Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/245

Rh larged enormously, red flowers and feathers in their hair—appeared overdressed! They were good-looking—in a native way, of course—and well made, but rather slim, and many of the younger ones somewhat weedy.

There was a fine, large, decorated war canoe, and into this we got, and were photographed by Anderson, one of the Englishmen. This canoe had a curious fibre chain affixed to the mast. The two Englishmen went bathing, and wild was the excitement over their white skins—evidently the Germans did not go in for sea-bathing—and all the natives must touch those skins and inspect them closely.

On returning to the pier—laden with rubbish showered on me by the still accompanying bodyguard—the German carpenter, whose name I am sorry to say I have forgotten, showed me his house, kept neat and clean for him by a Malay girl. This man was a magnificent specimen of what a German may come to here. Very fair, he was of course bronzed by the sun, and his tall, broad-chested figure seemed to be in the perfection of development. In Germany so tall and strong a man would have become fat and flabby; here he was the picture of health, and a striking advertisement for the salubrity of Seleo. Possibly the island was fever-free—I do not know. Later, this man came on board the ship and to my cabin, to present me with most beautiful native breastplates and other ornaments which I greatly prize. He was quite shy about it at first, saying he hoped I did not mind, but he had heard I liked such things, and wanted me to have them. I was as delighted with his gifts as I was with his kindness. It will be seen I have no cause to revile Seleo.

The crew were trading boxes of matches for cocoanuts, and we took on a good deal of copra