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One of Wallace's missions in Papua was to examine the nature and species of the Birds-of-Paradise; but in the course of the years of his wanderings through those islands he made a complete investigation of the whole fauna. A footnote somewhere explains that the Papuans who lived in the Bird-of-Paradise country were confirmed cannibals. Fancy living for years with or near such neighbours!
Like the Papuans of New Guinea, they build their huts in the branches of trees; but for this they have good reason the prowling animals of the forest would otherwise soon obliterate the slowly dying tribe.
His report, as far as could be understood, was that the Papuans, having collected from other villages, had taken up positions some little distance from the coast, whence they could watch the proceedings of the white men, and that it would be impossible to get down to the shore without being discovered. Tom and Desmond, on this, proposed fighting their way through.
"Well, sir, let them come aboard. I see no reason to prevent them. Deep down they're just poor devils, these Papuans, and I don't want my visit to Gueboroa Island to cost the life of a single one of these unfortunate people!" On this note I was about to withdraw; but Captain Nemo detained me and invited me to take a seat next to him.
The crew were living on shore, the praus being in a small river close by, and they were attacked and murdered in the day-time while bargaining with the Papuans. The six men who survived were on board the praus, and escaped by at once setting into the small boat and rowing out to sea.
The door opened, and the black, frightened faces of Papuans, with staring eyes, looked at him. "What is the matter?" he asked. And they told him that, as they came at sunset along the path from the people of Larogi to Port Moresby, they found by the side of the path a white man. "He was dying," they said. "We were afraid to touch him.
The party consisting of Tom Rogers, Gerald Desmond, and Billy Blueblazes, with Casey, Peter, and the two Papuans, Nick and Pipes, had penetrated a considerable distance to the south-west, when they heard the sound of hot firing in the rear.
Its tusks are not large, and are shaped like the incisor teeth. It is covered with thick, short, and yellowish-coloured bristles; and when young it is marked by bright fulvous stripes along the back. The native Papuans highly esteem its flesh; and on this account it is hunted by them in the forests where it is found.
I heard its plating grind against the limestone roughness of that coral base. At 2:35 Captain Nemo appeared in the lounge. "We're about to depart," he said. "Ah!" I put in. "I've given orders to open the hatches." "What about the Papuans?" "What about them?" Captain Nemo replied, with a light shrug of his shoulders. "Won't they come inside the Nautilus?" "How will they manage that?"
Such hair is found specially in the interior of the islands, where the so-called aboriginal population is purer and where for a long time the name of Alfuros has been conferred on them. On most points affinity with Negritos or Papuans is not to be recognized. Should such at any time have existed, we are a long way from the period when the direct causes therefor are to be looked for.
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