Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/173

Rh the most shrilly tones. Yet they could be trained to work, and are strong and willing enough.

With the Captain, the Doctor, and Professor Biro I escaped ashore from all this. We went to Herr Thiele's house at one end of the island. He is manager for the company but is away just now. The absence of a host made no difference, and his boys rushed to attend to our wants. The house fronts Blanche Bay is the usual bungalow, but very comfortable, and so were the chairs on the broad, shady verandah. We spent a whole afternoon there, our own hosts, and even entertaining Herr Kooman to a drink when he came. A very pretty garden full of Chinese vases and terraces of brilliant flowers descended in front to the sea, and around rose the volcanoes, the Mother and Daughters. A lovely soft breeze cooled the air, and it was all delightful. This seemed to me an ideal spot—surely one could dwell peacefully and happily amidst these beautiful surroundings. Of course, the volcano and the earthquakes are a drawback. A musical instrument played for us all the time, and, it not being too strident, we quite enjoyed its mechanical rendering of well-known airs. Near by—a detached wooden building—was the billiard-room. This room would have excited admiration anywhere. Its white walls were decorated artistically with native weapons and ornaments. As these are most interesting in design and artistic in their colours of red, brown, black, and white, the effect was really beautiful. The designs of these native productions are wonderful; many resemble the old Celtic designs one finds on the Irish or West Highland crosses and tombstones. The carving, too, is astonishing when it is remembered they are all carved out of solid wood with bits of hard shell or flint, for it is only now the natives are entering into the Iron