CONCLUSION.
The coast runs as nearly as possible west-north-west and
east-south-east. It has a most bold appearance, mountains of Alpine
height, from 8,000 to 13,000 feet, rearing their heads, looking down in
their awful majesty, backed by lofty ranges covered with dense scrub.
The geological formation is sometimes basaltic, at others slate,
porphyry, etc. Numbers of coral reefs jut out from the mainland, making
the navigation difficult. Hundreds of islands of various extent are
dotted here and there, sparkling in the sun like gems, diversifying the
scene and lending colour to the landscape.
There are several magnificent rivers which carry off the great torrents
of water from the mountains, notably the "Fly," named by the officers
of H.M.S. _Fly_, when engaged in surveying the south coast in the
year 1845. The "Fly" empties itself into the great "Gulf of Papua" and
is navigable for six hundred miles from the coast inland. It will be
the main waterway of New Guinea in the future. Then there are the
"Baxter," the "San Joseph," "Aird," and "Tait," besides many others of
less importance. The harbours are few and far between; the principal
ones in British New Guinea are China Straits on the south-east coast,
and Port Moresby and Hall Sound on the south coast.
There are no wild animals in the strict sense of the term, the chief
ones being the wild ordinary tusked hog (Babi-rusa), cassowary,
wallaby, tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus), cuscus, opossum and alligators.
Snakes are to be met with, but are not so numerous as in Queensland.
There are numbers of birds of beautiful plumage, the far-famed Bird of
Paradise, of which there are something like twenty varieties, whose
haunt is the tallest trees on the mainland, some 40 or 50 varieties of
pigeons, the gigantic crowned pigeon among them, the rifle bird, etc.
Besides these, there are thousands of scrub hens, parrots, cockatoos
(both black and white), and the flying fox, a species of bat, which,
when young, is capital eating. At night, just after sundown, they come
in large flocks to the trees, where they feed on the fruit.
The butterflies are magnificent, they are most gorgeous in colour and
of immense size, some of them measuring from tip to tip of the wings
over a foot in length. The sea furnishes the celebrated "Dugong," or
sea-cow, the flesh of which is equal, if not superior, to that of an
ordinary cow. The oil obtained from the Dugong is, or rather was, very
valuable. Unfortunately, it has of late years been much adulterated,
and thus the marketable value has been lowered. Then there are turtles,
many of them of great weight. It is not uncommon to find them to the
weight of 5 cwt. The harbours swarm with edible fish of all kinds, the
king-fish, sea salmon, barramundi, cod, yellow tail, and a host of
others. Take it altogether, Nature in these parts has been bountiful in
her gifts. The climate is very unhealthy, the tropical scrub being a
harbinger of malignant fevers, malaria, etc.; and it will take years of
cultivation before it alters for the better. The natives even are
subject to attacks, but in a milder form. Where there is little scrub
and no swamp, fever is not quite so prevalent. Quinine is the best
remedy, but it should be taken advisedly.
The prevailing wind, which blows from the south-east, lasts for eight
months, from April to November inclusive, when the north-west monsoon
sets in.
The average rainfall is heavy, especially at the eastern end, where
there is no decided wet season. At Port Moresby, on the other hand, the
annual rains generally commence in January continuing until the end of
March. The remainder of the year is exceedingly dry, so much so that
nothing can be cultivated.
The heat of New Guinea is a moist one, and at times very great. The
mean temperature in the shade during the summer months is 85 deg.; were it
not for the trade winds, the heat would be overpowering. Winter is
unknown in these latitudes. In June and July the mornings and evenings
are fresh and comparatively cool. With this exception, it is impossible
to distinguish winter from summer.
The tides are very strong, and most irregular. Occasionally there will
be only one tide in 24 hours. I have studied the tides for many days,
but they remain an enigma to me. No doubt the irregularity is partly
caused by the numerous islands which would naturally cause a deviation.
