Volume I Part 38 (1/2)
The number of Indians collected a on the island during the fishi+ng season; for their home, as it afterwards turned out; was at a considerable distance off Their principal subsistence was turtle and sht with hook and line, and shellfish which abound on the reefs The island also produces a small fruit like a pluenia The fish were broiled over the ashes of a fire, or boiled in the basin of a large volute (Voluta ethiopica) which being rather a scarce shell is of great value to them
The island of Pullan is covered with low trees and underwood, and the soil is sandy In the centre of it is a spring, which supplied the whole party with sufficient water for their consureat deal, it allons a day, for the hole was always full Upon a voyage they carry their water in bamboo joints, and coconut shells, as do the Malays
After re here twoIreland and the infant D'Oyly with them, embarked in a canoe, and after half a day's sail reached another islet to the northward, where they reht, on a sandy beach; and the nextproceeded and reached another island siht They then proceeded to the northward, calling on their way at different islands, and re as they supplied food, until they reached one, where they remained a month, and then they went on a visit to Darnley's Island, which they called Aroob, where for the first time, Ireland says, he met with kind treatroup of the northward of Halfway Island, near Aureed, named by Mr Lewis, Sir Richard Bourke's Group)
After a fortnight they again embarked and returned by the way they came, to an island they called Sir-reb, situated near Aureed, where their voyage ended, and they remained until purchased by Duppar, the Murray Islander; who, it appears, upon hearing that there were thite boys in captivity, at Aureed, embarked in a canoe with his wife Pa the for the purpose of barter some fruit The price of their ransom was a branch of bananas, for each They returned by way of Darnley's Island, where they stopped a few days, and then reached Murray's Island, where they reave little D'Oyly to a native nae of which he faithfully acquitted himself, and both Oby and his adopted child soon became very fond of each other; for as the child was a ot his mother, and naturally attached himself to his nurse When at Aureed the Indians had named Ireland, Wak; and little D'Oyly, they called Uass; names which they retained at Murray's Island, and by which they are doubtless non all over the archipelago
(Footnote Sir-reb, according to Ireland's information is Marsden Island PPK)
Ireland lived in the same hut with Duppar and his family; his e the season to assist in taking turtle and shellfish On one occasion he accompanied them on an excursion towards New Guinea, where they went for the purpose of barter and trade; which they frequently did, to obtain bows and arrows, canoes and feathers, for which they give in return shells; and which from their scarcity, the New Guinea people prize very much, but as Duppar was fearful that the New Guinea people would steal or e, an Indian, until their return
Duppar and his friends, however, were not long away; for having stopped at an island, Jarht, one of the islanders attempted to take away by force froe worn round the calves of the legs, made of the bark of bamboo) upon which a quarrel ensued, in which the Murray Islanders used their bows and arrows, and wounded several, one being shot through the body The Jarmuth people then retreated to their huts, and the others e to New Guinea, returned to Darnley's Island, where in a few days they received apeace; which, however, they would not accept; nor did they afterwards make friends
(Footnote Ireland describes the shell to be a cone, and recognized it a the plates in the Encyclopedie Methodique, as the Conusmille punctatus)
Ireland's account of the visit of the Mangles, is so different from what Captain Carr describes, that the discrepancy must be received with much caution
He states that Captain Carr's object see for tortoise-shell; he was alongside the Mangles, and not at a considerable distance off; he was so near as to ask one of the people on the poop to throw hi to the sea running high he was obliged to let it go; upon which he asked for a boat to be lowered for hiet on board, which was also done, and he should have made his escape, had not one stood up in the boith a naked cutlass and the others flourished their weapons over their heads; which frightened the Indians so much that they pulled away on shore, followed by the boat for a little distance, and there concealed him Ireland declares, that he did not say, that the natives would not give hiles' stern one of the crew offered him some tobacco which he declined Had Captain Carr offered an axe for hiiven up immediately as well as little D'Oyly, as on the beach, in the arms of one of the natives The natives knew that Ireland was anxious to be taken away, and were averse to his going off to the vessel, saying, ”You shall not go there to be killed;” but as he hoped to make his escape he persisted, and the result was a bitter disappointment to him
Such is the succinct narrative, of which old Lomba offered me the first rude materials
THE CHIEF LOMBA
As soon as I had read the papers contained in the basket, I endeavoured, by the help of the Malay dictionary, to gain some more information fro out that he was the chief Lomba, mentioned by the sea that the shi+rt he as marked with the na, who so early fell a victinorance of the language I was unable to gain any information of the European boy, said to be still on the island Loe he came froave me to understand that I should there find the other chief, Pabok, as too old and infirht, in order to visit the village, in hopes of getting some more information, and also to ood services
The gig was accordingly sent inshore to sound, and soon e, upon which we stood in, greatly to the delight of the natives, who, as they were not armed, were allowed to come on board, where they behaved very well So sails, and two came aft to the wheel, the use of which they seemed to understand perfectly
At one o'clock we anchored in 11 fathoms sand and coral, three quarters of a mile from the shore; and as soon as the shi+p was secured, a party of us landed, accompanied by the old chief, and followed by most of the natives in their canoes
APPEARANCE OF THE ShoreS
On landing, the contrast to the Australian shores we had so recently sailed fro We left a land covered with the umtree, which, from the peculiar structure of its leaf, affords but little shelter froroves; a soil producing scarcely any indigenous vegetable, either in the shape of root or fruit fit for food The natives black, naked, lowest in the scale of civilized life; their dwellings, if such they can be called, for the bark rudely torn froround, under which they creep for shelter; dependent almost entirely on the success of the chase for their daily food, not having arrived at the first and simplest form of cultivation, and in like ion, except the faint symptom of belief in an evil spirit
We landed on a beach, along which a luxuriant grove of coconut trees extended for more than a mile, under the shade of which were sheds neatly constructed of bamboo and thatched with palht a hill rose to a height of about 400 feet, covered with brilliant and varied vegetation so luxuriant as entirely to conceal the village built on its suht tawny colour, ent expression of countenance
DRESS OF THE NATIVES
Their dress consisted of a cloth round the waist reaching to the knee, which in some instances was neatly ornamented with small white shells; their ars forlass, so been turned in a lathe The lobes of their ears were perforated with large holes, fros of ivory and ebony, in the shape of padlocks, were suspended, sometiold earrings of considerable size but rude worker men had their hair cut short, and their heads smeared over with a preparation of lime, which bleaches the naturally black hair to a flaxen colour; as soon as this is effected, the hair is allowed to grow to a considerable length, and in due ti the flaxen colour while the roots are black When grown to a sufficient length it is wound gracefully round the head and fastened by a comb of sandalwood or tortoise-shell; soe, and of such superior manufacture as to indicate an intercourse with much more civilized nations
LEPROSY
The natives appeared to be healthy with the exception of a sort of leprosy, frousting appearance, but did not appear to cause any inconvenience, nor were they avoided by the rest of their coious On our first landing, very few of the natives had any arht down so, neatly headed with iron We also saw a few iron-headed spears, a few cresses, and some hatchets of a very rude construction
CANOES
Their canoes, about thirty of which were hauled upon the beach, were fro, and very narroith outriggers projecting ten or twelve feet froive stability They carried one large mat-sail, but did not appear to sail fast