Evening star., 1923-04-29


chorage was Southwest Bay.
One day we emba arked in the whale
boat and ran along the coast for
about Ave miles, when we came to
long sandy beach. We reached the
shore when some twenty savages
emerged from the bush. One glance,
and our boys frantically put out to
sea again.
The natives we're a terrifying sight.
Their heads were striped with white
lime, their bodies dotted with spots
of red. yellow, blue and white, and
their bushy hair bristled with feath-
ers. They all carried guns.
They kept saying something over
and over, but what 1t was l could not
understand. Finally they went back
to the jungle, leaned their guns
against A tree and came down TO the
water-line again.
We rowed inshore. The savages
waded out to us They begged for to-
hacco and gave each of them stick
and a clay pipe. Then one of them.
in beche de mer. told us that big
feast was taking place at village
about three miles inland. Our black
hoys seemed willing to make the trip
"a good sign. for they were quick to
scent danger-so We landed.
The savages led us inland over a
good trail Soon we could hear the
boom OF the boo-boos. Often as
have heard that sound, ii sends
chill down my spine. Finally we
reached the foot OF a steep hill. and
our escort told US that they could go
no farther until they were summoned.
We went on alone.
At last We made the top OF the hill.
and found ourselves at the edge of
q clearing about quarter of a mile
In diameter. In the center. around
q collection of huge boo-boos and
devil devils were half thousand
naked savages.
They were the fiercest-looking lot
! had ever laid my eyes on. White
lead, calcimine, red paint and com
mon bluing are among the most val
ued trade articles in this region; and
the savages had invested heavily in
them and besides had added to their
makeup boxes yellow ocher and coral
lime and ghastly purple ashes. Every
single one had gun or bow and
arrows.
As we appeared, the boom OF the
hoo-boos ceased. The dancing
stopped. All the natives began to
talk. Then number separated
themselves from the mob. and, led
by an old man who was smeared all
over with yellow ocher, approached
us and spoke to US severely in beche-
demer. asking our business.
IL
planned humbly. we bringem pres
ents for big fellow master belong
village"
The naughty old man then informed
US that, though he himself was the
biggest chief OF all, there were many
other chiefs present, and that I must
make presents to all of them. Then
and there I distributed about twenty
Ave dollars worth Of trade stuff.
T>HE uproar was fairly deafenins
i The voices of the savages were
angry. Men ran from group to group.
apparently giving commands. Moran
put his two hands in his pockets
where he kept his revolvers and I
told Osa to do likewise. Our boys
huddled close around us. guns ready.
TO retreat would be more dangerous
than to stay, 50 I got out my notion
picture camera. The entire mob
broke and ran for cover. Only old
Yellow Ocher stood his ground. He
was scared, but game, and asked me
excitedly what I was up to. / ex-
planned the camera to him and he
shouted to the other natives to come
back
In few moments a dozen savages
took their places at the boo-boos and
a few men started a chant. A score
of young savages began to dance. In
half an hour hundred men were
dancing in the clearing. I call the
performance dancing" but it was
simply a march, round and round,
quickening gradually to run punctu-
ated by leaps and yells. Soon women
and children came out of the jungle.
That was q good sign.
The dance ended abruptly with
mighty yell. The men at the boo
hoos changed their rhythm and the
twenty savages we had met on the
beach burst from the jungle into the
clearing and began to dance. There
vas a rough symbolism in their
dance, but we could not decipher the
meaning OF the pantomime. They
picked up bunch Of leaves here and
deposited them there. Then they
charged little bundle of sticks and
finally gathered them up and carried
them of. When they were tired out.
they withdrew to the side lines, and
another group, all painted alike,
made a similar dramatic entrance
and danced themselves into exhaus-
tion. They were followed by other
groups. BY the time three hours had
passed. there we're fully a thousand
savages in the clearing.
When the afternoon was we'll ad-
vanoed, hundred savaEes began to
march to slow time around the devil
devils. Others Joined in. They in
creased their pace. Soon more than
half the natives were in a great
circle. running and leaping and
shouting around the clearing. Those
who were left formed little circles
of their own, the younger men
dancing and the older ones watching
with unfriendly eyes the actions of
the rival groups.
As the dance grew wilder the saw
ages lost all interest in us. Soon
every one of them was dancing in
the. clearing thousand naked,
painted savages, running and leaping
in perfect time to the strange beat
beat-beat Of tho boo-boos and the
wild, mon9t3nous chant broken by
brutal yellA The women and children
i,v