He started on the 21st of November last in the steamerMerrie England. At a point, which he says is beyond D'Albert's farthest, in 5° 54′ S., he found the river divides into two branches of equal size. One of these, named by him the Palmer, he followed up for eight days to the frontier. The whale-boat stopped at 605 miles from the mouth of the river. The first mountains met with in the ascent are on the frontier, and were not explored.Speaking of the climate, he says: "The heat on the whole, has not been oppressive for this latitude. The average day temperature in the shade has been about 85° Fahr., but of course it is a moist heat. The health of the men has been fair, some having suffered from fever—short, sharp attacks."At a point (not far from Ellengowan Island) above the estuary, the river was found to be 599 yards wide, the rate of current midstream about 3¾ miles an hour, and at 50 yards from the banks about 2¾ miles; the depth was five to six fathoms. The influence of the tide was not observed above 120 miles from the mouth. As a waterway he says "the Fly river will supply excellent means of transport. After proceeding 100 miles the river is very monotonous, and continues so for the next 80 miles. The forest produces no food for man. For European settlement, such a country, as far as can be judged, is quite unsuitable; but, of course, no man can speak of the country beyond a mile or two from the river, the greatest distance to which we could penetrate."Of the natives of the large island of Kiwai, in the delta, Sir Wm. Macgregor speaks favourably.The island is about thirty-six miles long and two and a half broad. Sir William went round it twice, and walked across it once, visiting all the villages, and was everywhere treated with great friendliness. The total population he puts at 5,000. They produce large quantities of vegetable food, which may in future create a considerable export trade. The cultivation of the banana receives from them much attention. They have no fewer than thirty-six different varieties. They also plant and cultivate sago trees, of which they distinguish twenty-five varieties; of yams they grow twenty kinds, three of which are remarkably good; and of sweet potatoes ten, two of which are suitable for exportation. They possess no knowledge of pottery. The sole utensil is a large slipper-shell. Its name is "wedere," and the consequence is that the Kiwai native has no other name than "wedere" for all our pots and pans and different kinds of dishes.
He started on the 21st of November last in the steamerMerrie England. At a point, which he says is beyond D'Albert's farthest, in 5° 54′ S., he found the river divides into two branches of equal size. One of these, named by him the Palmer, he followed up for eight days to the frontier. The whale-boat stopped at 605 miles from the mouth of the river. The first mountains met with in the ascent are on the frontier, and were not explored.
Speaking of the climate, he says: "The heat on the whole, has not been oppressive for this latitude. The average day temperature in the shade has been about 85° Fahr., but of course it is a moist heat. The health of the men has been fair, some having suffered from fever—short, sharp attacks."
At a point (not far from Ellengowan Island) above the estuary, the river was found to be 599 yards wide, the rate of current midstream about 3¾ miles an hour, and at 50 yards from the banks about 2¾ miles; the depth was five to six fathoms. The influence of the tide was not observed above 120 miles from the mouth. As a waterway he says "the Fly river will supply excellent means of transport. After proceeding 100 miles the river is very monotonous, and continues so for the next 80 miles. The forest produces no food for man. For European settlement, such a country, as far as can be judged, is quite unsuitable; but, of course, no man can speak of the country beyond a mile or two from the river, the greatest distance to which we could penetrate."
Of the natives of the large island of Kiwai, in the delta, Sir Wm. Macgregor speaks favourably.
The island is about thirty-six miles long and two and a half broad. Sir William went round it twice, and walked across it once, visiting all the villages, and was everywhere treated with great friendliness. The total population he puts at 5,000. They produce large quantities of vegetable food, which may in future create a considerable export trade. The cultivation of the banana receives from them much attention. They have no fewer than thirty-six different varieties. They also plant and cultivate sago trees, of which they distinguish twenty-five varieties; of yams they grow twenty kinds, three of which are remarkably good; and of sweet potatoes ten, two of which are suitable for exportation. They possess no knowledge of pottery. The sole utensil is a large slipper-shell. Its name is "wedere," and the consequence is that the Kiwai native has no other name than "wedere" for all our pots and pans and different kinds of dishes.
