These
People Were Very Black, Entirely Naked, And Spoke A Quite Different
Language From That Of The Islanders They Had Seen Hitherto.
They kept
fires burning on the coast all night, and some of them came lurking
about the ship in
Their canoes; but though the Dutch, on discovering
them, did every thing they could to conciliate, they would not
understand any signs made for procuring provisions, but answered all
with horrible noises and outcries.
[Footnote 127: This land was discovered afterwards to be separate from
New Guinea, and is now named New Ireland, having another large island
interposed, called New Britain. - E.]
At night, they anchored in a bay in 40 fathoms on uneven ground. About
this place the country was high and verdant, and afforded a pleasant
prospect, being, as they guessed, 1840 leagues west from the coast of
Peru. In the morning of the 26th, three canoes came to the ship, quite
full of these barbarians, being well armed after their manner, with
clubs, wooden swords, and slings. The Dutch treated them kindly, giving
them several toys to procure their favour; but they were not to be won
by kindness, neither could they be taught good manners except by the
language of the great guns: For they presently assaulted the ship with
all their force, and continued till ten or twelve of them were slain by
cannon-shot. They then threw themselves into the water, endeavouring to
escape by swimming and diving; but they were pursued in the water by the
boat, when several were knocked in the head, and three prisoners taken,
besides four of their canoes, which were cut up as fuel for the use of
the ship. Though these savages would not formerly understand any signs,
they were now more apt, and understood that hogs and bananas were
demanded in ransom for the prisoners. One wounded man was set at
liberty, but the Dutch exacted ten hogs for the others. This island
afforded a sort of birds that are all over bright red. North of it lay
another island, of which they made no other discovery, except its
position in regard to this. The Dutch concluded that these people were
of the Papuas nation, because of their short hair, and because they
chewed betel mixed with chalk.
In the evening of the 28th, they sailed from hence, and next day held a
course to the N.W. and N.W. by N. with a shifting wind till noon, and
then a calm. They had the point of the island in view till evening,
though they sailed along the coast, which was full of bays and turnings,
and trended N.W. and N.W. by W. This day they saw other three high
islands, which lay northwards five or six miles from the greater one,
being then in the latitude of 3 deg. 20' S. The 30th in the morning, several
canoes of these black Papuas came off to the ship, and being allowed to
come aboard, broke certain staves over the Dutch, in sign of peace.
Their canoes were more artificially made and ornamented than the others,
and the people seemed more civilized and more modest, as they had the
pudenda covered, which the others had not.
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