Two Years Among the Savages of New Guinea Part 9

He would have put to shame many a waiter at a first-rate London club.

The dinner was an excellent one, and our host full of good spirits.

After doing full justice to the good things provided, the bottle was pa.s.sed round, toasts were drunk and jokes cracked. In such a varied a.s.sembly the fund of anecdote was inexhaustible. 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 took it up in the wrong light, considered it an insult, jumped up from his seat and rushed round to my friend, challenging him to fight. It was a most unfortunate _contretemps_.

Had not my friend been a man of equable temperament, and with great power of self-control, the result would have been most disastrous, and in all likelihood Mr. H----r would have 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 his temper, the storm-cloud pa.s.sed over, and all was harmony again. We learnt afterwards that our host was naturally of a most excitable nature and was of a pugnacious disposition.

Fortunately for him, my friend, like the British lion, was not easily roused. Like that n.o.ble animal, he was possessed of great strength, and in a combat would have easily vanquished his antagonist. What with singing and playing on the piano and violin, we spent a most enjoyable evening, and did not retire to rest until the small hours.

One of us occupied the only bedroom in the house, another slept on the sofa, whilst I camped in a hammock on the verandah.

Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour at which we retired to rest, we were all up at six o'clock. Coffee was then served, the most delicious coffee I had tasted for many a month. It was grown on the plantation and was properly made. How different it tasted from the coffee one gets in an hotel!

We had a refres.h.i.+ng swim in the bay, heedless of the sharks, and returned to the house ready to tackle a substantial breakfast. Breakfast over, by desire of Mr. H----r, we hailed our seaman-in-charge, viz., "Tokaiakus" the dwarf, to come on sh.o.r.e. He immediately responded, and great was the astonishment on his landing on the beach. Numbers of natives were strolling about, and they soon gathered round, gaping with wonder at our New Guinea representative.

"Tokaiakus" was no less astonished at them, and evidently considered his race far superior to theirs. When asked his opinion of the "Mioko"

natives, he replied, "They are no good, they go about naked, New Guinea man he wear clothes." Different people have different opinions.

Although our dwarf was more decently dressed than they, he was not overburdened with garments, being covered by a palm leaf. Nevertheless, clothing has its degrees, and his was a comparative one.

In company with the manager we went over the different buildings and inspected the various improvements. Everything was of a substantial character, and the manager informed us that the profits of the Mioko Branch for the year 1887 were 1,300, which, in our opinion, was very good.

We paid a visit to the cutter, _Atafu_, and were invited by her captain to stay to lunch. She is 37 tons register and a very smart-looking craft, 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 had just been white-washed. A great bell, which rang at 9 a.m.

every day, was a signal for certain natives to proceed on board and wash down decks.

Everything on board was scrupulously clean, and, as on board a man-of-war, in its proper place. The captain received 12 a month and his food, and, with such a vessel under him, I consider his lot a happy one.

In the afternoon we strolled round the plantation. The land here is fertile, and a large area of it is owned by the Hamburg Company. Mr.

H----r purposed going to the "Fatherland" shortly, when the managers.h.i.+p would fall to his a.s.sistant, and, if I may venture the remark, the change would be a beneficial one.

Copra is the princ.i.p.al industry carried on, though coffee is grown to some extent. The latter product pays well, therefore I wonder there is not more attention paid to its cultivation.

The natives' canoes are much lighter built than those of New Guinea, and do not carry a sail. They are used for paddling only, and never venture out of sight of land. 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 wear no clothing whatever, but the women have an apology for a gra.s.s petticoat. It cannot, strictly speaking, be called a petticoat. However, they are not quite nude.

In the evening, the conversation turning on boats, we did not fail to sound the praises of our little craft, that had carried us so far and so safely. The others, on the other hand, did not forget to crack up the merits of the _Atafu_. After a lot of bragging on both sides it was decided to settle the differences of opinion by a race between the rival vessels. We, I may say in pa.s.sing, 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-third the size of the _Atafu_, we received half an hour start. The stakes were 5 a side, but two or three private bets were made in addition. The rules to be observed during the race were taken down in writing by the manager and his a.s.sistant. One of the rules was "that no oar was to be used throughout the race."

