V the Western Islands

THE WESTERN ISLANDS V The Western Islands nder the designation ‘western islands’ I am offered for sale, and these reached the Museum 1. Since this was written Uincluding the little islets and island groups für Völkerkunde in Berlin. Professor von Luschan the firm Hernsheim which lie west of the Admiralty Islands. Start- recognised immediately the uniqueness of the ac- & Co. revisited both ing from the west they are as follows: Matty or quired items and drew attention to them for the islands in 1903 in the Wuwulu, Durour or Aua, the l’Echiquier Islands first time in theInternational Archiv für Ethno- person of Herr Hellwig, or Ninigo, the Hermit Islands or Luf, also called graphie. Consequently the island was visited more to plunder the field with Agomes, and the Anchorite Islands or Kaniet. frequently and the firm Hernsheim & Co. set up regard to ethnographic We begin with a description of the first two a trading station on Matty in 1897. However, the items to such an extent islands, which belong together geographically and trader posted there was killed after a short time. that the beautiful old ethnographically. The reason for this is still not clear; however, one objects are no longer might only suspect that he had sealed his own fate. available. What they In June 1899, I had the opportunity of visiting make there now is of 1. Wuwulu and Aua both islands for a few days and was able not only poor quality compared Both these islands lie about 40 nautical miles apart, to make a number of observations on the spot, but with their earlier items. the first at 1º43.5’S latitude and 142º50’E longi- also to take a series of photographs, some of which As far as I could gather tude, the second at 1º26’S latitude and 143º10’E were published in Globus (vol. LXXVIII) and others from Herr Hellwig he longitude. Both are low coral islands rising only a in the Papua Album, volume II. was unsuccessful in little above sea level but covered with fairly rich Since that time our knowledge has had no gathering many new vegetation. Apart from the undemanding coconut significant increase, in spite of the firm having sta- items; on the other palm which is present in significant stands, we tioned a trader on Matty again in 1901. From an hand he had made find the characteristic beach flora of the South Sea approximately fourteen-year-old boy from Wuwulu comprehensive, detailed islands and also the breadfruit tree and banana, who came to the Bismarck Archipelago in 1902, studies on the use of as well as taro plants. As a result of this rich plant I was able to find out the names of the various the items and their growth, a deep humus layer has built up over the ethnographical articles as well as obtaining more manufacture, which years on the coral banks, so that the inhabitants detailed information on their use. Other accounts he hoped to publish. are in a position to cultivate a sufficient number of the items in question must be taken with cir- He also found out of food plants. Thus they are not, as on numer- cumspection on account of the lack of knowledge several things about ous other coral islands, totally dependent on the of the language by both parties.1 traditions and customs; coconut palm and fishing. However, from time to Before the decimation of the natives mentioned however, as is easily time a noticeable lack of food occurs so that the in the footnote, both islands were fairly densely understandable, there daily rations have to be reduced to a minimum. populated. Aua had about 2,000 inhabitants, and are many gaps in this. Neither island offers an anchorage; from the Wuwulu about 1,500. Although contact took The noticeable edge of the fringing coral reef the undersea walls place between both islands, for the most part this reduction in population of the island fall steeply into the depths, and just a was said to be hostile. The Aua people, because of numbers since 1902 few boat lengths from the reef no bottom is to be their greater numbers, seemed to be a threat to the is very unfortunate. found at 200 metres. inhabitants of Wuwulu, whom they not infrequently Currently the Until several years ago the inhabitants of the attacked, especially when, on their own island, food population on Matty islands were totally unknown to us. Since their supplies were fast becoming exhausted. Since the has been halved, and discovery by Carteret they had only been visited establishment of a trading station, the natives of when Herr Hellwig left occasionally by passing ships, and these left us Wuwulu have enjoyed greater security, because the Durour at the end of no reports about contact. In the mid-1890s the Durour people have discontinued their raids for fear 1903, the mortality rate steamer Ysabel called at the island, and the horticul- of the white trader. The natives of Ninigo, about 