392 MY LIFE 



dangerous to visit. At Mysol Mr. Allen had received somewhat similar 

 information; and we therefore resolved that he should make another 

 attempt at Sorong, where we were assured all the sorts could be ob- 

 tained. The whole of that country being under the jurisdiction of the 

 Sultan of Tidore, I obtained, through the Dutch resident at Ternate, a 

 Tidore lieutenant and two soldiers to accompany Mr. Allen as a pro- 

 tection, and to facilitate his operations in getting men and visiting the 

 interior. 



Notwithstanding these precautions, Mr. Allen met with difficulties 

 in this voyage which we had not encountered before. To understand 

 these, it is necessary to consider that the birds of paradise are an 

 article of commerce, and are the monopoly of the chiefs of the coast 

 villages, who obtain them at a low rate from the mountaineers, and 

 sell them to the Bugis traders. A portion of the skins is also paid every 

 year as tribute to the Sultan of Tidore. The natives are therefore very 

 jealous of a stranger, especially a European, interfering in their trade, 

 and above all of his going into the interior to deal with the mountaineers 

 themselves. They, of course, think he will raise the prices in the inte- 

 rior, and lessen the demand on the coast, greatly to their disadvantage ; 

 they also think their tribute will be raised if a European takes back a 

 quantity of the rare sorts ; and they have, besides, a vague and very 

 natural dread of some ulterior object in a white man's coming at so 

 much trouble and expense to their country only to get birds of para- 

 dise, of which they know he can buy plenty at Ternate, Macassar, or 

 Singapore. 



It thus happened that when Mr. Allen arrived at Sorong and ex- 

 plained his intentions of going to seek birds of paradise in the interior, 

 innumerable objections were raised. He was told it was three or four 

 days' journey over swamps and mountains; that the mountaineers were 

 savages and cannibals, who would certainly kill him; and, lastly, that 

 not a man in the village could be found who dare go with him. After 

 some days spent in these discussions, as he still persisted in making the 

 attempt, and showed them his authority from the Sultan of Tidore to 

 go where he pleased and receive every assistance, they at length pro- 

 vided him with a boat to go the first part of the journey up a river; at 

 the same time, however, they sent private orders to the interior villages 

 to refuse to sell any provisions, so as to compel him to return. On 

 arriving at the village where they were to leave the river and strike 

 inland, the coast people returned, leaving Mr. Allen to get on as he 

 could. Here he called on the Tidore lieutenant to assist him, and 

 procure men as guides and to carry his baggage to the villages of 

 the mountaineers. This, however, was not so easily done; a quarrel 

 took place, and the natives, refusing to obey the somewhat harsh 

 orders of the lieutenant, got out their knives and spears to attack him 

 and his soldiers, and Mr. Allen himself was obliged to interfere to 

 protect those who had come to guard him. The respect due to a 



