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PREFACE
PREFACE
This record of two years’ scientific work in the only country of the globe that has still escaped exploration purposely avoids the dry detail of a Natural History Report, such as might properly be submitted to a learned society, and is intended rather to set forth to the general reader the vicissitudes of the traveller’s daily life in unknown New Guinea, or Papua as I prefer to call it. Every hour brought a new interest, and it was with the intention of trying to communicate some impression of t
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CHAPTER I BREAKING THE GROUND
CHAPTER I BREAKING THE GROUND
The Author’s many Journeys—New Guinea more interesting than all—The Second Largest Island in the World, and the last to guard its Secrets from Man—Its Vast Possibilities to the Trader and the Man of Science—Great Riches in Birds and Insects—770 known Species of Birds—The People—Their many Dialects—A Geographical Reason for this—Toilsome Travel—Razor-like Ridges in Endless Succession—The Author’s Camps—Journeys Outlined—In Unexplored Country—Gorgeous Scenery—Variations of Temperature—The Chief Bu
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CHAPTER II DISAPPOINTMENTS IN DUTCH NEW GUINEA
CHAPTER II DISAPPOINTMENTS IN DUTCH NEW GUINEA
Dutch New Guinea—The Coast—Unsavoury Mud-banks—Merauke—The Dutch Settlement described—Its Wonderful Modernity—A Fierce Tribe, the Tugeri, now described for the First Time—Their Appearance and Habits—Their Continual Murderous Raids—The Fearful Bamboo Knife—Scientific Work here impossible owing to Danger of going beyond Settlement Boundaries—Outbreak of a Mysterious Disease at Merauke—Its Swift Deadliness—The Symptoms—Determine to leave Dutch New Guinea and prepare for a March into the Unexplored
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CHAPTER III CHANGES AND STRANGE SCENES
CHAPTER III CHANGES AND STRANGE SCENES
We sail to Thursday Island—A Rough Voyage in a Cattle-boat—A Glimpse of Thursday Island—The Wonderful Colour of its Waters—We reach Port Moresby—Contrast to the Scenery of Dutch New Guinea—Magnificent Mountains—Evidences of Drought—Vegetation burnt up—The British Government Post of Port Moresby described—A Good Second to Hades or Aden—The Great Sight of Port Moresby—A Community of Hereditary Potters—The Pottery Trading Fleet—The Strange Vessels called Lakatois—Their Structure—Native Orgies befor
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CHAPTER IV WE STRIKE INLAND
CHAPTER IV WE STRIKE INLAND
We start Inland—Friendly Natives but Hostile Mosquitoes—Bioto Creek—Bioto—Guest Houses—A Splendid Game Region—Daily Migration of Flocks of Pigeons—Greedy Coast Natives—Carriers Inadequate—A Double Journey in Relays—We meet the Chief Mavai, a great Papuan Character—Mavai’s Way of Life—His Harem—His Western Notions—His Trousers—His Red Coat—His Severe Discipline—As we proceed, Construction of Native Houses more elaborate—On to Ekeikei and Dinawa—March through Wet Vegetation—Tortured by Leeches and
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CHAPTER V THE FIRST CAMP
CHAPTER V THE FIRST CAMP
Journey continued—A Glorious Scarlet Creeper—Dinawa—Site for Camp selected—Building Camp—Native Assistance—Organisation for Scientific Work—Daily Routine—Teaching the Natives how to Catch and Handle Entomological Specimens—Sudden Affluence leads one of my Native Boys to Desert—He is Caught and Reformed—My best Native Assistant and his Wife—Female Influence a great Asset with other Women—The Day’s Work—Collecting at Night—Photography—A Dark Room in the Wilds—Native Interest in Developing. To retu
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CHAPTER VI VICISSITUDES AND A DIGRESSION
CHAPTER VI VICISSITUDES AND A DIGRESSION
The Drought affects our Work—Butterflies begin to Fail—Forest Fires—We descend to the St. Joseph River—A Temporary Camp—A Wonderful Native Suspension Bridge—River Scenery—Native Methods of Fishing—Dull Weather and Little Success in Collecting—A Comic Incident—A Native besieged by a Wild Pig—War—Native Hostility—A Chief threatens to Cook and Eat our Heads—Strict Guard kept on Camp—The Bird of Paradise—Papuan Game Laws—Natives’ Interest in Writing—Further Stay at the St. Joseph Impracticable—A Flo
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CHAPTER VII GOOD-BYE TO DINAWA
CHAPTER VII GOOD-BYE TO DINAWA
A Beautiful New Orchid discovered and described—Drought continues—Sufferings of the Natives—I practise as a Physician—Queer Native Diagnosis—Gaberio, an Intelligent Native, goes collecting on his own Account—How we kept touch—The Wireless Telegraph of the Wilds—We determine to take our Specimens to the Coast—Methods of Preservation and Packing—Gaberio returns—He tells of the Murder of one of his Boys—Hardships of Camp Life—Food and Ammunition fail—We try Cockatoo Soup—A Visit from a Fine Hill Tr
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CHAPTER VIII INACTION AND AN EXCURSION
CHAPTER VIII INACTION AND AN EXCURSION
