About this time we had a striking proof of the dangers of New
Guinea trading. Six men arrived at the village in a small boat
almost starved, having escaped out of two praus, the remainder of
whose crews (fourteen in number) had been murdered by the natives
of New Guinea. The praus had left this village a few months
before, and among the murdered men were the Rajah's son, and the
relation or slaves of many of the inhabitants. The cry of
lamentation that arose when the news arrived was most
distressing. A score of women, who had lost husbands, brothers,
sons, or more distant relatives, set up at once the most dismal
shrieks and groans and wailings, which continued at intervals
till late at night; and as the chief houses in the village were
crowded together round that which I occupied, our situation was
anything but agreeable.

It seems that the village where the attack took place (nearly
opposite the small island of Lakahia) is known to be dangerous,
and the vessels had only gone there a few days before to buy some
tripang. The crew were living on shore, the praus being in a
small river close by, and they were attacked and murdered in the
day-time while bargaining with the Papuans. The six men who
survived were on board the praus, and escaped by at once setting
into the small boat and rowing out to sea.

This south-west part of New Guinea, known to the native traders
as "Papua Kowiyee" and "Papua Onen," is inhabited by the most
treacherous and bloodthirsty tribes. It is in these districts
that the commanders and portions of the crews of many of the
early discovery ships were murdered, and scarcely a year now
passes but some lives are lost. The Goram and Ceram traders are