A r a b s .
P l e n t y o f
N u t m e g s .
v e r in g ; the men g o almoft naked, and are v e r y Ik ilfu l in
ftr ik in g - filh ; th e y have g rea t boats in w h ich th e y often vifit
New Guinea, wh ere th e y procure ilaves, beautiful parrots, & c .
w h ich th e y carry to Garam, and exchan ge fo r callicoes. T h e y
k e ep many o f th e poor Papuans fo r th eir own ufe to do the
laborious w o rk . T h is ifland has the fame birds as th é main
land, and bats o f an enormous fize.
I c a n n o t quit this part o f the coaft w ith out mentioning a
fingu la i communication made to Captain. Forreß (p. 149.-) b y
the natives o f Fff-be in the ifland o f Mixoal, th at on the coaft
o f New Guinea, not far from a gu lp h about a day’s fail from
Wanim or Onin, a place about tw en ty leagues from the n or th -
eaft o f the ifle o f Goram, was a fet o f people w h o wore large
turbans. He imagines th em to h a v e been the pofterity o f a
colony o f Arabs. I f this is true, th e ir difeovery w ill be ju ft
as important to th e world as th at o f the race o f Owen Gwynedd,
lon g loft to the Britons, till it has been late ly credited th at th e y
ftill exift in America, under th e title o f Padoucas or Weiß In*
dians.
T h a t th e weftern fide o f New Guinea (probably all parts,
i f properly examined) abound with nutmeg trees, is v e r y certain,
A Portuguefe fhip , w h ich was forced b y a ftorm from its anchorage
at Timor, was driven to this coaft, and there anchored in
order to repair the damage ih e had received. T h e captain, d u r in g
th e interval, procured a fufficient loading o f n utmegs, with w h ich
h e failed direélly to Macao, and fold th em, w ith o u t ever retu rnin
g to his form er place o f deftination.
F r om
F r o m Mackerel bay, th e coaft trends to th e n or th -w e ft as
fa r as the ftreights o f Galowa and Salwatty ifland. From thence
it turns to the north-eaft, terminating at the Cape o f Good Hope.
T h u s h a v e I performed th e circuit o f the great ifland, and concluded
this the laft great labor o f m y life.
D O W N I N G ,
O c t o b e r 27, 1792»
H h 2 F L O R A