498 



A'A-r UUINEA. 



[cifAP. arxxiv. 



assistance of a dozen Papuans and my own men. It was 

 immense troxiUe to get our labourers to work, as scarcely 

 one of them could speak a word of Malay ; and it was only 

 by tlie most enei-getic gesticulations, and going tlirough a 

 regular pautooiiDie of what was wanted, tliat we could get 

 them to do anything. If we made them understand that a 

 few more pok^s were required, which two could have easily 

 cutj six or eight would insist upon going together, although 

 we needed their assistance in other things. One morning 

 ten of them came to work, bringing only one chopper be- 

 tween them, although they knew I had none ready for use. 

 I chose a place about two hundred yards from the beach, 

 on an elevated gi'ound, by the side of the chief path from 

 the village of Dprey to the provision-grounds and the forest. 

 Within twenty yards was a little stream, which furnished 

 us with excellent water and a nice place to bathe. There 

 was only low vmderwood to clear away, while some fine 

 forest trees stood at a short distance, and we cut down the 

 wood for about twenty yards round to give us Hght and 

 air. The house, about twenty feet by fifteen, was built 

 enth-ely of wood, with a bamboo floor, a single door of 

 thatch, and a large window, looking over the sea, at which 

 1 fixed my table, and close beside it my bed, within a little 

 partition. I bought a number of very large palm-leaf mats 

 of the natives, which made excellent walls ; wliOe the mats 

 I had brought myself were used on the roof, and were 

 covered over with attaps as soon as we could get them 

 made. Outside, and rather behind, was a little hut, used 

 for cooldng, and a bencli, roofed over, where my men could 

 sit to skin birds and animals. Whun all was fini^lied, 

 I had my goods and stores brought up, arranged them 

 conveniently inside, and then paid my Papuans witli 

 knives and choppei-s, and sent thum away. The next day 

 our schooner left for the more eastern islands, and I found 

 myself fah-ly established as the only European inhabitimt 

 of the vast island of New Guinea, 



As we had some doul)t about the natives, we slept 

 at first with loaded guns beside us and a watch set; but 

 after a fiiw da^^s, tinding the people friendly, and feeling 

 sure that they would not venture to attack five wel harmed 

 men, we took no further precautions. Wc had still u day 



