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Description of Panso village; buying objects with red wool - money unknown |
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I had hoped to leave here tomorrow, but we shall be held up for another day. It takes such ages to get messages anywhere. People who went off at dawn yesterday won't be back till tonight, and I doubt very much if they went at dawn. No one in this place does much before 10, they are like Angamis in that. |
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One slave ought to be in tonight, one I had never heard of till I got here. The further we go the more odd ones we find. We must stop somewhere so I mean to go back from here whatever happens. |
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This morning the Baron, Smith and I spent in the village, Williams staying in camp to bake his cold in the sun. |
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The village is enormous, the most awful rabbit warren you ever saw. There is hardly room to walk between the houses. How anyone would ever count it to asses it for taxation I don't know, and if they did they wouldn't see any taxes, for money is unknown. What few small things I bought, I bought with red wool, Japanese I can spare, but Japanese is half the price of German, and German has driven English out of the market years ago. So with choice of Japanese and German, I thought I might as well take the cheaper. |
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Everyone was very friendly, but I should not have cared to go in without an escort. There would not be the slightest chance for you if they wanted to do you in. |
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The Gaonburas' wives were in their houses but I did not see any other women. Ngaku tells me that the maidens of Panso are unrivalled for beauty, and that no marriage prices are paid. Boys are well brought up here. Dotted about the village are imitation Heads Trees, where boys practice hanging gourds with the proper ornaments so that they won't make a mistake in ceremonial when their day comes. |
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This second a man has told me that Nokhu have come in, but whether all the men I want are here or not I don't know. Probably I shall see them in the morning. |
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One good fault with the definitely nervous Panso and the cost of food to the village, from a visit by a Column, it will probably cause Nokhu to see the light! |
