Two Years Among the Savages of New Guinea.

sit to Mr. H--r, the manager of the "Mioko" plantation. "

t extensive. Mr. H--r and his assistant, both of them Germans, were

roof of shingles; and, being lined with bamboo, was, notwithstanding the tropical heat, always cool inside. They gave us a hearty welcome although

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 differ

for obtaining labour recruits from the South Seas, and for visiting the different out-stations of the co

r, pressed us to be his guests for a couple of days, and we gladly accepted. Accustom

look after her and keep strangers away. The harbour is completely land-locked, being hemm

mate a Yankee, so that the various nationalities were well represented. A smart native youth, specially trained by Mr. H--r, waited at tab

haustible. 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

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 h

sessed of great strength, and in a combat would have easily vanquished his antagonist. What with singing and pla

he house, another slept on the sofa, whi

. Coffee was then served, the most delicious coffee I had tasted for many a month. It was grown on

re 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

to theirs. When asked his opinion of the "Mioko" natives, he replied, "They are no good, th

t overburdened with garments, being covered by a palm leaf. Never

provements. Everything was of a substantial character, and the manager informed us that the p

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 ha

-war, in its proper place. The captain received ￡12 a month and his f

owned by the Hamburg Company. Mr. H--r purposed going to the "Fatherland" shortly, when the managersh

grown to some extent. The latter product pays well, therefore

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

es 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-thi

e 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 sail

d 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 pos

thrown down the hold, and like a greyhound from the leash she bounde

d in sight, and great was our anxiety

in a few yards of a reef. We had the sails furled, the ropes coiled, and th

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 b

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

th. 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.

on Islands and the remainder from New Ireland. Not a single native of New Britain w

owever are the exceptions, as the majority appeared satisfied with their lot. They were eviden

F--h's house, in honour of her late husband, who was an American. She herself is

w, with Blanche Bay a few miles to the north-west, the Duke of York Islands in

y two mountains named respectively the "Mother" and "

, and is apparently nestling by the side

ountains mentioned above, a cloud of smoke, distinctly visible, is to be seen

read in the news of the day that an eruption or ear

abitants, good-bye to "Matupi" and its living occupants. Blanche Bay would be no more. Who can foresee t

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 there

ived at the Homestead, and were for

from what country we had come or whether we had dropped from the clouds. We willingly satisfied her curiosity,

nter's home, and everything abou

ornaments, the piano with its tomes of music and song, th

New Guinea, for many months, it was most refreshing to meet Mrs. F--h. We felt we had reached

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 w

descri

nce between my description and the girl herself a

e 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 f

pride in her property, and well she might. She thoroughly understood the management of a plantation,

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

ago, at the head of 100 blacks, had penetrated

ressed 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 t

P--, lived in a pretty little house

pt 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

inner was announced. Sentiment fled, and the practical side of life presented itself to us. To

t hand of the fair Hebe, Miss G--e, whilst my friend,

f her loveliness and natural grace, but also bec

, and had left it a year ago. She knew German thoroughly, was an accomplished m

ere natives of New Ireland, the third, a native of the Admiralty Islands. They had been with our hostess for t

St. Nicotine. Later on in the evening, Mrs. P--n, the manager's wife, put in an appearance; and as there were now thre

rms of the belle of the evening, I only danced with

n and English; solos, du

my friend would not hear of it. He was utterly infatuated. Ten minutes more, and he would come-but t

y bade our friends good-night,

Dwarf-who was supposed to be in charge of the vessel. Not a s

he cutter, so we could not

egions, his ugly head appeared above the bulwarks, and he came in the

uches-each of us dreaming that he was in Par

received a visit

ing given satisfactory answers to his several queries he stated that he had decided to impose on us

d 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 German

of, as if kept much longer it would go bad. Mrs. F--h relieved us of one

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 wish

interested in him, for they had never seen a full-grown native of so small a

expression of disgust was ludicrous, so to gratify him I said he must not take offence, as the natives

nding 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

to go in her. The boat, manned by twelve South Sea Islanders, labourers on the plantation, called for me at 4.0

st, 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 s

one stick of trade tobacco for six yams. They prefer to receive the native money called "Tambu." It is worth t

ife if desired. It is as much a standard coin of t

es 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 ornam

a mop of twisted string-like plaits which hang

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

ndividuals 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

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

d 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 neve

the spot for a picnic. It was uninha

the dinghy over the reef, as, excep

ase of lager beer. The ladies had sensibly provided themselves with a coup

s, and the canopy of Heaven for a roof. Here you are in the tropics. The night was warm, the mosquitoes numerous. They did not troubl

est, casting a weird glamour o'er the scene. The beauty of th

utiful i

ness fills t

, nor cloud, nor

e serene

d glory yond

gh the dark

her st

rt circl

ocean, girdle

tiful is

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 t

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 th