Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake Volume I Part 16

(*Footnote. The annexed ill.u.s.tration represents this kind of sail--it was not however taken from the canoe in question, but on a subsequent occasion, and at another part of the Louisiade Archipelago.)

WATERING-CREEK ON SOUTH-EAST ISLAND. ITS SCENERY.

June 26th.

Yesterday afternoon the Rattlesnake was removed to the neighbourhood of the proposed watering-place on South-east Island, and anch.o.r.ed in seventeen fathoms, mud, a mile off sh.o.r.e. Soon after daylight I accompanied Captain Stanley and a party in two boats to ascend the neighbouring creek and determine whether a practicable watering-place existed there. For several hundred yards above the entrance we found the channel preserving a nearly uniform width of about fifteen yards, with low muddy sh.o.r.es covered with mangroves, some of which attained the unusual dimensions of 60 to 80 feet in height, with a circ.u.mference at the base of 6 to 8 feet.

DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRY.

To this succeeded during our upward progress a low bank of red clay backed by rising ground and tangled brush, with very large trees at intervals, and others arching over the stream, their branches nearly touching the water. Gigantic climbers hung down in long festoons pa.s.sing from branch to branch, and the more aged trunks supported clumps of ferns and parasitical plants. Here and there an areca palm shot up its slender stem surmounted by a cl.u.s.ter of pale-green feathery leaves, or the attention was arrested for a moment by a magnificent panda.n.u.s--its trunk raised high above the ground by the enormous supporting root-like shoots--or some graceful tree-fern with dark widely-spreading foliage exceeding in delicacy the finest lace.

Meanwhile the creek had slightly narrowed, the dead trees in the water became more frequent and troublesome, and the thickets on the banks encroached more and more upon the channel so as not to allow room for the oars to pa.s.s, obliging the men to use them as poles. At every turn in the windings of the stream (still too brackish to be fit to drink) some beautiful glimpse of jungle scenery presented itself as we pa.s.sed upwards--long vistas and stray bursts of suns.h.i.+ne alternating with the gloomy shadows of the surrounding woods. A deep silence pervaded the banks of this water never before visited by civilised man. Its monotony broken only by the occasional brief word of command, the splash of the oars, or the shrill notes of some pa.s.sing flights of parrots. The river, for now it might fairly be called one, retained the same character until we had gone up about a mile, when further progress was stopped by a ridge of rocks stretching across from side to side marking the limits of the tidal influence. Over this the rush of fresh water formed a strong rapid backed by a deep, sluggish, winding stream, draining a large basin-like valley bounded behind by the central ridge of the island, the princ.i.p.al hills of which attain an elevation of from 992 to 1,421 feet, and one, Mount Rattlesnake, is 2,689 feet in height. At times the body of water discharged here must be immense, judging from the quant.i.ty of driftwood and other detritus lodged in the trees twelve feet above the present level of the stream, probably during the inundations of the rainy season.

These floods must also spread over the low land on the margin of the river to a considerable distance, the deep red clay there, evidently the was.h.i.+ngs of the hills, bearing the marks of having been under water. The jungle in places is very dense, but, with the exercise of a little patience and labour, it can be penetrated at almost every point. On rising ground it is often bordered by a thicket of creeping and climbing plants mixed up with bushes and patches of h.e.l.lenia coerulea. The low wooded hills are covered with tall gra.s.s growing on very poor soil--of partially decomposed mica-slate with lumps of quartz.

It being considered practicable to water the s.h.i.+p at this place, we returned on board. In the afternoon the first load of water was brought off, and in the course of the week we procured 78 tons with less trouble than had been antic.i.p.ated. I afterwards repeatedly visited the watering-creek, and a brief account of the productions of its neighbourhood may here be given as a popular contribution to the natural history of the little-known Louisiade Archipelago.

The rock is scarcely ever exposed on the banks of the river except at the rapid before alluded to. Though still mica-slate, it is there of much greater hardness and denser texture than on Pig and Round Islands, and stretches across the stream like a d.y.k.e, running nearly north and south with a westerly dip of about 60 degrees. Elsewhere, along the sh.o.r.es of Coral Haven, this mica-slate is of a leaden hue and glistening l.u.s.tre, yielding to the nail, with a slight greasy feel, especially in some pieces of a s.h.i.+ning ash-grey, acted upon by salt-water. From hand specimens alone it is difficult to a.s.sign a name to this rock, as it partakes more or less of the characters of mica, chlorite, and talc-schists.

