A CORNER OF THE DUTCH EAST INDIES. 689 



4 



helpmate. This apparatus consists of two bamboo cylinders, 

 about two feet long, at the bottom of each of which a small bam- 

 boo conveys the current of air into a still smaller one, leading into 

 the charcoal-fire. Each of these bamboo cylinders contains a 

 spear of the same material, at the lower end of which are tied 

 bunches of feathers. Generally a native of Key will prefer the 

 rough workmanship of the tools made by the village blacksmith 

 to the finely finished and polished ones imported from Europe. 



The natives are largely engaged in felling and selling timber. 

 For felling the trees the woodman uses a wedge-shaped axe only, 

 by which he is able to cut down the largest tree. After lopping 

 off all the branches and bark, he squares the trunk in such a skill- 

 ful though wasteful manner that, as a rule, the four sides repre- 

 sent exactly the same dimensions. The islands produce large 

 quantities of various kinds of very hard and soft timber, suitable 

 for different branches of building, but the most valued sort is the 

 bayam, or New Guinea teak, called by the natives by a Malay 

 word signifying iron-wood, because of its flexibility and durabil- 

 ity, and its immunity from the attacks of white ants. Mother-of- 

 pearl shell is found in the bays and inlets, and other valuable 

 shells are plentiful. Tortoise-shell is exported in very small 

 quantity. 



On the perpendicular face of a cliff on the northwest coast of 

 Nuhu-roa are to be seen rude native drawings of various shapes 

 and meanings, chiseled in the rock, which appear to have been 

 once filled in with red pigment. It is a marvel how the chiseler 

 could have been suspended over these very steep rocks, so as to 

 be able to engrave the figures. The eye may distinctly perceive 

 such forms as a little sailing boat, a human head, hand, foot, star- 

 fish, tombstones, and many other objects ; and it is strange that 

 similar figures are still drawn and painted on various articles in 

 use. Natives, on being questioned about these rock-engravings, 

 answer that they can not account for them, nor were their fathers 

 before them any wiser ; but they think that the spirits of the dead 

 suspend themselves over the cliffs at midnight and engrave them. 

 All natives shun the spot, and by no means whatever can they 

 be induced to climb the cliff in order to copy these strange draw- 

 ings. No native can be persuaded to accompany a European to 

 this spot, where, according to their belief, the spirits hold their 

 meetings. Certain trees are also held sacred, and believed to be 

 the abode of an invisible god, to whom the native offers sacrifice 

 whenever any mishap occurs in his family, or when one of its 

 members leaves home to go over the sea. The sacrifices are made 

 in the following manner : Some cooked sago or rice is wrapped 

 up in a palm-leaf, and, before tying the same with a piece of split 

 cane in the shape of a parcel, the person sacrificing scrapes over 



vol. xxxv. — 44 



