ORIGINAL DIARY HELD UNDER
P.M.B MANUSCRIPT NO. 8
AT
PACIFIC MANUSCRIPTS BUREAU
THE RESEARCH SCHOOL OF PACIFIC STUDIES
THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
CANBERRA A.C.T.
DIARY FOR THE YEAR
1905
KEPT AT
HOG HARBOUR, ESPIRITU
NEW HEBRIDES
BY
MAURICE MYLES WITTS
RESEARCH AND PHOTO COPIES OBTAINED BY HIS GREAT GRANDSON
GRANT ADAM JONES
TRANSCRIBED
SAMANTHER ENFIELD AND BY HIS GRANDSON PAUL LESLEY JONES
WITH HELP ON THE FOLLOW UP NOTES BY HIS DAUGHTER
NANCY MABEL HASSALL
NOTES
Word/names that could not be deciphered are represented <?>
Words/names were spelling could be incorrect---- <example>
1 January 1905
New Year's morning! !! We are quite sure of it because the Almanac says so. The old year, with
all its hopes and fears, joys and disappointments has passed forever. It has given peace to the
new. Quite unreasonably, one somehow expects that the first morning of a New Year will be
different, yet everything here is the same as yesterday; the sleeping sea, the islands and the
mountains, everything in its place.
The air is thick and heavy and you think that more rain is to follow yesterday's downpour but
suddenly the sun shoots flaming forth, the clouds disperse as though by magic and the moisture
goes up from the ground in a mist.
Breakfast over, a bell rings and the "labour" file out to work for, with the exception of half-day
Saturdays, Christmas, and of course Sundays, few holidays are allowed by the struggling planter.
When he is quite established and his trees all bearing, he will be able to indulge reasonably in the
luxury of seeing his native staff idle. Should one begin the New Year in idleness, all sorts of
calamities may overtake one before its end (one becomes superstitious about these things in time)
and so the "boys" go off to work.
2 January 1905
Neighbouring planter B paid us an early visit. Two of his recruits had skipped during the night.
He naturally was not pleased about it and even went to the length of offering some local natives
one pound for their (the runaways) scalps. These he duly received towards the close of the day,
with the owners attached. He has an extraordinary flow of language at times and, today, I think
he was at his best.
Addressing himself to the erring ones, he solemnly promised them that for the rest of their term
of indenture - a mere matter of two years or so - they would work in chains and that at night they
would be chained up to the nearest tree and get nothing but yam and water. He'd "see to that", and
I believe he thought that he meant it at the time.
When he reached home with them he would probably give them a tin of meat and some biscuit,
exact a promise (which would be fervently given) that they would never attempt to run away
again and the matter would end.
3 January 1905
"Labour" planting corn, northside. Corn grows well here; so favourable indeed is the soil and
climate to its growth that three crops may be taken off the same piece of ground in the one year.
One method of planting corn is rough and ready. Half a dozen boys go out armed with hoes while
a similar number follow behind dropping seed in the hole made by the hoers, and covering lightly
with earth.
In this way, each pair of workers will plant about an acre of land per day, the rows being four feet
apart and the sets about three feet from each other in the rows. Yet, although corn grows readily
enough and although "labour" is cheap and land easily obtained, it hardly pays for the trouble of
selling it - a freight up to Sydney 9d a bushel duty, entering Commonwealth lOd a bushel,
commission etc say 2d, making it all 1/9 per bushel. Average market price 2/6 per bushel which
leaves the bloated planter about 3A per bag, with which to pay his labour and to buy champagne
with.
4 January 1905
Planting corn. French ship "Nioble" passed northwards at noon. We had a visitor this evening, a
Mr Malaprop. A discussion arose as to the best kind of medicine to set children to rights. Some
barbarian suggested salts. Malaprop Esq dissented. He thought cascara would be better, because
it was a mild purgatory. That statement being incontrovertible, the meeting adjourned.
5 January 1905
Packing up and burning off timber on top of the hill - an interesting though very necessary part of
a planters work.
The first operation of all is to cut the undergrowth, then the big timber is fallen and cut into
lengths of from six to eight feet. This, with the leaves and smaller wood may be left for three to
four months, at the end of which time, if the weather be favourable, a running fire will clean up
all excepting the larger stuff This has to be packed up and burned - a hot dirty job.
The cost of clearing, of course depends a great deal on the density of the timber and the number
of hard wood trees to be cut. Here, so far as we can judge, the approximate cost per acre for the
different preparatory works is scrubbing - 1-6, Felling and culling - 15-0 and Packing and burning
4-6.
6 January 1905
Continued burning off Weather intensely hot. There was a notice in Sydney paper (of an ancient
date) that several Australian regiments have been presented by Gov. General Northcote with
"colours". My old regiment (the New South Wales Mounted Rifles - now known as the 2nd Reg
Australian Light Horse) was included amongst those honoured. I drink, in lime juice, to its long
life and prosperity and may it have more "lash" than is good for it
.
7 January 1905
Finished burning off midday. During the afternoon went out fishing. The method usually
employed here, though not so "sportsmanlike" as line fishing, is certainly more decisive. The
fisherman stands up at the bow of his boat, a fire stick in one hand and a plug of dynamite in the
other.
When he sights a shoal of fish within throwing distance, he hurls the dynamite at them. An
experienced "fisherman" regulates his fluse so that the charge will explode almost the instant it
touches the water. Sometimes accidents happen and more than fish are blown up.
(With apologies to Henry Lawson) - One day, two "sports" (the long-fluse variety) were
wandering along a beach looking for fish. The dog followed closely behind, unheeded. Presently
a shoal of fish made its appearance close in shore and the dynamite, which had been attached to a
stick, hurtled through the air.
The dog was delighted. He knew exactly what to do. With a bark, he bounded into the water,
grabbed the stick and swam ashore to lay it at his masters' feet as he had been taught to do; but
his masters weren't waiting just then. "Spot" thought he could overtake them and he probably
would have done but for an unavoidable accident. The fuse burned out; the charge went off with
a bang and the dog lost its head completely.
It is said that the two sportsman ran a considerable distance before they ventured to look back.
8 January 1905
Read "Mark Twain" until noon. Went to church afterwards to make up for it
9 January 1905
Lining out for coconuts - 55.5 trees to the acre. Opinions differ as to whether it pays better to
plant 26, 28 or 30 feet apart. 26 feet will give 64.4 trees to the acre; 28 55.5 and 30 48.4.
10 January 1905
Mr B gave us a swarm of bees much to our delight. Everyone must have a swarm of these
fearsome insects to be in the fashion - also a swollen eye.
11 January 1905
Planting coconuts on top of the hill. Hottest day experienced so far this season. On a hot day
there are cooler occupations than planting nuts with the unbroken rays of the sun striking down
on the nape of one's neck.