Therefore, the irregularity is, maybe, only an apparent one. I do not
pretend to be learned in the laws of tides, but older and wiser heads
than mine have been hopelessly puzzled by them. At full and change it
is high water at 8 a.m., once a year there is an unusually high tide,
called in consequence, a "king tide."
The strongest wind blows from the westward and is known to the natives
as an "Arras." It occurs in the months of February and March, and as a
rule lasts for a couple of days, when there is a lull. It blows with
great force, causing a nasty sea, so when anchored it is wise to "pay
out" plenty of chain, or you may find your vessel has dragged and is
being drifted away by the tide at the rate of six or seven knots an
hour. The tide runs parallel with the coast. This is comforting, as,
should you drift away in the night unawares, you run no risk of being
stranded on a coral shore.
Some friends of mine were fast asleep on board their craft and awoke to
find they had drifted ten miles from home and it took them the whole of
the next day to beat back again to their anchorage.
The native population is estimated at 300,000. This is, however, a very
rough estimate, as no census has ever been taken; also the interior is
a _terra incognita_. The population of the coast can be fairly gauged,
but who can tell what number of inhabitants the interior contains?
There is every reason for believing that parts of the interior carry a
dense population. Great valleys have been seen in the distance; immense
tracts of grass land have been cleared, evidently for the purposes of
cultivation.
There are, I am aware, certain districts along the coast where the
population is sparse. This can always be accounted for by the poverty
of the soil. Likewise parts of the interior may be unfit for
cultivation, and therefore would be thinly inhabited.
Nevertheless, treating the interior as an unknown quantity, I consider
the estimate given, viz., 300,000, to be well under the mark. Regarding
the vitality of the race, there are no signs of decay. Generally
speaking, the natives are a healthy and vigorous people, and are more
likely to increase in numbers than die out. They are well-housed and
well-fed, very different from the nomadic tribes of Australia. The
mountain tribes of New Guinea live principally by the chase, but have
also plantations on which they cultivate large quantities of
vegetables. The natives of the coast live on the products of their
gardens and by fishing. They have no knowledge of any intoxicating
drinks, not even of "Kava," the Fijian beverage, which is made from a
palm. Therefore if they do not imbibe the vicious tastes of
civilization there is no reason why they should not perpetuate their
race for many centuries to come. The chief products of the country are
mother-of-pearl shell, Beche-de-mer (or trepang), copra, and
tortoise-shell.
The pearl shell is a big oyster, and is found in from fifteen to twenty
fathoms of water. It is obtained by divers in a diving dress. The best
dresses and pumps are made by Heincke & Co., of London. The cost of a
pump, including two double dresses, gear, etc., is L185, and if looked
after it will keep in good order for a number of years. The diver
receives L3 10_s._ per 100 shells, and is found in victuals. At times
he makes as much as L25 per week, but the amount varies greatly. They
are a most improvident class of men and reckless in the extreme. They
spend their money as fast as they earn it, and in many instances before
they have done so. Their occupation entails great risk, hence their
recklessness.
The boats used for the purpose are small luggers, from eight to fifteen
tons register; the pump is worked by natives, and the crew consists of
the diver, who acts as skipper, and a couple of South Sea Islanders or
Malays, one of whom has charge of the plumb-line, and the other acts as
"tender" to the diver and has charge of the life-line.
Great risk is incurred by the diver; the pressure from the depth of
water, which in places exceeds twenty fathoms, nearly always producing
paralysis and often death. The lower limbs are usually affected. The
first thing to be done is to give the patient a warm hip-bath, then
apply a galvanic battery to the parts affected, and should this
treatment not have the desired effect resort must be had to more
drastic measures. I have treated several divers for paralysis, and
unless it was a very severe attack have always found the above
treatment efficacious. Should a diver die on board his boat, a flag is
run up half-mast.
At Samarai, one day, I received a start. One of our pearl-shelling
boats was working in China Straits. To my surprise, I heard the reports
of a rifle in rapid succession. About two miles distant I could see
smoke rising from the stern of the boat.
