G'afternoon IP i UK: Actually I am traveling under a borrowed sheep's skin, I am a 4 th gen Orish Immigrant to the us.
While they have managed to keep the royal blood line a bit uncontaminated, a little Welsh, Scot, and Mohican crept in, still I like to believe that they used the best parts of each just for me.
Seriously UK, it is just a kinda thingie to get away with being an irresponsible tropical Tramp. Crow has met many of them begging for a liter of Jon Boles Distilled Geneva Gin, In fact if Kanacka hadn't kept them in line, he would be ------- Hic !
Have you read of some of the adventures of our Crow?
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Ah the devils misfits.
Many years ago we were up in the highlands working for an exploration company drilling test holes on a selected mining claim. But claims really mean nothing to various tribes as they see you as intruding on their turf
There was small group of us. We were supervised by young geologist fresh out of University, still cutting his teeth in the world. He never understood our university. Our university was the University of Hard Knocks.
We had set up camp only a few days in remote mountain valley. The valley was grassland with jungle all around. There was a small road or I should say the semblance of a road cross a small ford. The drilling prospect was in the floor of the valley.
The crew consisted of me foreman supervisor native relations officer, the geologist handled core samples and assistant core sampler, Crow No1 driller and mechanical genius leading hand. Hardluck, Drillers assistant and number 2. Hobsie and Big Ross were dozer and truck drivers. Come core rod handlers when required. Due to the nature of the job most of crew was cross trained anyway. Bones was camp cook and general hand. Hobise was a big front row forward Footballer as thick as a brick but a genuine person who always went a little off the wall during full moon in which he would howl like the devil. It used scare the crap out of PNG Nationals. Big Ross was a Big Maori but not tall but built like a gorilla with arms a thick as my legs. And the biggest hands I ever had seen. When he clenched his fists they turned into labs legs of lamb.
Ross had an explosive temper and one thing you never do with Maoris is never insult their “Mana” (thier honor) Ross had fled New Zealand a few years ago thumping a fella in Auckland. With his big right hand he sent the fella to the promised land. Other crews and Supervisors were scared of him. So my boss in his infinite wisdom dumped him onto me. However we got on well as I always treated everyone as equals.
The truth of the matter I also did not want to be driven into the ground like a tent peg. He had his moments but I always reasoned with him and after a time he relied on my judgment as he understood my understanding of other cultures.
We had been there for a couple of days without coming in contact with the locals. Until one morning several hundred appeared out of the forest all decked out with war paint, spears machetes, axes war clubs etc. they stood on all sides of valley. We were cut off and out flanked.
We knew there was something wrong as I discovered our 4 native labourers had disappeared overnight. They had sensed something was up. I suspected something was wrong as their mood had changed from being part of boys to distancing themselves from us. Being not from the massive war tribe before us I understood them fleeing as there would be no mercy on them if this war party attacked.
I had called to the others that we have company. Even as I drew the men together as it was very clear our options to flee was gone was we were cut off. Gumby the Geologist was a young man not very athletic quite thin and spindly like a twig was in a panic and wanted to run. His assistant the same wanted to do the same. I told them trust me this is what I am here for. I have grown up with various tribes and know their customs and you will not find that in any university.
Here we were cut off in the middle of nowhere I explained if we tried to flee, they will charge and cut us down by sheer numbers. Or even if one of us tries to flee they will take that as a sign to attack. Hard luck had gathered what items we had for weapons. We had a few machetes; axes sledge hammers and pry bars. Bones armed himself with two large cooking knifes.
Our option was to hide in the vehicles and try to escape a moving convoy through the mass of native tribe’s men. Crow got all the vehicles started with doors open. However I said to the crew to put of their bright orange hard hats and bright orange work clothes with sliver reflective strips, a standard mining work clothes. I got everyone in line like troops in parade.
Crow and Hardluck said we it’s been nice knowing you think it was'nt going to be pretty what was coming. As they stood in line equally spaced. There were about 6 of us in line and looked to Big Ross and he knew instinctively what I wanted from him. Why are we doing this asked Gumby who was shaking like leaf?
We stood like a line of professional soldiers facing up the hill to leader of the war party who was decked out in his war paint. Crow winked and said to Gumby Kanacki Just wants to piss them off even more so they kill us quickly. A last act of defiance of up yours said hardluck.
I explained that we follow what big Ross does in front of us. It was if we were all facing the firing squad in the tense moments before death. I said to Ross this is your time to shine my friend, there no one who can do or lead a Haka with so much passion than a Maori.
Big Ross puffed up his chest with pride and stood in front of us. And Crow said puff your chests out with pride and Gumby to step up and be a man and shout deeper that you have shouted before, after what Ross bellows and copy his actions in behind him. With our weapons in hand we stared up at mass of natives on the hill in defiance.
The natives of hills around us had chanted there war dance shacking their spears and weapons at us, fell silent. The low drone of truck engines rumbled on in the haunting silence before battle. Big Ross sucked up the air like he was going to free dive. He bellowed out in a powerful voice a haunting Maori battle cry that seemed for one brief moment to echo around the valley. Or it did at least that was to us like the calm before the storm.
We bellowed in deep voices and copied from behind was his movements stamping our feet hunching our bodies swaying, thumping our chests and pointing our weapons doing the New Zealand Rugby union Haka. To us at that time and place it all seemed crazy and slightly cool. To anyone if they were there it probably looked like a tribal war dance crossed between Village people and three amigos.
But it’s had its effect on the natives, our Haka war dance bellowed out in defiance of being totally out numbered must have struck at cord of respect from the native highlanders in amazement. They have never and perhaps never will see again a couple of white men doing a tribal war dance in defiance with the odds they was facing. It screwed with their heads.
In our final moment of our Haka the Natives sung back pointed their weapons down and tuned around and went around us and disappeared up back into the hills. Within no time at all as quickly as they come they had melted back into the forest. I explained to the crew that we have just faced off our Zulu dawn so to speak up in the highlands of New Guinea. And that was the reason why I was here I said to the boys. Understanding how the various tribes culturally conducted inter-tribal wars there was room for each party to maneuver if respect is shown.
Clearly the war tribe was on the warpath on their way to raid another tribe on a blood feud. If we had not shown defiance and showed weakness, is seen as disrespectful to show our fear of them, they would have hacked us to death were we would have fallen. As bizarre as it seems we never had breakfast that morning so we had big barbecue for lunch like if nothing had happened. A few days later a few natives came up and gave us few pigs as a sign of respect.
As you can imagine a shared incident can create bonds with the people you experienced these things last for life. Even with the years so, so swiftly passing away it brings back a smile and smirk to those who were there in that time and place.
Kanacki
Hello Don Jose, Hardluck spent some time in the Amazon up in the Rio Negro. He learnt my trick with plastic aminals
The "Haka" -->
TreasureWorks - Some lost treasure tales are true - TreasureWorks Forum
Don JOse de La Mancha
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No rewards for loyalty in the mining game my friends.
Can we join you Crow?