PLANTS.

Among the botanical productions Nepenthes destillatoria, the famous pitcher-plant of the East, deserves mention. It grows abundantly among the tall gra.s.s on the skirts of the jungle, and the pitchers invariably contained a small quant.i.ty of limpid fluid of a slightly sweetish taste, with small insects floating on its surface. The finest of the tree-ferns (Hemitelium) grew alone near the watering-place, and was cut down to furnish specimens. The trunk measured fifteen feet in height, with a diameter at the base of eight inches.

ANIMALS.

No mammalia were procured on South-east Island--indeed the only one seen was a flying-squirrel which I caught a glimpse of one evening at the river-mouth as it sprung off among the mangroves from the summit of a dead tree--it appeared to be of the size of an ordinary rat, and was probably a Petaurus. Wild pigs must be very numerous--as indicated by fresh marks where they had been wallowing in the beds of the ditch-like rivulets, their footprints everywhere, and well-beaten tracks through the jungle. But none of the animals themselves, probably from their extreme shyness and partially nocturnal habits, were ever encountered by our shooting parties. I was afterwards informed by Mr. Inskip that while in the Bramble, in the neighbourhood of Conde Peninsula, a native in a canoe alongside having his attention directed to a very large boar's tusk which he wore as an ornament, described, by pantomimic gestures, that the animal had cost much trouble in killing it, having repeatedly charged him, and received no less than eight spear wounds before it fell.

Birds were plentiful, but owing to the difficulty of seeing them among the thick foliage, few, comparatively, were shot. The most interesting specimen procured was one of a very handsome scarlet Lory, closely allied to Lorius domicellus, a bird widely spread over the Indian Archipelago.

It was usually seen in small flocks pa.s.sing over the tops of the trees, uttering a loud sharp scream at intervals. Another parakeet, not so big as a sparrow, of a green colour, was sometimes seen in flocks, but we could not succeed in getting one. The Torres Strait and Nicobar pigeons, also Duperrey's Megapodius were common enough, as well as many other birds, twelve species of which are also found in Australia--a most unlooked-for occurrence.

No snakes were seen during our rambles, but small lizards occurred everywhere. A large lizard, apparently Monitor gouldii, was shot from a tree on the banks of the river.

INSECTS.

Although not troubled by mosquitoes, such of us as strolled about much in the bush were sadly tormented by sandflies--a minute two-winged insect whose bite raises a small swelling followed by much itching. On going to bed one night, I counted no less than sixty-three of these marks on my left leg from the ankle to halfway up the thigh, and the right one was equally studded with angry red pimples. Among many kinds of ants I may mention the green one, which is found chiefly on trees and bushes, of the leaves of which it makes its nest. Should one unconsciously disturb them by getting entangled among the branches in the neighbourhood of a nest, he may expect a whole swarm upon him before he can extricate himself, and is first made aware of their presence by feeling sharp stinging pains in various places, especially the neck, caused by their bites. A small firefly (a species of Lampyris) is plentiful, showing out at night like a twinkling phosph.o.r.escent spark, slowly flitting about from tree to tree or resting on the leaves wet with dew. Nor must I omit a very splendid day-flying moth (Cocytia durvillei) which is common on the skirts of the woods and thickets; several even came on board the s.h.i.+p at various times.

Very few fish were caught at this anchorage, but on the mudflat at the mouth of the creek, shoals of mullet and guard-fish were seen daily. In the fresh water I observed several small species of Cyprinidae rising at flies, but, not being provided with the requisite tackle, none were caught.

Sh.e.l.lS.

The muddy mangrove-covered banks of the lower part of the creek furnished the collection with an Auricula and a very fine Cyrena, apparently the same as the Australian and New Guinea C. cyprinoides. Many freshwater sh.e.l.ls were found in the neighbourhood of the watering-place--three kinds of Melania, a Mytilus, a Navicella, and five species of Neritina--but most of these have been already described as inhabitants of the Feejee Islands and other places in Polynesia, and elsewhere. One might reasonably have antic.i.p.ated a rich harvest of land-sh.e.l.ls in the damp forests of South-east Island, yet diligent search on the trunks of the trees and among the dead leaves about their roots produced only four species, all of which however are new. The finest of these is a Pupina, the giant of its race, of a glossy reddish pink colour with red mouth.