The wind was very light, and she was being propelled by sweeps in the
direction of Samarai. Evidently they were in distress. I lost no time,
hailed a couple of black boys, jumped into a boat and rowed in all
haste to see what was the matter. Presently I discovered they had
hoisted their flag half-mast high. I at once concluded that the diver,
"Ned," was dead. We soon overtook them, and I leapt on board, taking it
for granted that "Ned" would never dive again. Imagine my surprise to
find "him" lying contentedly on his bunk, with eyes wide open, and
looking very unlike a corpse. I felt very much annoyed with them for
raising a false alarm. They explained that "Ned" had been slightly
paralysed and that they had run up the flag half-mast for a joke. I
failed to see the joke. "Ned" managed to walk on shore without support.
We gave him a hot bath, and in half-an-hour "Richard was himself
again."
The shell is found in straits where the tide is strongest, making it
impossible to operate except at "slack" water. The shells lie in heaps,
one on the top of the other, and in some places scattered apart.
In the London market, the value of the shell, which has to be cleaned,
scraped, and packed in cases previous to shipping, varies from L90 to
L170 a ton according to quality. The most valuable are "chicken" or
young shell. It takes 600 to make a ton, the average weight being about
3 lbs. The cost of the cases is 5_s._ 6_d._ each, and the shipping
expenses from New Guinea to London amount to L15 to L20 a ton,
including London commission. Valuable pearls are occasionally found in
the shells, in the belly of the fish, and are produced by a disease of
the shell, and are found only in grubby, wormeaten ones. Pearl shelling
in New Guinea is pretty well worked out, as no new patches have been
discovered for some months.
Beche-de-mer or "Trepang" is a kind of sea slug, and is found on the
reefs in a few feet of water.
There are eight different species, differing greatly in value, viz.,
teat, black, red, prickly red, surf red, lollie, white and sand. The
best, "teat," so called from the formation of "teats" on the fish, is
worth from L100 to L130 at the nearest Queensland port (Cooktown),
whilst lollie is of the value of L25 to L30 a ton.
The whole of it is purchased by the Chinese merchants and is shipped to
Hong-Kong, where it is eventually retailed out at a very high figure.
It is most nutritious and makes capital soup. Two fish will make enough
soup for six persons. It requires a great deal of boiling, twenty-four
hours being the allotted time.
The method of obtaining it, is to go with two or three boats full of
natives to a large reef, choosing fine, calm weather, when the natives
dive for them. You then erect a smoke-house on shore, or, if the vessel
be large enough, on board, get your boilers and boil the fish well.
Your smoke-house should have three separate layers or slides; care
should be taken to keep up a good fire and to change your fish from one
slide to the other. The fuel used is wood, of which you can always get
a plentiful supply. The whole operation takes about three days; you
then refill your boilers and proceed in like manner. The fish should
now be thoroughly cured. You then bag it in corn sacks, and previous to
shipping, capsize the bags, dry the fish in the sun, sort out the
various species and qualities, re-bag them, and send them away.
Copra is made from old coco-nuts only. The husks are removed and thrown
away as rubbish. The shells are then placed in a smoke-house and
kiln-dried, or, when possible, sun-dried. The nuts or kernels are
smashed up and then bagged. It takes fully seven thousand nuts to make
a ton, and the value in the London market is L13 to L14 for kiln-dried,
and L14 to L15 for sun-dried. The margin for profit is small, but if a
sufficient quantity be obtainable (say twenty-five tons per month) the
industry becomes profitable.
The natives value their coco-nut plantations, and attend to their
cultivation. At certain seasons numbers of the trees have the trunks
covered with a network of rattan cane. This is a sign that such trees
are "tabu" or sacred. Woe betide the man who violates the mandate until
the symbol has been removed. In this manner the trees are preserved.
Did we take the same trouble with our forest timber, we should not be
obliged to spend vast sums of money every year in importing timber from
America and other foreign countries.
Many natives are employed in the copra industry, the work always being
done on shore, for which they are paid in "trade."
