Journal and notes of H. Hamlin : Whitney South Sea Expedition July 20, 1927 to August 8, 1930.
Page 211
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Transcription
(105) The old chief invited me into his house and gave me to eat I worked breadfruit and bananas. After the Kai-Kai - he taking a bite out of everything handed to me - he showed me some of his prize belongings - bone ornaments, and dyed wood, none of which he would part with. The final exhibit was a yellow double-page spread from the "Illustrated London News," acquired by purchase from someone who had gotten it at Numa Numa. The date was almost to a day 3 years ago - April, 1925. On one side were views of Tutankhamen's tomb and on the other a picture of Rabindranath Tagore and another of a Ouk-Ouk mask from New Ireland - a strange coincidence all round. He wrapped carefully in dried leaves, and replaced it in its bamboo case. The interior of the houses are divided into rooms by walls of plaited bamboo. The women and children are in a separate one with no entrance from the interior. All the young men and monkeys, with hats, live in a special abode until they take wives, when they are privileged to have a house to each man, and all keep in the building. Long strips of bamboo are split into longi- tudinal sections, and plaited over five and under five, revers- ing the green side of the wood every other strip. burning stick chief's house women & children chief another pattern Young Men's house