12 January 1905
Still planting (70 nuts today). Holes are dug to a depth of about 2 feet and of the same width.
After a portion of the earth is replaced, the nut is put in with, of course, the sprout upwards and
covered lightly over.
13 January 1905
Planting coconuts. Seems to have been tremendously hot today; yet at 2 pm according to the
Mission thermometer (which should be truthful) the heat has only reached 90. Last year in
portions of New South Wales the glass registered 121 but here the humidity is so great that there
would be no living with a temperature so high.
14 January 1905
Rose apples are "in" just now. When free of grubs, as they are this year, this fruit is a treat indeed.
Of a beautiful rose pink, size varying from a hen's egg to that of a turkey, luscious and well
flavoured, these apples are, in my humble opinion, the finest of all our native fruits.
15 January 1905
Rain at last. Seven long droughty days have we waited for it, days to be remembered long; when
the fierce sun hung all day in a sky of brass and the pale earth gasped and swooned beneath its
fiery rays; when the great grey sea rocked and swayed like a lake of molten lava, and all nature
seemed on the verge of some crisis. It has come - not the crisis - the rain; big thumping drops of
it, bouncing and splashing over the panting earth, filling tanks and pots and tins, then hurriedly
running away down the hillside in a maze of muddy rivulets, as though afraid of being made use
of
It has been raining all day without stopping; now at 8pm it has degenerated to a drizzle. Did
nothing but read today, and wish the rain would stop.
16 January 1905
Had 11 and a half inches of rain yesterday. The sky looks washed out today. Shelling corn - just
at a critical moment when the machine was in full swing, "Simon the simple" who was handing
up cobs from the floor tied himself into a knot by trying to take a short cut to the receivers hand
by passing his own hand under his leg. Then the fun began. Poor Simon!! It never struck him to
withdraw his arm. He shuffled and sidled and stretched like a contortionist, all to no purpose.
Then he seemed to lift his body out of the road of his hand and at length found himself free,
although facing the opposite direction.
17 January 1905
Shelling corn. In a dry shed, its good work for wet weather.
21 January 1905
Julius Petersen came with his cutter shortly before noon. Had lunch with us. Broad shouldered
and sturdy, with fair hair, straw coloured beard and blue eyes, Julius is a typical Scandinavian.
He has travelled about the world a deal and is very interesting withal.
22 January 1905
Went out pigeon shooting this afternoon. Did not get any birds, nor even a shot at them but
arrived at some important conclusions in connection with this sport. To ensure success I am
convinced that two boys are required - one to find the pigeons, the other to keep them where they
are found. A game carrier, as a rule, may be dispensed with.
My experience also leads me to the belief that this wild pastime should not be indulged in by
persons with weak hearts. The excitement of stalking a bird for two or three hours at a time may
prove too much.
There are three varieties of pigeon here - one very like the bronze-wing in Australia, though
perhaps smaller; a small blue one and a large blue with red legs and beak. The latter makes a
good meal when captured but he is extremely shy and generally keeps well out of the range of
firearms. Besides pigeons, there are three varieties of the dove family, pretty creatures all.
23 January 1905
Mail arrived per "Induna" in B P's new steamer on this line. She is small, just under 700 tons -but
is rather better appointed than the "Tambo" and is certainly a big improvement on the "Hercules"
and the "Malekula". Saw an interesting sight on the beach today - young turtles, just hatched,
leaving their nest and taking to water. I counted 170 but some (I don't know how many) had
reached the water before I saw them. Must have been many over 200 all together. Many of these
of course moved just to be the food for the fishes. It is said that the mother turtle takes two only
of her big family under her protection. She would certainly need to be like Argus with the
hundred eyes to "keep an eye" on the lot.
Shipped corn per "Induna". Could not help wishing that it had been copra instead - copra is at
present 10/10 per ton; maize 2.
24 January 1905
That tired feeling in all its intensity today. I think there can be no place in the world where one
feels quite so limp as in Santo when the malarial microbes are beginning to assert themselves.
25 January 1905
Planting corn. Heavy storm worked up about 4 pm to end the tremendously hot day notice with
regret that the grass is doing splendidly on the ground recently, planted with coconuts. It is
simply marvellous the way grass and scrub grows here. And to think of starving stock in
(horse-tralia) Australia.
27 January 1905
Two of Mr B's recruits came up this morning for a few trifles such as 200 sticks of trade tobacco;
a pound of tea; half a dozen bars of soap; bottle of kerosene; one dozen tins of preserves meats;
ditto fish; half a dozen tins of butter; sugar, a little rice and some onions, also (to keep the
carriers from feeling too light hearted) any books and magazines we could spare.
28 January 1905
Picnic, Noboisi's Passage, afternoon. Everybody of any importance was there and, as we are all
more or less important, no one remained at home. These picnics are pleasant enough - cool green
grass, shady palms, ample and excellent provision for the inner man and fishing afterwards. At
this passage may be seen growing on a bare rock, detached from the shore, four coconuts, small
but apparently healthy. On the stone there is no vestige of soil.
29 January 1905
Captured a swarm of bees for Mrs Mackenzie (the Missionary's wife). This pest was introduced
some six months or so back by an enterprising planter, and has already increased to an alarming
extent.
A party goes out picnicking. The lunch is all ready, when a malignant messenger excitedly
whispers something to the head of the family who jumps up and starts off running, calling on the
available natives to follow at once.
We think the Bushmen have swooped down in his absence and eaten his infant son, left at home
with the nurse. After five hours the man returns, without the child (our hearts drop) but with a
glitter of triumph in his eye "I got them" is all he can say in his excited and breathless state.
We, still thinking of murdering barbarians ask if he had put them in irons, at which he looks
surprised, but replies that "he had put them in a box". "Many of them?" we ask. "Oh, yes!" comes
back the answer, "quite a strong swarm . Then we understand. The saturnine messenger bought
the news that the bees had swarmed.
On Sundays we invariably have a service at the Mission Station. The "busy bee" Mission of
course has its own apiary - generally swarms on Sunday as well as most other days during the
week, and loves to flutter past the open doorways in countless millions, just in the middle of a
service.
Our good missionary, in his endeavour to do his duty, keeps one eye on the duty of St Mark, and
the other on the vanishing bees. Eventually he makes up his mind to "have at them" as soon as he
is finished, and so goes on with his chapter in a more entertaining if less instructive manner
(Thursday - Verily I say unto you (have they settled yet?) that ye shall (get a box ready Daniel)
etc etc.)