Great interest was evinced by them in the approaching contest, and the conditions were duly signed by both parties. The captain and owners of the _Atafu_ were quite confident of victory, and ridiculed the idea of our having the ghost of a chance. It must be recollected that our cutter was but 12 tons, and what chance would she 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 sails and sheets in good order, rigged up an awning as a square sail, set our topsail, and by a little after 10 o'clock had everything ready for a start. Now that we were in for it we determined to do our best and see if, notwithstanding our insignificant appearance, we could not lower the "Mioko" flag, and lessen their conceit.

A fresh south-easter was blowing, but happily not too strong to prevent us crowding every st.i.tch of canvas on her. The land of New Britain was dimly visible in the distance, and a dewy freshness filled 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 position on the wharf, fired his revolver as a signal to be off. We were close in to the sh.o.r.e, and as there was no room to manoeuvre, our skipper, S----g, sang out, "Get out an oar and pull the bows round."

The command was promptly executed, her head paid round, the oars were thrown down the hold, and like a greyhound from the leash she bounded forth, straining every nerve and sinew to be first in at the "death."

The _Atafu_, in full sail, soon appeared in sight, and great was our anxiety to discover whether she gained on us.

We held our lead, however, and at 1.30 p.m. dropped anchor off Ralume, within a few yards of a reef. We had the sails furled, the ropes coiled, and the "Billy" boiled, when the _Atafu_ "came to" abreast of us, 35 minutes behind.

We lost no time in boarding her in order to sympathise with them in their defeat. To our surprise they would not acknowledge that they had been beaten. Upon our demanding an explanation, they stated that, in consequence of our having used an oar at the 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 been beaten on their own merits, and evidently did not relish the fact. They had come specially from "Mioko" for the race, and returned home the same day, considerably crestfallen and with a higher opinion of our little craft than they had had hitherto.

"Ralume" boasts of a splendid plantation, the property of Mrs. F----h, who is one of the best business women I have ever met. She does all the correspondence, keeps the accounts, and personally superintends the work of the plantation. Of course she has a manager, and a very capable 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 very rich, is cultivated right down to the sea. There is a good deal of limestone in the neighbourhood, and the appearance of the country for miles along the coast is very beautiful. The land is not rugged, like that of New Ireland, but has more the appearance of an English park.

Twenty miles from the coast there is a range of mountains, the country beyond which is supposed by the natives to be inhabited by a race of dwarfs. This, however, has been proved to be a myth. 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. I inspected several bales of cotton which were ready for s.h.i.+pment. They appeared of very good quality, and the manager, Mr. P----, told me it realized from 1_s._ to 1_s._ 3_d._ per pound in Sydney.

There are over 150 labourers working on the plantation, most of them from the Solomon Islands and the remainder from New Ireland. Not a single native of New Britain was among the number, as they will not work except when away from their own country.

Occasionally some of the New Ireland boys attempt to escape and return to their homes. These however are the exceptions, as the majority appeared satisfied with their lot. They were evidently well cared for, as those that I saw were in first-rate condition, and as jolly as sandboys.

The Stars and Stripes were flying at the peak of the flagstaff in front of Mrs. F----h's house, in honour of her late husband, who was an American. She herself is a half-caste Samoan, and as intelligent and accomplished a woman as any European.

The house is situated on the top of a high cliff, commanding a magnificent view, with Blanche Bay a few miles to the north-west, the Duke of York Islands in the distance, and to the eastward loomed the towering mountains of New Ireland.

On the far side of Blanche Bay, the eye is arrested by two mountains named respectively the "Mother" and "Daughter," conspicuous from their peculiar formation.