Period of Inaction at Port Moresby—Christmas in New Guinea—A Scratch Dinner—A Christmas Privilege for Cingalese to obtain Spirits—Curious Effect on One Individual—A Noteworthy Character—An Excursion to Hula—A Fisher Community—A Piebald People—Picturesque Night Fishing by Flare Light—Fishermen often Killed by Gare-fish—Hula Houses—Various Traits of Native Life—A Walk round Hood’s Bay—Traces of Initiatory Rites at Kalo—The Kalo Houses described—On to Kerapuna—A Shooting Expedition—We lose the Trai
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CHAPTER IX TOWARDS THE UNEXPLORED
CHAPTER IX TOWARDS THE UNEXPLORED
Beginning of Furthest Journey into Unexplored Interior—The Everlasting Question of Carriers—Difficulties and Delays—Epa again—Curious Method of Water Supply—Mavai welcomes us back—He provides a Dubious Treat—Ekeikei—The Building of a Permanent Camp—An Elaborate Undertaking—House-building on a Large Scale—Ingenious Papuan Methods of Thatching—The Chief Kafulu proves Unneighbourly—He does not fulfil his Engagements—Ow-bow’s Embassy—My Deputy is robbed—Precautions in Camp against Attack—I go down t
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Amplified Note on the Journey to Yo-ya-ka
Amplified Note on the Journey to Yo-ya-ka
For my journey to Yo-ya-ka I started from a point opposite the Kebea and went down past one of the Yuni-Yuni villages, situated on a spur of the mountains. We then made a long ascent of some 2000 feet leading up to the same ridge as Mount Kebea where the village of Yo-ya-ka is situated. It was a most remarkable place, and it is difficult to convey exactly to those who have never seen it, the idea of what these Papuan ridges with their strangely perched villages are. They come up almost to a razo
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Note on the Murder of Ow-bow’s Brother
Note on the Murder of Ow-bow’s Brother
One evening we heard a woman wailing down in the village and knew that something was wrong. Shortly afterwards the natives began calling, and we learned that some one had been killed. A messenger came up to tell us it was Ow-bow’s brother who had been murdered. The latter man was much disconcerted, and tried to persuade himself that it could not be so. Later on, however, the messenger came up with indisputable news, and we heard that the murder had been occasioned by a proceeding that was to som
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Notes on Amana and the Tree-House
Notes on Amana and the Tree-House
Amana was a most peculiar village, and like Yo-ya-ka was built on an extremely narrow ridge, so narrow indeed that we could not pitch our fly-tent there, but slept in a house the front part of which overhung a precipice. The house commanded a most lovely view far away into the valley, the slopes of which were covered with dense wood. We could see the river flashing at intervals through the greenery; it must at least have been 1500 feet below us, but the roar of the torrent came up to us with gre
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The Lunatic at Amana
The Lunatic at Amana
In the village of Amana we met the only halfwitted Papuan we saw in New Guinea. He had been imbecile from his birth, and at the time we saw him his age was probably from 28 to 30, but it might have been less. He could not speak and was very deaf. He was of a very pale coffee colour, and might probably have stood about 5 feet 6 inches, but he was strangely bent and very thin. He communicated with his fellows by means of signs, and was regarded in the village as quite an amusing character. In fact
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Foula Village
Foula Village
Just before the entrance to Foula village we noticed the evidences of a great land-slide, which had left the ridge of rock, along which our path lay, as clean as a piece of china. The path had thus been rendered perilous, but the natives had had the sense to put up a light bamboo rail on each side, and this was extremely fortunate, for there was hardly room for the foot, and a slip would have certainly meant disaster, for the descent was sheer on each side for several hundred feet. Foula is one
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CHAPTER XII THE UNEXPLORED: AMONG PAPUAN PEAKS
CHAPTER XII THE UNEXPLORED: AMONG PAPUAN PEAKS
Still Higher in the Owen Stanley Range—The Road to Mafulu—Beauties of the Forest—The Hill Step—Curious Habit of Walking acquired in Abrupt Ground—Cold at High Altitudes—A New Camp built—Alpine Signs in Insects and Flowers—Routine Work—Food runs low again—Native Thieves—Followers discontented—They fear the Hostile Mafulu People—Daily Threats of Desertion—Strict Watch—My Rule for Night Visitors—Compulsory Carrying of Torches and Disarming—Weirdly Picturesque Night Scenes—Further Privations—Bird of
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CHAPTER XIII LAST JOURNEY TO THE COAST
CHAPTER XIII LAST JOURNEY TO THE COAST