On Monday, Mrs Mackenzie sends up a large and well filled piece of comb. Next day you send a
larger piece back with a note asking her to "please accept it PS excuse scribble - stung on the
hand by a bee today" On Wednesday, having more honey than you know what to do with, you
send a choice bit over to Mrs H who promptly denounces your thoughtful little act as a "mean
trick" and- hopes you will get stung getting the next pieces out. Which you do.
1 February 1905
"Partridge and pheasant shooting ends" says the diary, and man-shooting begins in the New
Hebrides at least. News of the death, by shooting, of Warigon, a native chief to hand. This
gentleman is credited with the murder of at least one Frenchman, at Requin Bay, some say two
and has been to cause, either directly or indirectly, of a number of natives deaths.
3 February 1905
Tonight we were sitting on the Mission verandah. The silence of the glorious night seems to hold
us in a spell, a spell which no one seemed inclined to break. We just sat and smoked and thought
out our own thoughts.
After an hour or so of this sociable silence, we had risen to go when from the bay came a faint
cooee; something unusual at that hour of the night.
On going down to the beach we could see a boat on the reef, near to the entrance of the passages
from Turtle Bay. Kinahan, weary and sick and cramped, was lying in the bottom of the boat, half
covered with water, helpless and almost speechless. We took him off at once to the Mission
where the doctors examined him and found rheumatic fever to be the cause of the trouble.
Kinahan, who looks awfully bad this morning, has said that he would like to have his things up
here; also his eight recruits. I volunteered to take his boat back to Turtle Bay and get them. At
noon, we made a start. No canvas except the doctor's little dinghy sail. That, however, was better
than nothing. Reached the small island of Latharu shortly before dark, in a downpour of rain.
Beastly wet night; no tent, unless the little sail stretched across a pole could be called one. I tried
to telescope myself into about four feet of space, with rather poor result. However, I was able to
keep my head moderately dry but was glad enough to see daylight come.
5 February 1905
Got away early, reaching Turtle Bay about noon. Found house in disorder. Pathetic evidence on
every side of a lonely sick man, dependent on natives for help. Clothes and letters and unopened
newspapers strewn all over the floor. Plenty of preserved meat and fish but nothing that a sick
man would wish for and require most. Poor lad!
Gathered up what things I could, nailed up the doors and, with the recruits aboard, started back
3.30 pm. The sea had risen and the little boat, heavily laden as she was, took in water to an
alarming extent. Several times I thought that we would be swamped but, with willing hands to
bail out water, it takes a lot to swamp a boat.
We had the four oars out and all worked with a will but it was nearly 9 o'clock when we reached
Latharu. It was a fine night and although there was a tent amongst Mr K's things, we had no need
of it.
6 February 1905
Left Latharu just at dawn and, the wind being fair, we were able to sail most of the way up.
Reached home at noon; only to find that poor Kinahan had passed away.
Poor boy! So far from kindred and from home. Of course the good doctor and his wife and Theo
Thomas, my cousin and co-planter, had done all that mortals could to help him, but it seemed so
pathetic and what a shock to his aged mother far away in Belfast, looking forward, no doubt, to
hearing from the wandering boy whom she will never more see in this life.
We buried him near the Mission house; and may his soul rest in peace.
7 February 1905
All hands busy putting up a new house for our "labour" - some preparing the thatch (we use the
leaf of the ivory nut for thatching) other getting bamboo for the rafters.
Long bamboo, by the way, make good rafters. You just heat it over a fire when required and bend
over the ridge pole, saw off the ends at the eaves and you've got it!
8 February 1905
Native women sewing up leaf for thatch; that is, bending the leaf over strips of bamboo an inch
or so wide and pinning with pieces of the centre rib of the leaf itself
These women are adept in the art of thatch making "a la Santo", some of them sewing up as many
as 50 six feet lengths in a day.
9 February 1905
Completed recruits house. A Foxl4 mansion in four days. Not so slow.
10 February 1905
Dr M and Theo Thomas started for Turtle Bay per horse early this morning. Not very
encouraging reports of the road. Some natives say that they think it would be impossible for a
horse to go beyond Requin Bay. There are others again who, with optimistic excess, would fire
one with the impression that a broad level road ran the whole way, and that motor-cars and
"bikes" are to be frequently met with. This impression, however, I firmly refuse to believe. 6pm
-horses back. Proof that road is not according to the reports of the optimists.
11 February 1905
Captured a swarm of bees for Mrs M. A problem in simple proportion: if one swarm produces 6
swarms in 5 months, how many swarms will the 6 produce in a year? Answer 1296.
At the end of2 years, at the same rate, this one hive will have sent out or caused to be sent out
1,679,616 swarms. In 3 years over 2 billion. Surely something to be proud of A deal of rain has
fallen throughout the day.
12 February 1905
Overlanders return from Turtle Bay, very tired and very dirty.
13 February 1905
Raining most abominably. Have 14 recruits and 24 local gentlemen working - working hard
-getting out of the rain.
14 February 1905
Rain still continues, almost without intermission. Have had nearly five inches since yesterday.
Not a record by any means but still what one might call "damp" weather.
We have something like 1700 boxes of matches in the house and had a job lighting the lamp for
tea tonight. Mildew over everything - boots, leather-belts, leggings everything.
15 February 1905
A dozen or so busy "ladies" seeding in the corn were doing a good "loaf' this morning; doing it in
style too with a sentry out to watch the roadway in front. But I came up the "starboard quarter"
and landed suddenly in the midst to the evident surprise of the recumbent group, some of whom,
doubtless, are going yet.
Had they been white ladies, they would certainly have fainted under similar circumstances but
the damsels of Santo have not learned the fascinating art of fainting yet and prefer to run before
the wind when alarmed.
16 February 1905
Rain again accompanied by vivid lightning and crashing peals of thunder by way of variety. This
is the "wet" season and certainly we are not being allowed to forget it!!
17 February 1905
Some names of Santo women working - Kasal, Kaneen, Kree, Krae, Kasso, Kali, Theopas - the
latter really is not a name at all meaning merely the mother of Pas - a favourite subterfuge when a
woman is too modest to tell you her name - and most of them are that. Indian women have the
same custom, excepting with them it is generally the wife of so- and-so.
18 February 1905
A great many of feminine names start with the letter K; a fair percentage of the men's too for that
matter. As an instance, there is a gentleman working today who rejoices in the name of Kanob.
His son, I suppose, is Kanobbler and daughter, if he had one, is Kanoblas.
"Gulliver" came up today looking wild and woolly as usual. All spent the evening at the mission.
19 February 1905
Earthquakes are common here. Today we had rather a severe one. Cups and saucers rattled and
bottles fell, and the house I thought would collapse every minute so violently did it sway
backwards and forwards. The large 800 gallon water tank rocked so much that nearly half the
contents slopped out at the top.