Of course in these undertakings, you are always in a certain amount of
danger from the hostility of the natives, but as I have previously
remarked, "You must exercise caution and not give them a chance." A
fair amount of trade is done in tortoise-shell, but, as a rule, the
natives are loth to part with any large quantity, and are rather
exorbitant in their demands. Tortoise-shell fetches in Sydney from
5_s._ 0_d._ to 10_s._ 6_d._ per lb., according to quality. I have no
doubt, with some trouble, the trade in tortoise-shell could be
increased.
The soil and climate of New Guinea are well adapted for the cultivation
of coffee, tea, indigo, india-rubber, cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco,
sago, etc. A coffee plantation has already been started on the
mainland. The natives inland grow very good tobacco. They have also
plantations of sugar-cane on many of the islands and mainland. The cane
seems to thrive well, and from all appearances is of good quality. They
do not manufacture sugar from it, but simply chew the cane, of which
they are inordinately fond.
They manufacture sago, but do not granulate it. Oranges and lemons grow
to perfection. There is a plantation of them at Su-au (South Cape), and
on Wari (Teste Island). This industry, if undertaken by Europeans, on a
large scale, would, I have no doubt, pay handsomely. In Queensland it
pays, and why should it not in New Guinea?
In Fiji and Samoa, cotton, sugar and tea are grown to advantage. The
climate there is much the same as that of New Guinea, therefore there
is nothing, so far as I can see, to prevent them from being cultivated
in the latter country. The two things most necessary to develop the
above-mentioned industries are cheap land and capital. The Government
of New Guinea have not, I believe, as yet formulated their land policy,
but I should think that to anyone introducing capital into the country,
for the purpose of starting a genuine enterprise, they would be only
too glad to offer every inducement. The great drawback at present, is
the unhealthiness of the climate, but as cultivation proceeds, that
will improve.
In considering the feasibility of these undertakings, the first
question that presents itself is the labour question.
What labour would there be available? Would it be possible to utilise
the natives of the country, or would it be necessary to import black
labour? The question is, I admit, a serious one, as upon the answer
depends the success of such undertakings. Now, I have had considerable
experience in working the natives and therefore my opinion should have
some weight. I have no hesitation in saying that it would be possible
to utilise the natives as labourers. I have undertaken several
contracts in New Guinea, the work being done solely by natives.
One of the contracts was to clear a swamp of seven acres of all the
timber on it, and to cut up the timber into suitable lengths for
building purposes, and to stack it outside the swamp, and to burn the
undergrowth and small stuff in heaps. I engaged twenty-five natives,
and before commencing operations, made a contract with two of the
leading men to execute the work at so much per head, giving to the two
Taubadas or chiefs, a little extra. The work occupied 12 days, and was
performed in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. I superintended it, and
was very much pleased with the result. The wages were paid on
completion of the contract in hatchets, long knives, tobacco, etc. On
the Saturday night, the natives appeared in a row, awaiting payment. I
asked them if the job was finished, to which they all replied "Yes, and
that their backs were nearly broken with the hard work," which merely
meant that they were tired, and were in a hurry to receive the "trade."
As seeing is believing in these matters, before paying them I examined
the work, and found that they were mistaken. They had still five or six
hours' work left to complete their task. However, when I informed them
of the fact, they stated it was Saturday night, that they wanted to get
home to their island, and evidently did not want to return on the
Monday morning for the sake of a few hours.
I was on the horns of a dilemma. They had worked well, still I did not
want to be cheated, and on the other hand I wished them to go away in
good humour as I might require their services again before long.
How was I to act? A happy thought struck me. I made them a neat little
speech, in which I told them that I would pay them straight away, and
that they could go home to their wives that same evening. How their
faces beamed with delight! I went on to say that the work had not been
finished by them, so in consequence I had decided to deduct four sticks
of tobacco off each man's payment. I then paid them the balance, and
upon asking them if they were satisfied received an answer in the
affirmative. They also said they would be glad to come again whenever I
might require them.
So we parted friends, both parties being satisfied with the
arrangement.
