Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/178

136 realised what was still going on. There was scarcely a whole boat left in the place. Ah Tam, the Chinese boatbuilder, would have his hands full.

HERBERTSHÖHE, NEW BRITAIN, December 1900.

As soon as we returned here I went ashore with King Peter and Professor Biro. I have such peculiar tastes that I really enjoyed the tussle through the surf. The night before one of the missionaries coming in his boat from an outlying station was upset in the surf, escaped with his life, but lost boat and all else—the Bishop would be pleased!

The instant we landed on the beach my eyes fell on a really characteristic German touch, for there was a board with the well-known police notice, “Für Fussganger verboten.” Fancy this familiar sign out here in New Britain! I remember an officer’s wife in Germany saying anent these notices, “There is more forbidden than allowed in Germany.” [Herr von Hesse-Wartegg, who was in New Guinea after I was, refers to this in his book, excusing it, and says it was to prohibit foot-passengers walking on “the little railway”; but this little railway is so small one could not see it.]

I looked about—the notice referred to a steep little narrow path leading to the top of the bank, so we obeyed the notice and walked up alongside the path, not on it.

We went at once to the Catholic mission, which is called Kuningunan, or Vunapope. We were cordially received, and the Bishop entertained us and showed us all his buildings. The church is of iron and of good design, and, being painted outside to look like stone, is quite imposing. The