20 February 1905
If it didn't rain much yesterday, it is making up for it today! Sawing bamboo into ~ foot lengths or
according to joints for pots for starting cocoa plants in. They are excellent for that purpose.
21 February 1905
Started to cut down the top corner of clearing. As an experiment, I am leaving it just as it falls.
Hitherto I have always cut it up into short lengths. When quite dry (if the sun ever comes out
again) a running fire may burn a lot of the smaller stuff which would have to be cut up under the
old system.
Had a dozen "boys" at it. I find by measuring that they have done just an acre.
22 February 1905
On top again. 10 boys today. Tried to stop a falling tree with my head - with only partial success.
Thought a planet had struck me at the time; then all went black. I hardly like to say why I haven't
got concussion of the brain at the present time but suppose if I had much brain to "concuss" I
wouldn't have been just where I was.
SS Tambo came in at 3 pm. Good mail. We forget aught else in the pleasure of reading our
papers and letters.
23 February 1905
(His Birthday) - Amongst other letters received yesterday was one containing 28 pages - all
interesting too, that's the strange part of it; a bright budget of humour, sense and sentiment. The
only other letter which compared with this one was one from my mother. It contained 2 pages
-the other 26 being written between the lines.
Had a solitary Santo man working today - a feeble hairy man of the woods. During the day 17
"friends" came along, presumably to watch him work and to talk to him and to share his biscuit at
midday. This is about the usual thing. Nothing delights the native so much as watching his
comrade work. You can see him swelling visibly with a reflected credit and cadged biscuits
25 February 1905
What we've been having lately in the way of moisture has been mere make-believe, compared
with today's deluge. It is now midday and since daylight over 9 inches of rain have fallen. Still
going strong too. Poor old "Gulliver" and his two recruits left Santo by the Tambo this afternoon.
After two years of toil he has had to abandon planting and take to trading.
26 February 1905
By yesterday's mail sent away two letters; one to the Sydney Daily Telegraph, the other to the
London Times. Subject: New Hebrides and the dangers of a possible French annexation.
These letters can do no harm and may do good; may at least start out on the war-path someone
better able to deal with the subject than I am.
27 February 1905
Barometer falling. Possibly a hurricane coming. Rain continues to fall not in showers but in
sheets.
28 February 1905
Weather still moist. February, perhaps the wettest month of the whole year, is drawing to a close
in a fittingly damp fashion.
Of the 28 days comprising the month, 26 have been more or less wet. On one day 1 ~ inches fell.
The total for the month is just over 40 inches - three feet, six inches in twenty-eight days.
Of course it is good for the coconuts just planted out. Weeds and scrub seem to thrive remarkably
well on it too.
1 March 1905
We were somewhat startled at about 6 am this morning to notice a red glow in the East. First
thought - bushfire! But as there is no land of any consequence in that direction this side of
America, we knew we must be mistaken. Presently a globe of fire drew itself as though from out
of the sea. Higher and higher rose the strange phenomenon. Some thought it might be Neptune or
Posiedon or some of those gentry, some, a visitation, and began to say their prayers. But the older
inhabitants told us it was neither one or other of these undesirable things and that they
remembered seeing it before. It was the sun
2 March 1905
Cutting line for fence. Last hundred yards. Two knife accidents - Metlin and Nat - mere scratches
both, but sufficient to make the smitten ones fancy they're badly hurt. A native will cheerfully
gash his chest and arms with pieces of sharp bamboo and broken bottles for the sake of fashion,
yet if he happens to scratch himself with a knife whilst working, he turns as white as a bit of
seaweed and would straightaway faint if he knew how.
3 March 1905
Finished line for fence and started scrubbing on top of the hill. This operation is made
exceedingly laborious by the quantity of "vrou", or cottonwood, intertwined among the timber. It
twirls and curls and winds about, sometimes describing a series of circles, springs back and hits
you under the jaw when you cut it and acts generally in a riotous manner throughout.
4 March 1905
Worked until midday. Spent the afternoon reading newspapers and yarding fowls. The all¬
absorbing topic in the papers at the present time is the "War in the East". By the latest cables, we
learn that the non-notorious Baltic Fleet is looking for trawlers in the Indian Ocean. It is also
crossing the Rocky Mountains just below London, and Admiral Ohfustfan sky reports having won
a great naval victory over the Hottentots there; losing one man only; by the bursting of an
"assagai" - or something to that effect.
6 March 1905
Continued the fence which, for various reasons, has been left waiting for some days. Had 12 boys
working on it. Did about three chains and have 18 more to do.
Cottonwood uprights are used for the sides and are put in about 18 inches apart. As they strike
root and grow readily, they almost form a fence themselves.
7 March 1905
Got 4 chains of the fence done today. Scores of bush natives passed during the afternoon on route
to Lelak where Mr Noboisi is holding a "sing-sing" and "danys" to celebrate his pig killing.
Rank here among the natives is obtained solely per medium of pigs. A man desirous of rising a
rung on the social ladder by dint of hard cadging and a little work perhaps, gathers together a
certain number of hermaphrodite pigs ("nara", in local parlance).
The killing of these gets for him the rank of "navok", a sort of lance corporal amongst chiefs. For
the "vernara" degree, the aspirant for chieftain honours is required to kill from 50-60 "Kol-kols"
(or barrows). The "vooriar" and "vooriar-ru" stages are gained by killing a certain number of
boars with tusks and, lastly, the much coveted and seldom reached "Wustair", the field marshal of
all natives, to gain which a very choice assortment of naras must be sacrificed. In this district
there is but one Wustair, a very old and feeble man, a refugee at present from the wrath of a bush
tribe.
The exalted rank does not appear to be any protection to the venerable owner; rather, perhaps, it
is an inducement to ambitious head-hunters, as it would be considered a worthy feat to bag a
chief so high in rank. "Uneasy is the head that wears a crown", even though it be a crown of
pig-skin, and so the grey haired old warrior has shifted in the very outskirts of civilisation to sleep
in peace and dream of bygone days.
The dance, or "danys", eventuated last night and was, as the numerous reporters would say, a
great success. All the youth and beauty of the district seem to have been present.
The ball-room, a patch of ground, 30 yards square, carefully cleared of stumps and stones, was
well lit up by a huge fire in the centre. A band, consisting of a dozen or so stalwart natives, was
stationed at the southern end of the clearing and, as far as I could learn, they remained there all
night singing and thumping on the ground with short lengths of bamboo. There seems to be a
Signor Hazon amongst them whose duty it was to conduct operations and, without refreshments,
it must have been a cheerless job.
Merit in native dancers consists not in the lightness of their feet and the brightness of their
conversation but in being able to prance about in the vicinity of the blazing fire for an unlimited
space of time.
Legs and arms and eyebrows are scratched in the endeavour of each outdoing his neighbour but
that is nothing to these hardened warriors so long as they are being admired by lookers on.
