Humboldt Bay. 511 



were continually attacking us, and made me long to get away 

 from New Guinea, as much as ever I had longed to come there. 

 The captain of the Etna paid me a visit, and gave me a very 

 interesting account of his trip. They had staid at Humboldt 

 Bay several days, and found it a much more beautiful and 

 more interesting place than Dorey, as well as a better harbor. 

 The natives were quite unsophisticated, being rarely visited 

 except by stray whalers, and they were superior to the Dorey 

 people, morally and physically. They went quite naked. 

 Their houses were some in the water and some inland, and 

 were all neatly and well built ; their fields were well cultivated, 

 and the paths to them kept clear and open, in which respects 

 Dorey is abominable. They were shy at first, and oj^jDOsed 

 the boats with hostile demonstrations, bending their bows, 

 and intimating that they would shoot if an attempt was made 

 to land. Very judiciously the captain gave way, but threw 

 on shore a few presents, and after two or three trials they 

 were permitted to land, and to go about and see the country, 

 and were supplied with fruits and vegetables. All communi- 

 cation was carried on with them by signs — the Dorey inter- 

 preter, who accompanied the steamer, being unable to under- 

 stand a word of their language. No new birds or animals 

 were obtained, but in their ornaments the feathers of paradise 

 birds were seen, showing, as might be expected, that these birds 

 range far in this direction, and probably all over New Guinea. 

 It is curious that a rudimental love of art should co-exist 

 with such a very low state of civilization. The people of 

 Dorey are great carvers and painters. The outsides of the 

 houses, wherever there is a plank, are covered with rude yet 

 characteristic figures. The high-peaked prows of their boats 

 are ornamented with masses of open filigree-work, cut out of 

 solid blocks of wood, and often of very tasteful design. As a fig- 

 ure-head, or pinnacle, there is often a human figure, with a head 

 of cassowary feathers to imitate the Papuan "mop." The 

 floats of their fishing-lines, the wooden beaters used in tempering 

 the clay for their potteiy, their tobacco-boxes, and other house- 

 hold articles, are covered with carving of tasteful and often 

 elegant design. Did we not already know that such taste and 

 skill are compatible with utter barbarism, we could hardly be- 

 lieve that the same people are, in other matters, utterly wanting 



