepped on to the centre, and large sails made of mats all sewn together, and shaped like crabs' claws, are fixed for working with ropes made from the bark of the large yellow hybiscus. The anchor is a large stone made fast with long canes, sometimes 100 fathoms in length. Fore and aft are small houses, where the captain, mates, and boatswain sleep or smoke. A day or two before leaving they sail about the harbour with all the young swells, male and female in killing costumes, on board, and then they have a hearty song, with drums beating, and bodies swaying, and the ladies' petticoats flying about. The wind is favourable, the cargo on board, and the pole out a mile or two to the eastward: then set sail and away, whilst friends at home remain to weep. With a fine breeze following fast, the men most worked are the helmsmen, three or four of them with large paddles standing aft whilst the others are drum-beating and singing the following Hues taught Edae by the spirit:—
Bokibada oviria nanania Ario visiu na verianbro Boebada eraroi nanai Trope immanai ale Dauko Eela lao mauaro diaia Pinuopa diaid iauoro nairiuovox Eela lao melarara memem.
There are many others, but the above is sufficient. When the port where bound is reached, they are received with great delight, pigs and dogs are killed for the reception feast, after which they distribute their pottery, to be paid for when ready to take their return journey. They sleep on the lakatoi, the shore people cooking them food and taking it to them. They ascend the rivers, cut down large trees, and make canoes of them to take home laden with sago. On the return journey they will have as many as fourteen and fifteen canoes for one lakatoi. Now they go wealthier than formerly, taking with them tomahawks, knives, bead ​looking-glasses, and red cloth. They return with many tons of sago, which they dispose of to Tupuselei, Kaile, Kapakapa, Hula, and Kerepunu, these natives paying them in arm-shells, and other native articles. They keep very little for themselves. During the time they have it the whole settlement smells of nasty sour sago, as they like it best when it ferments, so keep it damped in large uros.
A list of the places they visit for sago may not be out of place—Oiapu, Lokea, Lese, Motumotu, Moneave, Karama, Namai, Silo, Pisi, Kerema, Keura, Vaidala, Ileran, Orokolo, Maipua, Ukerava, Kairiu, Keropenairu, Kaiburave.
The great trade on the coast and inland is pottery, the natives very seldom making a native oven like the Maories of New Zealand and South Pacific. On the east the most of the pottery is made on Teste Island and the islands of the Engineer Group, that is traded as far west as Orangerie Bay.
Their pottery is much finer than that west, but perhaps not so strong. Travelling west, we find the next pottery makers in Arona chiefly at the large village of Maopa. They supply as far east as Mailuikolu (Toulon Island), and send a little to Kerepunu on the west, but the great supply for Kerepunu and Hood Bay come from the Motu tribe. The Hula natives bring cocoa nuts to Pari, Port Moresby, Porebada, and Boera, and in exchange load up their canoes with earthenware of various kinds.
Pottery is made at the above-mentioned places, also at Manumanu in Redscar Bay, and Delena in Hall Island.
Plate XLVII.
"THE END." SIR PETER SCRATCHLEY'S CATAFALQUE ON BOARD S.S. "GOVERNOR BLACKALL."
Reference page 104.
It is to be hoped that in the future when a civilized power governs these children of nature, they will not do away with the present occupations and systems of trade, and let us hope the missionaries will remember that Anglicising is not Christianising, and Christianising should have little to do with Manchester. For myself I think the natives with a little bit of loin cloth better off far than our whitewashed Europeanized, shirted and trousered natives. Leave them alone in their trading and their pottery, and leave them alone on their lands. Why deprive them of these?