The "Daughter" is the smaller of the two, and is apparently nestling by the side of the other. Hence no doubt their names.

There is considerable volcanic activity in this neighbourhood. Close by the mountains mentioned above, a cloud of smoke, distinctly visible, is to be seen issuing from a fissure, which is sufficient evidence of volcanic disturbance.

For my part I should not be surprised at any time to read in the news of the day that an eruption or earthquake had taken place on the sh.o.r.es of Blanche Bay.

Should that day come, which I trust will never be the case, then adieu to fair "Ralume" and its fair inhabitants, good-bye to "Matupi" and its living occupants. Blanche Bay would be no more. Who can foresee the wondrous changes in the configuration of the land that would be wrought by such a convulsion of nature?

G.o.d forbid that it should ever occur, but those living in the vicinity of Blanche Bay cannot but remember the terrible upheavals 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 thereof," but I must confess I should hesitate before purchasing a 999 or even a 99 years' lease of land in that part of New Britain.

Ascending a steep path, we soon arrived at the Homestead, and were fortunate in finding Mrs. F----h at home.

She had been much surprised at the sight of our cutter flying the British flag, and was most curious to learn from what country we had come or whether we had dropped from the clouds. We willingly satisfied her curiosity, and told her that we had come on a piratical expedition and in search of any adventures that might befall us.

The house was the model of a planter's home, and everything about it bore the mark of refinement.

The arrangement of the rooms, the garden, the flowers, the ornaments, the piano with its tomes of music and song, the books, indicative of the reader's taste, all told us that.

To us three, who were used to rough companions, and had not seen the face of a woman, save in New Guinea, for many months, it was most refres.h.i.+ng to meet Mrs. F----h. We felt we had reached the borders of Paradise, and our only regret was that our stay must necessarily be a short one.

We were all seated on the verandah, including Mrs. F----h, and enjoying our cigarettes and lager beer, when one of the "Houris" of Paradise arrived on the 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 with admiration, and no wonder, for she was a girl of transcendent beauty. I had often read of "Houris," but had never, until now, seen one in the fles.h.!.+

Can I describe her?

I fear not with justice. There is as much difference between my description and the girl herself as there is between a corpse and one who is alive.

To begin with, she had just reached her nineteenth year. She was of medium height, having an oval face with beautiful soft dark eyes guarded by long dark eyelashes; a clear olive complexion, with the 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 from the Garden of Eden, and held out her hand to greet us. Was it to be wondered at that my friend was enchanted by the vision, when two such hard-hearted mortals as K----h and I were sensibly affected?

Mrs. F----h pioneered us over the plantation, and explained to us everything of interest. She took great pride in her property, and well she might. She thoroughly understood the management of a plantation, as she had had experience of such matters in Samoa, where many years ago her father had been a planter.

We met here Count Pfeil, a German in the service of the Government, who acted as Customs House officer, etc. He and the Judge lived on a small island not far from "Mioko." He had 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 age, very handsome and with an erect carriage. He was of high birth, but poor, so had accepted a Government berth in the Bismarck Archipelago, receiving as salary 500 per annum.

He was well-known as an explorer, and not long ago, at the head of 100 blacks, had penetrated some distance into the interior of New Ireland.

He found the natives most hostile. They attacked his rear column, killing several of his men. He attempted to retaliate, but they out-manoeuvred him. He spoke of the country as very mountainous and rugged, with good indications of minerals. He expressed his astonishment at our not having anch.o.r.ed off his island and reported ourselves to the representatives of the Government. We a.s.sumed child-like ignorance of such things; the truth was we had purposely pa.s.sed the place, as the anchorage there is bad, and furthermore, it was rather out of our way. He was very gentlemanly, but informed us that he would have to impose a fine for our breach of etiquette, and that he would board our vessel on the morrow. We thanked him and he departed.

The manager of the plantation, Mr. P----, lived in a pretty little house, 100 yards or so beyond the owner's.