ADVENTURE IN A PAPUAN LAKE-VILLAGE.
And now, if you will take one further wee glance at that
prettily-coloured map of yours, you shall find Australia easily
enough. But look at its northern shores, and you will be able to see
a great gap there called the Gulf of Carpentaria, and on its eastern
shore and point is Cape York, separated from the large island called
New Guinea by the Straits of Torres. There! I am teaching you
geography in a more pleasant way than you have it dished up at school.
Well, this vast island has never been really or thoroughly explored,
for two reasons principally, because the inhabitants--a mixture of
Papuans and aboriginal Australians--are never quite civil to white
men, and because the climate is moist among the forests or tropical
verdure that lies low along the shores, and fever, therefore, always
ready to make a victim of the adventurer. But inland, if one gets
safely through the regions of damp and forest fogs, will be found
many a beautiful hill and dell, quite a mountain-land, exceeding in
romantic grandeur some parts of Scotland itself.
It was in 1889 that brave Sir W. M'Gregor explored the island--to
some considerable extent. New Guinea, he found, is almost everywhere
clothed with rich and highly diversified flora. His party, after
passing successively through the dominions of tropical plants, such
as the cocoa-nut, sago, banana, mango, taro, and sugar-cane, and of
such temperate or sub-tropical growth as the cedar, oak, fig, acacia,
pine, and tree-fern, were gladdened in the higher slopes by the sight
of the wild strawberry, forget-me-not, daisy, buttercup, and other
familiar British plants; while towards the summit these were
succeeded by a true Alpine flora, in which Himalayan, Bohean, New
Zealand, and sub-Antarctic forms were all numerously represented.
And this was the strange wild island to which the _Osprey_ was now to
steer. On what business bent I never could say for certain. But I
rather think it was to spy out the land; our own half that is, for we
kindly and considerately permit the Germans and Dutch to do what they
like with the other half. Neither make good colonists; the Dutch are
too slow, the Germans too frightened at natives.
These savages are either quite peaceable and industrious, or wild and
fierce, with a strong liking for "man-meat" or "long-pig". These
terrible wretches like pork, but will lick the backs of their black
hands, and declare to you, that there is nothing in the world to beat
roast missionary, as a _piece de resistance_, or cold side-dish. The
fiercest tribes live among the mountains.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The _Osprey_, with fine weather nearly all the way, reached Cape
York, lying in for a few days at the port of Albany.
Then she stood right away north to Port Moresby, where is a British
government-station--not of great consequence, it must be admitted.
Here the anchor was let go, and boats came off from shore. Our
people shook brown, sun-tanned hands with their countrymen, and a
hearty welcome was accorded to all.
The blue-jackets were permitted to land in relays, on pain, however,
of punishment if they interfered in any way with the Papuan natives.
For really Jack's ways with niggers--as he calls all black or even
brown people--are sometimes rather free and easy, to say the least of
it.
Now, Captain Leeward was fully alive to the quiet pluck and bravery
that Creggan and his friend the Ugly Duckling had ever exhibited in
the presence of danger, and would have trusted them to go anywhere
and do anything. And they were always so willing and cheerful, that
it was a pleasure to the captain to let them go exploring whenever so
minded. He knew they would not be foolishly rash.
Well, when Creggan and his friend landed, they determined to have a
good look around, and even to make a dive into the splendid tropical
forest behind the settlement.
They took Goodwin the mate with them for a bodyguard, with one
sailor, bold Jack Hing--poor fellow, he was afterwards drowned on the
China station. For a handful of coppers they obtained the guidance
of a "boy". This "boy", however, was fully forty years of age,
judging from appearance. But he seemed kindly disposed, showed a
splendid set of teeth when he smiled, and looked generally jolly.
Both Hurricane Bob and Oscar went on this picnic, and how they did
scamper around and enjoy themselves, to be sure! But I must add that
they sadly frightened the black ladies and children, as the Ugly
Duckling grandly called them. They ran shrieking away as soon as
Bob's voice sounded along the beach, and hid themselves in the cool
darkness of their leaf-and-bamboo huts.
