THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1573, 20 August 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1873.

The recent . cruise of H.M.S. Basilisk along a portion of the eastern and southeastern coast of New Guinea, has been the means of largely increasing the small stock of information already possessed of that hitherto almost unknown land. Another event has since occurred, which in its results will incidentally cause valuable additions to be made to the scanty knowledge now existing with regard to this interesting country, towards which the eyes and hopes of thousands fn this colony, and throughout Australia are turned as the El Dorado in which new fortunes are to be amassed, and fallen fortunes retrieved. This event is the acceptance by the Queensland Government of a contract for a mail service to England, via Torres Straits, Timor, Batavia, and Point de Galle. According to a chart just published of the route to be traversed by the steamers of the line, the course indicated after rounding Cape York, the most northern point of the continent of Australia, makes directly across Torres Straits, for a promontory jutting out into the Banda Sea, or rather the Indian Ocean, and forming the south-eastern extremity of the Island of New . Guinea. The track as laid, down in the chart alluded to, passes close under this point of land, so that in the interests of colonisation, to say nothing of the great accommodation it would be to the Company to have a convenient place of calif or their steamers, it is not impossible that a station may be established there, or in the locality. The latter contingency is more than probable, having regard to the great distance between the last port of call of the steamers in Queensland, and the next halting place at Timor, a distance of nearly 2,500 miles. The Government of New South Wales will then have the option of participating in the advantages of this mail route, by paying in proportion to the amount of correspondence for warded by that Colony, and as the distance from Sydney to Timor is within a trifle, of 3000 miles, it will be absolutely necessary to establish what may be called a half-way resting-place somewhere in the vicinity of Torres Straits, and the most suitable situation on the map is the extreme south-eastern extension of New Guinea. According to the accounts given in the latest Queensland papers to hand, of the explorations of the captain and crew of the Basilisk, there does not seem to be any insuperable difficulties to be overcome in colonising the country ; on the contrary, New Guinea offers a field of great promise, second only to Australia itself. From the almost profound ignorance .of New Guinea hitherto prevailing, there existed a suspicion that the insalubrity of its climate and the hostility of the natives were insurmountable obstacles to European settlement. It is recorded that the island was discovered as early as 1511, by one. Atonio D'Abreu, a Genoese navigator, and a contemporary of Columbus. The Dutch took possession of it in 1828, from the western extremity up to the 141 st degree of east longitude, ■ and it waa then only that any positive knowledge of its coast or climate was obtained, and this was confined to that portion of it only which lies to the west and south-west. In 1845, H.H.S. Fly, under the command of Captain Blackwood, surveyed a portion of the Great Bight, and further explorations were made again along, a part of the southeast coast by H.M.S. Rattlesnake in 1842-6. In 1858, a scientific expedition was sent out by the Government of the Netherlands, by which important in forma- ' tion was obtained of the north and southeast coasts as far as the 141 st degree of east longitude, but the interior still remained comparatively unknown. Further exploration seems to have stopped here, if the unreliable accounts brought from time to time by captains of small traders who visited the island at rare intervals be excepted. Of the eastern coast nothing was known, and it is doubtful if it ever was visited by civilised man, much less explored or sur- ' veyed, until the recent cruise made to it by Captain Moresby on board the Basilisk. The Dutch built a fort at Triton Bay, on the south-west coast, in 3828, but this was shortly afterwards abandoned on account of the unhealthy nature of the locality, but more recent information goes to show the climate is not unhealthy except in those low swampy parts where mud and decomposed vegetable matter, acted on by a tropical snn, breed malaria and pestilence. But of the bugbear of native hostility which has hitherto kept the most enterprising explorers from persevering to effect a settlement there. is scarcely a shred of evidence in any record , which can be relied upon. The Alfoers, ' as the Dutch chroniclers call the .inhabitants of the interior, are given out to be cannibals, . though upon what facts the belief ig founded is a mystery, since the before-mentioned chroniclers, who are the best and almost the only authorities, admit that the interior is entirely unknown. Against this there is the evidence of investigators that the South- West Coast natives are "perfectly honest, and openhearted and trustworthy," and this added to Captain Moresby's experience of the East and South-East Coast natives, among whom the crew of the Basilisk "moved with perfect impunity," is sufficient to dispose of all doubts on the score of hostility. And the curious specimens of native manufacture recently exhibited at Sydney on board the Basilisk, and brought from New Guinea, do not indicate the existence of a barbarous or savage people in that place ; on the contrary, some of

