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Updated: June 20, 2025
In June 1849, the Rattlesnake and Bramble were at work in the Louisiade Archipelago, finding out the safest channels and anchorages among its numerous rocks, shoals, and reefs. The natives of some of the islands had never seen Europeans before, yet seemed little inclined to acknowledge the superiority of their visitors.
Long. 30, Diam. 15, Apert. 7 mill. This, the giant of its genus, is perhaps the most remarkable land-shell discovered during the voyage. It differs from all other Pupinae in having an unpolished surface. It was found in the South-East Island of the Louisiade Archipelago, under dead leaves chiefly about the roots of trees. Pupina thomsoni. Tab. 3 fig. 2. a, b.
Many low, wooded islands are scattered along this line. I know of no distinguishing feature presented by the coral reefs of the Louisiade compared with those which I have seen elsewhere. One remarkable occurrence, however, connected with them, may be mentioned.
In passing along the south-west side of the island, we were struck with the superior richness of vegetation and apparent fertility, compared with what we had seen in New Guinea and the Louisiade Archipelago during the previous part of the cruise. Some portions reminded one of English park scenery gently sloping, undulating, grassy hills, with scattered clumps and lines of trees.
At length the natives left us, three canoes making to the northward, and two returning to the Duchateau Isles. Morning observations for rating the chronometers having been obtained, we got underweigh soon afterwards, and, bidding farewell to the Louisiade Archipelago, commenced our voyage to Sydney.
The Tanna and Mallicollo numerals of Cook are: Here, although the formations are not exactly regular, the prefixion of an initial syllable is evident. So is the quinary character of the numeration. The prefix itself, however, in the Tanna and Mallicollo is no labial, as in the Louisiade and New Caledonian, but either k or a vowel.
It is not unlikely that the Papuans of Redscar Bay and its vicinity derived the use of the bow and arrow from their neighbours to the westward and that the kind of canoe in use in Torres Strait was an introduction from the eastward, is rendered probable setting aside other considerations by a circumstance suggested by the vocabularies, i.e. that the name for the most characteristic part of the canoe in question the outrigger float is essentially the same from the Louisiade to Cape York.*
What points beyond were peopled from Louisiade is another question. For the islands between New Ireland and New Caledonia our data are lamentably scanty; the list consisting of: The collation of these with the Louisiade has led me to a fact which I little expected.
The next fact connected with the Louisiade vocabularies is one of greater interest. Most of the names of the different parts of the body end in da. In the list in question they were marked in italics; so that the proportion they bear to the words not so ending was easily seen. Now it is only the words belonging to this class that thus terminate.
Although rather a better sample of the Papuan race than that which we had lately seen at Redscar Bay, there was no marked physical distinction between these inhabitants of the Louisiade and the New Guinea men.
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