302 NEW GUINEA. [chap, xxxiv. 



dwelt two German missionaries, Messrs. Otto and Geisler. 

 The former immediately came on board to give us welcome, 

 and invited lis to go on sliore and breakfast with him. 

 We were then introduced to his companion — who was 

 suffering dreadfully from an abscess on the heel, which 

 had confined him to the house for six months — and to his 

 wife, a young German woman, who had been out only 

 three months. Unfortunately she could speak no Malay 

 or English, and had to guess at our compliments on her 

 excellent breakfast by the justice we did to it. 



These missionaries were working men, and had been sent 

 out, as being more useful among savages than persons of a 

 higher class. They had been here about two years, and 

 Mr. Otto had already learnt to speak the Papuan language 

 with fluency, and had begun translating some portions of 

 the Bible. The language, how^ever, is so poor that a con- 

 siderable number of Malay words have to be used ; and it 

 is very questionable whether it is possible to convey any 

 idea of such a book, to a people in so low a state of 

 civilization. The only nominal converts yet made are a 

 few of the women ; and some few of the children attend 

 school, and are being taught to read, but they make little 

 progress. There is one feature of this mission which I 

 believe will materially interfere with its moral effect. The 

 missionaries are allowed to trade to eke oiit the very small 

 salaries granted them from Europe, and of course are 



