XX NEW GUINEA AND ITS INHABITANTS 447 



payment for six birds, brought me in the fifth two days 

 before I was to leave the island, and immediately started 

 off for the forest to seek another. Of course I never 

 expected to see him again, but when my boat was loaded, 

 and we were just on the point of starting, he came running 

 down to the beach holding up a bird, which he handed 

 to me, saying with evident satisfaction — " Now I owe you 

 nothing." My assistant, Mr. Allen, venturing alone 

 among the mountaineers of the north-west peninsula, found 

 them peaceable and good-natured. Drs. Meyer and 

 Beccari and Signor D'Albertis, penetrating inland beyond 

 Dorey, were never attacked or seriously opposed ; and Dr. 

 Miklucho Maclay suddenly appearing at Astrolabe Bay, 

 among people who seem never to have had any com- 

 munication with Europeans, soon established friendly 

 relations with them, although subject to great trials of 

 temper and courage at the outset. 



His experience with them is very instructive. They 

 appeared at first distrustful and suspicious of his inten- 

 tions, as well they might be. Sometimes they left him 

 quite alone for days together, or kept him prisoner in the 

 little hut he had built for himself, or tried to frighten 

 him by shooting arrows close to his head and neck, and 

 pressing their spears against his teeth till they made him 

 open his mouth. Finding, however, that he bore all these 

 annoyances good-humouredly, and as a medical man took 

 every opportunity of doing them services, they concluded 

 he was a good spirit, a man from the moon, and thence- 

 forth paid him great respect, and allowed him to go about 

 pretty much as he pleased. This reminds us of the 

 experience of the Challenger at Humboldt Bay, where it 

 was decided not to stay, because some of the natives 

 similarly drew their bows at the officers when away in 

 boats. This was no doubt nervous work for the person 

 threatened, but it was only a threat. Savages do not 

 commence a real attack in that theatrical way, and if they 

 had been met with coolness and their threats been 

 laughed at or treated with contempt, such demonstrations 

 would soon have ceased. Of course it requires very 

 exceptional courage and temper, not possessed by one 



