In het Oerwoud en bij de Kannibalen op de Nieuwe Hebriden (deel 1 van 2) De Aarde en haar Volken, 1917

A vivid travelogue unfolds as the narrator steps off a steamship onto the sun‑kissed reefs of the New Hebrides. Through keen, sketch‑like observations he brings the coral islands to life: the gentle rustle of palms, the glitter of lagoon water, and the looming, dark jungle that swallows the horizon. He paints the daily rhythm of the islanders—proud, independent, at times shy, at times fierce—offering a window into a world that balances playful freedom with solemn reverence for nature.

The journey begins in the weary port of Nouméa, where colonial buildings sit under a rain‑soaked sky and sailors linger in cramped taverns. As the vessel pushes through treacherous shoals and swirling currents, the crew shares tales of shark attacks, cyclones, and shipwrecks, while the tropical heat presses in through closed hatches. By the time the harbor of Port Vila appears through morning mist, the reader is already immersed in a landscape that feels both idyllic and untamed, inviting listeners to wander alongside the author’s curious eye.