view of Papuans in their own
country, and in less than five minutes was convinced that the opinion
already arrived at by the examination of a few Timor and New Guinea
slaves was substantially correct, and that the people I now had an
opportunity of comparing side by side belonged to two of the most
distinct and strongly marked races that the earth contains. Had I been
blind, I could have been certain that these islanders were not Malays.
The loud, rapid, eager tones, the incessant motion, the intense vital
activity manifested in speech and action, are the very antipodes of the
quiet, unimpulsive, unanimated Malay These Ke men came up singing and
shouting, dipping their paddles deep in the water and throwing up clouds
of spray; as they approached nearer they stood up in their canoes and
increased their noise and gesticulations; and on coming alongside,
without asking leave, and without a moment's hesitation, the greater
part of them scrambled up on our deck just as if they were come to take
possession of a captured vessel. Then commenced a scene of indescribable
confusion. These forty black, naked, mop-headed savages seemed
intoxicated with joy and excitement. Not one of them could remain still
for a moment. Every individual of our crew was in turn surrounded and
examined, asked for tobacco or arrack, grinned at and deserted for
another. All talked at once, and our captain was regularly mobbed by
the chief men, who wanted to be employed to tow us in, and who begged
vociferously to be paid in advance. A few presents of tobacco made their
eyes glisten; they would express their satisfaction by grins and shouts,
by rolling on deck, or by a headlong leap overboard. Schoolboys on an
unexpected holiday, Irishmen at a fair, or mid-shipmen on shore, would
give but a faint idea of the exuberant animal enjoyment of these people.

Under similar circumstances Malays could not behave as these Papuans
did. If they came on board a vessel (after asking permission), not a
word would be at first spoken, except a few compliments, and only after
some time, and very cautiously, world any approach be made to business.
One would speak at a time, with a low voice and great deliberation,
and the mode of making a bargain would be by quietly refusing all your
offers, or even going away without saying another word about the matter,
unless advanced your price to what they were willing to accept.
Our crew, many of whom had not made the voyage before,