To My brother Charles This record of my wanderings in which he took so deep an interest, is affectionately dedicated....

In a book of this kind it is often the custom to begin by making apologies. In my case I feel it to be a sheer necessity. In the first place what is here printed is for the greater part copied word for word from private letters that I wrote in very simple language in Dayak or Negrito huts, or in the lonely depths of tropical forests, in the far-off islands of the Southern Seas. I purposely made my letters home as concise as possible, so that they could be easily read, and in consequence have lef

We had an excellent supper of native oysters, freshwater prawns and eels, fish, chicken, and many other native dishes. That evening a big Fijian dance (“meke-meke”), was given in my honour. Two of the captain’s daughters took part in it. The girls sit down all the time in a row, and wave their hands and arms about and sing in a low key and in frightful discord. It does not in any way come up to the very pretty “siva-siva” dancing of the Samoans, and the Fiji dance lacks variety. There is a conti

Fijian Huts—Abundance of Game and Fish—Methods of Capture—A Fijian Practical Joke—Fijian Feasts—Fun after Dinner—A Court Jester in Fiji—Drinking, Dress, and Methods of Mourning—A Bride’s Ringlets—Expedition to Vuna—Tersi and Moe Journey to School—Their Love of Sweets—Rough Reception of Visitors to Vuna—Wonderful Fish Caught—Exhibition of Surf-board Swimming by Women—Impressive Midnight Row back to Taviuni—A Fijian Farewell. In comparison with Samoan huts, the Fijian huts were very comfortable, t

The next morning I resumed my journey with Masirewa and two canoe-men in a canoe, and we were punted and hauled over numerous dangerous rapids, at some of which I had to get out. We passed between two steep, rocky cliffs the whole way, and they were densely clothed with tree-ferns and other rank tropical vegetation, the large white sweet-scented datura being very plentiful. The scenery was very beautiful, and numerous waterfalls dashed over the rocky walls with a sullen roar. Ducks were plentifu

War Ceremonies and Dances at Natondre Described—The Great Chief of Nambukaluku—The Dances continued—A Fijian Feast—A Native Orator—The Ceremonies concluded—The Journey continued—A Wonderful Fungus—The bark of the rare Golden Dove leads to its Capture—Return to more Civilised Parts—The Author as Guest of a high Fijian Prince and Princess—A souvenir of Seddon—Arrival at Suva. Masirewa soon arrived and I learned that there were some very important ceremonies in which one tribe was giving presents t

On entering the large bamboo shed or theatre where the cock-fighting took place, I was met by the old Presidente of the village, to whom I had brought a letter from Governor Joven (the Governor of the province), whom I had visited at Bacolor on my way hither. He conducted me to a seat on a raised clay platform, and sat next to me most of the time, but as the fighting progressed he got very excited, and had to go down into the ring. I had often witnessed it before in tropical America, but here th

A Severe Bout of Malaria in the Wilds—The “Seamy Side” of Exploration—Unfortunate Shooting of the Chief’s Dog—Filipino Credulity—Stories of the Buquils and their Bearded Women—Expedition Planned—Succession of contretemps —Start for the Buquil Country—Scenes on the Way—A Negrito Mother’s Method of Giving Drink to Her Baby—Exhausting Marches Amid Striking Scenery—The Worst Over—A Bolt from the Blue—Negritos in a Fury—Violent Scenes at a Negrito Council of War—They Decide on Reprisals—Further Progr

After we had settled our account with them we intended going in search of a curious swamp-dwelling tribe, whose feet were reported to be webbed, like those of a duck, and many were the weird and fantastic rumours that reached our ears concerning them. The sea soon got very “choppy,” and up went our sail, and we flew along pretty fast. We had left behind us Mount Victory (a volcano which is always sending forth volumes of dense smoke) some time before, and some time afterward we were joined by a