A Dangerous Stream-Crossing—Babooni—Sunshine once more—Successful Work—Poor Fare—Messengers to Ekeikei—The Tree-Cabbage—Method of Cooking Tree-Cabbage—A Great Curiosity—Spiders’ Webs as Fishing-Nets—Dancing Festivals—Back to the Kebea—Our Bean Crop—A Papuan Parliament—We obtain Credit—A Wife-Beater—My only Act of Perfidy—The Journey to Ekeikei—Back to the Land of Plenty—Last Visit to Epa—Mavai unfriendly—He is talked over and supplies Carriers—Example better than Precept—The Coast again—An Accid
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CHAPTER XIV A FORTY-MILE TRAMP BY THE SHORE
CHAPTER XIV A FORTY-MILE TRAMP BY THE SHORE
A Comfortless Voyage—A Forty-Mile Tramp along the Coast—Wonders of the Beach—Armies of Soldier-Crabs—A Crocodile River—A Dangerous Canoe Voyage—At Port Moresby—A Pathetic Incident—Last Days of our Stay in New Guinea. At Pokama we got on board a vessel very heavily laden with sandalwood. I did not notice how perilously deep she was in the water until after we had put to sea. This promised a voyage of great discomfort, and Harry shortly became very sick. Partly on this account, and partly because
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CHAPTER XV NATIVE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
CHAPTER XV NATIVE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
The Papuan at Home—His Good Points—Physical Characteristics—Ceremonial Dress—Coast and Hill Tribes—Differences—Local Distribution of the Rami or Petticoat—Its Decrease in Length in the Mountains—Its Disappearance at Epa—Dandyism—The Priceless Chimani—The Shell Armlet—Household Constitution—Rudimentary Government—Courtship and Marriage—The Price of a Wife—Position of Women—Six Ways of Carrying an Infant—Meal Times—Weapons—Clubs—Their Manufacture the Monopoly of One Tribe—Weird Tribal Dances. My o
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CHAPTER XVI BURIAL, WITCHCRAFT, AND OTHER THEMES
CHAPTER XVI BURIAL, WITCHCRAFT, AND OTHER THEMES
A Short-lived Race—An Aged Man a Curiosity—Burial Customs—The Chief Mourner painted Black—Period of Mourning brief except for the Chief Mourner—No Belief in Natural Death—Poison always Suspected—Religion all but absent—Vague Belief in Magic—Fi-fi a Form of Divination—How practised—Its Utter Childishness—No Idea of Number—Forest Warnings—“Wada,” another Form of Sorcery—Mavai’s Hideous Magical Compounds—A People seemingly without History or Legends—Pictures understood—Fear of the Stereoscope—The “
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CHAPTER XVII A NOTE ON BRITISH TRADE PROSPECTS IN NEW GUINEA
CHAPTER XVII A NOTE ON BRITISH TRADE PROSPECTS IN NEW GUINEA
Sandalwood—The Sea-Slug—Copra and Cocoa-Nut—Coffee—Cocoa—Chillies—Rubber—Stock-Raising—Gold—Tobacco—Imports—German Enterprise—Our Lost Coaling Station. The intelligent observer of New Guinea cannot fail to recognise that the country presents a vast unopened field for the development of British trade. Many sources of wealth are as yet absolutely untouched, but experiments that have recently been made in coffee, tobacco, cocoa, and rubber, yield the richest promise. The geographical configuration
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CHAPTER XVIII NOTES ON SOME BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA
CHAPTER XVIII NOTES ON SOME BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA
The Birds of Paradise—Remarkable Species observed—Native Names—Play-Places—Curious Habits—The Bower-Bird: Artist, Architect, and Gardener. New Guinea is remarkable for its paucity of mammals and its richness in birds. As we have already noted, at least 770 different species of birds are known, and to these doubtless many more will be added as the explorer ventures farther into the interior. The chief haunts of the blue bird of paradise, the Paradisornis Rudolphi , are in Central British New Guin
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APPENDIX II A NEW REPTILE FROM DINAWA
APPENDIX II A NEW REPTILE FROM DINAWA
Rostral much broader than deep, just visible from above; internasals nearly as long as the præfrontals, which are in contact with the second upper labial and with the eye; frontal small, slightly broader than the supraocular, once and three-fourths as long as broad, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, a little shorter than the parietals; one postocular; temporals, one plus two; five upper labials, second and third entering the eye; three lower labials in contact with the anterior
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APPENDIX III A NEW FISH DISCOVERED BY THE EXPEDITION
APPENDIX III A NEW FISH DISCOVERED BY THE EXPEDITION
Depth of body nearly equal to length of head, five to six times in total length. Diameter of eye six or seven times in length of head, interorbital width three times; snout but very slightly longer than postocular part of head. Dorsals VII., I. 8–9; longest spine, ¾; longest soft ray ⅘ length of head. Anal I. 8–9; longest ray as long as head. Pectoral about 1½ length of head; ventral as long as head, or a little longer. Caudal feebly emarginate. Caudal peduncle 2½ as long as deep. Scales strongl
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