BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO.
Leaving our "Dwarf" in charge of the cutter, we paid a visit to Mr.
H----r, the manager of the "Mioko" plantation. "Mioko" is one of the
Hamburg Plantation Company's branches.
They have large plantations in "Samoa," and their operations are most
extensive. Mr. H----r and his assistant, both of them Germans, were the
sole representatives of the white race in the Duke of York group.
The manager's house, which is situated a few yards from the beach,
presented a most picturesque appearance. It was built entirely of
bamboo, with a roof of shingles; and, being lined with bamboo, was,
notwithstanding the tropical heat, always cool inside. They gave us a
hearty welcome although we were perfect strangers. To their delight
they discovered in one of us a countryman of theirs, whilst S----g was
a Norwegian, and I an Englishman.
The Germans had the advantage, being in the majority. The different
buildings of the plantation gave it the appearance of a township. A
substantial wharf extended from the beach, alongside of which a vessel
could lie and discharge her cargo. Connecting the wharf with the large
copra house were tram lines, over which the produce was conveyed in
trucks to the vessel and thence into the hold. Next to the copra house,
which was capable of storing 200 tons of copra, was a fine iron
building used as a "store," where the different articles of trade were
kept and in which were the offices of the manager. There were numerous
out-buildings of every description, all of them kept in excellent
order. At the time of our visit, the copra house contained over 100
tons of copra awaiting shipment.
Made fast to the wharf was the cutter _Atafu_, which was owned by the
plantation and was used principally for obtaining labour recruits from
the South Seas, and for visiting the different out-stations of the
company in New Ireland, supplying them with "trade" and bringing back
to "Mioko" the copra, etc., obtained.
The manager, whose dwelling was surrounded by a pretty garden kept in
scrupulous order, pressed us to be his guests for a couple of days, and
we gladly accepted. Accustomed to the wilds of New Guinea, this place
seemed to us like an "oasis" in the desert.
He kindly sent on board our craft a couple of natives whom he could
trust, telling them to look after her and keep strangers away. The
harbour is completely land-locked, being hemmed in by numerous islands,
and protected from the south-east winds by the island of "Mioko."
The captain and mate of the _Atafu_ were invited to meet us at dinner,
thus increasing our number to seven. The captain was a German, and the
mate a Yankee, so that the various nationalities were well represented.
A smart native youth, specially trained by Mr. H----r, waited at table.
He would have put to shame many a waiter at a first-rate London club.
The dinner was an excellent one, and our host full of good spirits.
After doing full justice to the good things provided, the bottle was
passed round, toasts were drunk and jokes cracked. In such a varied
assembly the fund of anecdote was inexhaustible. Everyone was enjoying
himself to the top of his bent, when unfortunately one of my mates, in
pure joke, made some _mal apropos_ remark to our host. He very
foolishly took it up in the wrong light, considered it an insult,
jumped up from his seat and rushed round to my friend, challenging him
to fight. It was a most unfortunate _contretemps_.
Had not my friend been a man of equable temperament, and with great
power of self-control, the result would have been most disastrous, and
in all likelihood Mr. H----r would have been annihilated. He had
evidently partaken too freely of the juice of the grape; or was it,
being a German, he was unable to understand a jest? However, my friend
wisely kept his temper, the storm-cloud passed over, and all was
harmony again. We learnt afterwards that our host was naturally of a
most excitable nature and was of a pugnacious disposition.
Fortunately for him, my friend, like the British lion, was not easily
roused. Like that noble animal, he was possessed of great strength, and
in a combat would have easily vanquished his antagonist. What with
singing and playing on the piano and violin, we spent a most enjoyable
evening, and did not retire to rest until the small hours.
One of us occupied the only bedroom in the house, another slept on the
sofa, whilst I camped in a hammock on the verandah.
Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour at which we retired to rest,
we were all up at six o'clock. Coffee was then served, the most
delicious coffee I had tasted for many a month. It was grown on the
plantation and was properly made. How different it tasted from the
coffee one gets in an hotel!
We had a refreshing swim in the bay, heedless of the sharks, and
returned to the house ready to tackle a substantial breakfast. Breakfast
over, by desire of Mr. H----r, we hailed our seaman-in-charge, viz.,
"Tokaiakus" the dwarf, to come on shore. He immediately responded, and
great was the astonishment on his landing on the beach. Numbers of
natives were strolling about, and they soon gathered round, gaping with
wonder at our New Guinea representative.