In August news reached me of the murder of two white men by the natives of Cloudy Bay, South coast. Both men were well-known to me; one of them I had known for many years. Their names were "Jimmy McTeer" and "Frenchy."
They had been in the Louisiades digging for gold, had been fairly successful, and had arrived in Samarai early in July, where I saw a good deal of them. They had a great idea of thoroughly prospecting the mainland for gold, and intended to start from the head of Milne Bay, which is on the south-east coast, and make their way overland to Port Moresby, and determine, once and for ever, whether the country carried gold. It was a most hazardous undertaking for two men to attempt, but they were plucky young fellows, used to "roughing it" and without fear.
I entertained serious notions of accompanying them, but fortunately, as events proved, I was suffering from fever and was unable to withstand the fatigues of the journey.
"Frenchy" had about 16 ozs. of gold. I advised him to leave it behind at Samarai, in case of accidents, but he decided to take it with him, as it might come in handy when he reached Port Moresby. I suggested that it would be as well to wear a suit of armour, as in their journey they would meet with thousands of savages. They considered my suggestion a good one, so we fixed some corrugated iron on to a coco-nut tree. We then stood 30 paces off and hurled spears against it. The experiment proved a failure, the spear penetrating the iron into the tree.
They then suggested tortoise-shell, but whether they carried out the idea or not I cannot say.
They were of course armed with rifles and revolvers, but of what avail would they be against thousands of hostile natives? Nothing, however, would prevent them making the attempt, and they had good hopes of accomplishing their task.
I saw them off to Milne Bay, and wished them good-bye, with the fervent hope that they would meet with no disaster and arrive safely in Port Moresby.
Yet I hardly expected that they would escape from a cruel death. Both were young men with good constitutions, accustomed to hardships, and who would sell their lives dearly. The start was made from the village "Maivara," a number of natives watching their departure with interest.
The two, who had been mates together for some time, and had passed safely through many dangers, commenced their lonely tramp with brave hearts and in good spirits.
This was the last seen of the unfortunate travellers.
The first week of their journey, how they got on, what dangers they may have passed through, will never be known. It must ever remain a blank. One circumstance alone we know. When they had reached the country at the back of Cloudy Bay, they were surrounded by hundreds of savages and treacherously put to death. Their heads had been completely severed from their bodies, and one of the skulls, when found, was discovered smashed into pieces.
By-and-by the news reached Port Moresby. Sir Wm. Macgregor at once ordered theMerrie Englandto proceed to Cloudy Bay, with an armed party on board, who were instructed to find, if possible, the remains of the murdered men, and to punish the ill-doers.
A force of twelve men, well armed, landed as directed, and marched inland, where they came upon a large village, near which they found the two skulls (or rather what was left of them) of the unhappy victims. They also came upon the gold which "Frenchy" had in his possession, and which the natives had left untouched.
This discovery conclusively proved the identity of the men.
The armed party from theMerrie Englandshot down several of the natives, and informed the others that, unless the ringleaders were given up, they would destroy the village and its inhabitants. Two more good and true men have been added to the long list of those who have met with a tragic death in British New Guinea. Let us trust that they may be the last. The hope is no doubt a vain one, but we cannot be blamed for expressing such a wish.
CHAPTER XI.
CONCLUSION.
The coast runs as nearly as possible west-north-west and east-south-east. It has a most bold appearance, mountains of Alpine height, from 8,000 to 13,000 feet, rearing their heads, looking down in their awful majesty, backed by lofty ranges covered with dense scrub. The geological formation is sometimes basaltic, at others slate, porphyry, etc. Numbers of coral reefs jut out from the mainland, making the navigation difficult. Hundreds of islands of various extent are dotted here and there, sparkling in the sun like gems, diversifying the scene and lending colour to the landscape.
There are several magnificent rivers which carry off the great torrents of water from the mountains, notably the "Fly," named by the officers of H.M.S.Fly, when engaged in surveying the south coast in the year 1845. The "Fly" empties itself into the great "Gulf of Papua" and is navigable for six hundred miles from the coast inland. It will be the main waterway of New Guinea in the future. Then there are the "Baxter," the "San Joseph," "Aird," and "Tait," besides many others of less importance. The harbours are few and far between; the principal ones in British New Guinea are China Straits on the south-east coast, and Port Moresby and Hall Sound on the south coast.
