252 NEJF GUINEA. [chap. 



or two unsuccessful attempts, at length found an excellent little 

 harbour in a small bay protected by a reef at the entrance. Here 

 we anchored in perfect safety in seventeen fathoms, within stone's 

 throw of the shore. 



From a little village a short distance to the eastward a few 

 canoes put off to ^dsit the ship, and we made acquaintance for the 

 first time with the true mop-headed Papuan. No better description 

 of his character could be given than that in Mr. Wallace's " Malay 

 Archipelago." Arriving in New Guinea after a prolonged "\dsit to 

 the Malayan region, the differences between the two races are strik- 

 ing to a degree. These men, at first a little mistrustful, soon shook 

 off whatever shjTiess they were possessed of, and clambering boldly 

 up the side, overran the deck, talking and shoutmg loudly, and ex- 

 amining the many novel objects they saw around them. The 

 striking of the ship's bell astonished them greatly, and was the 

 signal for a burst of cheering, or for a noise which doubtless served 

 as such in Batanta " meetings." They were apparently only ac- 

 quainted with two ]\Ialay words, one of which — if I may be allowed 

 the Hibernicism — was Portuguese {faca, knife) and the other 

 cosmopolitan (temhal'u), but for both of these articles they seemed 

 anxious to barter some shells of the common Pearl Nautilus, and 

 half a dozen coconuts — the latter a rarity in this part of the world. 

 A roughly-carved wooden pillow or head-rest, much like what may 

 be met with in any hut among the Zulus, lay in one of the praus 

 alongside, and I began to bargain for it. The owner unmediately 

 asked for three knives, and on my refusing with an emphatic 

 tida, indicative of astonislunent and disgust at the exorbitant 

 demand, the bystanders mimicked voice and gesture to perfection, 

 and burst into shouts of laughter. The bump of veneration appears 

 to be entirely absent from the cranium of the Papuan, who, as far 

 as the white man can judge, is a noisy, ebullient gentleman of 

 distinct socialistic tendencies, though not without a pretty humour 

 of his own, as the following story will show. Its truth was vouched 

 for by some of our Dutch friends. 



