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

388 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.have been fine and dry. We had scarcely anything to eat, andwere all of us ill. Fevers, colds, and dysentery were continuallyattacking us, and made me long to get away from New-Guinea, as mucli as ever I had longed to come there. Thecaptain of tlie Etna paid me a visit, and gave me a very interestingaccount of his trijD. They had stayed at Humboldt Bayseveral days, and found it a much more beautiful and moreinteresting place than Dorey, as well as a better harbour. Thenatives were quite unsophisticated, being rarely visited exceptby stray whalers, and they were superior to tlie Dorey people,morally and jDhysically. They went quite naked. Their houseswere some in the water and some inland, and were all neatlyand well built ; tlieir fields were well cultivated, and the jDathsto tliem kept clear and open, in which respects Dorey is abominable.Tliey were shy at first, and ojoposed the boats with hostiledemonstrations, bending their bows, and intimating that theywould shoot if an attempt was made to land. Very judiciouslythe cajDtain gave way, but threw on shore a few presents, andafter two or three trials they were permitted to land, and to goabout and see the country, and were supplied with fruits andvegetables. All communication was carried on with them bysigns—the Dorey interpreter, who accomjDanied the steamer,being unable to understand a word of their language. No newbirds or animals were obtained, but in their ornaments thefeathers of Paradise Birds were seen, showing, as might beexpected, that these birds range far in this direction, and probablyall over New Guinea.It is curious that a rudimental love of art should co-existwith such a very low state of civilization. The people of Doreyare great carvers and painters. The outsides of the houses,wherever there is a plank, are covered with rude yet characteristicfigui'es. The high-beaked prows of their boats ai'e ornamentedwitli masses of open filagree work, cut out of solidblocks of wood, and often of very tasteful design.As a figurehead,or jjinnacle, there is often a human figure, with a liead ofcassowary feathers to imitate the PajDuan " mop." The floatsof their fishing-lines, the wooden beaters used in temperingthe clay for their pottery, their tobacco-boxes, and other householdarticles, are covei'ed with carving of tasteful and oftenDid we not already know that such taste andelegant design.skill are compatible with utter barbarism, we could hardlybelieve that the same people are, in other matters, entirelywanting in all sense of order, comfort, or decency. Yet such isthe case. They live in the most miserable, crazy, and filthyhovels, which are utterly destitute of anything that can becalled furniture ; not a stool, or bench, or board is seen in tliem;no brush seems to be known, and the clothes they wear are oftenfilthy bark, or rags, or sacking. Along the j^aths where theydaily pass to and from their provision grounds, not an overhangingbough or straggling briar ever seems to be cut, so that