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[Page 111]
clasp of the hand from old comrades. Do you think of us?
Even here some little sign of the festive scene is apparent. The natives are preparing for tomorrow's ceremonies, for at this place they are all good Catholics. Our boys aboard the "Gabriel" will no doubt have a "sing sing". They are a merry crowd and all our old conceptions of the New Guinea savages are being altered. Most of us imagined them to be sullen and ferocious. This is true of many tribes but the majority are easily amused and respond readily when kindly treated. Even the sombre Awu has changed for the better. He always greets me with a smile, and accepted a vague and offhand invitation to Australia with embarrassing alacrity.
We find ourselves dropping unconsciously into pidgin English and our orders to the boatmen come quite naturally. But the saints preserve us from calling a corkscrew "the tin-opener belonga bottle", or stating that the venerable bald-head has "no grass (hair) belonga cocoanut belonga him". How our lady friends would stare if we asked them to play us something on the "big-fella-box-plenty-too-much-teeth-when-you-hit-him-he-cry" (piano). But perhaps we'll get over that in time.
Fri Dec 25th : A happy Christmas to all!
This morning I, in company with my men, attended High Mass at the little church on Tamana. It was very nice and the native boys sang very well, albeit with a nasal