The sight was altogether a novel and weird one. Upwards of 200 painted savages stamping like so
many maniacs round a blazing fire, the bush-orchestra thumping away with their bamboos and
the ladies sitting silently and darkly in the background.
The night was a glorious one, with its myriad of stars blazing above like so many lanterns and the
cool soft breeze tempered the heat from the fire and made the feathery fronds of the coconuts
wave gently like the plumes on some giant's cap. Ever and anon a dark form would be seen
standing out in silhouette against the trunks of the palm; a native going up to into the supper
room for refreshment.
11 March 1905
Worked until noon; wrote letters afterwards - left off work to carry bricks so to speak.
12 March 1905
Sunday. Attended church service during the afternoon. Reminded me of a tale I once heard - a
Scottish Minister, after speaking for an hour and a half concluded by saying "Lo, brethren, what
more can I say?". "Sit doon, mon, you've said enough" came the reply.
A week of fencing and alfresco fresco lunching, of rain and heat and a little fever thrown in free
of charge.
19 March 1905
Communion Sunday. The old lime church was filled to overflowing. The heathen Bushmen had
heard that wine was to be drunk and rolled up hoping maybe that some would be handed round
their way. Men who had never entered the "school" before sat on their haunches there at the back,
waiting to see the fun.
When the bread was being broken, a great earthquake came rumbling along, gently rocking the
building from side to side at first, but gradually gaining strength until the whole earth seemed to
be heaving and swaying like a ship at sea.
Quite a panic ensued. The "school" people held their ground with pale faces and more or less
gallantry; the heathen in their blindness made a remarkably accurate line for the door but at this
juncture the rocking and swaying of the earth subsided. The tremor had passed over.
19 March 1905
Besides communion, there was a baptism of rather a large scale - over 20 natives undergoing the
rather unusual experience of having water put on their heads.
Biblical names were scattered lavishly around with the water - the usual crop of "Daniel"s and
"Joseph"s, "Abednego" 5 and "Saul"s.
Why the average native has not so much chance of passing the "Golden Gate" with Saul for his
name as with "Sool", I cannot say, but it seems he hasn't.
Saw one our boys with a book the other day. He was apparently reading it very carefully -though
it did happen to be upside-down. On examination it proved to be "Caesar's Column Very ragged,
very dirty but intact. Asked him if it was a good book. "No", he replied, "he no good fella here".
22 March 1905
One of the "firm" is boat painting today. That he is doing something with paint might be guessed
from sundry outward and visible signs. On approaching the house, you will first notice that the
trunk of a mummy-apple shining out in dazzling splendour. A little further on might be seen a
scarlet water melon, with a white one by its side. Drops of paint will guide you to the kitchen, the
posts of which are a delicate pink. The pots are variegated and even the kitchen cat has rose
coloured ears and a blue tip to its tail.
23 March 1905
The "Induna" is due in now, overdue in fact, and we have been busy assigning diverse reasons for
her non-appearance - anything from having been captured by the Baltic Fleet to having gone
ashore in last Sunday's tidal wave.
24 March 1905
Though the tree-snakes here are unusually small, ranging from 1 and a half feet to 3, occasionally
one sees a much larger specimen. Today we captured one over 6 feet in length and large in girth.
The "boys" were much afraid, saying that they would die if bitten by it but it was really very
harmless.
25 March 1905
Went out fishing this afternoon. Succeeded in getting a good haul of mullet.
26 March 1905
Same old Sunday. Same old "school", same old sermon, same hard stool, same old Daniel "Lion's
Den", same old sing-song "Mona's Yen".
27 March 1905
After all the waiting and watching and wondering why she didn't turn up, the "Induna" coolly
popped in at 4pm, none the worse for her delay.
She had begun looking for, and towing, the broken down "Tibarra" or something of that kind.
Thomas is a passenger and means to stay. Fine to see someone straight from the old place and to
hear all about the old people of far Monaro. He is lately from Fiji too and is able to tell me all
about my old friends and erstwhile fellow toilers there.
It brings the busy life of the cane-fields back again - the bump-bump and whirr of the mill, the
brazen din of tom-toms in the lines by night. Like seeing the old place again without the trouble
of going there.
30 March 1905
Doctor Mackenzie's engine came by the "Induna" and they are busy putting it into the fine boat
built for it by Mr M. The engine is a "Victor" 4 horsepower. Should sent the "Goodhope" along at
5 or 6 knots at least. The cost of running it on benzine is said to be ld per mile.
31 March 1905
Finished felling timber on the northern side of Mission track. By rough measurement, we find
that we have 12 acres done at the cost of approx 5/- an acre. To this, of course, must be added the
greater cost of packing and burning.
1 April 1905
All Fools Day!! We took advantage of it. Went out fishing with dynamite. Saw a fine shoal of
mullet and hurled a charge at them. The fluse was old and the charge wouldn't go off We saw
another lot of fish and threw the charge again with the same result. Came home fishless.
2 April 1905
On making inquiries as to what would be the proper course to pursue in case of a native
threatening to shoot you, we are (unofficially) told by a man-o-war captain to "shoot the beggar".
At the same time, a printed regulation is being handed round to inform us that on no account are
we to shoot on a native unless the said native has already fired upon you.
In other words, by the generosity of a thoughtful government, you are allowed, after the heathen's
ounce of lead has entered your solar plexus, to give him a valedictory souvenir in the shape of a
return ball, but not until then.
5 April 1905
T and I went up to Nemas early this morning riding. We had one saddle only but I fixed up a sort
of pad which served the purpose well. We found the old place very much overgrown and had
quite a job to find the young fruit trees of which we were in search but eventually came back with
6 oranges, 2 mandarins and 2 fig-trees - the latter very poor specimens. Nat cut his toe nearly off
around 2 pm. Quite the usual thing - for Nat.
6 April 1905
Had toothache. Everyone offers advice to people with toothache and it is interesting to note the
number of infallible cures there are from "having it out" to "filling the mouth with cold water and
sitting on a stone till the water boils".
8 April 1905
Dr MacKenzie launched the ""Goodhope"" to give her engine a trial spin. All the natives
congregated about on the beach to see the fun.
For a while, the thing would not go. But eventually the engineer got her going and made a very
satisfactory run to the Point and back. For mission work (where the district is a large one) and for
the transport of copra, these engines would be very useful and there is little doubt but that they
will be extensively used throughout the group before many years.
10 April 1905
Mission people gathering arrowroot. This valuable tuber is evidently indigenous to these islands
and flourishes on the sandy soil near the sea beaches.
It is of excellent quality and, when prepared, is sent to agents in Scotland for sale. There it is
advertised as "Mission grown arrowroot" and, perhaps for that reason, commands a high price
-9/-per lb being often obtained.
