Two Years Among the Savages of New Guinea Part 17

Nevertheless, treating the interior as an unknown quant.i.ty, I consider the estimate given, viz., 300,000, to be well under the mark. Regarding the vitality of the race, there are no signs of decay. Generally speaking, the natives are a healthy and vigorous people, and are more likely to increase in numbers than die out. They are well-housed and well-fed, very different from the nomadic tribes of Australia. The mountain tribes of New Guinea live princ.i.p.ally by the chase, but have also plantations on which they cultivate large quant.i.ties of vegetables. The natives of the coast live on the products of their gardens and by fis.h.i.+ng. They have no knowledge of any intoxicating drinks, not even of "Kava," the Fijian beverage, which is made from a palm. Therefore if they do not imbibe the vicious tastes of civilization there is no reason why they should not perpetuate their race for many centuries to come. The chief products of the country are mother-of-pearl sh.e.l.l, Beche-de-mer (or trepang), copra, and tortoise-sh.e.l.l.

The pearl sh.e.l.l is a big oyster, and is found in from fifteen to twenty fathoms of water. It is obtained by divers in a diving dress. The best dresses and pumps are made by Heincke & Co., of London. The cost of a pump, including two double dresses, gear, etc., is 185, and if looked after it will keep in good order for a number of years. The diver receives 3 10_s._ per 100 sh.e.l.ls, and is found in victuals. At times he makes as much as 25 per week, but the amount varies greatly. They are a most improvident cla.s.s of men and reckless in the extreme. They spend their money as fast as they earn it, and in many instances before they have done so. Their occupation entails great risk, hence their recklessness.

The boats used for the purpose are small luggers, from eight to fifteen tons register; the pump is worked by natives, and the crew consists of the diver, who acts as skipper, and a couple of South Sea Islanders or Malays, one of whom has charge of the plumb-line, and the other acts as "tender" to the diver and has charge of the life-line.

Great risk is incurred by the diver; the pressure from the depth of water, which in places exceeds twenty fathoms, nearly always producing paralysis and often death. The lower limbs are usually affected. The first thing to be done is to give the patient a warm hip-bath, then apply a galvanic battery to the parts affected, and should this treatment not have the desired effect resort must be had to more drastic measures. I have treated several divers for paralysis, and unless it was a very severe attack have always found the above treatment efficacious. Should a diver die on board his boat, a flag is run up half-mast.

At Samarai, one day, I received a start. One of our pearl-sh.e.l.ling boats was working in China Straits. To my surprise, I heard the reports of a rifle in rapid succession. About two miles distant I could see smoke rising from the stern of the boat.

The wind was very light, and she was being propelled by sweeps in the direction of Samarai. Evidently they were in distress. I lost no time, hailed a couple of black boys, jumped into a boat and rowed in all haste to see what was the matter. Presently I discovered they had hoisted their flag half-mast high. I at once concluded that the diver, "Ned," was dead. We soon overtook them, and I leapt on board, taking it for granted that "Ned" would never dive again. Imagine my surprise to find "him" lying contentedly on his bunk, with eyes wide open, and looking very unlike a corpse. I felt very much annoyed with them for raising a false alarm. They explained that "Ned" had been slightly paralysed and that they had run up the flag half-mast for a joke. I failed to see the joke. "Ned" managed to walk on sh.o.r.e without support.

We gave him a hot bath, and in half-an-hour "Richard was himself again."

The sh.e.l.l is found in straits where the tide is strongest, making it impossible to operate except at "slack" water. The sh.e.l.ls lie in heaps, one on the top of the other, and in some places scattered apart.

