CHAPTER XXXIV. NEW GUINEA.—
DOREY.
(MARCH TO JULY 1858.)
AFTER my return from Gilolo to Ternate, in March 1858, I made
arrangements for my long-wished-for voyage to the mainland of New Guinea,
where I anticipated that my collections would surpass those which I had formed
at the Aru Islands. The poverty of Ternate in articles used by Europeans was
shown, by my searching in vain through all the stores for such common things as
flour, metal spoons, wide-mouthed phials, beeswax, a penknife, and a stone or
metal pestle and mortar. I took with me four servants: my head man Ali, and a
Ternate lad named Jumaat (Friday), to shoot; Lahagi, a steady middle-aged man,
to cut timber and assist me in insect-collecting; and Loisa, a Javanese cook. As I
knew I should have to build a house at Dorey, where I was going, I took with me
eighty cadjans, or waterproof mats, made of pandanus leaves, to cover over my
baggage on first landing, and to help to roof my house afterwards.
We started on the 25th of March in the schooner Hester Helena, belonging to
my friend Mr. Duivenboden, and bound on a trading voyage along the north
coast of New Guinea. Having calms and light airs, we were three days reaching
Gane, near the south end of Gilolo, where we stayed to fill up our water-casks
and buy a few provisions. We obtained fowls, eggs, sago, plantains, sweet
potatoes, yellow pumpkins, chilies, fish, and dried deer's meat; and on the
afternoon of the 29th proceeded on our voyage to Dorey harbour. We found it,
however, by no means easy to get along; for so near to the equator the monsoons
entirely fail of their regularity, and after passing the southern point of Gilolo we
had calms, light puffs of wind, and contrary currents, which kept us for five days
in sight of the same islands between it and Poppa. A squall them brought us on
to the entrance of Dampier's Straits, where we were again becalmed, and were
three more days creeping through them. Several native canoes now came off to
us from Waigiou on one side, and Batanta on the other, bringing a few common
shells, palm-leaf mats, cocoa-nuts, and pumpkins. They were very extravagant in
their demands, being accustomed to sell their trifles to whalers and China ships,
whose crews will purchase anything at ten times its value. My only purchases