12 April 1905
One of the boys working at the clearing informed me that a Santo native has a "language" with
him but not being conversant with the Santo tongue he was at a loss to know what the man was
"languaging" about but thought it had something to do with a pig (which, had he known the Santo
native a little better, he might have been sure of, for like Lorimer's successful merchant, Man
Santo talks pig, thinks pig and dreams pig).
13 April 1905
We are having exceptionally dry weather. This is the sixth day of wind. While it is good weather
for burning off, unfortunately all the stuff is too freshly cut to burn and experience has proved
that it is a mistake to attempt to burn off under 6 weeks to 2 months.
15 April 1905
Strange how money travels. A naked savage came along this morning with a Mauritius 1 cent
piece for which he wanted silver (he believed that he held a half sovereign).
18 April 1905
Talking of medicines, our local Malaprop remarked this afternoon that "aloin", in his opinion,
was a milder purgatory than cascara. Cascara, he contended, was becoming an obsolete medicine.
20 April 1905
I have been hearing a good deal about Scotchmen lately. Who were the Scots? I've just found out
that they did not grow among the heather. No! The Scots came from Ireland and it is said that
they came, originally, from Spain.
The other portion of Scotland's people - the Poets - hailed from the Orkney and Shetland Isles. So
McTavish is an Irishman!
21 April 1905
Good Friday (well disguised). From early moon to dewy eve, great drenching showers have been
sweeping in from the North East. Everything is wet, even my lunch, which I took out as usual and
was dyed a pretty pink from the damp Bulletin cover in which it was wrapped.
22 April 1905
Rained all day.
23 April 1905
Easter Day. Fine again. Spent the morning carrying beds and blankets, clothing and cushions out
into the sun to air.
24 April 1905
I have discovered a simple way of finding out on which day of the year Easter will fall. First you
think of any number (quietly if you can), multiply that by half the number of days in a month.
This will give you what is known as the "Golden Number". Next, subtract 21 years from the age
of your nearest neighbour, add the golden number and the result will be the date of the month on
which Easter falls.
25 April 1905
SS Tambo came in and, after shipping our maize, went on to Noguru. Two of our time-expired
recruits went with the steamer. Sorry enough to lose them. They were a good pair and good
natives are like diamond mines - hard to find.
Some thoughtful person sent me a Bulletin this mail. Of course I was pleased to get it but it
seemed to me that I had seen it somewhere before. On looking again at the date it turned out to
be March 1902 - 3 years old.
26 April 1905
Took the big boat down to Bridges for corn. As usual there was a good sea rolling onto that
beach. After landing the crew, two of us attempted to put off to anchor the boat but just then a
big wave swept in, caught us and upset the boat, hurling us headlong into the foaming brine.
Struck my shoulder on the stern post as I passed hurriedly out. The boat was fortunately
uninjured.
27 April 1905
SS Tambo returned at an early hour this morning. I did not expect her until tomorrow, therefore
had to shave and dress, write two letters and run half a mile in a minute and a quarter, for the
majestic (?) Tambo, like time and tide, waits for no man.
28 April 1905
Planting millet above the road. I am using Italian seed this time as it is supposed to yield the
green-tinged hurl so much sought after by broom manufacturers
29 April 1905
All hands went up to Thion this morning for a day's duck-shooting. H-, having heard that his
runaway recruit was hiding in a native house on the mountain at the back of Port Olry, decided to
go up and get him. I volunteered to accompany him.
After two hours walk we reached the house in question but Louis was "out". We then sent a
message, written in charcoal on the bark of a tree, back to Port Olry, asking the party not to wait
for us as we had decided to watch for our gentleman all night. But that wily person, having seen
our boat come in from a lookout on the mountain, also decided to spend the night out.
Had the night been fine we would have slept neath the watching stars but about sun down it
began to rain hard and we gladly accepted an invitation to sleep in the village at the house of one
Tare.
Our host roasted some yam for us on a very smoky fire but as we had no water to wash it down
with, our jaws soon ceased work by mutual consent.
During the early part of the night we got a very satis~ing glimpse of the native in his home. One
discovered sweet music - with a rusty Jews harp; another busied himself like some great hunter
of old, roasting over the fire the spoils of that day's chase - a fierce bird little more than half the
size of a sparrow; others sat smoking their short clay pipes over smoky little fires talking of big
yams they'd seen and famous pigs that they had owned.
One gentleman was especially entertaining. He sat somewhat apart from the others and was
solemnly engaged picking fleas off a dog's back and (of course you will not believe me but its
true nonetheless) eating them with evident relish.
The house in which we slept was of the low long narrow species common in these parts - the men
5 house. Half a dozen bearded warriors slept at one end of the house, each on his little bed of five
or six bamboos raised about an inch off the ground. We curled up at the other end and fought
more or less strenuously with the dogs and pigs for possession of our bit of ground.
Clearly the quadrupeds resented our intrusion. Before morning we, also had good reason to
believe that we really had jumped their claims.
30 April 1905
We waited until about midday but the prodigal returned not. Then, thirsty and hungry (we'd had
no water and only a little yam since noon the previous day), we retreated to Port Olry where we
found Dr M waiting for us in his launch.
1 May 1905
Settled down quietly to work again after the dissipation of yesterday and the day before.
2 May 1905
Cutting up first portion of the top corner that portion fallen February 21, 10 weeks ago. Yet it is
not nearly dry enough to burn. The 10 men cutting got through just an acre.
4 May 1905
Saw two strange fish this morning; one a small fish of the star variety which emitted a fluid very
like red ink; the other was a kind of eel or snake collapsed, shrinking away to almost nothing.
When returned to the water however, it quickly assumed normal dimensions.
What powerful stuff is strychnine. I mixed some with oatmeal last night and put it on the table
for rats. It didn't trouble them so much, but it kept me awake most of the night.
Shortly after going to bed, I got up to see if the lid of the biscuit tin close by was shut, thinking a
little of the mixture might have fallen in.
An hour after I thought of a milk jug which wasn't properly covered and had visions of poisoned
rats swimming therein, so at last I had to get up and shift it. Towards midnight a terrible thought
seized me - What if numerous hordes of poisoned rats were to fall in the tank in search of water?
I thought of shifting the tank, but it contained 600 gallons of water so I decided to let it drop.
Daylight came at last and weary and worn I got up - to find that the poison had not been touched.
10 May 1905
The Indian Mutiny broke out on this day at Meerut 1857; the commencement of that long series
of hideous massacres on the one side, indomitable courage and wonderful endurance on the
other.
Roberts, in his forty-one years in India, gives an instance of British pluck and determination;
General Havelock's march to Caronpore with heat by day ranging from 120 to 138 Fahrenheit.