A Night Attack—A Little Mistake—Horrible Barbarities of the Doboduras—Eating a Man Alive—A Sinister Warning—Saved by Rain—Daylight at Last—“Prudence the Better Part”—The Return—Welcome by the Notus—“Orakaiba.” I was busily engaged in writing my notes of the day, with my rifle by my side, when suddenly a shot rang out, followed by another and another, then a volley from all the sentries on one side of the camp, and the darkness was lit up by the flashes of their rifles. Then came the thrilling wa

Further Expedition Planned—Thank-offerings of Notu Chiefs—The Voyage—A Gigantic Flatfish—Negotiating a Difficult Bar—Moat Unhealthy Spot in New Guinea—Hostility of Natives—Precautions at Night—Catching Ground Sharks and a “Groper”—Shark-flesh a Delicacy to the Natives—Wakened by a War Cry—A False Alarm—A Hairbreadth Escape—Between “Devil and Deep Sea”—Dangers of the Goldfield—Two Miners Eaten Alive—Unexpected Visit from a White Man—“Where’s that Razor?”—Crime of Cutting Down a Coconut Tree—Walsh

Horrible Fate of one of our Enemies—Collecting in Cannibal—Haunted Forest—I Shoot a new Kingfisher, and a Bird of Paradise—Natives’ Interest in Bird-Stuffing—Return Journey begun—Tree-house in a Notu Village—Peacemaking Ceremonies—Notu Village described—Our Allies sentenced for Cannibalism—Parting with Walsh and Clark. We decided to return, and sent off a strong body of police in advance to surprise some of the surrounding villages. On the way back we found the man who was brained by one of our

Some distance behind us came our large fleet of canoes, bearing our bags of rice and over one hundred carriers, and as they paddled down the dark green oily waters of this natural arcade, with much shouting and the splashing of many paddles, it made a scene which is with me yet and is never to be forgotten. As we proceeded, the river got more narrow, and fallen trees from time to time obstructed our way. We at length landed at a spot where we were met by a large number of the Baruga tribe, who b

Two days after my arrival, the Rajah left on his steam yacht for England, but the day before he left, he held a great reception at his “palace” (or “astana,” as it is called in Malay). It was attended by all his officials, by high Malay chiefs and the chief Chinese merchants. The reins of government were formally handed over to his son, the Rajah Muda, after which champagne was passed round. The chief resident, Sir Percy Cunninghame, then introduced me to the Rajah. He is a fine-looking old man

I leave the Main Stream and journey up the Sarekei—A Stream overarched by Vegetation—House 200 feet long—I make Friends with the Chief—My New Quarters—Rarity of White Men—Friendliness of my New Hosts—Embarrassing Request from a Lady, “like we your skin”—Similar Experience of Wallace—Crowds to see me Undress—Dayak’s interest in Illustrated Papers—Waist-rings of Dayak Women—Teeth filled with brass—Noisiness of a Dayak House—Dayak Dogs—A well-meant Blow and its Sequel—Uproarious Amusement of the Da

My stay in British North Borneo—Visit to a Tobacco Estate (Batu Puteh)—Start for the Birds’-nest Caves—News of the Local Chief’s Death—Applicants for the Panglima-ship—We Visit the late Chief’s House-Widows in white—The Hadji “who longed to be King”—Extraordinary Grove of Banyan-trees—Pigs, Crocodiles and Monkeys—Astonishing Swimming Performance of a Monkey—Water Birds Feeding on the Carcase of a Stag—The Hadji and his Men pray at a Native Grave-shrine—An Elephant charges past us—Arrival at the

A Fijian Mountaineer’s House At the Door of a Fijian House A Fijian Girl Spearing Fish in Fiji A Fijian Fisher Girl A Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in Fiji Making Fire by Wood Friction An Old ex-Cannibal A Fijian War-Dance Adi Cakobau (pronounced “Andi Thakombau”), the highest Princess in Fiji, at her house at Navuso A Filipino Dwelling A Village Street in the Philippines A River Scene in the Philippines A Negrito Family Negrito Girls (showing Shaved Head at back) A Negrito Shootin