"Tokaiakus" was no less astonished at them, and evidently considered
his race far superior to theirs. When asked his opinion of the "Mioko"
natives, he replied, "They are no good, they go about naked, New Guinea
man he wear clothes." Different people have different opinions.
Although our dwarf was more decently dressed than they, he was not
overburdened with garments, being covered by a palm leaf. Nevertheless,
clothing has its degrees, and his was a comparative one.
In company with the manager we went over the different buildings and
inspected the various improvements. Everything was of a substantial
character, and the manager informed us that the profits of the Mioko
Branch for the year 1887 were L1,300, which, in our opinion, was very
good.
We paid a visit to the cutter, _Atafu_, and were invited by her captain
to stay to lunch. She is 37 tons register and a very smart-looking
craft, indeed we could hardly realise we were on a trading vessel, for
she had more the appearance of a gentleman's yacht. The hold was empty,
and had just been white-washed. A great bell, which rang at 9 a.m.
every day, was a signal for certain natives to proceed on board and
wash down decks.
Everything on board was scrupulously clean, and, as on board a
man-of-war, in its proper place. The captain received L12 a month and
his food, and, with such a vessel under him, I consider his lot a happy
one.
In the afternoon we strolled round the plantation. The land here is
fertile, and a large area of it is owned by the Hamburg Company. Mr.
H----r purposed going to the "Fatherland" shortly, when the managership
would fall to his assistant, and, if I may venture the remark, the
change would be a beneficial one.
Copra is the principal industry carried on, though coffee is grown to
some extent. The latter product pays well, therefore I wonder there is
not more attention paid to its cultivation.
The natives' canoes are much lighter built than those of New Guinea,
and do not carry a sail. They are used for paddling only, and never
venture out of sight of land. The natives themselves are quite distinct
from the Papuans of New Guinea, being lighter in colour and actively
made, but decidedly a lower type of humanity. The men wear no clothing
whatever, but the women have an apology for a grass petticoat. It
cannot, strictly speaking, be called a petticoat. However, they are not
quite nude.
In the evening, the conversation turning on boats, we did not fail to
sound the praises of our little craft, that had carried us so far and
so safely. The others, on the other hand, did not forget to crack up
the merits of the _Atafu_. After a lot of bragging on both sides it was
decided to settle the differences of opinion by a race between the
rival vessels. We, I may say in passing, were merely chaffing, but the
others were evidently in grim earnest. The race was fixed to take place
in the morning at 10.30, the course from Mioko to Ralume, New Britain.
The distance was 20 miles, and our vessel being only one-third the size
of the _Atafu_, we received half an hour start. The stakes were L5 a
side, but two or three private bets were made in addition. The rules to
be observed during the race were taken down in writing by the manager
and his assistant. One of the rules was "that no oar was to be used
throughout the race."
Great interest was evinced by them in the approaching contest, and the
conditions were duly signed by both parties. The captain and owners of
the _Atafu_ were quite confident of victory, and ridiculed the idea of
our having the ghost of a chance. It must be recollected that our
cutter was but 12 tons, and what chance would she have against one of
37 tons? We still believed it was simply chaff, and that no race was
intended, but the following morning they soon disabused us of that
idea. Seeing that active preparations for the match were taking place
on board the _Atafu_, it behoved us to be on the alert. We went on
board the _S----l_, got all the sails and sheets in good order, rigged
up an awning as a square sail, set our topsail, and by a little after
10 o'clock had everything ready for a start. Now that we were in for
it we determined to do our best and see if, notwithstanding our
insignificant appearance, we could not lower the "Mioko" flag, and
lessen their conceit.
A fresh south-easter was blowing, but happily not too strong to prevent
us crowding every stitch of canvas on her. The land of New Britain was
dimly visible in the distance, and a dewy freshness filled the air. Had
we made it, the weather could not have been more propitious. Our
British ensign was run up to the masthead, the anchor hoisted in, and
precisely at 10.30 Mr. H----r, having taken up a position on the wharf,
fired his revolver as a signal to be off. We were close in to the
shore, and as there was no room to manoeuvre, our skipper, S----g,
sang out, "Get out an oar and pull the bows round."
