Moresby. — Lecture on New Guinea. Ixxxvii 



from the sea to give foothold to man, which is often the case, are thickly 

 populated. The natives are of a lighter copper-colour than those previously 

 described, slightly limbed and active, with bright, intelligent features, some of 

 them of a decidedly Jewish cast, with light hair. Many would be good-looking 

 but for the disfigurement caused by the betel-nut. Their taste in painting 

 themselves is peculiar. At one time they make themselves a sooty black with 

 charcoal and oil ; at another they will paint black spectacles round their eyes, 

 blacken the nose, and lime their cheeks and chins white, giving themselves a 

 most grotesque appearance. They are fond of wearing bright flowers, birds' 

 plumage, and long ornamented streamers of the Pandanus fastened to their 

 shoulders. In some instances the septum of the nose was perforated and a 

 polished bone thrust through. Occasionally they wore human jaw and spinal 

 bones as bracelets and ornaments. The women wore their hair short and were 

 extensively tattooed, the men never. They are fond of making pets of 

 parrots, cassowaries, and different species of a sloth-like marsupial little 

 animal, which, from being somewhat like the Australian bear, was named the 

 opossum bear. One species, with a soft greyish fur, was very beautiful, but 

 attempts to keep them alive on board ship were.' unsuccessful. The men 

 appear to do all the canoe work, fishing, etc., leaving the field labour for the 

 women, who, nevertheless, appeared to have their say, and make the men do 

 as they pleased in matters of barter. The men were frequently seen nursing 

 little children with much affection. 



A striking distinguishing mark of the superior civilization of the light- 

 coloured race to the black New Guinea men is the acquaintance of the latter 

 with the art of common pottery. At all their villages earthenware pots of 

 various sizes were seen, and others were in process of manufacture. They are 

 neatly moulded by hand to the required shape, and then baked by heaping fii-e 

 round the clay. 



Their weapons are handsomely-carved wooden swords, clubs, and shields, 

 wooden spears and stone tomahawks, but no bows. They were perfectly aware 

 of the value of iron, specimens being found in every village, which were 

 doubtless obtained from the eastern islands, with which constant communica- 

 tion is maintained by means of large trading canoes 40 to 50 feet long. The 

 bottom of the canoes is a hollowed tree, which is built upon, and the top-sides 

 secured by a strong cane lacing and large wooden knees. They are propelled 

 by an oval-shaped mat sail, are very skilfully handled, and quite capable of 

 making long voyages. " Meeting them at sea, the '■ Basilisk' going five knots, 

 they easily sailed round us, and, luffing up under our lee, were with difficulty 

 prevented from boarding whilst we were under way." The other canoes are 

 small, and the catamaran is universal. Besides these each village has several 

 long, narrow war canoes, highly ornamented after a barbarous fashion, carved 