There are no wild animals in the strict sense of the term, the chief ones being the wild ordinary tusked hog (Babi-rusa), cassowary, wallaby, tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus), cuscus, opossum and alligators. Snakes are to be met with, but are not so numerous as in Queensland.
There are numbers of birds of beautiful plumage, the far-famed Bird of Paradise, of which there are something like twenty varieties, whose haunt is the tallest trees on the mainland, some 40 or 50 varieties of pigeons, the gigantic crowned pigeon among them, the rifle bird, etc.
Besides these, there are thousands of scrub hens, parrots, cockatoos (both black and white), and the flying fox, a species of bat, which, when young, is capital eating. At night, just after sundown, they come in large flocks to the trees, where they feed on the fruit.
The butterflies are magnificent, they are most gorgeous in colour and of immense size, some of them measuring from tip to tip of the wings over a foot in length. The sea furnishes the celebrated "Dugong," or sea-cow, the flesh of which is equal, if not superior, to that of an ordinary cow. The oil obtained from the Dugong is, or rather was, very valuable. Unfortunately, it has of late years been much adulterated, and thus the marketable value has been lowered. Then there are turtles, many of them of great weight. It is not uncommon to find them to the weight of 5 cwt. The harbours swarm with edible fish of all kinds, the king-fish, sea salmon, barramundi, cod, yellow tail, and a host of others. Take it altogether, Nature in these parts has been bountiful in her gifts. The climate is very unhealthy, the tropical scrub being a harbinger of malignant fevers, malaria, etc.; and it will take years of cultivation before it alters for the better. The natives even are subject to attacks, but in a milder form. Where there is little scrub and no swamp, fever is not quite so prevalent. Quinine is the best remedy, but it should be taken advisedly.
The prevailing wind, which blows from the south-east, lasts for eight months, from April to November inclusive, when the north-west monsoon sets in.
The average rainfall is heavy, especially at the eastern end, where there is no decided wet season. At Port Moresby, on the other hand, the annual rains generally commence in January continuing until the end of March. The remainder of the year is exceedingly dry, so much so that nothing can be cultivated.
The heat of New Guinea is a moist one, and at times very great. The mean temperature in the shade during the summer months is 85°; were it not for the trade winds, the heat would be overpowering. Winter is unknown in these latitudes. In June and July the mornings and evenings are fresh and comparatively cool. With this exception, it is impossible to distinguish winter from summer.
The tides are very strong, and most irregular. Occasionally there will be only one tide in 24 hours. I have studied the tides for many days, but they remain an enigma to me. No doubt the irregularity is partly caused by the numerous islands which would naturally cause a deviation. Therefore, the irregularity is, maybe, only an apparent one. I do not pretend to be learned in the laws of tides, but older and wiser heads than mine have been hopelessly puzzled by them. At full and change it is high water at 8 a.m., once a year there is an unusually high tide, called in consequence, a "king tide."
The strongest wind blows from the westward and is known to the natives as an "Arras." It occurs in the months of February and March, and as a rule lasts for a couple of days, when there is a lull. It blows with great force, causing a nasty sea, so when anchored it is wise to "pay out" plenty of chain, or you may find your vessel has dragged and is being drifted away by the tide at the rate of six or seven knots an hour. The tide runs parallel with the coast. This is comforting, as, should you drift away in the night unawares, you run no risk of being stranded on a coral shore.
Some friends of mine were fast asleep on board their craft and awoke to find they had drifted ten miles from home and it took them the whole of the next day to beat back again to their anchorage.
The native population is estimated at 300,000. This is, however, a very rough estimate, as no census has ever been taken; also the interior is aterra incognita. The population of the coast can be fairly gauged, but who can tell what number of inhabitants the interior contains? There is every reason for believing that parts of the interior carry a dense population. Great valleys have been seen in the distance; immense tracts of grass land have been cleared, evidently for the purposes of cultivation.