They departed in good spirits, and on the Monday I obtained some
natives from another island, who finished the job in one day.
The way you work the natives is of the utmost importance.
Never cheat them, and never allow them to cheat you. Treat them kindly
but with firmness, and never lose your temper.
Follow this advice, and, I can vouch for it, you will find them
tractable and good workmen. I can strongly recommend the natives of
Milne Bay (Mainland), the islands of Sariba and Loger (China Straits)
and the island of Wari, either for plantation work, or the building of
houses. The islanders of Wari are by far the best sailors, the others
very indifferent.
* * * * *
Unlike Australia, New Guinea is never subject to periodical droughts,
and when it becomes better known, British capital will be introduced.
Industries will spring up, and the country will eventually be developed
and become the home of many of our fellow countrymen. And now, my task
being done, if task indeed it can be called, I must bid farewell to the
reader.
If he has been as much interested in the perusal of this narrative as I
have been in writing it, I am more than repaid for my trouble. Should
he at any time visit New Guinea, he will find much to interest him,
much to study and think about, and, let us hope, will return to Old
England with a mind enlarged, a wiser and a better man.
FINIS.
APPENDIX.
VOCABULARY OF LANGUAGE.
SOUTH-EAST COAST.
SUBSTANTIVES.
ENGLISH. NATIVE.
Man Tau
Woman Sina
Boy Wauwaia
Girl Hasara
Child Natuna
Father Tamada
Mother Sinana
Friend Eliam
House Numa
Village Magai
Garden Tapaisoa
Wood Kaiwa
Fire Karassi
Water Waiila
Anchorage Gaboa
Island Bona-bona
Canoe Wagga
Paddle Worsa
Tomahawk Kilam
Knife Nigua
Spear Wamari
Coco-nut Niu
Betel-nut Sada
Banana Baiira
Sago Rabia
Yam Quatea
Taro Kudo
Sweet Potato Kumara
Fish Yama
Tobacco Musa-Musa
Box Didiwagga
Property Ginauri
Chief Taubada
Turtle Warna
Dog Kedewa
Cat Simai
Rat Gimau
Pig Buroka
Fowl Kom-Kom
Flying-fox Mariboi
Bird Roro
Pigeon Siai
Land Yamba
Rocks Weku
Rope Maina
Stomach Boka
Eye Mata
Face Papari
Sun Mahana
Moon Waiikeno
Star Kipara
Wind Mana
Rain Nabu
Month Waiikeno
Day Mahana
Death Boita
Sunrise Dabura Kuraoma
Sunset Daburadui
White man Dim-Dim
Beads Burra Dim-Dim
Enough Besi
Plenty Baibaiwa
Humbug Mamakotto
To-day Wau
Yesterday Lahinai
To-morrow Marritomtom
PRONOUNS.
ENGLISH. NATIVE.
I Yau
You Kowa
Me Yau
We Ta
VERBS.
Speak Ewaro
Sleep Ekeno
Sit down Kuturi
Lie down Kakeno
Stand up Kutoro
See Kita
Understand Raupoi
Work Buggi-Buggi
Finish Koiko
Go away Kurau
Come here Kuraoma
Give Quaima
Sing Wana
ADJECTIVES.
Good Kausala
Bad Inai
Sick Kassieba
Wild Yauyauri
After Sora
Big Elaki
Small Kekina
Important Bada
True Mamahoi
INTERJECTIONS.
Thanks Te Nani
Good-day Te Nani
Good-bye Kaioni
What name Esam
Look-out Ni
Yes Oo
No Nigere
NUMERALS.
One Kesega
Two Raubui
Three Tolo
Four Esopai
Five Arigiki
Six Arigiki Kesega
Seven Arigiki Raubui
Eight Arigiki Tolo
Nine Arigiki Esopai
Ten Nimabobo
Eleven Nimabobo Kesega
Fifteen Nimabobo Arigiki
Sixteen Nimabobo Arigiki Kesega
Twenty Tauimate
I cannot vouch for the correctness of the above spelling.