The Malay Archipelago [pp. 479-495]

T/le M'alay Arc/ziipelago.
coast where schoolmasters from Amboyna reside, and the people
were nominally Christian, and to some extent educated and
.civilized. Their intercourse with Mohammedan traders had
also some effect, as they would often bury their dead, though
their national custom was to expose the body on a raised stage
until it decomposed.
On New Guinea itself there was no Dutch colony at the
time of Mr. Wallace's visit, though explorations were going on
for the purpose of planting one. Trading vessels pass along
the coast, and at the fine harbor of Dorey, which was the only
point where Mr. Wallace made any tarry, he found two German missionaries. At that time they were the only ones on
the island; one of them had been there for two years and had
learned something of the language, and was attempting to
translate portions of the Bible, and had also started a small
school. These missionaries were accustomed to labor and
trade, and were obliged to eke out the small salary granted
from Europe by trading with the natives-buying their rice
when it was cheap, and selling it back when they were in need,
at an advanced price. The effect of this on the natives was
the impression that the missionaries, like other traders, came
among them for their own personal advantage, and not for the
good of those among whom they labored.
From a recent work* we learn that these two German missionaries are dead, and that their places have not been supplied. "The London Missionary Society" directed Mr.
Murray to commence a mission on New Guinea. This he did
in I87I, on the southeastern extremity of the island, opposite
to Australia, landing some native missionaries from the Loyalty Islands at two different points. One party of these was
murdered by the natives; what was the reason for the act Mr.
Murray could not discover. He testifies, however, that he
found no difficulty in going among them unarmed at all points
where he landed. At the other point the mission was suc cessfully established, and to the native missionaries was added
a missionary from England.
The islands to the westward, where the Malay race predomi
*Forty Years' Missionaiy Work in Polynesia and New Guinea, I835 to I875,
published by the Carters.
I877.1
49I