From The Spice Islands Voyage: The Quest for Alfred Wallace, the Man Who Shared Darwin’s Discovery of Evolution, by Tim Severin (Carroll & Graf, 1997), pp. 142-144:
More than a century before Wallace’s visit, the people of Gorong were still habitual sago-eaters. Toman upon toman of sago flour was stacked up in the little shops of [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘Pacific’
7 November 2009
Among the Spice Island Sago-eaters
31 October 2009
Japanese Soldier Ethnographer in Indonesia, 1944-45
From: Peter T. Suzuki and Reiko Watanabe Reiger (2003), A Japanese Soldier’s Ethnography of Molu Island (Tanimbar): Ken Sasaki’s Account (1944-1945), Archipel 66: 161-199 (doi: 10.3406/arch.2003.3789).
Moru Shima Ki: An Account of Molu Island by Ken Sasaki
Following is a description of my time on Molu Island from June 19, 1944 to May 20, 1945. Seven Japanese [...]
27 October 2009
Rediscovering Waigeo: At the Bird’s Head of New Guinea
From The Spice Islands Voyage: The Quest for Alfred Wallace, the Man Who Shared Darwin’s Discovery of Evolution, by Tim Severin (Carroll & Graf, 1997), pp. 155-156:
The small villages of the Moluccas have a habit of relocating suddenly. The villagers – usually no more than a dozen families – frequently change the location of their [...]
9 October 2009
Changing Demographics in Pacific Seafaring
From Sailors and Traders: A Maritime History of the Pacific Peoples, by Alastair Couper (U. Hawai‘i Press, 2009), pp. 178-180, 188:
As well as improvements in maritime education and training under IMO regulations, there has also been a veritable social revolution in Fiji. The young generation of Pacific sailors no longer seriously ascribes to the old [...]
5 October 2009
Tok Pisin with Isuzu Lu: Banana long Maket
Lu: Inap tenpela yia nau mama bilong mi yet i bin karim ol banana long maket … Nau tasol mi baim dispela strongpela Isuzu na mama i amamas tumas ….
Lou: For ten years now my own mother has carried bananas to market … Only now I bought this sturdy Isuzu and mama is very happy [...]
5 October 2009
Tok Pisin with Isuzu Lu: Holide long NYC
Lu: Mi raun wantaim sampela ol wantok … Mipela lusim pinis Papua New Guinea na kamap holide long America … Man, mi lukim olgeta samting hia na mi airaun nogut tru … Lukim ka hia … Oiyo, em i no liklik … Tasol bensin em i save usim, em i no likliki tu … Long [...]
30 September 2009
Wind vs. Coal Power in Pacific Shipping
From Sailors and Traders: A Maritime History of the Pacific Peoples, by Alastair Couper (U. Hawai‘i Press, 2009), pp. 141-142:
The companies secure within colonial territories made more capital investments in land, stores, and shipping. A major item was the shift from wind power to coal in propulsion and from wood to iron in ship construction. [...]
29 September 2009
Pacific Annexations, 1840-1906
From Sailors and Traders: A Maritime History of the Pacific Peoples, by Alastair Couper (U. Hawai‘i Press, 2009), pp. 140-141:
The managers of the major merchant companies based at the main entrepôts in the [Pacific] islands were often ex-sailors. Several acted as consuls for their governments and supported the companies in many ways, including evoking gunboat [...]
27 September 2009
Tok Pisin with Isuzu Lu: Ol Skulmanki
Lu: “Ol skulmanki i amamas nogut tru bilong wanem sikul i pinis nau … na ol papamama i amamas long mi kisim ol i go bek long ples … Ol i save dispela ka i no bagarap long dispela rot … Oyes, ol i save Isuzu em i gutpela ka tru …”
Lou: “The schoolkids are [...]
27 September 2009
Tok Pisin with Isuzu Lu: Hey, Poro!
Lu: “Hey, Poro … Mobeta yu baim wanpela Isuzu Utility … Ol i strongpela moa … inap long karim ol kain kain kago long baksait … Yu traim, laka!?!”
Lou: “Hey, Friend … You’d do better to buy an Isuzu Utility … They’re very strong … enough to carry all kinds of cargo in back … [...]