In the London market, the value of the sh.e.l.l, which has to be cleaned, sc.r.a.ped, and packed in cases previous to s.h.i.+pping, varies from 90 to 170 a ton according to quality. The most valuable are "chicken" or young sh.e.l.l. It takes 600 to make a ton, the average weight being about 3 lbs. The cost of the cases is 5_s._ 6_d._ each, and the s.h.i.+pping expenses from New Guinea to London amount to 15 to 20 a ton, including London commission. Valuable pearls are occasionally found in the sh.e.l.ls, in the belly of the fish, and are produced by a disease of the sh.e.l.l, and are found only in grubby, wormeaten ones. Pearl sh.e.l.ling in New Guinea is pretty well worked out, as no new patches have been discovered for some months.

Beche-de-mer or "Trepang" is a kind of sea slug, and is found on the reefs in a few feet of water.

There are eight different species, differing greatly in value, viz., teat, black, red, p.r.i.c.kly red, surf red, lollie, white and sand. The best, "teat," so called from the formation of "teats" on the fish, is worth from 100 to 130 at the nearest Queensland port (Cooktown), whilst lollie is of the value of 25 to 30 a ton.

The whole of it is purchased by the Chinese merchants and is s.h.i.+pped to Hong-Kong, where it is eventually retailed out at a very high figure.

It is most nutritious and makes capital soup. Two fish will make enough soup for six persons. It requires a great deal of boiling, twenty-four hours being the allotted time.

The method of obtaining it, is to go with two or three boats full of natives to a large reef, choosing fine, calm weather, when the natives dive for them. You then erect a smoke-house on sh.o.r.e, or, if the vessel be large enough, on board, get your boilers and boil the fish well.

Your smoke-house should have three separate layers or slides; care should be taken to keep up a good fire and to change your fish from one slide to the other. The fuel used is wood, of which you can always get a plentiful supply. The whole operation takes about three days; you then refill your boilers and proceed in like manner. The fish should now be thoroughly cured. You then bag it in corn sacks, and previous to s.h.i.+pping, capsize the bags, dry the fish in the sun, sort out the various species and qualities, re-bag them, and send them away.

Copra is made from old coco-nuts only. The husks are removed and thrown away as rubbish. The sh.e.l.ls are then placed in a smoke-house and kiln-dried, or, when possible, sun-dried. The nuts or kernels are smashed up and then bagged. It takes fully seven thousand nuts to make a ton, and the value in the London market is 13 to 14 for kiln-dried, and 14 to 15 for sun-dried. The margin for profit is small, but if a sufficient quant.i.ty be obtainable (say twenty-five tons per month) the industry becomes profitable.

The natives value their coco-nut plantations, and attend to their cultivation. At certain seasons numbers of the trees have the trunks covered with a network of rattan cane. This is a sign that such trees are "tabu" or sacred. Woe betide the man who violates the mandate until the symbol has been removed. In this manner the trees are preserved.

Did we take the same trouble with our forest timber, we should not be obliged to spend vast sums of money every year in importing timber from America and other foreign countries.

Many natives are employed in the copra industry, the work always being done on sh.o.r.e, for which they are paid in "trade."

Of course in these undertakings, you are always in a certain amount of danger from the hostility of the natives, but as I have previously remarked, "You must exercise caution and not give them a chance." A fair amount of trade is done in tortoise-sh.e.l.l, but, as a rule, the natives are loth to part with any large quant.i.ty, and are rather exorbitant in their demands. Tortoise-sh.e.l.l fetches in Sydney from 5_s._ 0_d._ to 10_s._ 6_d._ per lb., according to quality. I have no doubt, with some trouble, the trade in tortoise-sh.e.l.l could be increased.

The soil and climate of New Guinea are well adapted for the cultivation of coffee, tea, indigo, india-rubber, cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco, sago, etc. A coffee plantation has already been started on the mainland. The natives inland grow very good tobacco. They have also plantations of sugar-cane on many of the islands and mainland. The cane seems to thrive well, and from all appearances is of good quality. They do not manufacture sugar from it, but simply chew the cane, of which they are inordinately fond.

They manufacture sago, but do not granulate it. Oranges and lemons grow to perfection. There is a plantation of them at Su-au (South Cape), and on Wari (Teste Island). This industry, if undertaken by Europeans, on a large scale, would, I have no doubt, pay handsomely. In Queensland it pays, and why should it not in New Guinea?

