Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers
28 decided to leave two of the Loyalty Island teachers here. It is fertile, and appears healthy, is two and a half miles long, and half a mile broad. A ridge of hills runs right through its centre from east-north-east to west-south-west. The natives have some fine plantations on the north side, and on the south and east sides they have yam plantations to the very tops of the hills. There are plantations and fruit-trees all round the island. On Monday, I accompanied Mr. McFarlane when he went ashore to make arrangements to land his teachers and secure a house for them. The people seemed pleased that some of our party would remain with them. Mr. McFarlane at once chose a house on a point of land a good way from our landing-place, and at the end of the most distant village. The owner was willing to give up the house until the teachers could build one for themselves, so it was at once taken and paid for. We came along to our old friend's place near the landing, when we were told that the house taken was a very bad one. In the first place, the position was unhealthy; in the second, that was the point where their enemies from Basilaki (Moresby Island) always landed when they came to fight, and the people could not protect the teachers if so far off when their foes came. All agreed in this, and a fine new house which had never been occupied was offered and taken, the same price being paid for it as for the other one. This house is close to the landing-place, and in the midst of the people. The owner of the first house offered to return the things, but we thought it would not be ruinous to let him keep them, their English value being about ten shillings. We passed a tabooed place, or rather would have done so had we not been forced to take a circuitous path to the bush. None of the natives spoke as we passed the place, nor till we were clear of it; they made signs also to us to be silent. A woman had died there lately, and the friends
29 were still mourning. There had been no dancing in the settlement since the death, nor would there be any for some days to come. I think women are more respected here than they are in some other heathen lands. They seem to keep fast hold of their own possessions. A man stole an ornament belonging to his wife, and sold it for hoop-iron on board the _Bertha_. When he went ashore he was met on the beach by his spouse, who had in the meantime missed her trinket; she assailed him with tongue, stick, and stone, and demanded the hoop-iron. The teachers were landed in the afternoon, and were well received. The natives all promised to care for them, and treat them kindly. There are about two hundred and fifty natives on the island. No _Ellengowan_ appearing, we determined to leave this on Wednesday, the 21st, and to proceed to Moresby Island. Next morning we left, but, owing to light winds, we did not anchor in Hoop-Iron Bay, off Moresby Island, till the morning of the 22nd. The anchorage here is in an open roadstead. It is a very fine island--the vegetation from the water's edge right up to the mountain tops. Plantations are to be seen all round. The people live in small detached companies, and are not so pleasant and friendly-looking a people as are the Teste islanders. This is the great Basilaki, and the natives are apparently the deadly foes of all the islanders round. Before we anchored, we were surrounded by catamarans (three small logs lashed together) and canoes--spears in them all. Mr. McFarlane decided, as soon as we came to the island, that he would not land his teachers here; and I did not consider it a suitable place as a head station for New Guinea. We left Moresby Island at six a.m. on the 23rd inst., and beat through Fortescue Straits, between Moresby and Basilisk Islands. The scenery was grand--everything looked so fresh and green, very different from the deathlike appearance of Port Moresby and
- Page 1 and 2: 1 Adventures in New Guinea James Ch
- Page 3 and 4: 3 Partial surveys of the south coas
- Page 5 and 6: 5 by the natives, has added enormou
- Page 7 and 8: 7 vegetable products--fine timber,
- Page 9 and 10: 9 take long for the natives to lear
- Page 11 and 12: 11 "To all to whom these presents s
- Page 13 and 14: 13 We left Sydney by the Dutch stea
- Page 15 and 16: 15 Murray Island. We went ashore th
- Page 17 and 18: 17 of the Loyalty Island teachers,
- Page 19 and 20: 19 We had a bath, then supper, and
- Page 21 and 22: 21 been about thirty miles off, and
- Page 23 and 24: 23 We walked about seven miles thro
- Page 25 and 26: 25 About three in the afternoon, an
- Page 27: 27 exchanging names with us, in hop
- Page 31 and 32: 31 came off to us in a small one. W
- Page 33 and 34: 33 who considers himself the chief
- Page 35 and 36: 35 walls and roof finished, when al
- Page 37 and 38: 37 moment, and one in which I am su
- Page 39 and 40: 39 natives that I had hoped to go a
- Page 41 and 42: 41 arm. On running through the vill
- Page 43 and 44: 43 child. The people continued trou
- Page 45 and 46: 45 Communication was held with some
- Page 47 and 48: 47 astern, that the first canoe wou
- Page 49 and 50: 49 formation of the land and the ma
- Page 51 and 52: 51 me, I shall return." It had the
- Page 53 and 54: 53 "Oh no, my friends; pull, you mu
- Page 55 and 56: 55 A girl steals out from the crowd
- Page 57 and 58: 57 all done up in small parcels, so
- Page 59 and 60: 59 who knows what he may be up to?
- Page 61 and 62: 61 in the distance, numbers more si
- Page 63 and 64: 63 When in the boat, we asked the H
- Page 65 and 66: 65 When sickness is in the family,
- Page 67 and 68: 67 16_th_.--Ruatoka, Joe (an Africa
- Page 69 and 70: 69 20_th_.--Yesterday evening, abou
- Page 71 and 72: 71 gave him some on his taro. He be
- Page 73 and 74: 73 "If you go on you will be devour
- Page 75 and 76: 75 teeth, hold with one hand, and w
- Page 77 and 78: 77 understand them. It is very conv
28<br />
decided to leave two of the Loyalty Island teachers here. It is fertile,<br />
and appears healthy, is two and a half miles long, and half a mile broad.<br />
A ridge of hills runs right through its centre from east-north-east to<br />
west-south-west. The natives have some f<strong>in</strong>e plantations on the north<br />
side, and on the south and east sides they have yam plantations to the<br />
very tops of the hills. There are plantations and fruit-trees all round<br />
the island.<br />
On Monday, I accompanied Mr. McFarlane when he went ashore to make<br />
arrangements to land his teachers and secure a house for them. The<br />
people seemed pleased that some of our party would rema<strong>in</strong> with them. Mr.<br />
McFarlane at once chose a house on a po<strong>in</strong>t of land a good way from our<br />
land<strong>in</strong>g-place, and at the end of the most distant village. The owner was<br />
will<strong>in</strong>g to give up the house until the teachers could build one for<br />
themselves, so it was at once taken and paid for. We came along to our<br />
old friend's place near the land<strong>in</strong>g, when we were told that the house<br />
taken was a very bad one. In the first place, the position was<br />
unhealthy; <strong>in</strong> the second, that was the po<strong>in</strong>t where their enemies from<br />
Basilaki (Moresby Island) always landed when they came to fight, and the<br />
people could not protect the teachers if so far off when their foes came.<br />
All agreed <strong>in</strong> this, and a f<strong>in</strong>e new house which had never been occupied<br />
was offered and taken, the same price be<strong>in</strong>g paid for it as for the other<br />
one. This house is close to the land<strong>in</strong>g-place, and <strong>in</strong> the midst of the<br />
people. The owner of the first house offered to return the th<strong>in</strong>gs, but<br />
we thought it would not be ru<strong>in</strong>ous to let him keep them, their English<br />
value be<strong>in</strong>g about ten shill<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
We passed a tabooed place, or rather would have done so had we not been<br />
forced to take a circuitous path to the bush. None of the natives spoke<br />
as we passed the place, nor till we were clear of it; they made signs<br />
also to us to be silent. A woman had died there lately, and the friends
Change language