travellers, penetrating to Wanumbai, world h hardly believe that a poor English
naturalist, who had resided a few months among them, could have been the
original of the supernatural being to whom so many marvels were attributed.
Far some days I had noticed a good deal of excitement, and many strangers
came and went armed with spears and cutlasses, bows and shields. I now found
there was war near us—two neighbouring villages having a quarrel about some
matter of local politics that I could not understand. They told me it was quite a
common thing, and that they are rarely without fighting somewhere near.
Individual quarrels are taken up by villages and tribes, and the nonpayment of
the stipulated price for a wife is one of the most frequent causes of bitterness and
bloodshed. One of the war shields was brought me to look at. It was made of
rattans and covered with cotton twist, so as to be both light, strong, and very
tough. I should think it would resist any ordinary bullet. Abort the middle there
was au arm-hole with a shutter or flap over it. This enables the arm to be put
through and the bow drawn, while the body and face, up to the eyes, remain
protected, which cannot be done if the shield is carried on the arm by loops
attached at the back in the ordinary way. A few of the young men from our
house went to help their friends, but I could not bear that any of them were hurt,
or that there was much hard fighting.
May 8th.-I had now been six weeks at Wanumbai, but for more than half the
time was laid up in the house with ulcerated feet. My stores being nearly
exhausted, and my bird and insect boxes full, and having no immediate prospect
of getting the use of my legs again, I determined on returning to Dobbo. Birds
had lately become rather scarce, and the Paradise birds had not yet become as
plentiful as the natives assured me they would be in another month. The
Wanumbai people seemed very sorry at my departure; and well they might be,
for the shells and insects they picked up on the way to and from their plantations,
and the birds the little boys shot with their bows and arrows, kept them all well
supplied with tobacco and gambir, besides enabling them to accumulate a stock
of beads and coppers for future expenses. The owner of the house was supplied
gratis with a little rice, fish, or salt, whenever he asked for it, which I must say
was not very often. On parting, I distributed among them my remnant stock of
salt and tobacco, and gave my host a flask of arrack, and believe that on the
whole my stay with these simple and good-natured people was productive of
pleasure and profit to both parties. I fully intended to come back; and had I
known that circumstances would have prevented my doing so, shoed have felt
some sorrow in leaving a place where I had first seen so many rare and beautiful
living things, and bad so fully enjoyed the pleasure which fills the heart of the