those articles, especially a cloth made from flax fibre, and described as a "truly elegant and beautiful fabric," and specimens of native pottery, bear strong testimony, according to the Syftnerj Morning Herald, of an antecedent and half-for-gotten civilisation. '-■ There has long existed in this Colony, and especially in this part of the Colony, a desire for authentic information of the country just visited by the Basilisk. . It will be remembered that nearly two years ago an attempt was made to visit the island with a view to exploration and settlement, but the effort proved abortive and calamitous, involving the loss of many valuable lives, including those of several old and respected former residents of Greymouth and the Grey Valley. Enterprise for a time was dampened by this melancholy event, but conviction has never quitted ■ the public mind that in New Guinea there was an extensive and valuable field for profitable colonisation, if only reliable information could be obtained to guido the footsteps of the first pioneers. This has at length been furnished, and, no doubt, the adventurous spirits amongst us, who are fretting and chafing at the want of an outlet for their energies and enterprise which is denied them here, in consequence of shortsighted mismanagement and bad government, will largely avail themselves of this knowledge, with a view to open up to civilisation and European settlement the interesting and probably valuable country of which we are speaking. The information brought by the Basilisk bears out previous knowledge of the island, 1 as respects soil and agricultural capabilities, but the existence of gold is still only the theory of the geologist, or a fond dream of the enthusixstic goldseeker. The hills are said to be stoney and barren, but the valleys and plains are asserted to . be very rich and fertile, and to be extensively cultivated by the natives. Previous investigations had already made it known that the island was luxuriant in the extreme, and that it produced in large quantities cocoa nuts, sago, bre id fruit, bananas, oranges, lemons, and similar products, and very little doubt can now exist that for the cultivation of cotton and sugar, and perhaps for the depasturing of stock, New Guinea is admirably adapted. ■ Among the forest trees which grow to an enormous size and give splendid timber, are the camphor, the iron wood, the ebony wood, and the canary wood trees ; and, though there are no large animals, the kangaroo and the wild swine are found, and the woods teem with the, most beautiful birds, some of which, both alive and prepared as ornithological specimens, have excited the wonder and admiration of visitors to the Basilik at Sydney.

The country is generally mountainous, and along the south-east peninsula run the Stanley Ranges, from which rise Mount Owen, Mount Obee, and Mount Yule to the respective heights of 13,205 ft, 10,200 ft, and 9700 ft from the level of the sea. Several other peaks being of nearly equal elevation. The portion of the south-west coast belonging to the Dutch, is principally composed of lofty hills rising towards the interior, to an altitude in one place of 15,400 ft — equal to that of Mont Blanc, in Switzerland. Some idea has been formed that among these several ranges and in the valleys at their bases, gold exists, and though such may be the case yet there is no evidence of it ; and it is probable, if the precious metal did exist, some traces of it would be found in the ornamental trinkets worn by the natives, which is not the case. ' Thnugh no rivers have as yet been discovered, there are traces of their exist L ence ; for it has been found that in Health ! Bay there are innumerable canals or small streams, one of which has been traced up for miles, forming a sort of deltato some probable river yet unknown^ the sea being influenced at a considerable distance from the land, by tke water drained from the surrounding country. This fact, conjoined with others of a like nature, and the further fact that the country is extremely humid and mountainous, being within !}he circle of the monsoons, and that the rainy season lasts from April to September, lead to the extremely probable supposition that the island is drained by at least one, if not several considerable rivers. Next to Australia, New Guinea is the largest island in this hemisphere, measuring from Cape Salu to the extremity of the south-eastern peninsula^ 1500 miles in length, with a breadth varying from 200 to 403 miles. ; Should the particulars published on the' authority of the Rockhampton Bulletin, touching the cruise of the Basilisk prove true, as in all probability they will, the extent of now country open to the enterprise of the adventurous will be almost incalculable. The deepest interest is felt in the success cf the numerous expeditions now being fitted out by private parties in Auftralia for exploration in New Guinea, and it only requires the authentic confirmation of the rumored intelligence that gold has been found in sufficient quantities to pay for working, to draw thither an influx of population the like of which has seldom taken place, even in history of new gold countries.

; Questions of " professional opinion and " commission agency " were referred to the Resident Magistrate yesterday for his decision. The reports of the cases are worth reading— the first by members of the Borough Council, by ratepayers, and by everyone who values at his own value his own opinion ; the second by every publican and seller. The extent to which a mother-in-law may interfere in a man's domestic affairs is weJl known, if not always appreciated.' A father r in-laws position is not so well defined, but there was given yesterday, in the Resident Magistrate's Court, an illustration of some of hia privileges. A person who described himself as the father-in-law of another who was accused of an offence, was asked by Mr Perkins—" Has he been temperate lately ?" Father-in Jaw replied — "He has been anything but temperate. I have had to check him several times. In . f act* only a day or two ago, I had to knock Mm down." Wicked counsel suggested, sotto voce, that the same was certainly, an emphatic way of checking a man in evil courses, and of promoting the cause of temperance. Professor Louis has a puzzle presented to him. He is challenged to "fence" with Robert M 'Kay, either with an American axe or an Irish revolver— a shillelagh, we suppose it means. Mr M'Kay does not state that he has made his will, but he is, no doubt, perfectly prepared to die or stand his trial for murder. The last opportunity of forwarding letters by the Suez mail will be on Thursday, when a mail will be made up in Greymouth to go by way of Christohuroh.

