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. Their hair was rubbed over
with chalk, their black frizly locks appearing as if powdered. They
affected to be poor, and came to beg, not bringing any thing to the
ship, yet the four islands whence they came appeared, to be well stored
with cocoas.
On the 1st June, the Dutch came to anchor between the coast of New
Guinea and an island two miles long.
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