The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

376 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.CHAPTER XXXIV.NEW GUINEA.—DOEEY.(MAnCH TO JULY 1858.)After my return from Gilolo to Ternate, in March 1858, Imade arrangements for my long-wished-for voyage to the mainlandof Xew Guinea, where I anticipated that my collectionswould surpass those which I had formed at the Aru Islands.The poverty of Ternate in articles iised by Euroj^eans wasshown by my searching in vain through all the stores for suchcommon things as flour, metal spoons, wide-mouthed phials,bees'-was, a pen-knife, and a stone or metal pestle and mortar.I took with me four servants : my head man rlli, and a Ternatelad named Jumaat (Friday), to shoot ; Lahagi, a steady, middleagedman, to cut timber and assist me in insect-collectiiig ; andLoisa, a Javanese cook. As I knew I should have to build aliouse at Dorej', where I was going, I took ydih me eighty cadjans,or waterproof mats, made of pandanus leaves, to coverover my baggage on first landing, and to help to roof my houseafterwards.We started on the 25th of March in the schooner HesterHelena, belonging to my friend Mr. Duivenboden, and bound ona trading voyage along the north coast of New Guinea. HaWngcalms and light airs, we were three days reaching Gane, nearthe south end of Gilolo, where we stayed to fill up our watercasks,and buy a few provisions. We obtained fowls, eggs, sago,plantains, sweet potatoes, yellow pumpkins, chilies, fish, anddried deers' meat : and on the afternoon of the 29th proceededon our voyage to Dorey harbour. We found it, however, by nomeans easy to get along : for so near to the equator the monsoonsentirely fail of tlieir regularity, and after passing thesouthern point of Gilolo we had calms, light pufis of wind, andcontrary currents, wliich kept i;s for five days in .sight of thesame islands, between it and Poppa. A squall then brought uson to the entrance of Dampier's Straits, where we were againbecalmed, and were three more days creeping through them.Several native canoes now came ofi" to us from Waigiou on oneside, and Batanta on tlie other, bringing a few common shells,palm-leaf mats, cocoa-imts, and pumpkins. They were veryextravagant in their demands, being accustomed to sell theirtrifles to whalers and China ships, whose crews will purchaseanything at ten times its ^'alue. My only jDurchases were a floatbelonging to a turtle-spear carved to resemble a bird, and a verywell-made palm-leaf box, for which articles I gave a coiojier ringand a yard of calico. The canoes were very narrow and furuisliedwith an outrigger, and in some of them there was only