Village of Doeey. 499 



distress. It would be well if he conformed himself in some 

 degree to native customs, and then endeavored to show how 

 these customs might be gradually modified, so as to be more 

 healthful and more agreeable. A few energetic and devoted 

 men acting in this way might probably effect a decided moral 

 improvement on the lowest savage tribes, whereas trading mis- 

 sionaries, teaching what Jesus said, but not doing as He did, 

 can scarcely be expected to do more than give them a very 

 little of the superficial varnish of religion. 



Dorey harbor is in a fine bay, at one extremity of which an 

 elevated point juts out, and, with two or three small islands, 

 forms a sheltered anchorage. The only vessel it contained 

 when we arrived was a Dutch brig, laden with coals for the 

 use of a war- steamer, which was expected daily, on an explor- 

 ing expedition along the coasts of New Guinea, for the pur- 

 jjose of fixing on a locality for a colony. In the evening we 

 paid it a visit, and landed at the village of Dorey, to look out 

 for a place where I could build my house. Mr. Otto also made 

 arrangements for me with some of the native chiefs, to send 

 men to cut wood, rattans, and bamboo the next day. 



The villages of Mansinam and Dorey presented some feat- 

 ures quite new to me. The houses all stand completely in the 

 water, and are reached by long rude bridges. They are very 

 low, with the roof shaped like a large boat, bottom upwards. 

 The posts which support the houses, bridges, and platforms 

 are small crooked sticks, placed without any regularity, and 

 looking as if they were tumbling down. The floors are also 

 formed of sticks, equally irregular, and so loose and far apart 

 that I found it almost impossible to walk on them. The walls 

 consist of bits of boards, old boats, rotten mats, attaps, and 

 palm-leaves, stuck in anyhow here and there, and having alto- 

 gether the most wretched and dilapidated appearance it is 

 ]>ossible to conceive. Under the eaves of many of the houses 

 hang human skulls, the trophies of their battles with the sav- 

 age Arf aks of the interior, who often come to attack them. A 

 large boat-shaped council-house is supjjorted on larger posts, 

 each of which is grossly carved to represent a naked male or 

 female human figure, and other carvings stiU more revolting 

 are placed upon the platform before the entrance. The view 

 of an ancient lake-dweller's village, given as the frontispiece 



