*■ •- 



CHAPTER VII. 



BRUMER TSLATfDS — CATAMARAJfS A:N'D CANOES — FRIEKDLT 

 RELATIONS WITH THE NATIVES OF NEW GUINEA — ARE 

 WELL RECEIVED AT THEIR TILLAGE — TATOOING AND 

 DRESS OF THE WOMEN — THE HUTS DESCRIBED — LARGE 

 CANOE FROM THE MAINLAND — TASSAI LADIES RETURN 

 OUR YISIT — THE NATIYES DESCRIBED — THEIR WEAPONS, 

 ORNAMENTS, FOOD, ETC — CUL DE SAC DE l'oRANGERIE 

 AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE NATIVES — RED SCAR BAT 

 AND ITS INHABITANTS — LEAVE THE COAST OF NEW 

 GUINEA AND ARRIVE AT CAPE fORK. 



August nth, — We are once more comfortably at 

 anchor after many dreary days at sea of thick 

 blowing' weather* spent in sailing* backwards and 

 forwards^ daily tantalised by the sig-ht of land, 

 which was approached only that we mig-ht stand 

 off ag-ain for the night. Yesterday afternoon the 

 Bramble was seen coming* out from under the 

 largest of the Brumer Islands, and on her making* 

 the usual signal for good anchorage, we followed 



* In working to the eastward (in June) Bougainville for four 

 days had "the wind constantly blowing very fresh, at E.S.E. 

 and S.E." (just as we found it) ** with rain ; a fog so thick that," 

 says he, '* we were obliged to fire guns in order to keep company 

 with the Etoile ; and lastly, a very great sea, which hove us 

 towards the shore. We could hardly keep our ground by plying, 

 being obliged to wear, and to carry but little sail." — Bougainville's 

 Voyage round the World. Translation by Forster, p. 308. 



