Chap, xviii.] BEHAVIOUR OF THE NATIVES. 391 



the direction of New Guinea, having knowledge of the place. 

 Hence he thought that they visited the place to trade. I think, 

 however, that he must have been mistaken. The Admiralty 

 Islanders could never make a stand against a race armed with 

 bows ; they would be cut off at once ; and had they once seen 

 bows and arrows they would surely have adopted them. It is 

 true that the Australians have not done so at Cape York, 

 though the Murray Islanders come to trade there and bring 

 bows and arrows with them, but then they are far lower in 

 intellect, and have the throwing stick. Many other circum- 

 stances concur against the above hypothesis. 



The Islanders were anxious to trade with us to the very 

 last, and followed the ship as she left the anchorage, with that 

 intent. They were in a highly excited state, especially at first, 

 and a man from whom I bought the first obsidian-headed spears 

 I procured, fairly trembled with excitement as I handed him 

 two pieces of tub-hoop. The natives have no metals of their 

 own, excepting the ore of manganese, with which they blacken 

 their bodies. This ore they call " laban," and they have 

 adopted the same term for iron. They appear to be quite 

 unable to work iron, since they refused any pieces not of 

 a form immediately applicable to use. They preferred a small 

 piece of hoop iron to a conical mass weighing several pounds. 



The natives are quieter than the Humboldt Bay men. There 

 was comparatively little noise when their canoes were alongside. 

 There was no combined shouting. The natives are rapacious 

 and greedy, and very jealous of one another. The chief showed 

 all these traits in the highest degree. They were ready enough 

 to thieve, but not so constantly on the look-out for plunder as 

 the Humboldt Bay Papuans. 



The men showed no great astonishment at matches or a 

 burning-glass, apparently understanding the latter, and motion- 

 ing that the operator should wait until the sun came from 

 behind a cloud. Looking-glasses were not at all understood. 

 They were tried in all positions, as ornaments on the head 

 and breast, for example. The men seemed to see no advantage 

 in seeing their faces in them. In Labillardiere's time they 

 broke them to look for the picture, or man inside. Tobacco 

 and pipes were not understood. Biscuit was eagerly taken 

 and eaten. Great wonder was expressed at the whiteness of 

 our legs and chests by the natives, and the women at Dentre- 

 casteaux Island crowded with great curiosity and astonishment 

 to look at a white arm or chest. The natives, no doubt, 

 thought that our hands and faces were only painted white, 

 and took our negroes on board for men who had not got the 

 paint on. 