The command was promptly executed, her head paid round, the oars were
thrown down the hold, and like a greyhound from the leash she bounded
forth, straining every nerve and sinew to be first in at the "death."
The _Atafu_, in full sail, soon appeared in sight, and great was our
anxiety to discover whether she gained on us.
We held our lead, however, and at 1.30 p.m. dropped anchor off Ralume,
within a few yards of a reef. We had the sails furled, the ropes
coiled, and the "Billy" boiled, when the _Atafu_ "came to" abreast
of us, 35 minutes behind.
We lost no time in boarding her in order to sympathise with them in
their defeat. To our surprise they would not acknowledge that they had
been beaten. Upon our demanding an explanation, they stated that, in
consequence of our having used an oar at the commencement of the race,
we had lost. We had used the oar thoughtlessly, but, as they evidently
wished to make some money out of us, we promptly paid them the stakes,
which, however, they refused in the end to accept. Practically
speaking, they had been beaten on their own merits, and evidently did
not relish the fact. They had come specially from "Mioko" for the race,
and returned home the same day, considerably crestfallen and with a
higher opinion of our little craft than they had had hitherto.
"Ralume" boasts of a splendid plantation, the property of Mrs. F----h,
who is one of the best business women I have ever met. She does all the
correspondence, keeps the accounts, and personally superintends the
work of the plantation. Of course she has a manager, and a very capable
one too, but still she believes in having an eye over all. She has been
established in Ralume for ten years, and during that period has worked
wonders. They have 500 acres under cultivation, with any amount of back
country attached. The land is undulating, and the soil, which is very
rich, is cultivated right down to the sea. There is a good deal of
limestone in the neighbourhood, and the appearance of the country for
miles along the coast is very beautiful. The land is not rugged, like
that of New Ireland, but has more the appearance of an English park.
Twenty miles from the coast there is a range of mountains, the country
beyond which is supposed by the natives to be inhabited by a race of
dwarfs. This, however, has been proved to be a myth. Cotton, coffee,
and coco-nuts are grown extensively on the plantation. There are six
cotton gins working every day, and they are worked by black labourers,
imported from the South Seas. I inspected several bales of cotton which
were ready for shipment. They appeared of very good quality, and the
manager, Mr. P----, told me it realized from 1_s._ to 1_s._ 3_d._ per
pound in Sydney.
There are over 150 labourers working on the plantation, most of them
from the Solomon Islands and the remainder from New Ireland. Not a
single native of New Britain was among the number, as they will not
work except when away from their own country.
Occasionally some of the New Ireland boys attempt to escape and return
to their homes. These however are the exceptions, as the majority
appeared satisfied with their lot. They were evidently well cared for,
as those that I saw were in first-rate condition, and as jolly as
sandboys.
The Stars and Stripes were flying at the peak of the flagstaff in front
of Mrs. F----h's house, in honour of her late husband, who was an
American. She herself is a half-caste Samoan, and as intelligent and
accomplished a woman as any European.
The house is situated on the top of a high cliff, commanding a
magnificent view, with Blanche Bay a few miles to the north-west, the
Duke of York Islands in the distance, and to the eastward loomed the
towering mountains of New Ireland.
On the far side of Blanche Bay, the eye is arrested by two mountains
named respectively the "Mother" and "Daughter," conspicuous from their
peculiar formation.
The "Daughter" is the smaller of the two, and is apparently nestling by
the side of the other. Hence no doubt their names.
There is considerable volcanic activity in this neighbourhood. Close by
the mountains mentioned above, a cloud of smoke, distinctly visible, is
to be seen issuing from a fissure, which is sufficient evidence of
volcanic disturbance.
For my part I should not be surprised at any time to read in the news
of the day that an eruption or earthquake had taken place on the shores
of Blanche Bay.
Should that day come, which I trust will never be the case, then adieu
to fair "Ralume" and its fair inhabitants, good-bye to "Matupi" and its
living occupants. Blanche Bay would be no more. Who can foresee the
wondrous changes in the configuration of the land that would be wrought
by such a convulsion of nature?
God forbid that it should ever occur, but those living in the vicinity
of Blanche Bay cannot but remember the terrible upheavals that took
place only a few years ago on the north-east coast of New Ireland. They
say "sufficient for the day is the evil thereof," but I must confess I
should hesitate before purchasing a 999 or even a 99 years' lease of
land in that part of New Britain.
