MR MORTON’S TOUR IN NEW GUINEA.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1256, 28 March 1878, Page 3

MR MORTON’S TOUR IN NEW GUINEA.

Tho “ Sydney Herald ” has been favoured with the following particulars respecting Mr Morton’s collecting tour in New Guinea, on behalf of the Australian Museum. Mr Morton accompanied Mr Goldie’s party, and landed with them at Port Moresby on the 19th July, 1877, after visiting Darnley and Murray Islands, as well as some of the smaller islands in the Straits; the trip across from Somerset in an open boat occupying fifteen days. Finding Port Moresby a very poor collecting ground, being hilly, stony and very lightly timbered with stunted eucalypti, ho went inland about fifteen miles to the Lalokie Eiver, The river is about 200 yards wide and fringed with a narrow belt of scrub, varying from a few feet to about the eighth of a mile in width. Behind the brush are flats of small extent, and the back country is rough and stony with a rank growth of reedlike grass. The Port Moresby natives are a small tribe, of copper colour, and are friendly to Europeans. They inhabit three marine villages, built in the bay, on tall poles, numbering in all about 200 houses. Tho men do not trouble themselves about clothing, and ornament themselves by piercing tho nostril and thrusting a bone or piece of wood through it, and when they can got them, they adorn their heads with plumes of the paradise birds and cassowary. The women wear a heavy mat round their loins. They are an industrious race, cultivating yams, &c., making pottery, fishing and hunting. Mr Morton describes three different races as inhabiting the districts he traversed : the coast tribe being of a light or copper color, with hair of a Malay type ; those further inland darker in color with wavy hair, and the people of the interior very dark with closely frizzed hair like a negro’s. The Port Moresby tribe showed a very friendly disposition, and gave warning of intended attacks by other natives. Two night attacks were made, but no damage was done. Mr Goldie and Mr Morton made three starts for Mount Owen Stanley, but the difficulty in getting carriers prevented them from accomplishing their purpose. The different tribes have well-defined boundaries to their respective territory or hunting grounds, the usual penalty for trespass being the death of trespassers, if met by a superior party. On arriving at the boundary of their own tribe the men would throw down their packs, and no inducement would prevail on them to intrude on their neighbors’ land. Every assistance was rendered to the party by the missionaries, and especially by the Eev. Mr Lawos, who since left for England. His name is a thorough passport in the districts where he has labored, and even in the interior, where he is only known by report. The party visited the village of Kerapoona, about 60 miles south-east from Port Moresby. The country is all open, and almost devoid of animal life. Leather-heads and laughing •jackasses were about the only birds seen. The coast line near Kerapoona is fringed for miles and miles with cocoanut plantations and the native gardens are tended most sedulously, being adorned with crotons, dracaenas, and orchids, and the paths regularly swept by the women. The natives of Kerapoona are described as very industrious, working from morning till night. One part of the village is occupied by people who do nothing but fish, and in their quarter fish, cooked or uncooked, can be bought at any time in the day. Another section of the community are adepts at canoe-making, using their stone tomahawks in fashioning their vessels. Tho chiefs practice polygamy, and have from three to six wives, each living in their own separate house. The men generally have but one wife. Kerapoona is situated on the eastern side of the entrance to Hood’s Lagoon, the country being low, flat, and sandy. A river and creek at the head of Hood’s Lagoon were explored for several miles in a small boat, but nothing of importance was discovered, and very few birds were to bo seen.

It was Mr Goldie’s intention to proceed to South Cape, hut while voyaging thither he fell in with the Mayri, mission schooner ; on boarding her found Captain Dudfield suffering from very severe wounds inflicted by the natives. He strongly advised them on no account to go to South Cape; and, as he informed thorn that it was a very poor collecting ground, they determined not to go on. The furthest point reached inland was on the Momeira River, about sixty miles from Port Moresby. Gold was found by one of the South Sea Island hoys about twenty miles from Port Moresby. Several dishes were i washed out in different parts of the Goldie River, but nothing payable discovered. No prospect was obtained which could in any way encourage a rush. The gold found was very fine and scaly. Although labouring under many difficulties, Mr Morton was fairly successful in collecting specimens for the Museum. Ho shot several paradise birds in splendid plumage, besides hornbills, goura pigeons, doves, parrots, flycatchers, &c. Not many mammals were seen, and reptiles were not numerous, being represented by brown and black snakes and pythons. Lizards were very His collection includes about 100 varieties of birds ; some of them quite new to science. The track of an unknown animal of large size was seen on two or three occasions, ana

the natives gave Mr Morton to understand that it was a dangerous animal by biting their own arms. Alligators wore plentiful in the rivers. A small one paid the tent a visit, hut scuttled away before a gun could bo brought to bear on him. On the whole the party enjoyed good health, though subject more or less to attacks of fever and ague. The season for the monsoons setting in, when no collecting could be done for three or four months, Mr Morton availed himself of an opportunity to leave New Guinea in a small bout, and after a rough and tedious passage of eighteen days across the Straits, arrived at Somerset, from which place he came to Sydney by steamer.