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[Page 86]
interior of the ordinary native houses. It contains a large tom tom. The one in this house was about 6 ft long & is simply a log hollowed out & struck by a long pole. The natives have a system of signalling with tom toms & it is no uncommon thing to hear the beating of them continued for miles along the coast.
The whole of the village was lined up for our inspection & to hear the words of the Kus Kus. (The Major is big fella chief; I am Kus Kus; God is called big fella chief on top). The chief (the oldest man in this district) promised to be more circumspect in future & we left with mutual compliments & good wishes on either side. His last words were a request for some "Taback" (tobacco). I promised to send him some.
I expect to get the rest of my command away to Alexis Hafen within the next few days.
Alexis Hfn Saty 21st : The Naval Guard are now established here & since leaving Madang we have been putting in making ourselves comfortable & arranging matters in the "way they have in the Navy".
As I write I see a canoe coming from Sek with pawpaws, cocoanuts, mangoes, etc. We have arranged to barter with them for these fruits giving them our surplus bully beef (called by them & also by the Germans "bulla-ma-cow.") These natives seem to have quietened down since our visit and we hope that we will have no further occasion to make hostile demonstrations.
7 pm : Have just returned from Madang where I have been to make my report & also to lodge 1 or 2 men affected with malaria for hospital treatment. Malaria is beginning to make itself known in our ranks, the average being one victim per day. Fortunately the attacks have so far lasted only