EXPLORATION OF NEW GUINEA.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 432, 1 November 1875, Page 3

EXPLORATION OF NEW GUINEA.

The following interesting account of the recent exploration of New Guinea is taken from the Argus : — The Somerset correspondent of the Brisbane Courier reports that the Ohevert has returned to Somerset. Mr Macleay is a passenger for Sydney by the Singapore. Several of the ship’s company are dissatisfied with the time allowed for research at New Guinea, and took their discharge here, with the intention of returning to New Guinea by the first opportunity, probably per Klgowan, to explore, collect, and prospect. This movement has beeu accelerated by the news brought by Mr Macfarlaneon returning with the mission ship three weeks ago, as to the discovery of a large navigable river. )he captain of the missionary steamer Elgowan reports that she started from Somerset on the 25th August, having on board the Rev Mr Macfarlane, Mr O. 0. Stone, of London (in search of Straits curiosities), and Mr Orkney, of Melbourne. From rumours originating with the native mission teachers, they proceeded by way of Kayheer to Banks Island, Jarvis, and Cornwallis, and sailed over to the island of Boigoo, five miles off the south-west coast of New Guinea, where firewood for fuel was shipped. On September Ist, after a deal of intricate navigation, they wore the ship through the reefs and sandbanks, entering at 2 p.m. the mouth of a river one mile and a half wide, with nine to twelve fathoms of water, iu lat 98 S, long 142 deg 18min B. The land is low and swampy, with mangroves. They proceeded without difficulty thirteen miles up, and anchored at sunset. A sharp watch was set for fear of natives. In the morning a party landed. The river banks are twenty feet high, and composed of pipe clay. The party found native footprints, and saw distant smoke. Tracks of the wild boar were abundant. The width of the river there was about half a mile, with varied depths across, from five to nine fathoms.

The steamer proceeded upwards at 11 a.m. The scene as she moved onwards was most delightful. There were splendid groves of bamboo, with tropical growths of all shades, varied by open patches of forest country. Later in the day a canoe, with one occupant, was seen ahead, but after a momentary pause of astonishment, away he flew in the frail vessel for the thick scrubby bank, and ing his boat, the native vanished. The river banks here get higher, and the timber assumes a more stately growth. Numerous streams and offshoots were passed, making it difficult to decide which course to follow, but the steamer headed on in what was taken to be the main channel. Observing the bamboo clumps to have been thinned, a party went ashore to examine them, and found

the trees four inches in diameter, felled by blows from a sharp instrument. The ptrty collected botanical specimens, and to samples of the soil and river deposits. Tun steamer reached forty-four miles up the river that day, and came to anchor at its junction with another large stream, being puzzled which turning to take. The river here was seven fathoms and three-eighths deep, with a width of a mile.

On the following day, the look-out re porting no sign of natives, all went on shore and found plenty of fresh water, the river being as yet brackish. They proceeded further at II a.m., the bank on either side presenting a most beautiful sight, with large palms resembling cocoanut trees growing close to the water’s edge. At three o’clock iu the afternoon tbe steamer was anchored and a small lifeboat despatched to follow one arm of the river up, as another stream came in here. It was calculated that the Blgowan was sixty miles from the river’s mouth by the windings, and the depth of water at this point was three and half fathoms. Twelve miles’ progress in the boat brought them in view of a plantation enclosed with a strong fence, comprising about six acres of ground. On examination it was found to contain yams, sugar-cane, and tobacco. They saw no natives.

