| caption: |
feasting on fines from Noklak |
| text: |
I used the time to do some ethnology with the help of Naku and Pungwei, the Kamahu dobashi. The latter had brought the last mail to Chingmei and as he speaks Chang we had kept him with us. We demanded six goats, six pigs and several chickens from Noklak as a fine for the panjis on the trail and their generally unfriendly attitude. As they did not have or couldn't catch any more goats, apart from the one they had already brought, they came with ten pigs. This was a big feast for our coolies, we now have sixty with us, and for our Chingmei lookouts. They ate enormous quantities of pig meat which they partly cooked in the fire, partly cooked in bamboo containers. Especially the Chingmei men are a cheerful picture around their fire and the man whose foot was pierced by a panji, which had not stopped him from helping diligently with setting up camp, seems completely happy with all the meat and the rice which here is a much appreciated rarity. |
