OUTANATA RIVER. 
48 
for the night off the coast, being still thirty miles short 
of the Outanata River, which the coimnander of the 
Expedition had now determiued to visit. Soon after 
sunset, all the natives left the vessels, and pulled towards 
the shore ; but on the following morning they returned, 
bringing the head chief with them, who, however, had 
probably been present during the previous interview, hut 
had thought fit to preserve his incognitot until an oppor- 
tunity occurred for consultation with the other chiefs 
respecting future proceedings. 
In the following description of the tribe, which was 
first made known to the world through the medium of 
Lieutenant Modera's publication, his clear narrative will 
be quoted at length where the information connectfid 
with the natives is unmixed with hydrographical details, 
to which, as one of the surveying officers of the Expedi- 
tion, his attention appears to have been more especially 
directed. The first extract describes the interview which 
took place on the occasion of the ceremonial nsit of the 
Papuan chief, and which seems to have led the Dutch 
authorities to determine on fixing their new settlement 
within his territories, in the event of a convenient port 
being met with. 
" On the morning of tbe 10th of June, a number of 
canoes again visited the schooner ^ and soon afterwards 
the commander, Mr. Bastiaanse, repaired on board the 
* Triton,' bringing with him a Papuan, clad in a Malayan 
kabaj/a, or loose coat, and with a handkerchief tied round 
the head, from the folds of which he produced a written 
paper, and submitted it to Captain Steenboon for 
perusal. It proved to be nothing more than a charm 