Today in this tropical region, the thermometer registered 86, yet people are afraid to venture to
these islands because of the heat!
Burning off on top of the hill. Days hot and nights cool, colds prevalent.
Went out fishing during the afternoon but got four small ones only, though we had the pleasure of
seeing a very large shoal of mullet, also a stingray. The latter was a big fellow, about 4 feet
across the back and from 8 to 10 feet long. The tail is very long and tapering with knife like
spines, with which the fish when angered can, and sometimes does, inflict a very serious wound.
In fact, people have been known to have a limb almost severed by a slash from the tail of a
stingray.
16 May 1905
Marking out newly cleared ground for coconuts. Cut track from the house to the beach; 900
yards. I will make a road there, some day in the sweet bye and bye.
17 May 1905
Planted 50 coconuts in the top corner. I am learning that it is not an easy thing to get coconuts in
line. You may get the first four exactly equidistant and think that you have a safe base from
which to work but if you haven't them exactly square as well as equidistant, you'll find yourself a
long way out. We are planting 28 feet apart up here which gives 55 trees per acre as against 48.4
planted 30 feet apart.
19 May 1905
Raining very heavily. On looking at the register, I find that we've had just over 60 inches since
January 1. Not so dusty!!
A double wedding celebrated in the local church this afternoon when Abgeth and Warmaheth
were made man and wife and Erowul took unto himself the widow of Lathos for better or worse.
Both brides wore dresses for the occasion.
23 May 1905
Moderately fine today with occasional showers. Merikon, Metin and Malihal down with fever.
Three boys planting sweet potato balance working on top. Have 7 acres ready for burning up
there as soon as weather permits.
24 May 1905
Doctor had a look at our boy Metin. Says he has a touch of pleurisy and advises the application of
a mustard plaster on the spot where the most pain is, that is just under the right shoulder-blade.
Quite a simple and not at all unpleasant matter putting mustard plaster on - others.
25 May 1905
"Induna" came in at 8 pm - a day or so before her time. We learn with deep regret of the death of
no less than three of our island people - Mrs F Paton of Pang Kumar, Mr Wilson of Malo and Mrs
Paton of Melbourne.
26 May 1905
Saturday evening. Had tea over the way. Found Lady E very entertaining. She told us she knew
all about us before she came down from F's letters. "There's so very little to write about, he
always said, you know" - at which our modest smiles faded away.
27 May 1905
Ngas, the Mission curiosity, passed away to another world early this morning. Ngas was never
known to work; his one occupation was following the shade around from morning to evening on
fine days and dodging the smoke of fires on wet ones.
As far as one could tell, there was nothing the matter with him. He just seemed to find it too
much trouble to live. So died, and may his soul find that rest, complete and eternal, which his
body failed to find in this world.
"Now all young men take warning and harken to what I say, This poor man died in the morning,
too tired to live the day".
29 May 1905
What's in a name? Saw in an old newspaper today where one ploughman, a farmer, was
defendant in a breach of promise case in which "Innocence Frost" was the plaintiff Injured
innocence!! Well of course the combination of names were too strong and the poor man lost his
case. History repeats itself and this is not the first time that a ploughman has been bitten by a
frost
30 May 1906
Planting millet near the cornshed. We are planting it here in much the same way as corn, though
instead of being 3 feet apart in the line, the holes for millet are made about half that distance.
Three grains are planted in each hole.
31 May 1905
Fever hanging round today - Sleeplessness is a very common result or rather symptom of malaria.
Last night I could do anything but sleep. In vain I tried the usual remedies - pretending you are in
church and want to keep awake, taking an imaginary walk around a thousand acre paddock etc.
At last I bethought me of the advice of a wise man who believed that there was nothing more
sleep inducing than the counting of imaginary sheep. Accordingly I at once made the necessary
imaginary arrangements with Sir Samuel McCaughey (the sheep "King" of New South Wales,
who owns sheep to the extent of one and a quarter million) to count his flock for him. Being
intelligent sheep, they ran through the counting gate well and I had just arrived at the last pen
when I found that it was broad daylight and time to get up.
1 June 1905
Lining out coconuts on the side of the hill by the "echelon" method, which, planting 28 feet apart
gives 64.15 per acre as against 55.5 by squares. A gain in every acre of 8.65 or 856 for every 100
acres.
2 June 1905
Had "Charley" - surname "Curt Hose" putting two sticks "on line" this morning. After much
screwing up of one eye and shifting about of pegs, he at length announced that he had them
straight Some time ago I gave a Bushman two cocoa plants to put in his garden, telling him to
be sure to put them in line. Some days after he came down wearing a worried look to say that he
had planted his two trees but couldn't get them straight like ours.
5 June 1905
Scripture sayeth on the seventh day thou shalt do no measure of work. Is an argument "work"? If
not, it is a very good imitation of the real thing. Today we argued about the advantages of the
echelon method of planting against the square and vice versa from 8 am until Sunday dinner
appeared.
We planted acres of nuts (on paper of course) to demonstrate our various theories; scraps of
paper at first then, as we warmed to out work, sheets of writing paper; then the blotting pad,
finishing up on the table. I think we decided that the echelon was the better system, but I am not
quite sure.
6 June 1905
Dysentery made its appearance in our ranks today - "Lucy" being the favoured one.
7 June 1905
To illustrate the difficulty of looking after natives when sick - Left Lucy in her husband's charge
with strict injunctions to give her nothing to eat except what we told him. We came back some
hours afterwards to find the patient much worse. Asked Jimmie if he had given her anything to
eat. No! nothing - except just a few bananas - green - and some yam.
The following treatment for Dysentery is highly recommended: Give dose of castor oil and
laudanum (15 to 20 drops) as a preliminary to make the patient rest. Interdict food of any kind for
3 to 4 hours then give some laudanum in water. Twenty minutes later give 20 to 30, even as high
as 60 gms, ipacac.
It may be necessary to go on with ipacac twice a day for 3 or 4 days and is a good idea to reduce
the dose by 5 gms daily. Be careflil as to diet when the tongue is coated - indicating gastric
catarrh - small quantities of thin chicken soup may by given; also white of egg and rice water.
When the tongue is clean, give milk, diluted with barley water. Alcohol is contra-indicated, but in
the case of collapse, white wine is good.
Should ipacac do no good, try sodium sulphate (salts) - half an oz for a start, smaller doses to
follow. The purgative effect should be obtained once or twice a day for two or three days at least.
Should these means prove ineffectual, administer calomel in combination with opium and ipacac
every 5 or 6 hours.
12 June 1905
Marking out Sol's ground with a view to purchase. This land joins us on the east and extends to
the sea, a very necessary block to us.