This tribe seemed very industrious. They were allowed but little
rum. It is that which turns the ordinary savage into a wild raving
maniac, and causes him to run "amok" with knife, or spear, or nulla,
slaying every man, woman, or child he meets till he himself is slain.
The people here made pretty baskets, and worked in clay also, even
young children assisting. Then Creggan found near to the shore many
cultivated fields surrounded by wattling and hedges. In these grew
paddy, sweet potatoes, and the lordly yam.
The men, too, went out fishing. There are two species of boats here.
One I might describe as a kind of Papuan gondola of large dimensions.
About fifteen tons or over. These boats are low in the centre, but
sweep upwards at the stern and bows, rather prettily too. Then there
is the ordinary dug-out, which is simply a tree-trunk formed into
boat-shape by axe and adze, the inside finished off with fire to
harden it, after which thwarts are nailed, or rather pegged across.
But your dug-out would turn turtle if not fitted on each side with
long out-riggers. This dug-out is common also in most parts of
savage Africa.
Creggan's guide on this occasion was a very good specimen of his
tribe. When you see one grown man you know what the rest are like.
The guide, then, was as black as--as--I was going to say soot, but
that is really a black that has a rusty tinge in it. As black, then,
as the inside of an empty tar-barrel with the bung in.
Well, Ephraim--as Creggan called him, though why I am sure I could
not tell you--had, to begin with, such a mop of frizzly hair, that
had you turned him upside down it might have been used to sweep the
decks with. This hair was black, but intermixed with silvery
threads. Both brows and nose were rather prominent. His nostrils
were wide, and moved about with every word he said. He was most
spirited too, emphasizing every voluble sentence with strange
gestures and shrugging of shoulders.
Most of the men seen had their hair and beards stained with reddish
clay, but not so Ephraim. He was proud of his gray hairs. His mouth
was quite the same as the real African nigger; wide enough to have
engulfed an ordinary-sized turnip, and the lips were very bulgy and
thick. Armlets, bangles, and ear-rings of brass are common to both
sexes.
Little children went about entirely naked. Ephraim's whole suit of
wearing apparel could not have cost much anywhere. He had a bit of
manilla rope round the waist, to which his sheathed knife was fixed,
and to which also was attached what looked like a dirty towel. This
was tied to the rope in front, passed between the limbs, and was tied
to the rope again at the back. But there was nothing repulsive about
this man. He looked bold, erect, and honest; nor would his glance
have quailed before the Queen.
His wife, for he had one, was positively prepossessing; and I am
really glad to testify to this, for the pictures of Papuans placed
before our school-boys are terrible caricatures.
Ephraim's wife was certainly undressed from the waist upwards, with
the exception of bangles and a necklace of teeth, and pretty shells,
pink and snow-white. From the waist to the knees she wore a skirt of
grass cloth, surmounted by a shorter one of fringed cocoa-nut fibre.
She smiled affably and innocently when Creggan spoke to her, showing
teeth as white as those of a six-months-old Newfoundland dog, and she
glanced upwards at the handsome lieutenant with eyes that were
certainly beautiful.
There was something truly good in Treekee's heart, I'm sure, for
seeing the dogs pant, she brought a calabash of water, and lying down
beside them in the shade of a tree-fern, made them drink from the
half of a cocoanut-shell.
Honest Bob licked Treekee's black face to show his gratitude.
That day our heroes had a long tour through the forest with Ephraim
and his wife. They had come armed, but did not find much to shoot,
so they contented themselves by making a collection of splendid
butterflies and beautifully-coloured beetles.
Ephraim got them back by three o'clock. He then proposed that they
should be rowed over in dug-outs to visit a lake-village. Their own
boat was hauled up safely under the banana-trees. So away they went.