Ascending a steep path, we soon arrived at the Homestead, and were
fortunate in finding Mrs. F----h at home.
She had been much surprised at the sight of our cutter flying the
British flag, and was most curious to learn from what country we had
come or whether we had dropped from the clouds. We willingly satisfied
her curiosity, and told her that we had come on a piratical expedition
and in search of any adventures that might befall us.
The house was the model of a planter's home, and everything about it
bore the mark of refinement.
The arrangement of the rooms, the garden, the flowers, the ornaments,
the piano with its tomes of music and song, the books, indicative of
the reader's taste, all told us that.
To us three, who were used to rough companions, and had not seen the
face of a woman, save in New Guinea, for many months, it was most
refreshing to meet Mrs. F----h. We felt we had reached the borders of
Paradise, and our only regret was that our stay must necessarily be a
short one.
We were all seated on the verandah, including Mrs. F----h, and enjoying
our cigarettes and lager beer, when one of the "Houris" of Paradise
arrived on the scene, and was formally introduced to us by the hostess
as Miss G----e. Her appearance completely took our breath away. My
friend, S----g was struck dumb with admiration, and no wonder, for she
was a girl of transcendent beauty. I had often read of "Houris," but
had never, until now, seen one in the flesh!
Can I describe her?
I fear not with justice. There is as much difference between my
description and the girl herself as there is between a corpse and one
who is alive.
To begin with, she had just reached her nineteenth year. She was of
medium height, having an oval face with beautiful soft dark eyes
guarded by long dark eyelashes; a clear olive complexion, with the bust
of a Venus, and with supple limbs like alabaster. Draped in a simple
morning gown, which showed to advantage the graceful outlines of her
voluptuous figure, she stepped forth like one fresh from the Garden of
Eden, and held out her hand to greet us. Was it to be wondered at that
my friend was enchanted by the vision, when two such hard-hearted
mortals as K----h and I were sensibly affected?
Mrs. F----h pioneered us over the plantation, and explained to us
everything of interest. She took great pride in her property, and well
she might. She thoroughly understood the management of a plantation, as
she had had experience of such matters in Samoa, where many years ago
her father had been a planter.
We met here Count Pfeil, a German in the service of the Government, who
acted as Customs House officer, etc. He and the Judge lived on a small
island not far from "Mioko." He had the use of a good whale-boat, in
which he visited the different plantations, etc., to collect the taxes
imposed by the German Government. He was a young man of about 28 years
of age, very handsome and with an erect carriage. He was of high birth,
but poor, so had accepted a Government berth in the Bismarck
Archipelago, receiving as salary L500 per annum.
He was well-known as an explorer, and not long ago, at the head of 100
blacks, had penetrated some distance into the interior of New Ireland.
He found the natives most hostile. They attacked his rear column,
killing several of his men. He attempted to retaliate, but they
out-manoeuvred him. He spoke of the country as very mountainous and
rugged, with good indications of minerals. He expressed his
astonishment at our not having anchored off his island and reported
ourselves to the representatives of the Government. We assumed
child-like ignorance of such things; the truth was we had purposely
passed the place, as the anchorage there is bad, and furthermore, it
was rather out of our way. He was very gentlemanly, but informed us
that he would have to impose a fine for our breach of etiquette, and
that he would board our vessel on the morrow. We thanked him and he
departed.
The manager of the plantation, Mr. P----, lived in a pretty little
house, 100 yards or so beyond the owner's.
Both he and his wife were most hospitable. They had two dear little
children, a boy and a girl, with whom the New Britain climate seemed to
agree uncommonly well. Both children were born on the plantation. A
well-kept lawn adorned the front of the house, and beds of gorgeous
flowers and shrubs, and trees of all kinds enhanced the beauty of the
surroundings. A delicious scent pervaded the atmosphere. Nature is
nowhere so lavish as in the tropics. There is such a wealth of foliage,
such a variety of colour, such a cloudless atmosphere--three things so
foreign to colder latitudes. In the words of the poet, Milton, it was
"Paradise Regained."
Just as we had worked ourselves into a sentimental mood, in keeping
with the time and place, dinner was announced. Sentiment fled, and the
practical side of life presented itself to us. To live, we must eat;
so, nothing loth, we repaired to the dining-room, where dinner awaited
us.