BARTER WITH NATIVES.

During our stay here the s.h.i.+p was daily visited by canoes from Pig Island and its vicinity, also from a village or two on South-east Island, a few miles to the eastward of our anchorage. They usually made their appearance in the morning and remained for an hour or so, bartering coconuts, yams, ornaments and weapons for iron hoop, knives, and axes.

After leaving us, those coming from the eastward, as the wind was unfavourable for their return, landed at the mouth of the creek and waited for the floodtide. Our intercourse throughout was peaceful, which was fortunate for both parties, for, if inclined to be hostile, the natives might frequently have attacked our watering-boats while pa.s.sing up and down the river, impeded occasionally by dead trees and shoals, with a dense forest on each side. Latterly, however, as if suspicious of our intentions or tired of our protracted stay, they fired the gra.s.s on the hill at the entrance of the creek, possibly to deter us from entering. Still we thought this might have been done without reference to us, but afterwards two or three men with spears were seen by pa.s.sing boats skulking along the banks of the river on their way to the rapid, where they again set fire to the gra.s.s as if to smoke us out or prevent our return. But the gra.s.sy tracts along the tops of the low hills in the vicinity being intersected by lines and patches of brush the fire did not extend far, as had also been the case lower down, so caused us no inconvenience.

Among our numerous visitors we occasionally saw a woman or two, but none were favourable specimens of their kind. Unlike the men, whose only covering was the breech-cloth formerly described, the women wore a short petticoat of gra.s.s-like stuff, probably the panda.n.u.s leaf divided into fine shreds--worked into a narrow band which ties round the waist. They usually, when alongside the s.h.i.+p, held a small piece of matting over the head with one hand, either to protect them from the sun or partially to secure themselves from observation, as in their manners they were much more reserved than the men.

VARIOUS MODES OF PAINTING.

At Coral Haven we have already seen considerable variety displayed in the various styles of painting the body. Pounded charcoal mixed up with coconut oil, and lime obtained from burnt sh.e.l.ls similarly treated, are the pigments made use of. The most common fas.h.i.+on of painting is with a broad streak down the forehead, and a circle round each eye. Occasionally the entire body is blackened, but often the face only--with daubs of paint on the temples, cheek, and round the mouth and one or both eyes, rendering a forbidding countenance inexpressibly hideous in our sight.

NATIVE ORNAMENTS.

The ornaments worn by these savages are very numerous, besides which they are fond of decorating the person with flowers and strong-scented plants.

In what may be considered as full dress, with the face and body painted, they are often decked out with large white cowries appended to their waist, elbows and ankles, together with streamers of panda.n.u.s leaf. Among many kinds of bracelets or armlets the most common is a broad woven one of gra.s.s, fitting very tightly on the upper arm. There are others of sh.e.l.l--one solid, formed by grinding down a large sh.e.l.l (Trochus niloticus) so as to obtain a well polished transverse section, and another in two or three pieces tied together, making a round smooth ring; of the former of these five or six are sometimes worn on one arm. But the most curious bracelet, and by no means an uncommon one, is that made of a human lower jaw with one or more collar bones closing the upper side crossing from one angle to the other. Whether these are the jaws of former friends or enemies we had no means of ascertaining; no great value appeared to be attached to them; and it was observed, as a curious circ.u.mstance, that none of these jaws had the teeth discoloured by the practice of betel chewing.

We procured various sorts of necklaces--strings of sh.e.l.ls, black seeds, and dogs' teeth. As the canine teeth alone are used in making one of the last description, the number of dogs required to complete a single necklace must be considerable. A round thin, concave piece of sh.e.l.l (Melo ethiopica) with a central black portion, is often worn suspended by a string round the neck, and similar ornaments, but much smaller, are attached to the hips and elbows. The long nose-stick of sh.e.l.l is only occasionally worn, although everyone, of either s.e.x, has the septum of the nose pierced for its reception--an operation most likely performed during infancy, as I once saw that it had been done to a child about a year old.