It was certainly the strangest little town that Creggan had ever
visited. It consisted of about sixty huts in all, each of which was
elevated above the water on strong poles or scaffolding, fully nine
feet above the surface.
The walls of these huts were of bamboo, that is, the framework. Over
this slabs of pith were placed. The roofs were of grass and plantain
leaves, and each was supplied with a shutter, generally open all day
to admit light and air, and get rid of smoke. Into one of the
largest of these huts our heroes crawled by a withy ladder, while
Ephraim returned, promising to be back an hour before sunset.
Well, Creggan was quite astonished at the amount of room inside this
lake-dwelling, although the walls from platform to eaves were only
about five feet high.
The floor was of pith over bamboo, and spread with a
charmingly-worked grass carpet. A fire could be lit, when needed for
cooking purposes, on a red-clay hearth at one end. But at present it
was out, so the room was delightfully cool.
Their welcome was a hearty one, and as Creggan had brought beads and
ribbons and tobacco as gifts, the owner--a fine-looking
specimen,--his young wife, and two toddling children were all
delighted.
But Creggan, or rather Goodwin, had brought also a bountiful repast.
There was quite enough for all.
The chief--if chief he was--nodded significantly to his wife,
muttering something that our young fellows could not understand. She
immediately arose and put both children to bed in a corner. They
didn't require any undressing, for the dear wee black totties, as
Ugly Duckling called them, wore nothing save a string of kangaroo
teeth.
Then the good lady brought knives and spears, and other implements of
savage warfare, and laid them down on the mat on which Creggan and
his friends were squatting.
This was an act of good faith, and said plainly enough:
"Lo! you are safe in my hut. Behold I place all my weapons at your
feet."
But this chief could talk fairly good English, and he spun some
terrible yarns, about the fierce men who dwelt among the wild
mountains. He entreated them not to venture there, else they would
return "plenty dead, and much bloody".
This was not encouraging, so Creggan thought over a plan he had
formed for visiting the hills, and finally gave it up, for a time at
all events.
"Plenty bad mountain men. Plenty white men dey makee fat, den roast
and gobble up. Brains smashee out wi' one club. Oh, mountain men
plenty mooch big fellows!"
"But for all that," said Creggan to his friend, "I should like to go
some day."
"Yes," replied the Duckling; "but I wouldn't like to be fed up and
killed and cooked--eh, would you?"
"Roast duckling and green peas," said Creggan maliciously. "Come,
sing these folks a song, old chap, and you sha'n't be cooked. There!"
The Duckling did as told, and the chief and his wife seemed charmed.
Even the children sat up on one end in the corner, and rolled their
white eyes in ecstasy.
So the time passed away very cheerfully indeed. But lo! just before
the hour for the dug-outs to arrive a squall came on, the water or
spray dashed high over the roof of the hut, and when Creggan peeped
out it was all a-smother as far as he could see.
They hoped against hope that the weather would moderate, but squall
succeeded squall, and soon darkness fell over land and water. It was
evident, therefore, that our heroes were prisoners for one night.
Well, your true sailor always tries to make the best of every
adventure. They had plenty to eat of their own, and lighting the
fire the kindly Papuan lady cooked and placed fish before them on
palm-leaf plates.
Then they had delicious fruit--bananas such as you never see in our
land, guavas that tasted like strawberries smothered in cream,
glorious rosy mangoes, and cocoanut-milk to drink.
They were happy.
More songs were sung, more stories told, and then, with the utmost
confidence, our sailor-lads laid themselves back on their mats, using
their jackets for pillows, and were soon sound and fast asleep.
Daylight was shimmering in through the crevices of door and shutter
when Creggan awoke. The room was hot, so, seeing him wipe the
perspiration from his brow, the chief, after nodding a kindly
good-morning, opened the gable door.
The water was deeply blue, not a cloud was to be seen in the cerulean
sky, and the wind was hushed. Beyond was the beautiful cloudland of
forest trees and waving palms, and away on the horizon the
everlasting hills.