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Building a House in Dorey Bay of New Guinea
by Alfred Russel Wallace
For the first three days
after our arrival I was fully occupied from morning to night building a
house, with the assistance of a dozen Papuans and my own men. It was
immense trouble to get our labourers to work, as scarcely one of them
could speak a word of Malay; and it was only by the most energetic
gesticulations, and going through a regular pantomime of what was
wanted, that we could get them to do anything. If we made them
understand that a few more poles were required, which two could have
easily cut, six or eight would insist upon going together, although we
needed their assistance in other things. One morning ten of them came to
work, bringing only one chopper between them, although they knew I had
none ready for use.
I
chose a place about two hundred yards from the beach, on an elevated
ground, by the side of the chief path from the village of Dorey to the
provision-grounds and the forest. Within twenty yards was a little
stream; which furnished us with excellent water and a nice place to
bathe. There was only low underwood to clear away, while some fine
forest trees stood at a short distance, and we cut down the wood for
about twenty yards round to give us light and air. The house, about
twenty feet by fifteen; was built entirely of wood, with a bamboo floor,
a single door of thatch, and a large window, looking over the sea, at
which I fixed my table, and close beside it my bed, within a little
partition. I bought a number of very large palm-leaf mats of the
natives, which made excellent walls; while the mats I had brought myself
were used on the roof, and were covered over with attaps as soon as we
could get them made. Outside, and rather behind, was a little hut, used
for cooking, and a bench, roofed over, where my men could sit to skin
birds and animals. When all was finished, I had my goods and stores
brought up, arranged them conveniently inside, and then paid my Papuans
with knives and choppers, and sent them away. The next day our schooner
left for the more eastern islands, and I found myself fairly established
as the only European inhabitant of the vast island of New Guinea.
As we had some doubt about the natives, we slept at first with
loaded guns beside us and a watch set; but after a few days, finding the
people friendly, and feeling sure that they would not venture to attack
five well-armed men, we took no further precautions. We had still a day
or two's work in finishing up the house, stopping leaks, putting up our
hanging shelves for drying specimens inside and out, and making the path
down to the water, and a clear dry space in front of the horse.
On the 17th, the steamer not having arrived, the coal-ship left,
having lain here a month, according to her contract; and on the same day
my hunters went out to shoot for the first time, and brought home a
magnificent crown pigeon and a few common birds. The next day they were
more successful, and I was delighted to see them return with a Bird of
Paradise in full plumage, a pair of the fine Papuan lories (Lorius
domicella), four other lories and parroquets, a grackle (Gracula dumonti),
a king-hunter (Dacelo gaudichaudi), a racquet-tailed kingfisher (Tanysiptera
galatea), and two or three other birds of less beauty.
