[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

RECRUITING FOR NATIVES 61

is evidently the reason why they have not degenerated
and decayed. The old chiefs are still as powerful as
ever, and preserve peace and order, while they them—
selves do as they please. Big Nambas has had but
little CONTACT with the whites, especially the recruiters,
so that the population is not demoralized, nor the
chief’s power undermined. Of course it is to the
chief’s interest to have as strong a tribe as possible,
and they reserve to themselves the right of killing
offenders, and take all revenge in their own hands.
They watch the women and prevent child-murder and
such things, and although their reign is one of terror,
their influence, as a whole, on the race is not bad,
because they suppress many vices that break out as
soon as they slacken their severity. The chiefs in
Big Nambas seem to have felt this, and system-
atically opposed the intercourse with whites. But
this district is just where the best workmen come
from, and the population is densest, and that is
why the recruiters have tried again and again of
late years to get hold of Big Nambas, but with
little success, for so far only few men have enlisted.
One of them was on our cutter, and had to serve
as interpreter. The other four of the five boys were
from Malekula, a little farther south. Our man
from Big Nambas was known on the plantation as
Bourbaki, and had enlisted two years ago. Before
that he had been professional murderer and provider
of human flesh to the great chief. Now he was a
useful and quiet foreman on the plantation, always
cheerful, very intelligent, strong, brutal, with small,