The steamer continued on until the river became narrower, and the water quite fresh, when it was estimated that a distance of ninety miles from the mouth has been reached. They landed, and found the birds of paradise plentiful, and they shot three, and killed an enormous reptile measuring 15ft 6iu long, of the boa constrictor species. On disembowelling it,, they found that a large male kangaroo had been swallowed by this ugly monster, which, being too bulky to carry in the small boat, they cut off its head und tail to take back as a proof of the creature they had encountered. The party found cloven hoof tracks, which, appearing toolarge for wild pigs, were pronounced to be those of buffalos. Suddenly they started a great bird, which must have measured fully 16ft across the wings from tip to tip, and in flying it made a great noise. The party started on their return to the steamer, which was reached before dark. Next morning all hands mustered on shore, and selecting a large tree, a photograph of Queen Victoria was neatly let in the bark, and some stores and trade fancifully suspended round the trunk. Having fired a royal salute with their small arras, three cheers were given for the British Sovereign, and they departed. The Ohevert will leave for Sydney when theS.E. monsoon admits. Captain Edwards has had a severe attack of rheumatism, and has been confined to the vessel since his return to Somerset. The natives on several of the fishing stations have had the measles, thus incapacitating many boats’ crews, and causing a partial suspension of fishing operations. On Murray island nearly 100 of the natives have died. Mr Macleay writes to the Sydney Morning Herald , giving a lengthy account of the movements of the Ohevert. After describing the incidents of the passage up, already pub lished from various sources, he says ; Tuesday morning, June 20tb. —Proceeded on our course to New Guinea, making for the mouth of the Katow River. We anticipated an easy run of a few hours to Katow, and our pilot Joe assured us that the way was clear and open. We found ourselves, however, soon after the shore of New Guinea had become distinctly visible, and while we were still nearly twelve miles from land, involved in a mass of reefs in little more than two fathoms of water, and it took five days’ unremitting work on the part of the captain in sounding and buoying our way, two miles at a time, before we finally dropped anchor, about a mile and a half from the mouth of Katow River and village of Mohatta. Next morning we were visited by two canoes, with about twelve men in each. In one was Maino, the head man of the village of Mohatta, in the other, Owta, the head man of a village three miles further west, and just visible from the ship. They came on board with the utmost confidence, and though they could only previously have seen vessels of small size, they did not testify much surprise. Maino, no doubt, looked upon himself as an experienced traveller, as he had only lately returned home from a few weeks’ cruise in the missionary steamer. We explained to them through our interpreters that our visit was a friendly one, and that our object was to see their country, and to collect specimens of their animals and plants. Maino and Owta both expressed a desire to assist us in any way they could, and invited us ashore.

Shortly afterwards we landed, to the numter of twenty-two, in the fishing and surf boats, and were received at the village by the elder members of the tribe seated in a circle upon a large piece of new matting. I daresay we were expected to join the circle and smoke the calumet of peace, which here means inhaling and swallowing from a thick piece of bamboo a quantity of smoke from a bad quality of tobacco, which they grow themselves ; but as we did not sit down, they after a time rose one after the other and joined us where we were standing. The village consisted of seven houses, exactly of the kind described by Jukes in the voyage of the Fly. Each house was 90 feet or 100 feet long, elevated about 6 feet from the ground, and covered with a thick thatch. The ends were open, and on each side were sleeping places of the inmates. I calculated that each house would easily contain 50 people, which would make the population of Maino village 350. The houses are built close to the sea, and ar£ everywhere surrounded by mud, filth, and stench. The people are powerful and wellmade, jet black, with straight foreheads and Jewish noses, and without the projecting jaws of the Australian. The hair is woolly, but grows in small tufts, which, when long, form close, compact ringlets, and it is not an uncommon thing for the people, not only here, but at Warrior and Darnley islands, to cut off their hair when thus grown into ringlets and convert it into a wig for their own use. The men have no clothing or covering of any kind, Some of them are marked, like the Australians, with seams on the shoulders, and they all cut the lobes of their ears into fanciful shapes, and pierce the rim all round and ornament it with colored wool or fibre. They seem fond of ornaments

