C. D. Mackellar

“ The Germans, like the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland, do not realise or understand that now throughout the whole globe is scattered in strong, rich communities the fittest of the British Race, growing in numbers, in pride, and in ambition—full of almost pitying love for their Motherland, ready and eager to stretch forth a protecting and helping hand in any hour of stress that comes to her, but sternly determined to guard and cherish for themselves the great lands they, in but a short space of time, have made into practically independent nations. ”

“ I have a prophetic eye, and I look to the day when those who have to guide the destinies of our great Empire claim for the Empire the services in some high position of such a man as Sir Ernest Shackleton, with his unique combination of qualities, so admirably fitted to guide a ship of Empire to a safe and splendid harbour—no “little thing” is fit for a man who sees nothing in anything that has not obstacles to be overcome, rises in delight to tackle those obstacles, and goes at it with unwavering energy, spirit, and zest. ”

“ Feeling that I am very ignorant and uneducated, I am going to have a look for myself and to try to learn something—though I sigh to think there is so much to learn in the world, and so little time to do it in!
In Sydney they told me I was mad to want to go to New Guinea; the natives murdered and dined on every one they could; the coast fevers and malarias killed off the remainder—and German New Guinea of all places! The very idea of visiting those Germans who had dared to set up a colony of their own so near British possessions! ”

“ This woke us up—it was no longer the Stille Meer—and I revelled in it, as I love a great gale at sea beyond anything. A monsoon is no joke though, and a time it was terrific and left us breathless; we were buffeted about and wondered where we would be driven to. Even as we entered St. George's Channel and approached the Duke of York Islands, behind which appeared the volcanoes known as the Mother and Daughters, we were still in the thick of the storm, which came at us from every direction at once. As darkness came on I wondered what island we should go ashore on, but did not much care. ”

“ Between them and Australia lie all these wonderful isles, yet not a single British ship is ever seen. We, too, have our share in Borneo, the largest island in the world next to New Guinea, yet it might not exist for all sign here of our being there. It is inexplicable.
I have always these brave old explorers in their quaint little ships in my mind here. How little has changed since they saw it, save where volcanic disturbances have altered the aspect of the land!—and such catastrophes have not been infrequent. There are the great mountain ranges—does no one want to learn their secrets? ”

“ Good colonists as they are under us or America, they have not yet—here, at least—learnt how to colonise for themselves.
Personally, no one ever resented or resents the stupidity of our Home Government more in ever making it possible for any Foreign Power to be here at all than I do, as I can foresee the trouble that will arise in the future should it long remain a German possession; but, since they are here, and legitimately here, I feel a real interest in their progress and much sympathy with their present aims and endeavours to develop this land. ”

“ It is wonderful the amount of people who feel it necessary to take care of this helpless being, who in reality is very capable of taking care of himself, but does not like to hurt their feelings by showing it. The only time the inscrutable faces of the Chinese stewards light up is when, with an insinuating smile, they offer you "cully and lice," a dish always in favour in hot climates. ”

“ To come nearer home, where, too, would be the British Empire? In my eyes the bravest and most heroic of human beings are the Antarctic and Arctic explorers, who have to and moral possess the very highest qualities in man—physical courage, endurance under terrible privations in terrible climates, resource, absolute self-control, and unselfishness; their daily life when marching in that terrific cold is the constant practice of the most heroic endurance and bravery, beside which the most daring deeds of bravery on the field of battle are but child's play. ”

“ The latest German idea is to establish a fortified harbour and coaling station at or near New Britain. Look at the map, think over what it means, and do not forget that the project has been mooted. The idea of to-day is sometimes the fact of to-morrow. Germany has come late into the field of colonisation; all the desirable parts, or most of them, are in other hands, therefore to attain her growing, rapidly growing ambition of being a great World Power, she is undoubtedly compelled to "hustle round" and achieve her purpose as she can. ”

“ Think of Australia alone—parts of which I have seen grow under my own eyes, and have even known some of the first white men who ever set foot on a part of its shores—the now colony of Victoria—and made of it in such a short space of time so great a land. The story of that fine race, the Hentys, ought to stimulate any one. ”

“ They had risen to a man when needed with a strong, true burst of real patriotism, fought for their country, and won. They wanted peace, and to get back into their own quiet old stodgy, peaceable ways. I remember long ago how somehow I got amongst some of their farseeing ones bent on founding new German lands, rebellious at seeing millions of Germans flocking to America and Australia to be for ever lost to their Fatherland. ”

“ The paint comes off the ship, the iron rusts, and gloom and melancholy pervades every one. I have always known this, but it is only since studying Swedenborg that I have understood the cause. The evil spirits Swedenborg tells us about, who make their home in me uninvited—as they do in all of you, so don't imagine you are better—like hot, muggy, unbearable atmospheres, are reminded no doubt of where they came from, and so at present are very active.
But it is true. When I am bad-tempered every one else is put out and there are gloomy faces everywhere; it extends even to the deck passengers. ”

“ The man who explores and makes known an unknown part of the world does work that lasts for ever, for all who come after reap the results. No man is a hero to his valet; but that is not because the man is not a hero, but because the valet is a valet. So in the same way those who belittle or disdain explorers are only showing what they are themselves—the “little ones” of the earth, incapable of understanding anything beyond the feeble vision of their feeble mind. We cannot all rise to the great heights, but we can honour those who do, or else we dishonour ourselves. ”

