Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/241

Rh The two white men here collect the trepang, copra, pearl-shell, etc., from the neighbouring islands. They have cleared Seleo of much jungle and planted it with cocoanuts, having some Chinese and Malays, as well as natives, as workers. They export much copra. I learnt here that the natives all like to shave with bits of broken glass when they can get it, instead of a bit of pearl-shell.

The Captain took me ashore. Then a most curious thing happened. The Captain in his uniform, gold braid and buttons, and gold-laced cap is in the eyes of the natives a person of enormous importance; the “big fellow white master of the big war canoe”’ is what they call him. Also the Stettin is to them something very great indeed, though it does not deal out death like the Moewe. I was also in white, and carried a white umbrella; but I had no gold lace, and was nobody. Yet the instant we stepped ashore the natives came flocking from every direction, calling, “English-man! Englishman!”

It was really strange. They knew my nation-alityinstantly,and,flockinground me, quite ignored the Captain, who was half put out at it, half amused. They see, of course, no English here, save any stray ones who pass by in the Stettin.

We first visited Herr Behse at his house, who entertained us to wine and other refreshments, and then the Captain and I, escorted by about fifty naked natives, walked round the island. I was the attraction, palpably and openly; why or wherefore I know not. Was it the white umbrella—a sort of ensign of royalty with natives—or what? It could not be the umbrella, every one has them here, and we heard a story of a native who had been away and returned with a fortune in clothes and 13