13 June 1905
Completed purchase of land from Messrs Sol and Nealdrum to our mutual satisfaction. As these
two men owned the ground and wished to sell, we had no trouble.
Sometimes, however, it is not so. A block of land is owned by say 10 men, 2 of whom wish to
sell and the land is offered by them to the unsophisticated planter who starts out with the willing
ones to mark out. But before you have gone 10 yards through the scrub, number 3, with his rifle
and half a dozen dogs, strolls up behind and with a "what's the meaning of this?!" kind of air,
seats himself on a mossy log and a lengthy consultation takes place
Perhaps he is won over and a fresh start is made, then numbers 4 and 5, carrying guns and
accompanied by dogs, make their appearance. Another halt and another "talk-talk". A few sticks
of tobacco change hands and the little cavalcade moves slowly on. It is nearly a quarter of an
hour before there is a growling of dogs, a parting of the bushes and number 6 makes for a
tempting moss-covered stone to discuss matters and to ascertain, if possible, what his share of the
transaction will come to.
After nearly an hour and another interchange of tobacco, another start is made. By this time it is
nearly lunch - hour and, as were getting hungry, good progress is being made and in less than an
hour he'll have finished. But there is a cooee from the heart of the forest somewhere. No one
answers but all the same it is not long before an advance guard of dogs comes clattering through
the scrub, followed closely by three bearded faces and 3 Snider butts. The party is growing and
the supply of mossy stones scarcely reaches demand. The discussion is gone all over again. Each
one occupies himself with his own particular type of work. Some draw patterns on the ground
with their big toes, some slice away at a stick with a sharp knife as though it were a victim's head,
some sharpen spears and hurl them at adjacent trees.
All talk in a high falsetto voice and all at one time. It would seem as though the negotiation for
the coveted piece of ground would end in smoke this time, our own smoke too, at that.
But some sort of conclusion is at length arrived at, the "boodle" mentally apportioned to the
satisfaction of each, one jumps up suddenly and proceeds with the line and all follow, till at last
we come out on the open beach, affix our mark on the last tree and start for home, tea, biscuit
and tinned meat. In the shade of a mummy apple" tree near the house we find Landowner number
~0, a philosopher in his way, waiting for the inevitable - and his share of the cash. A white
witness is procured; the landed proprietors put their marks to the deed and slice of the root of evil
becomes theirs and another patch of soil ours
17 June 1905
Mr B came in with his cutter this evening and afterwards had tea with us, regaling us with wild
and woolly tales of the New Hebrides ten years ago. Some of these tales we have reason to
believe were quite true.
"In the palmy days of the trade" he said, "many and playful were the tricks played by professional
recruiters. One gentleman (thank goodness, not a Britisher) who had his recruiting license
cancelled, was suspected by a passing man-o-war of having recruits aboard. As a matter of fact,
when the warship bore down on him he had three of them, yet when they came alongside, a
careful search revealed nothing more than a very ordinary recruiting vessel with a very ordinary
crew, and her anchor down, but no recruits".
"An hour later, the anchor was being pulled up and to it hung the recruits. The man of resources
had tied them, with the assistance of his crew, to the anchor and lowered them out of sight as the
man-o-war approached. That man is alive in the Group today and is, I believe, doing well".
Surely virtue hath its reward.
"Picking them up off the rocks" had been out of date for some time but it is not long since the
unscrupulous professional recruiter adopted another system of filling his ship, a system at once
humorous and lucrative.
"A sing-sing was given on board the vessel and a dozen or so of the local stalwarts invited to
participate. Plenty of grog of course was allowed (not necessarily of the best quality) and when
the revelry was at its highest, the anchor was quietly slipped, jib and stay-sail run out (the
mainsail was already set to "keep it steady") and, favoured by a gentle land-breeze, the ship
headed for the open sea.
When daylight came, the revellers might or might not be able to bid adieu to the island home
which they would not see again for two or three years, sometimes longer".
27 June 1905
Saw sandalwood in Santo for the first time today. We don't know for certain that it is the
sandalwood of commerce but seeing that much of this wood was got from Santo in the days gone
by, I think it is likely to be of the right sort.
The wood is of a light colour outside, the centre being dark. Leaf bright green, large and oval.
Flower, brilliant yellow with three divisions, each of which is divided into two.
The peculiarity of the wood is its pungent turpentine-like scent, very strong in young trees.
28 June 1905
On comparing the sandalwood got here with a piece bought by Dr Mackenzie from Erromanga,
we notice a difference. The latter is denser wood, higher in colour with a decidedly better scent.
However, for anything we know to the contrary, ours may be valuable wood. Talking of timber,
Santo has a wonderful variety. I cannot attempt to describe them but the numbers are there all
right.
In a patch of less than an acre, near the beach, we counted over forty different kinds, large leafed,
small leafed, light and dark, rough barked trees, smooth barked trees, straight trees and crooked
trees, each and all festooned with vines and creepers of every shape and description from the
fantastic water-vice to the malignant wild rose, the lawyer vine or "wait a bit" of the islands,
whose soft tendrils are yet so strong and so well armed with hundreds of miniature fish-hooks
that they will hold the unwary traveller in a claw like embrace until he has lost some of his
clothing, some of his skin and all of his temper.
Little of the timber is of any value to the carpenter or cabinet maker. It is too soft. But there are
some notable exceptions. Teak, for instance, found mostly near the coast, and called by the
natives "not-tor" which means "forever"; tomana, sought after by ship builders; and a tree
unknown to us with a flaky white bark, said to be as long lasting as teak and so hard that it will
often turn the edge of a good axe.
On rocky points near the coast, the hardy she-oak thrives. But perhaps the handsomest timber of
all is the rosewood with its fine pink colour and white satiny stripes running through the grain.
Within the forest all is gloom and silence, broken only by the occasional flight of a flock of
bright hued parrots, the "coo-coo" of many doves and the reverberating "boom" of large blue
pigeons. Ferns and moss, moss and ferns everywhere - some delicate and rare, on fallen logs,
clambering up tree trunks, lightly resting on the tops of coral stone, green and beautiful.
Of orchids half a dozen varieties may be found; I don't know whether they are rare or not but I
know they are wonderful and grand. Nearby the orchids may be seen the Loyia enwreathing
whole trees with its beautiful clusters of pure waxen flowers and delicate perfume.
Those who say that the birds of the tropics are songless and the flowers scentless have never
heard our forest thrush or seen our Loyia - tastes differ - and so I suppose do our senses of
hearing and smell.
3 July 1905
Started to build a storeroom near the kitchen - a long felt want. We've been suffering from
congestion of the kitchen for some time and the new house will relieve the situation somewhat. B
made a start for Oba at 6 am. Owing to wind, or lack of wind, he appeared to have some
difficulty clearing the Point.