THE TERRORS OF THE-STOKEHOLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10653, 14 May 1895, Page 6

THE TERRORS OF THE-STOKE-HOLE.

In the . Sunday at Rome the Eev, Jstaee Chalmers describes his explorations h on the Fly River, in New Guinea. . Four expeditions have ascended' the' Fly > River during the last twenty years., and ; , on* each occasion the natives appeared, in, numerous canoes, and bora down on thfrekppliitionir as if to attack them, ao’that they ,hftd "to fire. Mr Chalmers was-successful* ing communication at various .points. One amusing incident he tells:— “ I remember, once, on board* offthe,old Ellengowan, the New Guinea mission steamer, I was taking hack a man and his wife and another native to their. - the Golf of Papua. After much persuasion the two men. consented to go down intQjthe stoke-hole. Before they'descended there, was a, great embracing of husband and wife, and a very affectionate farewell; >nd then thefirst solemnly went down. Haloiked around until the furnace door..was opened, when never was that' ladderjmore quickly *’ ascended. On. getting on deck' sgain ha throw himself intohis wife’s anus, and troth cried, hugging one another with great joy. The other mas, thewoman’s brother, toot a long and, affectionate farewell of his sister, and left her his hag of - valuables—be fancied he might not return.. On going down he kept broking aheadfor theifurnace door, but, it not being opened, he got down and had a good look about. There was nothing more to see, when > the stoker opened the 'door to show him the inside, but he was on deck in » twinkling. Thp three of them sat with their arms'round each other, their heads together, and crying profusely. It was amusing 'to sea how proud the woman was . of' their; feat, saying* to me : /Tamat9,Vthey' “are.*,the bravest in aU Elem’a ’“-the r Guli; district/ “A the' Aroma chief, when, visiting a. ; man:of; wars He-was greatly interested, ih,aU he' saw, and, was desoqnding iqt<> the sfcoke-bplo, when a furnace door was opened. Instantly he sprang up the ladder, disappeared oyer the* side into A canoe and made for the shore. Nothing would inauce him to return. He* once told me he would- like to accompany *me; but his wives 'objected j and he asked, if X would take them , off ;and. 'show them the vessel, far ‘ then ‘ it : would - bo all * right. We were to start ‘ fo'r Cloudy -Bay ’in'-the morning, and I ;tdld him to -bfing them, ,oh hoard when He came. In the morning he came'with hia food and a pig for the jounspy, accompanied by his two wives and daughter. All went well, the anchor was being weighed, and I felt sure we had our big friend. The wives and daughter were getting ready to go into the canoe, and just then the stoker opened, the.furnace ' door; the women hearing the noise boldw looked down and saw the great flaming • fire. There was one fearful yell, a loud: ’ call for Koapena,. and in a few seconds he and all of them were in the canoe, and . hurrying to the shore.” , 'V ■/