The Libby Tree Grows Here In The Swampy
Valleys, Of Which They Make Sago Cakes.
I did not see them make
any, but was told by the inhabitants that it was made of the
Pith of
the tree, in the same manner I have described in my "Voyage Round
the World." They showed me the tree whereof it was made, and I
bought about forty of the cakes. I bought also three or four
nutmegs in their shell, which did not seem to have been long
gathered; but whether they be the growth of this island or not, the
natives would not tell whence they had them, and seem to prize them
very much. What beasts the island affords I know not, but here are
both sea and land fowl. Of the first, boobies and men-of-war birds
are the chief, some goldens, and small milk-white crab-catchers; the
land-fowl are pigeons, about the bigness of mountain-pigeons in
Jamaica, and crows about the bigness of those in England, and much
like them, but the inner part of their feathers are white, and the
outside black, so that they appear all black, unless you extend the
feathers. Here are large sky-coloured birds, such as we lately
killed on New Guinea, and many other small birds, unknown to us.
Here are likewise abundance of bats, as big as young coneys, their
necks, head, ears, and noses like foxes, their hair rough, that
about their necks is of a whitish yellow, that on their heads and
shoulders black, their wings are four feet over from tip to tip;
they smell like foxes. The fish are bass, rock-fish, and a sort of
fish like mullets, old-wives, whip-rays, and some other sorts that I
knew not; but no great plenty of any, for it is deep water till
within less than a mile of the shore, then there is a bank of coral
rocks, within which you have shoal-water, white clean sand, so there
is no good fishing with the seine.
This island lies in latitude 2 degrees 43 minutes south, and
meridian distance from port Babo, on the island Timor, four hundred
and eighty-six miles: besides this island, here are nine or ten
other small islands.
The inhabitants of this island are a sort of very tawny Indians,
with long black hair, who in their manners differ but little from
the Mindanayans, and others of these eastern islands. These seem to
be the chief; for besides them we saw also shock curl pated New
Guinea negroes, many of which are slaves to the others, but I think
not all. They are very poor, wear no clothes but have a clout about
their middle, made of the rinds of the tops of palmetto trees; but
the women had a sort of calico cloth. Their chief ornaments are
blue and yellow beads, worn about their wrists. The men arm
themselves with bows and arrows, lances, broad swords, like those of
Mindanao; their lances are pointed with bone: they strike fish very
ingeniously with wooden fish-spears, and have a very ingenious way
of making the fish rise; for they have a piece of wood curiously
carved, and painted much like a dolphin (and perhaps other figures);
these they let down into the water by a line with a small weight to
sink it; when they think it low enough, they haul the line into
their boats very fast, and the fish rise up after this figure, and
they stand ready to strike them when they are near the surface of
the water. But their chief livelihood is from their plantations;
yet they have large boats, and go over to New Guinea, where they get
slaves, fine parrots, &c, which they carry to Goram and exchange for
calicoes. One boat came from thence a little before I arrived here,
of whom I bought some parrots, and would have bought a slave but
they would not barter for anything but calicoes, which I had not.
Their houses on this side were very small, and seemed only to be for
necessity; but on the other side of the island we saw good large
houses. Their prows are narrow, with outriggers on each side, like
other Malayans. I cannot tell of what religion these are; but I
think they are not Mahometans, by their drinking brandy out of the
same cup with us without any scruple. At this island we continued
till the 20th instant, having laid in store of such roots and fruits
as the island afforded.
On the 20th, at half an hour after six in the morning, I weighed,
and standing out we saw a large boat full of men lying at the north
point of the island. As we passed by, they rowed towards their
habitations, where we supposed they had withdrawn themselves for
fear of us, though we gave them no cause of terror, or for some
differences among themselves.
We stood to the northward till seven in the evening, then saw a
rippling; and, the water being discoloured, we sounded, and had but
twenty-two fathom. I went about and stood to the westward till two
next morning then tacked again, and had these several soundings: at
eight in the evening, twenty-two; at ten, twenty-five; at eleven,
twenty-seven; at twelve, twenty-eight fathom; at two in the morning,
twenty-six; at four, twenty-four; at six, twenty-three; at eight,
twenty-eight; at twelve, twenty-two.
We passed by many small islands, and among many dangerous shoals
without any remarkable occurrence till the 4th of February, when we
got within three leagues of the north-west cape of New Guinea,
called by the Dutch Cape Mabo. Off this cape there lies a small
woody island, and many islands of different sizes to the north and
north-east of it. This part of New Guinea is high land, adorned
with tall trees, that appeared very green and flourishing.
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