In Fiji and Samoa, cotton, sugar and tea are grown to advantage. The climate there is much the same as that of New Guinea, therefore there is nothing, so far as I can see, to prevent them from being cultivated in the latter country. The two things most necessary to develop the above-mentioned industries are cheap land and capital. The Government of New Guinea have not, I believe, as yet formulated their land policy, but I should think that to anyone introducing capital into the country, for the purpose of starting a genuine enterprise, they would be only too glad to offer every inducement. The great drawback at present, is the unhealthiness of the climate, but as cultivation proceeds, that will improve.

In considering the feasibility of these undertakings, the first question that presents itself is the labour question.

What labour would there be available? Would it be possible to utilise the natives of the country, or would it be necessary to import black labour? The question is, I admit, a serious one, as upon the answer depends the success of such undertakings. Now, I have had considerable experience in working the natives and therefore my opinion should have some weight. I have no hesitation in saying that it would be possible to utilise the natives as labourers. I have undertaken several contracts in New Guinea, the work being done solely by natives.

One of the contracts was to clear a swamp of seven acres of all the timber on it, and to cut up the timber into suitable lengths for building purposes, and to stack it outside the swamp, and to burn the undergrowth and small stuff in heaps. I engaged twenty-five natives, and before commencing operations, made a contract with two of the leading men to execute the work at so much per head, giving to the two Taubadas or chiefs, a little extra. The work occupied 12 days, and was performed in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. I superintended it, and was very much pleased with the result. The wages were paid on completion of the contract in hatchets, long knives, tobacco, etc. On the Sat.u.r.day night, the natives appeared in a row, awaiting payment. I asked them if the job was finished, to which they all replied "Yes, and that their backs were nearly broken with the hard work," which merely meant that they were tired, and were in a hurry to receive the "trade."

As seeing is believing in these matters, before paying them I examined the work, and found that they were mistaken. They had still five or six hours' work left to complete their task. However, when I informed them of the fact, they stated it was Sat.u.r.day night, that they wanted to get home to their island, and evidently did not want to return on the Monday morning for the sake of a few hours.

I was on the horns of a dilemma. They had worked well, still I did not want to be cheated, and on the other hand I wished them to go away in good humour as I might require their services again before long.

How was I to act? A happy thought struck me. I made them a neat little speech, in which I told them that I would pay them straight away, and that they could go home to their wives that same evening. How their faces beamed with delight! I went on to say that the work had not been finished by them, so in consequence I had decided to deduct four sticks of tobacco off each man's payment. I then paid them the balance, and upon asking them if they were satisfied received an answer in the affirmative. They also said they would be glad to come again whenever I might require them.

So we parted friends, both parties being satisfied with the arrangement.

They departed in good spirits, and on the Monday I obtained some natives from another island, who finished the job in one day.

The way you work the natives is of the utmost importance.

Never cheat them, and never allow them to cheat you. Treat them kindly but with firmness, and never lose your temper.

Follow this advice, and, I can vouch for it, you will find them tractable and good workmen. I can strongly recommend the natives of Milne Bay (Mainland), the islands of Sariba and Loger (China Straits) and the island of Wari, either for plantation work, or the building of houses. The islanders of Wari are by far the best sailors, the others very indifferent.

Unlike Australia, New Guinea is never subject to periodical droughts, and when it becomes better known, British capital will be introduced.

Industries will spring up, and the country will eventually be developed and become the home of many of our fellow countrymen. And now, my task being done, if task indeed it can be called, I must bid farewell to the reader.

If he has been as much interested in the perusal of this narrative as I have been in writing it, I am more than repaid for my trouble. Should he at any time visit New Guinea, he will find much to interest him, much to study and think about, and, let us hope, will return to Old England with a mind enlarged, a wiser and a better man.

FINISH.