the malay archipelago-2-第45节

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aits；　where　we　were　again　becalmed；　and　were　three　more　days　creeping　through　them。　Several　native　canoes　now　came　off　to　us　from　Waigiou　on　one　side；　and　Batanta　on　the　other；　bringing　a　few　common　shells；　palm…leaf　mats；　cocoa…nuts；　and　pumpkins。　They　were　very　extravagant　in　their　demands；　being　accustomed　to　sell　their　trifles　to　whalers　and　China　ships；　whose　crews　will　purchase　anything　at　ten　times　its　value。　My　only　purchases　were　a　float　belonging　to　a　turtle…spear；　carved　to　resemble　a　bird；　and　a　very　well　made　palm…leaf　box；　for　which　articles　I　gave　a　copper　ring　and　a　yard　of　calico。　The　canoes　were　very　narrow　and　furnished　with　an　outrigger；　and　in　some　of　them　there　was　only　one　man；　who　seemed　to　think　nothing　of　coming　out　alone　eight　or　ten　miles　from　shore。　The　people　were　Papuans；　much　resembling　the　natives　of　Aru。

When　we　had　got　out　of　the　Straits；　and　were　fairly　in　the　great　Pacific　Ocean；　we　had　a　steady　wind　for　the　first　time　since　leaving　Ternate；　but　unfortunately　it　was　dead　ahead；　and　we　had　to　beat　against　it；　tacking　on　and　off　the　coast　of　New　Guinea。　I　looked　with　intense　interest　on　those　rugged　mountains；　retreating　ridge　behind　ridge　into　the　interior；　where　the　foot　of　civilized　man　had　never　trod。　There　was　the　country　of　the　cassowary　and　the　tree…kangaroo；　and　those　dark　forests　produced　the　most　extraordinary　and　the　most　beautiful　of　the　feathered　inhabitants　of　the　earththe　varied　species　of　Birds　of　Paradise。　A　few　days　more　and　I　hoped　to　be　in　pursuit　of　these；　and　of　the　scarcely　less　beautiful　insects　which　accompany　them。　We　had　still；　however；　for　several　days　only　calms　and　light　head…winds；　and　it　was　not　till　the　l0th　of　April　that　a　fine　westerly　breeze　set　in；　followed　by　a　squally　night；　which　kept　us　off　the　entrance　of　Dorey　harbour。　The　next　morning　we　entered；　and　came　to　anchor　off　the　small　island　of　Mansinam；　on　which　dwelt　two　German　missionaries；　Messrs。　Otto　and　Geisler。　The　former　immediately　came　on　board　to　give　us　welcome；　and　invited　us　to　go　on　shore　and　breakfast　with　him。　We　were　then　introduced　to　his　companion　who　was　suffering　dreadfully　from　an　abscess　on　the　heel；　which　had　confined　him　to　the　house　for　six　monthsand　to　his　wife；　a　young　German　woman；　who　had　been　out　only　three　months。　Unfortunately　she　could　speak　no　Malay　or　English；　and　had　to　guess　at　our　compliments　on　her　excellent　breakfast　by　the　justice　we　did　to　it。

These　missionaries　were　working　men；　and　had　been　sent　out；　as　being　more　useful　among　savages　than　persons　of　a　higher　class。　They　had　been　here　about　two　years；　and　Mr。　Otto　had　already　learnt　to　speak　the　Papuan　language　with　fluency；　and　had　begun　translating　some　portions　of　the　Bible。　The　language；　however；　is　so　poor　that　a　considerable　number　of　Malay　words　have　to　be　used；　and　it　is　very　questionable　whether　it　is　possible　to　convey　any　idea　of　such　a　book；　to　a　people　in　so　low　a　state　of　civilization。　The　only　nominal　converts　yet　made　are　a　few　of　the　women；　and　some　few　of　the　children　attend　school；　and　are　being　taught　to　read；　but　they　make　little　progress。　There　is　one　feature　of　this　mission　which　I　believe　will　materially　interfere　with　its　moral　effect。　The　missionaries　are　allowed　to　trade　to　eke　out　the　very　small　salaries　granted　them　from　Europe；　and　of　course　are　obliged　to　carry　out　the　trade　principle　of　buying　cheap　and　selling　dear；　in　order　to　make　a　profit。　Like　all　savages　the　natives　are　quite　careless　of　the　future；　and　when　their　small　rice　crops　are　gathered　they　bring　a　large　portion　of　it　to　the　missionaries；　and　sell　it　for　knives；　beads；　axes；　tobacco；　or　any　other　articles　they　may　require。　A　few　months　later；　in　the　wet　season；　when　food　is　scarce；　they　come　to　buy　it　back　again；　and　give　in　exchange　tortoiseshell；　tripang；　wild　nutmegs；　or　other　produce。　Of　course　the　rice　is　sold　at　a　much　higher　rate　than　it　was　bought；　as　is　perfectly　fair　and　just　and　the　operation　is　on　the　whole　thoroughly　beneficial　to　the　natives；　who　would　otherwise　consume　and　waste　their　food　when　it　was　abundant；　and　then　starveyet　I　cannot　imagine　that　the　natives　see　it　in　this　light。　They　must　look　upon　the　trading　missionaries　with　some　suspicion；　and　cannot　feel　so　sure　of　their　teachings　being　disinterested；　as　would　be　the　case　if　they　acted　like　the　Jesuits　in　Singapore。　The　first　thing　to　be　done　by　the　missionary　in　attempting　to　improve　savages；　is　to　convince　them　by　his　actions　that　lie　comes　among　them　for　their　benefit　only；　and　not　for　any　private　ends　of　his　own。　To　do　this　he　must　act　in　a　different　way　from　other　men；　not　trading　and　taking　advantage　of　the　necessities　of　those　who　want　to　sell；　but　rather　giving　to　those　who　are　in　distress。　It　would　he　well　if　he　conformed　himself　in　some　degree　to　native　customs；　and　then　endeavoured　to　show　how　these　customs　might　be　gradually　modified；　so　as　to　be　more　healthful　and　more　agreeable。　A　few　energetic　and　devoted　men　acting　in　this　way　might　probably　effect　a　decided　moral　improvement　on　the　lowest　savage　tribes；　whereas　trading　missionaries；　teaching　what　Jesus　said；　but　not　doing　as　He　did；　can　scarcely　be　expected　to　do　more　than　give　them　a　very　little　of　the　superficial　varnish　of　religion。

