the malay archipelago-2-第51章

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od　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　water　and　a　nice　place　to　bathe。　There　was　only　low　underwood　to　clear　away；　while　some　fine　forest　trees　stood　at　a　short　distance；　and　we　cut　down　the　wood　for　about　twenty　yards　round　to　give　us　light　and　air。　The　house；　about　twenty　feet　by　fifteen；　was　built　entirely　of　wood；　with　a　bamboo　floor；　a　single　door　of　thatch；　and　a　large　window；　looking　over　the　sea；　at　which　I　fixed　my　table；　and　close　beside　it　my　bed；　within　a　little　partition。　I　bought　a　number　of　very　large　palm…leaf　mats　of　the　natives；　which　made　excellent　walls；　while　the　mats　I　had　brought　myself　were　used　on　the　roof；　and　were　covered　over　with　attaps　as　soon　as　we　could　get　them　made。　Outside；　and　rather　behind；　was　a　little　hut；　used　for　cooking；　and　a　bench；　roofed　over；　where　my　men　could　sit　to　skin　birds　and　animals。　When　all　was　finished；　I　had　my　goods　and　stores　brought　up；　arranged　them　conveniently　inside；　and　then　paid　my　Papuans　with　knives　and　choppers；　and　sent　them　away。　The　next　day　our　schooner　left　for　the　more　eastern　islands；　and　I　found　myself　fairly　established　as　the　only　European　inhabitant　of　the　vast　island　of　New　Guinea。

As　we　had　some　doubt　about　the　natives；　we　slept　at　first　with　loaded　guns　beside　us　and　a　watch　set；　but　after　a　few　days；　finding　the　people　friendly；　and　feeling　sure　that　they　would　not　venture　to　attack　five　well…armed　men；　we　took　no　further　precautions。　We　had　still　a　day　or　two's　work　in　finishing　up　the　house；　stopping　leaks；　putting　up　our　hanging　shelves　for　drying　specimens　inside　and　out；　and　making　the　path　down　to　the　water；　and　a　clear　dry　space　in　front　of　the　horse。

On　the　17th；　the　steamer　not　having　arrived；　the　coal…ship　left；　having　lain　here　a　month；　according　to　her　contract；　and　on　the　same　day　my　hunters　went　out　to　shoot　for　the　first　time；　and　brought　home　a　magnificent　crown　pigeon　and　a　few　common　birds。　The　next　day　they　were　more　successful；　and　I　was　delighted　to　see　them　return　with　a　Bird　of　Paradise　in　full　plumage；　a　pair　of　the　fine　Papuan　lories　（Lorius　domicella）；　four　other　lories　and　parroquets；　a　grackle　（Gracula　dumonti）；　a　king…hunter　（Dacelo　gaudichaudi）；　a　racquet…tailed　kingfisher　（Tanysiptera　galatea）；　and　two　or　three　other　birds　of　less　beauty。

I　went　myself　to　visit　the　native　village　on　the　hill　behind　Dorey；　and　took　with　me　a　small　present　of　cloth；　knives；　and　beads；　to　secure　the　good…will　of　the　chief；　and　get　him　to　send　some　men　to　catch　or　shoot　birds　for　me。　The　houses　were　scattered　about　among　rudely　cultivated　clearings。　Two　which　I　visited　consisted　of　a　central　passage；　on　each　side　of　which　opened　short　passages；　admitting　to　two　rooms；　each　of　which　was　a　house　accommodating　a　separate　family。　They　were　elevated　at　least　fifteen　feet　above　the　ground；　on　a　complete　forest　of　poles；　and　were　so　rude　and　dilapidated　that　some　of　the　small　passages　had　openings　in　the　floor　of　loose　sticks；　through　which　a　child　might　fall。　The　inhabitants　seemed　rather　uglier　than　those　at　Dorey　village。　They　are；　no　doubt；　the　true　indi