75 was abnormally high. turalist Kärnbach, who was on board, gathered a nautical miles to the east, communicate occasion- Malaria is said to be the number of weapons and implements that were ally with both islands. The Ninigo people are very cause. Whether malaria 183 THIRTY YEARS IN THE SOUTH SEAS Plate 27 Men of the similar to the Matty islanders in many ways. Between implements, and soon these replace all that was char- Moánus tribe from the Ninigo and Durour there is a smaller island, named acteristic. The beautiful objects which are now the village of Lalobé Allison Island on the maps, which has been settled decorations of our domestic museums, will within by a colony of Ninigo people. a few years belong to the rarities and antiquities in The inhabitants of Aua are without doubt the their own homeland. reigned there before stronger and healthier. On Wuwulu one is already I would not be wrong if I present the population the arrival of the whites aware of signs of an incipient tribal decay. Elephan- of both islands as a branch of the Malayo- Polynesian is difficult to say. It has tiasis is quite common here, and also skin rashes tree spread so widely over the South Seas, and been established that the and unpleasant wounds, especially on the face and standing right next to that division that we give the islands are teeming with the lower extremities. While painstaking cleanli- general designation ‘Micronesian’. The skin colour Anopheles, and since ness predominates on Aua, on Wuwulu they do is that of the Samoans, a pale brown; the hair is this species of mosquito not seem to value cleanliness particularly, neither smooth or wavy and curly; the facial features are is known to transmit with regard to their bodies nor their dwellings and agreeable, and in numerous individuals regularly malaria to humans, one surroundings. formed and matching the claims of our European could assume that the Otherwise the population of both islands is prob- idea of beauty. The men are slenderly built and of illness was introduced ably one and the same. Bodily appearance, language, medium size; the women as everywhere else are there by infected traders traditions and customs, dwellings, weapons and somewhat smaller but universally have, especially in or their workers, and implements are the same, although, with regard their youth, elegant, well-rounded forms, well-built then transmitted by to the latter, minor differences exist. In all that the limbs and extraordinarily delicate hands and feet. In the Anopheles to the islanders manufacture they show an extraordinarily facial features a slight prominence of the cheekbone less resistant islanders. well-developed technique; one must involuntarily is noticeable, as well as slanting of the eyes. Several Islanders who were be astonished at the very precise shapes of all items natives have these characteristic features strongly taken to Agomes there, and at first glance be inclined to assume that developed, to such an extent that one could quite as workers quickly their working tools must be highly developed. Yet easily mistake them for Malayans. went down. It might this is not the case, as I shall point out later when The eyes are lively and intelligent, and the whole be hoped that the describing them. Sadly there occurs here too, as attitude of the people indicates a high level of administration would everywhere else where the natives come into contact intellectual capacity. Their movements are quick take prompt steps to with the whites, a rapid decline in artistry. Already and lively, and their speech is accompanied by combat the malaria and on Wuwulu, for example, items are being made gesticulations with hands and arms. thereby save such an which are only rough imitations of the earlier, ac- How long these islanders have occupied their interesting little tribal curately produced objects. They have sold the old present location is difficult to determine. We group from dying out. things, the white man brings new and practical might certainly assume that they have emigrated If this does not happen, 184 THE WESTERN ISLANDS from the Indonesian islands. Of course the New Guinea coast is only 87 nautical miles away, but the first glance by the most superficial observer shows that our islanders have not the slightest thing in common with the Papuans. Several weapons, especially the long, broadsword or halberd-like striking weapon recalls in a surprising way, as Herr von Luschan maintains, an old, Chinese, iron weapon. Possibly these forms are imitations of iron weapons that arrived here through shipwrecked Chinese seafarers; possibly they are copies of earlier weapons which were common in their original homeland, but because of a lack of the necessary material in the new land they were copied in wood.

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