Dorey　harbour　is　in　a　fine　bay；　at　one　extremity　of　which　an　elevated　point　juts　out；　and；　with　two　or　three　small　islands；　forms　a　sheltered　anchorage。　The　only　vessel　it　contained　when　we　arrived　was　a　Dutch　brig；　laden　with　coals　for　the　use　of　a　war…　steamer；　which　was　expected　daily；　on　an　exploring　expedition　along　the　coasts　of　New　Guinea；　for　the　purpose　of　fixing　on　a　locality　for　a　colony。　In　the　evening　we　paid　it　a　visit；　and　landed　at　the　village　of　Dorey；　to　look　out　for　a　place　where　I　could　build　my　house。　Mr。　Otto　also　made　arrangements　for　me　with　some　of　the　native　chiefs；　to　send　men　to　cut　wood；　rattans；　and　bamboo　the　next　day。

The　villages　of　Mansinam　and　Dorey　presented　some　features　quite　new　to　me。　The　houses　all　stand　completely　in　the　water；　and　are　reached　by　long　rude　bridges。　They　are　very　low；　with　the　roof　shaped　like　a　large　boat；　bottom　upwards。　The　posts　which　support　the　houses；　bridges；　and　platforms　are　small　crooked　sticks；　placed　without　any　regularity；　and　looking　as　if　they　were　tumbling　down。　The　floors　are　also　formed　of　sticks；　equally　irregular；　and　so　loose　and　far　apart　that　I　found　it　almost　impossible　to　walls　on　them。　The　walls　consist　of　bits　of　boards；　old　boats；　rotten　mats；　attaps；　and　palm…leaves；　stuck　in　anyhow　here　and　there；　and　having　altogether　the　most　wretched　and　dilapidated　appearance　it　is　possible　to　conceive。　Under　the　eaves　of　many　of　the　houses　hang　human　skulls；　the　trophies　of　their　battles　with　the　savage　Arfaks　of　the　interior；　who　often　come　to　attack　them。　A　large　boat…shaped　council…house　is　supported　on　larger　posts；　each　of　which　is　grossly　carved　to　represent　a　naked　male　or　female　human　figure；　and　other　carvings　still　more　revolting　are　placed　upon　the　platform　before　the　entrance。　The　view　of　an　ancient　lake…dweller's　village；　given　as　the　frontispiece　of　Sir　Charles　Lyell's　〃Antiquity　of　Man；〃　is　chiefly　founded　on　a　sketch　of　this　very　village　of　Dorey；　but　the　extreme　regularity　of　the　structures　there　depicted　has　no　place　in　the　original；　any　more　than　it　probably　had　in　the　actual　lake…villages。

The　people　who　inhabit　these　miserable　huts　are　very　similar　to　the　Ke　and　Aru　islanders；　and　many　of　them　are　very　handsome；　being　tall　and　well…made；　with　well…cut　features　and　large　aquiline　noses。　Their　colour　is　a　deep　brown；　often　approaching　closely　to　black；　and　the　fine　mop…like　heads　of　frizzly　hair　appear　to　be　more　common　than　elsewhere；　and　are　considered　a　great　ornament；　a　long　six…pronged　bamboo　fork　being　kept　stuck　in　them　to　serve　the　purpose　of　a　comb；　and　this　is　assiduously　used　at　idle　moments　to　keep　the　densely　growing　mass　from　becoming　matted　and　tangled。　The　majority　have　short　woolly　hair；　which　does　not　seem　capable　of　an　equally　luxuriant　development。　A　growth　of　hair　somewhat　similar　to　this；　and　almost　as　abundant；　is　found　among　the　half…breeds　between　the　Indian　and　Negro　in　South　America。　Can　this　be　an　indication　that　the　Papuans　are　a　mixed　race？

For　the　first　three　days　after　our　arrival　I　was　fully　occupied　from　morning　to　night　building　a　house；　with　the　assistance　of　a　dozen　Papuans　and　my　own　men。　It　was　immense　trouble　to　get　our　labourers　to　work；　as　scarcely　one　of　them　could　speak　a　word　of　Malay；　and　it　was　only　by　the　most　energetic　gesticulations；　and　going　through　a　regular　pantomime　of　what　was　wanted；　that　we　could　get　them　to　do　anything。　If　we　made　them　understand　that　a　few　more　poles　were　required；　which　two　could　have　easily　cut；　six　or　eight　would　insist　upon　going　together；　although　we　needed　their　assistance　in　other　things。　One　morning　ten　of　them　came　to　work；　bringing　only　one　chopper　between　them；　although　they　knew　I　had　none　ready　for　use。

I　chose　a　place　about　two　hundred　yards　from　the　beach；　on　an　elevated　ground；　by　the　side　of　the　chief　path　from　the　village　of　Dorey　to　the　provision…grounds　and　the　forest。　Within　twenty　yards　was　a　little　stream；　which　furnished　us　with　excellent