I had the distinguished honour of sitting on the right hand of the fair
Hebe, Miss G----e, whilst my friend, to his disappointment, was placed
next to the hostess.
My companion was charming, not only on account of her loveliness and
natural grace, but also because of her animation and conversational
powers.
She had received a first-rate education at one of the leading schools
in Sydney, and had left it a year ago. She knew German thoroughly, was
an accomplished musician, and had the voice of a nightingale. And yet
she was a half-caste Samoan.
Three lightly-clad--I might say, very lightly-clad--young waitresses
were in attendance at dinner. Two of them were natives of New Ireland,
the third, a native of the Admiralty Islands. They had been with our
hostess for two years, and had to remain for three years longer. They
were comely to look upon, and made excellent domestics.
They say--"After dinner, smoke awhile,"--so we lit our cigars and
cigarettes and burnt a sacrifice to our patron saint, St. Nicotine.
Later on in the evening, Mrs. P----n, the manager's wife, put in an
appearance; and as there were now three ladies, dancing was suggested.
Mrs. F----h kindly played on the piano, whilst we danced on the
verandah with the others.
Seeing that my friend was quite overcome by the charms of the belle of
the evening, I only danced with her once, devoting most of my attention
to Mrs. P----.
We had songs, both German and English; solos, duets, trios and
quartettes.
What a night we had! At midnight, I suggested the expediency of going
on board our cutter; but, no, my friend would not hear of it. He was
utterly infatuated. Ten minutes more, and he would come--but the ten
minutes developed into sixty--until at last I managed to drag him away
from the alluring spot.
The three of us then regretfully bade our friends good-night, and
repaired on board the cutter.
Arrived at the jetty, we hailed, in loud tones, Tokaiakus, the
Dwarf--who was supposed to be in charge of the vessel. Not a sound came
in response. We hailed him again--and again no answer.
Our dinghy was alongside the cutter, so we could not reach her without
swimming.
After shouting ourselves hoarse, and consigning the dwarf to warmer
regions, his ugly head appeared above the bulwarks, and he came in the
dinghy--into which we gladly stepped--and were quickly rowed on board.
We felt rather tired, and soon sought our couches--each of us dreaming
that he was in Paradise, attended by a bevy of Samoan damsels.
In the morning we received a visit from Count Pfeil.
He examined our "papers" and inquired what firearms we had on board,
and if we carried dynamite. Having given satisfactory answers to his
several queries he stated that he had decided to impose on us a fine of
L1 that being the lowest amount he could inflict for our evasion of the
German regulations.
We paid the fine and were invited to visit him on our departure from
New Britain. We politely accepted his invitation, but did not give him
a call, as it would have been too far out of our track. I have met, at
one time or another, a good many Germans, official and otherwise, but
for gentlemanly bearing and courtesy of manner, I unhesitatingly give
the palm to Count Pfeil.
We had nearly two tons of flour on hand which we were anxious to get
rid of, as if kept much longer it would go bad. Mrs. F----h relieved us
of one ton, and the remainder we sold to a German missionary and a
small trader.
We had numerous visitors during the day, three of them from "Matupi," a
large plantation the other side of Blanche Bay, owned by a German. The
head station is situated in the centre of a native village and on the
plantation there is a large herd of cattle. All were curious to know on
what business we had come. They had an idea that we wished to trade in
the neighbourhood, but such was not our intention. They wished us to
come up to "Matupi" and see them, but, much as we should have enjoyed
it, we refused as we were anxious to get back to New Guinea. We had
only one day to spare, and for that we had arranged a picnic.
We took "Tokaiakus" on shore and introduced him to the ladies. They
were much interested in him, for they had never seen a full-grown
native of so small a stature. "Tokaiakus" did not altogether like the
amount of attention paid him.
Several of the New Britain natives surrounded him, and with a piece of
cane measured him all over. His expression of disgust was ludicrous, so
to gratify him I said he must not take offence, as the natives were
ignorant and knew no better. He smiled one of his beatific smiles in
approbation of my sentiments.
