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At midday when the dancing was about to end, there was a sudden cry of 'Fire'. The whole crowd stampeded and we saw an ugly column of brown smoke rising from behind the camp. We hurried after the crowd and found that twenty-four houses were on fire. Fortunately they were on the west of Tuensang and there was a north-west wind, so that the flames were leaping towards the forest. By the time we arrived all the thatch and contents of the houses had been burnt to ashes, the main roof posts and beams were flaming and crashing to the ground. There was little to be done. |