There are, I am aware, certain districts along the coast where the population is sparse. This can always be accounted for by the poverty of the soil. Likewise parts of the interior may be unfit for cultivation, and therefore would be thinly inhabited.
Nevertheless, treating the interior as an unknown quantity, I consider the estimate given, viz., 300,000, to be well under the mark. Regarding the vitality of the race, there are no signs of decay. Generally speaking, the natives are a healthy and vigorous people, and are more likely to increase in numbers than die out. They are well-housed and well-fed, very different from the nomadic tribes of Australia. The mountain tribes of New Guinea live principally by the chase, but have also plantations on which they cultivate large quantities of vegetables. The natives of the coast live on the products of their gardens and by fishing. They have no knowledge of any intoxicating drinks, not even of "Kava," the Fijian beverage, which is made from a palm. Therefore if they do not imbibe the vicious tastes of civilization there is no reason why they should not perpetuate their race for many centuries to come. The chief products of the country are mother-of-pearl shell, Bêche-de-mer (or trepang), copra, and tortoise-shell.
The pearl shell is a big oyster, and is found in from fifteen to twenty fathoms of water. It is obtained by divers in a diving dress. The best dresses and pumps are made by Heincke & Co., of London. The cost of a pump, including two double dresses, gear, etc., is £185, and if looked after it will keep in good order for a number of years. The diver receives £3 10s.per 100 shells, and is found in victuals. At times he makes as much as £25 per week, but the amount varies greatly. They are a most improvident class of men and reckless in the extreme. They spend their money as fast as they earn it, and in many instances before they have done so. Their occupation entails great risk, hence their recklessness.
The boats used for the purpose are small luggers, from eight to fifteen tons register; the pump is worked by natives, and the crew consists of the diver, who acts as skipper, and a couple of South Sea Islanders or Malays, one of whom has charge of the plumb-line, and the other acts as "tender" to the diver and has charge of the life-line.
Great risk is incurred by the diver; the pressure from the depth of water, which in places exceeds twenty fathoms, nearly always producing paralysis and often death. The lower limbs are usually affected. The first thing to be done is to give the patient a warm hip-bath, then apply a galvanic battery to the parts affected, and should this treatment not have the desired effect resort must be had to more drastic measures. I have treated several divers for paralysis, and unless it was a very severe attack have always found the above treatment efficacious. Should a diver die on board his boat, a flag is run up half-mast.
At Samarai, one day, I received a start. One of our pearl-shelling boats was working in China Straits. To my surprise, I heard the reports of a rifle in rapid succession. About two miles distant I could see smoke rising from the stern of the boat.
The wind was very light, and she was being propelled by sweeps in the direction of Samarai. Evidently they were in distress. I lost no time, hailed a couple of black boys, jumped into a boat and rowed in all haste to see what was the matter. Presently I discovered they had hoisted their flag half-mast high. I at once concluded that the diver, "Ned," was dead. We soon overtook them, and I leapt on board, taking it for granted that "Ned" would never dive again. Imagine my surprise to find "him" lying contentedly on his bunk, with eyes wide open, and looking very unlike a corpse. I felt very much annoyed with them for raising a false alarm. They explained that "Ned" had been slightly paralysed and that they had run up the flag half-mast for a joke. I failed to see the joke. "Ned" managed to walk on shore without support. We gave him a hot bath, and in half-an-hour "Richard was himself again."
The shell is found in straits where the tide is strongest, making it impossible to operate except at "slack" water. The shells lie in heaps, one on the top of the other, and in some places scattered apart.
In the London market, the value of the shell, which has to be cleaned, scraped, and packed in cases previous to shipping, varies from £90 to £170 a ton according to quality. The most valuable are "chicken" or young shell. It takes 600 to make a ton, the average weight being about 3 lbs. The cost of the cases is 5s.6d.each, and the shipping expenses from New Guinea to London amount to £15 to £20 a ton, including London commission. Valuable pearls are occasionally found in the shells, in the belly of the fish, and are produced by a disease of the shell, and are found only in grubby, wormeaten ones. Pearl shelling in New Guinea is pretty well worked out, as no new patches have been discovered for some months.