Through Mr. P----, who can speak the language, we informed the New
Britainites that we had obtained him from the country beyond the
mountains, and this they implicitly believed. Mr. P---- who is a good
amateur photographer, photographed him in company with his little
daughter in the act of handing him a banana. The likeness was an
excellent one, but strange to say the natives of New Guinea fail to
grasp the meaning of a photo. "Tokaiakus" was greatly astonished at the
sight of two milch cows and a horse. This was the first time he had
ever seen anything of the kind. He had a wholesome dread of the cattle,
and was much surprised on hearing that they were good to eat. He
imagined the horse to be a big dog, as the latter animal is common to
New Guinea. This was also the first time he had seen a white woman, and
as they were kind to him he was favourably impressed.
Hearing that a boat was leaving early in the morning for the native
markets in Blanche Bay, I expressed a desire to go in her. The boat,
manned by twelve South Sea Islanders, labourers on the plantation,
called for me at 4.00 a.m. In Blanche Bay, which was distant from our
anchorage about five miles, three markets are held every week.
A market is also held on the plantation at Ralume. On these occasions
from 100 to 200 natives congregate on the beach. They arrive at
sunrise, having journeyed through the bush a distance of 12 miles. The
women, who are heavily laden with huge baskets of yams, etc., do the
whole of the marketing, the men simply looking on. They seat themselves
in a semi-circle beneath the palm trees, removing their loads and
spreading out their contents. The sight was a novel one to me. We
arrived at the trysting place in good time, having to wait fully
half-an-hour before the cavalcade made its appearance. Presently a low
sound was heard produced by the crackling of the leaves and twigs, when
through a narrow opening in the forest, a long line of women in single
file was exposed to view. They numbered fully 100, each carrying a
heavy load on her head. They comprised all sizes and ages, and varied
in ugliness. Most of them had strong, gaunt frames; they looked for all
the world like beasts of burden. Their appearance was rather repulsive.
They were as nude as on the day of their birth. They strongly reminded
me of a string of pack-mules wending their way through the Queensland
bush. No sooner were they seated than their tongues were loosened. They
were not too tired to talk, notwithstanding their long tramp. All were
provided with water bottles, the water for which they obtained by
digging small holes in the sand not two yards from the sea. They had
also baskets containing balls of red clay, which they use for colouring
their hair; none of them were tattooed. From their appearance and the
absolute nakedness of both men and women I place them on a far lower
scale than the natives of New Guinea. The men, who are strongly built,
with rather forbidding countenances, are impregnated with laziness.
They do absolutely nothing; while the women are engaged trading, the
men stand some distance apart and do not converse with them. They
employ their time for hours together in picking up the soft mud on the
beach, rolling it in their hands into the form of a ball, then throwing
it into the sea in order to watch the eddy made, and repeat the task
_ad infinitum_.
I watched them for a time but soon wearied of it. I busied myself
buying yams from the women. You have to pay one stick of trade tobacco
for six yams. They prefer to receive the native money called "Tambu."
It is worth two shillings per six feet. It is formed of tiny white
shells with the centre cut out, and is a rare commodity.
With this money you can buy anything you like, a wife if desired. It is
as much a standard coin of the realm as the sovereign is of the British
Empire.
New Britain is the only savage country I have been in where the natives
have a true money currency of a standard value. Some of the men wear
this money in circles round their neck, and a few of them are the happy
possessors of a mile of it. This money, which is called by the natives
"Dewarra," is never used as an ornament but solely as a medium of
exchange. The men clay their hair all colours, red, yellow, etc., it
has rather a pleasing effect. They look as if they wore wigs.
Many of them curl their hair, forming it into a mop of twisted
string-like plaits which hang all round their head in the shape of a
fringe.
Referring to the natives of New Britain Count Pfeil remarked: "They are
for the most part a tall, powerful set of people, but with all their
strength they are entirely deficient in that graceful appearance which
characterises so many negro peoples. Their figures are often plump,
and the colour of their skin is that of a pure negro mixed with a tinge
of red. Their hair is crisp, and always cleverly coated with a mixture
of ochre, chalk, or clay. Their faces present a coarse, broad mouth, a
flat nose, and very little expression."
The New Irelanders on the other hand are small and neatly built, their
countenances are expressive and their disposition lively and cunning.
The hair is dressed in a manner which makes it resemble an old Greek
helmet. In New Britain and in the central part of New Ireland there is
the custom common to both of dividing the inhabitants of a village, as
regards marriage, into two groups, "maramara," and "pikalaba."
