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Bob's calabash has brought him a host of friends. Piri is with his friends at one end of the village, and in the opposite I am to reside in my friend Rahe's dubu. Semese is his father, and a very old man. The number of old men and old women and children is astonishing. No enemy dare come near their villages, and their houses have never been burnt down.
I returned ashore with the boat to fetch away the remainder of the things and teachers who were ashore, and when ready to return found the vessel too far off to fetch her, so, after pulling for some time, we up sail and away for Port Moresby. Piri and his wife came with us in their large canoe. We saw several dugongs on the way, which some esteem extra good food.
"Piri, go with Eeka as your friend; give him a present as such; it is all right. I go with Semese." Soon squatting on the platform, wrath fled, and I had to wait to be fed. "But, Semese, I want to press on to Motumotu and see them. I am afraid of the weather coming on bad." "Motumotu to-morrow, Lese to-day; you must have a pig." "Leave the pig for another visit." All was of no avail.
We were led to the village, the crowd increasing as we went along. Piri noticing an enclosed place, went in to see what it was, and called me to have a look. I went in, but no women or youths followed. Inside were two large houses, with rows of masks and hats, the latter like small canoes, about ten feet long, made with very light wood and native cloth.
Mr. Lawes did not seem so strong as I remembered him eleven years ago, yet he looked better than I had expected to see him. He has suffered greatly from the climate. Piri is a strong, hearty fellow; the climate seems to have had little effect on him. They remained some time on board, when they went ashore in the vessel's boat Piri taking the teachers and their wives ashore with him.
Ibrahim, the apostate, was received by his highness Piri Pasha at a private audience and the young man exerted all his powers, and called to his aid all the accomplishments which he possessed, to render himself agreeable to that great minister.
But in the course of a few days the renegade was introduced into the presence of Piri Pasha, the grand vizier that high functionary who exercised a power almost as extensive and as despotic as that wielded by the sultan himself.
On coming out I was seized by the hand by an elderly man, who, in a towering passion, drew me on. All I could make out was that somebody was a thief and a liar. The Boera chief ran up, and I asked him what was wrong. "Oh, this is your friend, Semese, the chief you gave the present to when you were last here, and he is angry with Eeka for taking you away." "Tell Piri to come up quickly."
In the evening a functionary of the imperial household was sent to the palace of the grand vizier to demand the seals of office; and thus fell Piri Pasha. It was midnight when the sultan sent to order Ibrahim Pasha to wait upon him without delay.
The country looked bare and not at all inviting. This is now the most western mission station on New Guinea proper. Piri has a very comfortable house, with a plantation near to it. The chapel, built principally by himself and wife, is small, but comfortable, and well suited for the climate. The children meet in it for school. The village has a very dirty, tumbledown appearance.
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