Bêche-de-mer or "Trepang" is a kind of sea slug, and is found on the reefs in a few feet of water.
There are eight different species, differing greatly in value, viz., teat, black, red, prickly red, surf red, lollie, white and sand. The best, "teat," so called from the formation of "teats" on the fish, is worth from £100 to £130 at the nearest Queensland port (Cooktown), whilst lollie is of the value of £25 to £30 a ton.
The whole of it is purchased by the Chinese merchants and is shipped to Hong-Kong, where it is eventually retailed out at a very high figure. It is most nutritious and makes capital soup. Two fish will make enough soup for six persons. It requires a great deal of boiling, twenty-four hours being the allotted time.
The method of obtaining it, is to go with two or three boats full of natives to a large reef, choosing fine, calm weather, when the natives dive for them. You then erect a smoke-house on shore, or, if the vessel be large enough, on board, get your boilers and boil the fish well. Your smoke-house should have three separate layers or slides; care should be taken to keep up a good fire and to change your fish from one slide to the other. The fuel used is wood, of which you can always get a plentiful supply. The whole operation takes about three days; you then refill your boilers and proceed in like manner. The fish should now be thoroughly cured. You then bag it in corn sacks, and previous to shipping, capsize the bags, dry the fish in the sun, sort out the various species and qualities, re-bag them, and send them away.
Copra is made from old coco-nuts only. The husks are removed and thrown away as rubbish. The shells are then placed in a smoke-house and kiln-dried, or, when possible, sun-dried. The nuts or kernels are smashed up and then bagged. It takes fully seven thousand nuts to make a ton, and the value in the London market is £13 to £14 for kiln-dried, and £14 to £15 for sun-dried. The margin for profit is small, but if a sufficient quantity be obtainable (say twenty-five tons per month) the industry becomes profitable.
The natives value their coco-nut plantations, and attend to their cultivation. At certain seasons numbers of the trees have the trunks covered with a network of rattan cane. This is a sign that such trees are "tabu" or sacred. Woe betide the man who violates the mandate until the symbol has been removed. In this manner the trees are preserved. Did we take the same trouble with our forest timber, we should not be obliged to spend vast sums of money every year in importing timber from America and other foreign countries.
Many natives are employed in the copra industry, the work always being done on shore, for which they are paid in "trade."
Of course in these undertakings, you are always in a certain amount of danger from the hostility of the natives, but as I have previously remarked, "You must exercise caution and not give them a chance." A fair amount of trade is done in tortoise-shell, but, as a rule, the natives are loth to part with any large quantity, and are rather exorbitant in their demands. Tortoise-shell fetches in Sydney from 5s.0d.to 10s.6d.per lb., according to quality. I have no doubt, with some trouble, the trade in tortoise-shell could be increased.
The soil and climate of New Guinea are well adapted for the cultivation of coffee, tea, indigo, india-rubber, cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco, sago, etc. A coffee plantation has already been started on the mainland. The natives inland grow very good tobacco. They have also plantations of sugar-cane on many of the islands and mainland. The cane seems to thrive well, and from all appearances is of good quality. They do not manufacture sugar from it, but simply chew the cane, of which they are inordinately fond.
They manufacture sago, but do not granulate it. Oranges and lemons grow to perfection. There is a plantation of them at Su-au (South Cape), and on Wari (Teste Island). This industry, if undertaken by Europeans, on a large scale, would, I have no doubt, pay handsomely. In Queensland it pays, and why should it not in New Guinea?
In Fiji and Samoa, cotton, sugar and tea are grown to advantage. The climate there is much the same as that of New Guinea, therefore there is nothing, so far as I can see, to prevent them from being cultivated in the latter country. The two things most necessary to develop the above-mentioned industries are cheap land and capital. The Government of New Guinea have not, I believe, as yet formulated their land policy, but I should think that to anyone introducing capital into the country, for the purpose of starting a genuine enterprise, they would be only too glad to offer every inducement. The great drawback at present, is the unhealthiness of the climate, but as cultivation proceeds, that will improve.
In considering the feasibility of these undertakings, the first question that presents itself is the labour question.