Marriages of individuals within one of these groups would certainly be
punished with death for the woman, and for the man with a heavy penalty
of "dewarra." The children born in wedlock belong to the group of which
the mother was a member. Both divisions regard a species of locust with
special reverence. Their dead are either buried in the house or thrown
into the water. In the north-west of New Ireland the practice is
different. There the body of a chief is burnt upon a special wooden
scaffold. The calcined bones are then collected by the heir and
preserved as a memorial. Cannibalism is general throughout the country,
and the inhabitants are not ashamed to speak of it. The sagas and myths
of the people of New Britain deal mostly with obscene matters, although
every piece of obscenity is carefully covered up, and is described in
euphemisms and circumlocutions.
Having purchased a couple of tons of yams we rowed home against a very
strong tide, reaching Ralume at 5 o'clock in the evening. We dined with
Mrs. F----h the same night (Friday), and, as we were going away on the
Monday, we arranged to hold our picnic on Saturday. We decided to go to
Pigeon Island, half-way between here and Mioko. The ladies promised to
find the eatables, we the vessel and drinkables. We made the vessel as
comfortable as possible, and spread clean mats on wooden boxes, which
had to do service as seats for our fair visitors. Our two natives were
stationed at the gangway as a guard of honour, the British colours were
run up, and we awaited the arrival of our distinguished guests.
At noon we received them on board. The party comprised Mrs. F----h,
Miss G----e, the overseer's wife, and the three young native maids,
already mentioned. They had brought with them fowls, hams, tongues,
jellies, and a host of other good things, as an auctioneer would say,
"too numerous to mention." Our vessel had never before carried so
valuable a freight. Upon reaching Pigeon Island we were obliged to
place the anchor on the reef, owing to the great depth of water beyond.
The island is well-wooded, and just the spot for a picnic. It was
uninhabited, so we had it all to ourselves.
We had great difficulty in getting the dinghy over the reef, as, except
at high tide, the water is shallow.
With some trouble we landed all the goods and paraphernalia, including
a case of lager beer. The ladies had sensibly provided themselves with
a couple of hammocks, as we did not intend to return until the next day
(Sunday).
In a small clearing in the bush the dinner was set out. We had the
ground for a table, and on it a tablecloth, an unknown luxury to us,
and the canopy of Heaven for a roof. Here you are in the tropics. The
night was warm, the mosquitoes numerous. They did not trouble us much,
as we had served a long apprenticeship to their delicate attentions. It
is only "new chums" who suffer from their attacks.
The moon was well matured, and lit up the darkness of the forest,
casting a weird glamour o'er the scene. The beauty of the night
recalled to my mind those trenchant lines of Southey:
"How beautiful is night!
A dewy freshness fills the silent air;
No mist obscures, nor cloud, nor speck, nor stain,
Breaks the serene of Heaven.
In full-orbed glory yonder moon divine
Rolls through the dark blue depths;
Beneath her steady ray
The desert circle spreads,
Like the round ocean, girdled with the sky;
How beautiful is night!"
A fire was soon burning brightly, on which a couple of pigeons we had
shot were roasting. The three maids, offering a great contrast to the
rest by their swarthy skins, were flitting to and fro, getting
everything ready for our _al fresco_ repast. We all laid to with a
will; it was astonishing the rapid way in which the viands disappeared.
For a time nothing could be heard except the tinkling of glasses and
the clinking of knives and forks.
Dinner over, Samoan mats and rugs were spread on the ground beneath the
shade of a group of palms, upon which we all reclined, smoking the
kalumet of peace, the ladies joining us with cigarettes. The time
passed rapidly until three in the morning, when the three native maids,
assisted by two of the ladies, gave, in our honour, a representation of
a Samoan dance. The dance was in harmony with the locality. We were
delighted with the exhibition. In the early morn we had a dip in the
sea, then went in quest of pigeons, but only obtained half-a-dozen. The
ladies, meanwhile, were engaged collecting oysters on the rocks. After
having exhausted the beauties of the island, we all returned on board
and sailed for Ralume, reaching that place at five o'clock on Sunday
afternoon. We accompanied our fair companions to the plantation, where
we bade them an affectionate farewell, as we could not prolong our stay
another day.