of birds’ feathers for the head and necklets of pearl shell. The women we saw little of. They ’.re not allowed to be seen by strangers, but w ■ saw enough to satisfy us that they were no beauties. They are the hewers of wood and drawers of water. All the work that has to be done is done by them, the duties of the men being confined to fishing, hunting, and fighting. A very scanty covering round the loins is their only clothing, but they seem fond of ornaments, of cassowary feathers round the knees and ankles. The chief and almost only weapons of offence of these people are bows and arrows, but these are of a very formidable description. The bows are of bamboo, very like those used by English archers, and strung in the same way, and the arrows are over four feet long, and can be used effectively at a distance of 120 yards. Like the wo Alyhair.’d races of Fiji and the New Hebrides, of which they are probably a variety, these people use kava. Captain Edwards saw some of the root with Maiuo, who informed him that it was got some distauce up the country, and that they were well acquainted with the use of it. They are great navigators, and go long distances in their canoes, which are of great size, and are made from the excavated trunks of large coral trees (trythrina). Their supply of animal food is chiefly from the pins, which are very numerous both in a wild and tame slate. I saw no indication among them of cannibalism, though human skulls were not an uncommon ornament in their houses.

The appearance of the country is the same everywhere. From where the ship lay, we could see the coast line of New Guinea, from Saibai Island on the to Bristow Island on the east, a distance of thirty miles, and the uniformity was perfect. In some places the mangroves seemed to grow out into the sea, in others, as at Mohaita, there was a beach closely belted by coooanut palms, and behind, everywhere the same absolutely level mud flat without the slightest apparent rise as far as the eye could reach, and all densely covered with trees of all kinds and sizes. At no place, I should pay, was this interminable wooded morass more than 3ft or 4ft above the level of the sea or river. The driest spots have all been selected by the natives for their banana and taro plantations, but oven these places have to be intersected every 3ft or 4ft by ditches to keep the water off them. There they cultivate besides bananas, taro, yams, and sweet potatoes, crotons, and other showily-leaved plants. The country also produces cocoanuts, sago, and breadfruit. On our first day ashore we walked for a little distance along the beach attended by all the youngsters of the village, who seemed quite delighted with our visit, and kept supplying us with grasshoppers and every living thing they could pick* up, with the greatest diligence. A few birds were shot, but Mr Masters found all attempts to penetrate the jangle ineffectual. The following day I determined to attempt the navigation of the river, and accordingly at an early hour a party of twenty, including the captain, left the ship in the steam launch and surf boat, and after calling at the village and getting Maiuo and Owta to accompany us, we commenced our first essay to penetrate into the interior of the country. .The Katow at its mouth is about 200 yards wide. It very soon, however, narrows to about 60 yards, and it was not more than 30 yards wide at the. highest point we reached. For the first two miles passed through a dense forest of the mangrove, but beyond that the margin of the river was closely lined by a very beautiful palm, which raised its huge frondlike leaves right from the surface of the water to a bight of nearly 50 feet. Behind these there was the lofty and interminable forest, excepting where occasionally a break in the dark mass showed a banana or taro plantation. The day was fine. The view in some of the reaches was very lovely. Everything—trees, birds, &c—was new to us. We were progressing most favourably, and were in great spirits, when we were stopped by a tree of great size, which had fallen or been felled across the river. We had then ascended the river about eight or nine miles, and as we were in a fine stream of fresh water three fathoms deep, we were unwilling to return without an effort to overcome the obstacle, Our tomahawks, however, were quite unequal to the task, and we were, after two hours’ delay, compelled to turn back with the intention of making another attempt the following day, with suitable axes and crosscut saws.