What labour would there be available? Would it be possible to utilise the natives of the country, or would it be necessary to import black labour? The question is, I admit, a serious one, as upon the answer depends the success of such undertakings. Now, I have had considerable experience in working the natives and therefore my opinion should have some weight. I have no hesitation in saying that it would be possible to utilise the natives as labourers. I have undertaken several contracts in New Guinea, the work being done solely by natives.
One of the contracts was to clear a swamp of seven acres of all the timber on it, and to cut up the timber into suitable lengths for building purposes, and to stack it outside the swamp, and to burn the undergrowth and small stuff in heaps. I engaged twenty-five natives, and before commencing operations, made a contract with two of the leading men to execute the work at so much per head, giving to the two Taubadas or chiefs, a little extra. The work occupied 12 days, and was performed in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. I superintended it, and was very much pleased with the result. The wages were paid on completion of the contract in hatchets, long knives, tobacco, etc. On the Saturday night, the natives appeared in a row, awaiting payment. I asked them if the job was finished, to which they all replied "Yes, and that their backs were nearly broken with the hard work," which merely meant that they were tired, and were in a hurry to receive the "trade."
As seeing is believing in these matters, before paying them I examined the work, and found that they were mistaken. They had still five or six hours' work left to complete their task. However, when I informed them of the fact, they stated it was Saturday night, that they wanted to get home to their island, and evidently did not want to return on the Monday morning for the sake of a few hours.
I was on the horns of a dilemma. They had worked well, still I did not want to be cheated, and on the other hand I wished them to go away in good humour as I might require their services again before long.
How was I to act? A happy thought struck me. I made them a neat little speech, in which I told them that I would pay them straight away, and that they could go home to their wives that same evening. How their faces beamed with delight! I went on to say that the work had not been finished by them, so in consequence I had decided to deduct four sticks of tobacco off each man's payment. I then paid them the balance, and upon asking them if they were satisfied received an answer in the affirmative. They also said they would be glad to come again whenever I might require them.
So we parted friends, both parties being satisfied with the arrangement.
They departed in good spirits, and on the Monday I obtained some natives from another island, who finished the job in one day.
The way you work the natives is of the utmost importance.
Never cheat them, and never allow them to cheat you. Treat them kindly but with firmness, and never lose your temper.
Follow this advice, and, I can vouch for it, you will find them tractable and good workmen. I can strongly recommend the natives of Milne Bay (Mainland), the islands of Sariba and Loger (China Straits) and the island of Wari, either for plantation work, or the building of houses. The islanders of Wari are by far the best sailors, the others very indifferent.
Unlike Australia, New Guinea is never subject to periodical droughts, and when it becomes better known, British capital will be introduced. Industries will spring up, and the country will eventually be developed and become the home of many of our fellow countrymen. And now, my task being done, if task indeed it can be called, I must bid farewell to the reader.
If he has been as much interested in the perusal of this narrative as I have been in writing it, I am more than repaid for my trouble. Should he at any time visit New Guinea, he will find much to interest him, much to study and think about, and, let us hope, will return to Old England with a mind enlarged, a wiser and a better man.
FINIS.
APPENDIX.
VOCABULARY OF LANGUAGE.
SOUTH-EAST COAST.
I cannot vouch for the correctness of the above spelling.
Footnotes
[1]Mr. Edelfelt has since deemed it advisable to resign his appointment.
[1]Mr. Edelfelt has since deemed it advisable to resign his appointment.
[2]1858. TheSt. Paul, bound from Hongkong to Sydney with 327 Chinamen on board, of whom onlyoneescaped.
[2]1858. TheSt. Paul, bound from Hongkong to Sydney with 327 Chinamen on board, of whom onlyoneescaped.
[3]"Trochilus." For fuller account, see Herodotus, Vol. I., Bk. 2, Chapter 68.
[3]"Trochilus." For fuller account, see Herodotus, Vol. I., Bk. 2, Chapter 68.
[4]Son of the late Archbishop of York.
[4]Son of the late Archbishop of York.
[5]Evidently the San Joseph.—Author.
[5]Evidently the San Joseph.—Author.