Nearly all the men carried in their hair a comb projecting in front or on one side. This article is usually made of wood, but occasionally of tortoise-sh.e.l.l, a foot in length, thin, flat, and narrow, with about six very long, slightly diverging, needle-shaped teeth, but it admits of much variety of size and shape, and frequently has various ornaments attached to it. The spatula used by betel chewers to introduce the lime to the mouth, although often made of tortoise-sh.e.l.l and resembling that figured above, is more commonly made of coconut-wood, with a ma.s.sive handle, deeply divided by a slit, and when struck upon the knee it is made to produce a loud clicking noise like that of castanets.

CHAPTER 1.6.

Leave Coral Haven.

Brierly Island.

Communication with the Natives.

Description of their Huts.

Bartering for Yams and Cocoa-nuts.

Suspicious conduct of the Natives.

They attack the Surveying Boats.

Calvados Group.

Further communication with the Inhabitants.

Stay at Duchateau Islands.

Their Productions.

Proceedings there.

Duperre Islands.

Unable to find Anchorage.

Pa.s.s out to Sea, and proceed to the Westward.

Western termination of the Louisiade Archipelago.

Reach the Coast of New Guinea.

July 2nd.

The Bramble having returned from an exploration to the westward with the report that there was a pa.s.sage out of Coral Haven in that direction, the s.h.i.+p left her anchorage off the watering-place this morning, with boats ahead and on each side of her, repeating the soundings by signal; she ran along the land to the westward seven or eight miles, pa.s.sed between Pig and South-east Islands, rounded the north-west end of the latter, stood between it and Joannet Island to the West-South-West for about five miles, and anch.o.r.ed early in the forenoon in 15 fathoms, water, under a small detached reef and dry sandbank. Several very fine red snappers were caught with hook and line soon after anchoring, and smaller fish of many kinds were caught in abundance--they were mostly species of Pentapus, Diacope, and Mesoprion.

BRIERLY ISLAND AND NATIVES.

While pa.s.sing a small island--afterwards named in honour of Mr.

Brierly--distant from our anchorage about two miles North-west by West, several women and dogs were seen on sh.o.r.e, and soon afterwards two canoes, which had followed us from the anchorage, were seen to put in there. In the afternoon two boats were sent to this island, to communicate with the natives, and search for an anchorage near it.

COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.

We landed upon a sandy beach, after wading over the fringing reef, and were met by some natives who had come round a neighbouring point from the windward or inhabited side. Although at first cautious of approach, yet in the course of a few minutes they came freely about us to the number of twenty, each carrying two or three spears--not the beautifully polished and well-balanced ones we had seen elsewhere, but merely slender, rudely-fas.h.i.+oned sticks sharpened at each end. About twelve women, dressed in the usual petticoat of gra.s.s-like stuff, followed at a distance, and kept close to the point for some time; but at length the natural curiosity of the s.e.x (I suppose) overcame their fear, and although repeatedly ordered back by the men, they drew up closer and closer to have a peep at the strangers. Two of the youngest and most attractive of these ladies advanced to within twenty yards, and received with much apparent delight, and a great deal of capering and dancing about on the sand, some strips of a gaudy handkerchief conveyed to them by a lad decorated with streamers of panda.n.u.s leaf at the elbows and wrists--evidently the Adonis of the party. Some of the men had formerly been off to the s.h.i.+p, and one or two carried axes of the usual form, but headed with pieces of our iron hoop, neatly ground to a fine edge. A few coconuts were given us for a knife or two, and we saw their mode of climbing for them, which one man did with the agility of a monkey, ascending first by a few notches, made years ago, afterwards by clasping the trunk with his arms, arching his body with the feet against the tree, and then walking up precisely in the mode of the Torres Strait Islanders.

Like these last people too, they open the nut with a sharp stick, and use a sh.e.l.l (a piece of mother-of-pearl oyster) for sc.r.a.ping out the pulp.

After a stay of half an hour we returned to the boat leaving the natives in good humour. Our search for a safe anchorage for the s.h.i.+p was unsuccessful, so we returned on board.

July 3rd.