Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, No. 383, September 1847Various
General
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, No. 383, September 1847
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
danced with rage, and at last levelled a matchlock at the object of his
fury; but on Stewart's opening a port, and disclosing the grim muzzle of a
carronade, he suspended, his warlike demonstrations. A supply of articles
for barter with the natives was obtained from his junk, and the same
afternoon a fresh breeze swept the European ships out of the bay.
The last place to which we shall accompany Dr Coulter is a district on the
south coast of New Guinea, inhabited by the warlike and ferocious tribe of
the Horraforas, who, at the period of his visit, lived happily under the
paternal rule of King Connel the First. Terence Connel was a County Kerry
boy, who had gone through many strange adventures in his own country and
elsewhere. A deserter from a regiment of the line, he had served for some
time under Captain Starlight's banner, and had distinguished himself by
his intrepidity and zeal in house-burning, cattle-houghing, and other
nocturnal amusements peculiar to the "first flower of the sea." After a
couple of years of this praiseworthy career, he had been captured, tried,
and transported to Australia. He escaped, with ten fellow-convicts, and,
after various adventures, reached Papua. Nine of their number were slain
by the Horraforas, who spared the two others and made them serve against a
hostile tribe. Connel's companion was killed in a fight, but Connel
greatly distinguished himself, and became head-chief, or king. Under his
guidance and protection, we find Captain Trainer, four of his crew, and
the indefatigable Coulter, wandering in the Horrafora territory, through
magnificent tropical scenery, where snakes abounded, rats were as big as
ordinary cats, the mosquitos flew about in dense clouds, huge bats flapped
their mirky wings beneath the branches of gigantic trees, and immense
saucer-eyed owls glared from out the gloom. Hog-hunting was the principal
sport here; but the Horraforas were at war, as usual, and Dr Coulter's
services were again put in requisition. Fighting is the business of life
with these savages, and with an Irish king at their head, their combative
propensity was not likely to be weakened. They have scouts out
continually, and but for this precaution, as Connel explained, "one tribe
would break in on top of t'other, be murdherin' man, woman, and child, and
carrying off the rest to sell to the Chinese for slaves, all through
divilment, or fair divarsion." To guard against surprise, the natives live
in trees, amongst whose branches they construct commodious sleeping
apartments. They ascend and descend by a notched pole, drawn up at night,
and take their meals on the ground below.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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