Here, on the other hand, is an oasis, a bartering scene at Bruny Island, in the Louisiade:—­

“We landed at the same place as before, and this time the natives ran down prancing and gesticulating.  Many of them had garlands of green leaves round their heads, knees, and ankles; some wore long streamers depending from their arms and ears and floating in the wind as they galloped along, shaking their spears and prancing just as boys do when playing at horses.  They soon surrounded us, shouting ‘Kelumai!  Kelumai!’ (their word for iron), and offering us all sorts of things in exchange.  One very fine athletic man, “Kaioo-why-who-at’ by name, was perfectly mad to get an axe, and very soon comprehended the arrangements that were made.  Mr. Brady drew ten lines on the sand and laid an axe down by them, giving K—­ (I really can’t write that long name all over again) to understand by signs that when there was a ‘bahar’ (yam) on every mark he should have the axe.  He comprehended directly, and bolted off as fast as he could run, soon returning with his hands full of yams, which he deposited one by one on the appropriate lines; then fearful lest some of the others should do him out of the axe, he caught hold of Brady by the arm, and would not let him go until yams enough had been brought by the others to make up the number, and the axe was handed over to him.

“Then was there a yell of delight!  He jumped up with the axe, flourished it, passed it to his companions, tumbled down and rolled over, kicking up his heels in the air, and finally, catching hold of me, we had a grand waltz, with various poses plasticques, for about a quarter of a mile.  I daresay he was unsophisticated enough to imagine that I was filled with sympathetic joy, but I grieve to say that I was taking care all the while to direct his steps towards the village, which, as we had as yet examined none of their houses, I was most desirous of entering under my friend’s sanction.  I think he suspected something, for he looked at me rather dubiously when I directed our steps towards the entrance in the bush which led to the houses, and wanted me to go back; but I was urgent, so he gave way, and we both entered the open space, where we were joined by two or three others, and sat down under a cocoanut tree.

“I persuaded him to sit for his portrait (taking care first that my back was against the tree and my pistols handy), and we ate green cocoanuts together, at last attaining to so great a pitch of intimacy that he made me change names with him, calling himself ‘Tamoo’ (my Cape York name), and giving me to understand that I was to take his own lengthy appellation.  When I did so, and talked to him as ‘Tamoo,’ nothing could exceed the delight of all around; they patted me as you would a child, and evidently said to one another, ’This really seems to be a very intelligent white fellow.’