Our having to turn back was unfortunate in another respect. It would appear that we ought, before ascending the river so far, to have communicated with the people of the various villages through whose territory we had to pass, but as we had started without doing so, our guides were in hopes that our sudden arrival at the largest village would so surprise the people that it would be easy to appease them, but our failure, and having to turn back, seemed to arouse the whole country, and from the frightful noises we heard in all directions I think we must have been followed for some miles by hundreds of infuriated savages. It was said that one arrow was shot, but I certainly saw neither arrow nor blackfcllow. The natives, however, were pacified, and subsequently showed the visitors the greatest hospitality. After describing the difficulties of the navigation and visit to Yule Island, &c, Mr Macleay concludes : I am satisfied from my own observations, and from what I have heard from pearlshellers and others who had visited various parts of the coast, that dread of hostility from the natives need be no bar to the exploration of New Guinea. The intercourse which has sprung up lately between people engaged in pearl-fishing, and the black Papuans, from Bampton to Deliverance Island, shows that the hostility to strangers hitherto ascribed to these people is not in accordance with fact; while as to the yellow inhabitants of the East Coast of the Gulf of Papua, their submission to the presence of Mr Dalbertis, their friendly conduct to the missionaries, and their unsuspicious reception of the Basilisk, and afterwards of the Chevert, prove that they have no antipathy to the visits of foreigners. The real difficulties in the way of exploration proceed from the climate and nature of the country. The low-lying wooded swamps, which extend from the head of the Gulf of Papua westward to the Dutch boundary line, are not only unhealthy but impenetrable, and the interior of this, the most interesting part of the island, can only

heYeacheShy finding some river which can be navigated throughout the whole extent of that enormous delta The Fly, I believe,will be the river by which this m be effected. The difficulties in the way of exploration on the eastern side of (he gulf are considerably less. The country is more penetrable and the climate tolerably healthy. The distance across the island is very small, and the ambition to ascend the great mountain range would he so stimulated by its proximity and apparent easiness, that we may expect soon to hear of this part of New Guinea being thoroughly examined. Already a party of three, consisting of the doctor, one of the taxidermists, and one of the botanical collectors of the Chevert expedition, has been formed to proceed to p ort Moresby, and I am told that a gentleman named Stone, at present residing with Mr Macfarlane, the head of the mission here, is making preparations for the ascent of Mount Owen Stanley. But it is only by penetrating the island from the head of the gulf, or some point further west, that its real character and conformation can be ascertained, and this, which would be a work of great difficulty, should, I think, be undertaken by the Imperial Government. Expeditions of this kind, fitted with steam launches, and accompanied by scientific men, whose duty it would be to investigate the mineral resources of the country, and report upon the value of its vegetable productions, such as timber, gums, bark, spices, indiarubber, &c, could be associated with a surveying party for the survey of the south coast of the island, which is at present very incomplete. All this, I think, should precede annexation or settlement. On the subject of set tlement, I may state that I am convinced, from what. I have seen of the races inhabiting New Guinea, that anything that would appear like a permanent occupation of the country, pr any part of it, would be violently opposed. Both races are extremely jealous of their territorial rights, and a war with either of them would be a serious matter. The Papuans would make very formidable and determined enemies, and the yellow race, though not very formidable as fighting men, are very numerous, and it would probably be found necessary for the safety of a settlement to drive thousands of these poor people away from their villages and plantations. I am desirous of seeing New Guinea ppened to civilisation, and I should be very sorry to see any country but England undertake that task, but I hope that until the Imperial Government judges the time for annexation to have arrived, every effort will be made to discourage such a plan of settlement as that projected a few weeks ago in Sydney. Any attempt of the kind must end in failure, certainly in the ruin, and perhaps the loss, of the adventurers, and most probably in exciting a fixed hostility to Europeans on the part of the natives. I can understand people settling in a new country where the natural productions offer at once a valuable article of export, but it has not yet been shown that such is the case in New Guinea. Gold and other metals may be, and probably are, plentiful, but no one knows where to look for them. It is more than probable,' too, that in a country with such vast gigantic forests, there may be many vegetable productions of great value ; bub that has not yet been ascertained. But the idea of a parly of Englishmen settling in New Guinea for the purpose of cultivating the land is preposterous. All the labor required would have to be imported, paid for, and protected, for assuredly no help would be got from the natives. The black race could not he made to work, and the light-colored people could only be utilised under a system of compulsion, which would never be tolerated in a country under British protection.