按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
cousin to that Polynesian word。 Mauki's three tambos were as follows： First；
he must never shake hands with a woman； nor have a woman's hand touch him or
any of his personal belongings； secondly； he must never eat clams nor any food
from a fire in which clams had been cooked； thirdly； he must never touch a
crocodile； nor travel in a canoe that carried any part of a crocodile even if
as large as a tooth。
Of a different black were his teeeth； which were deep black； or； perhaps
better； LAMP…black。 They had been made so in a single night； by his mother；
who had compressed about them a powdered mineral which was dug from the
landslide back of Port Adams。 Port Adams is a salt…water village on Malaita；
and Malaita is the most savage island in the Solomonsso savage that no
traders or planters have yet gained a foothold on it； while； from the time of
the earliest b坈he…de…mer fishers and sandalwood traders down to the latest
labor recruiters equipped with automatic rifles and gasolene engines； scores
of white adventurers have been passed out by tomahawks and soft…nosed Snider
bullets。 So Malaita remains today； in the twentieth century； the stamping
ground of the labor recruiters； who farm its coasts for laborers who engage
and contract themselves to toil on the plantations of the neighboring and more
civilized islands for a wage of thirty dollars a year。 The natives of those
neighboring and more civilized islands have themselves become too civilized to
work on plantations。
Mauki's ears were pierced； not in one place； nor two places； but in a couple
of dozen places。 In one of the smaller holes he carried a clay pipe。 The
larger holes were too large for such use。 The bowl of the pipe would have
fallen through。 In fact； in the largest hole in each ear he habitually wore
round wooden plugs that were an even four inches in diameter。 Roughly
speaking； the circumference of said holes was twelve and one…half inches。
Mauki was catholic in his tastes。 In the various smaller holes he carried such
things as empty rifle cartridges； horseshoe nails； copper screws； pieces of
string； braids of sennit； strips of green leaf； and； in the cool of the day；
scarlet hibiscus flowers。 From which it will be seen that pockets were not
necessary to his well…being。 Besides； pockets were impossible； for his only
wearing apparel consisted of a piece of calico several inches wide。 A pocket
knife he wore in his hair； the blade snapped down on a kinky lock。 His most
prized possession was the handle of a china cup； which he suspended from a
ring of turtle…shell； which； in turn； was passed through the
partition…cartilage of his nose。
But in spite of embellishments； Mauki had a nice face。 It was really a pretty
face； viewed by any standard； and for a Melanesian it was a remarkably
good…looking face。 Its one fault was its lack of strength。 It was softly
effeminate； almost girlish。 The features were small； regular； and delicate。
The chin was weak； and the mouth was weak。 There was no strength nor character
in the jaws； forehead； and nose。 In the eyes only could be caught any hint of
the unknown quantities that were so large a part of his make…up and that other
persons could not understand。 These unknown quantities were pluck；
pertinacity； fearlessness； imagination； and cunning； and when they found
expression in some consistent and striking action； those about him were
astounded。
Mauki's father was chief over the village at Port Adams； and thus； by birth a
salt…water man； Mauki was half amphibian。 He knew the way of the fishes and
oysters； and the reef was an open book to him。 Canoes； also； he knew。 He
learned to swim when he was a year old。 At seven years he could hold his
breath a full minute and swim straight down to bottom through thirty feet of
water。 And at seven years he was stolen by the bushmen； who cannot even swim
and who are afraid of salt water。 Thereafter Mauki saw the sea only from a
distance； through rifts in the jungle and from open spaces on the high
mountain sides。 He became the slave of old Fanfoa； head chief over a score of
scattered bush…villages on the range…lips of Malaita； the smoke of which； on
calm mornings； is about the only evidence the seafaring white men have of the
teeming interior population。 For the whites do not penetrate Malaita。 They
tried it once； in the days when the search was on for gold； but they always
left their heads behind to grin from the smoky rafters of the bushmen's huts。
When Mauki was a young man of seventeen； Fanfoa got out of tobacco。 He got
dreadfully out of tobacco。 It was hard times in all his villages。 He had been
guilty of a mistake。 Suo was a harbor so small that a large schooner could not
swing at anchor in it。 It was surrounded by mangroves that overhung the deep
water。 It was a trap； and into the trap sailed two white men in a small ketch。
They were after recruits； and they possessed much tobacco and trade goods； to
say nothing of three rifles and plenty of ammunition。 Now there were no
salt…water men living at Suo； and it was there that the bushmen could come
down to the sea。 The ketch did a splendid traffic。 It signed on twenty
recruits the first day。 Even old Fanfoa signed on。 And that same day the score
of new recruits chopped off the two white men's head； killed the boat's crew；
and burned the ketch。 Thereafter； and for three months； there was tobacco and
trade goods in plenty and to spare in all the bush villages。 Then came the
man…of…war that threw shells for miles into the hills； frightening the people
out of their villages and into the deeper bush。 Next the man…of…war sent
landing parties ashore。 The villages were all burned； along with the tobacco
and trade stuff。
The cocoanuts and bananas were chopped down； the taro gardens uprooted； and
the pigs and chickens killed。
It taught Fanfoa a lesson； but in the meantime he was out of tobacco。 Also；
his young men were too frightened to sign on with the recruiting vessels。 That
was why Fanfoa ordered his slave； Mauki； to be carried down and signed on for
half a case of tobacco advance； along with knives； axes； calico； and beads；
which he would pay for with his toil on the plantations。 Mauki was sorely
frightened when they brought him on board the schooner。 He was a lamb led to
the slaughter。 White men were ferocious creatures。 They had to be； or else
they would not make a practice of venturing along the Malaita coast and into
all harbors； two on a schooner； when each schooner carried from fifteen to
twenty blacks as boat's crew； and often as high as sixty or seventy black
recruits。 In addition to this； there was always the danger of the shore
population； the sudden attack and the cutting off of the schooner and all
hands。 Truly； white men must be terrible。 Besides； they were possessed of such
devil…devilsrifles that shot very rapidly many times； things of iron and
brass that made the schooners go when there was no wind； and boxes that talked
and laug