“ These ports and all these islands under the German flag, her growing navy, her great fleet of liners'using these harbours—this is to be the beginning of the end for us. So they think. Will it come? It is a very obvious aim—just glance at the map to see what it really means. What has Australia to say to it? Nothing at all; she ignores the idea. She is obsessed with the fear that she is to be eaten up by Japanese. There is no sign of the British flag anywhere; not a ship or a schooner have we seen flying it on this direct route to Hong-Kong and Singapore. ”

“ In Sydney I had laid in a stock of beads to trade with. In my ignorance I imagined that pretty beads would be the thing, and some of my strings of beads were really rosaries. I was not aware that fashion is as great an autocrat in New Guinea as elsewhere, and that certain sorts of beads were alone in request, just as the fashion in nose or earrings varies. When, therefore, after entering into a polite conversation with this personage, I intimated a desire to trade my pretty beads for his shell ornaments, he drew himself up and intimated haughtily that they were not for sale. ”

“ Some of the Solomon Isles are within the German sphere and some within the British. With the same almost insane lack of foresight which has characterised all the dealings of the Home Government with these seas and isles, they allowed the best part of them to fall to Germany. This is a real misfortune, and it is a great pity Germany has any of them. It would have been better for herself also not to have them, as will be seen in time. As much as she can she shuts them against all traders save Germans; others must pay a large annual licence; whereas the British ones are open to any one. ”

“ To me, each one of these First Men has a surpassing interest, unconscious as they often are that they are doing or have done anything. Scarcely a spot here have I seen but a white man's blood has dyed the ground; they are forgotten, uncared for, yet each one in losing his life did something, and a great deal, to make it a necessity that those who come after should be in less peril, and so bit by bit the land is won. ”

“ On returning to the pier—laden with rubbish showered on me by the still accompanying bodyguard—the German carpenter, whose name I am sorry to say I have forgotten, showed me his house, kept neat and clean for him by a Malay girl. This man was a magnificent specimen of what a German may come to here. Very fair, he was of course bronzed by the sun, and his tall, broad-chested figure seemed to be in the perfection of development. In Germany so tall and strong a man would have become fat and flabby; here he was the picture of health, and a striking advertisement for the salubrity of Seleo. ”

“ Indeed the aims and ambitions of Germany in these seas are what we talk and think most about. The Dutch make nothing of many of their rich possessions; unless they wake up and do so, all may pass from them. Yet a treaty with us by which the Netherlands agreed never to part with an inch of territory here save to us, on condition that we guaranteed her safe possession of her over-seas' lands and the absolute integrity of the Netherlands, would for ever crush all these German and other aspirations, and render New Guinea valueless to Germany ”

“ I am a firm believer in tobacco as a preventive, more particularly in the shape of cigarettes, and in this I have every one against me. A pipe, I think, is half poisonous in itself on account of the nicotine, and, after experimenting with pipe, cigar, and cigarette, I truly believe the cigarette to be the least harmful, and, as a preventive of malarial fevers, the best remedy. I felt particularly well amidst all these fever-stricken people. ”

“ Here, though they never realise it, every man is in almost daily, even hourly, peril of losing his life. Many lives are always sacrificed to build up a new country; it has always been so, and always will be so. Few people realise it, least of all those who long after reap the benefit of it. Yet every trifle connected with a new land is of interest, and each name mentioned is that of an Empire-Builder. ”

“ It has been instilled into the German people that they are “the salt of the earth,” the great Coming Race, and are no longer to rank even alongside the greatest Powers, but are to rise above, conquer, and supplant them. ”

“ The Germans, on the contrary, look to their Government for everything, do not strike out boldly for themselves, and if the numerous Government officials do nothing, the colonist sits down and waits till they do, for he, the colonist, has no free hand. Under direction he will do well, but he waits for that direction, and hence it is that a German colony is composed principally of officials, all sick of the place, and dying to get home again to the comforts of the happy Fatherland. ”

“ A young New Zealander in the Forsayth store told me she had had it scores of times. I was interested in seeing this famous and important lady—who will remain a marked figure in the history of this land —as I had heard so much of her, and she quite impressed me. What is it not to have a personality, to os distinct from others! and how such a personality leaves its mark everywhere and influences others! Yet how few have it! Queen Emma is perfectly capable, I am sure, of ruling all New Guinea, and doing it well—in fact, I believe it would be the making of the country to let her do it. ”

“ These natives; when taken away from their homes; frequently die of home-sickness.
Let them send out from Europe a batch of German girls, who will find eager husbands awaiting them; and so people this colony with a white race. A simple; homely bourgeois German girl would here find herself a person of importance. You cannot people a colony without women; and they ought to be white women.
A deluded band of people—men and women—set out from Germany to live here in this colony “the simple life,” that is; to discard all raiment, as the natives do; and live in the sun. ”

“ Captain Dunbar, Commander of the German corvette, Moewe (Seagull) , which patrols these seas; the distinguished Hungarian naturalist, Professor Biro Lajos (Ludwig Biro) ; Frau Wolff, wife of a German planter in New Britain; a Danish pilot who takes the ship to New Guinea; and King Peter of the French Islands. I represent the British Empire.
What a mixture—a French bishop, German naval captain, Hungarian professor, Danish pilot, German lady, a king, and a Scottish pleasure-pilgrim!—but the lion lay down with the lamb; no one ate any one else, and we are all quite happy and peaceable together. ”