The circumstances of the death of a man named Orinond, who had died in the hospital on Sunday, from a wound in his throat, was the subject of au inquest yesterday. The jury, after hearing evidence, gave a verdict to the effect that the injuries were the result of an accident. . Judge Harvey is one of a number of passengers for the North who have been detained by the delay>in the departure of the steamers through the prevailing rough weather. According to appointment, he should have been by this time at Charleston, but he has been obliged to order, by telegraph, a postponement of the day for holding the District Court. Considerable 'remark has been made upon the miscarriage of police duty in the case of Hayes, of Ahaura, for whom a warrant of arrest was issued, and who is supposed to have absconded by the Aborigine from Hokitika. The Hokitika Star makes the following exculpatory explanation in regard to the matter :— " A warrant for his arrest was issued on Wednesday, at the instance of the trustees, but it was not handed to the police,but to the bailiff at Greymouth, and did not arrive in Hokitika till the Aborigine had sailed. A telegram from Greymouth came to the police here about an hour before that boat left, and an unsuccessful search was made, though the hatches were not opened, and the person wanted, it has since been supposed, was in the hold. Even then they had no warrant, ueither had they any description, and none of them stationed hero knew the fugitive personally. The policehere, however, are clearly not to blame for his escape ; if there ha 3 been any laxity it rests with the authorities at Greymouth, and it is too bad to impute blame where none is fairly due." The Register is not satisfied with the explanation, and considers that the very cause of failure lies in the fact, that the hatches were not opened. It is a feature of grave-yards on the West ;Coast that in the majority of instances tombstones record the inmates of the grave to have been drowned or killed by mining accidents. Ir, is different in Kansas. Bishop Vail, of that diocese, states that, walking a short time in " one of God's acres" there, he was informed by an undertaker who was his guide, that the occupantsof twenty-six graves (there were only twenty-seven in all) were killed in affrays, or, as the Bishop's informant neatly expressed it, "died and were buried with their boots on." Curiously|enough, the only tenant of the grave-yard who enjoyed a I natural death was a little girl. Gaol and police officers, remarks the New Zealand Herald, are not by any means the best treated of Government officials. So I little encouragement do they receive to progress and become valuable and permanent officers, that it is the exception and not at all the rule to find an old and efficient officer remaining for any length of time in these departments. The only advancement they seek is into some other office, or they leave the service as soon as opportunity points out to them the hope of better pay and position upon their own account. • The motions brought forward by Mr Harrison and Mr Tribe, regarding the Randal Creek and Mikonui water-races, are thuß referred to by the correspondent of a Dunedin paper :— " The two motions met with different fates : that of Mr Harrison's being I carried ; that of the member for Ross, on a 1 division being called for, negatived. Mir Tribe made out a good case, and the best speech of the session hitherto ; he had grievance and ventilated it well. The Premierhad to be called to the fore to silence the clamor of the Ministerialists from Westland; but from the plain, business talent Mr Tribe manifested in his speech, it would be a relief were his voice to be heard oftener." Mr Bradshaw's Mining on Private Property Bill has at all events the merit of brevity and simplicity. It simply provides that when Government are persuaded that any private lands are auriferous, they can be takeu possession of by the Crown for mining purposes, on paying compensation for the value of tbe land to be determined by arbitration, and a small royalty on all gold taken from the said land

The first of Lady Fergusson's "at homes" came off on Thursday. "All Wellington," or at least three hundred people, might have been seen at one time in the' ample ballroom and corridors of Government House. The friendly and cordial manners of the new Governor seem to be creating a very favorable impression. Conspicuous in the throng of beauty and fashion that filled the crowded apartments were to be seen, towering higli above their fairer sisters, the majestic forms of two Maori ladies, wives of two native members of Assembly. They did not dance| but, gorgeous in black lace and scarlet ribbons, regarded the brilliant scene with evident pleasure beside their husbands, whose grave and courteous demeanor would have beseemed any aristocrat of a civilised land. In the Independent there is published a most interesting letter from Sir Charles Clifford, anent the Vienna Exhibition and the position New Zealand has taken in it, by which it is seen that this Colony holds her own well there, and that considerable notice of her has been taken ia consequence. To show that the scarcity of house accom T modation is now much felt in Invercargill, the Southland JYeuw mentions that, when it became known that the tenant of a small house was about to vacate, the proprietor had eight different applications from parties anxious to secure the premises. The erection of houses should, under such circumstances, be a profitable speculation. Oamaru, says a contemporary, bids fair to become famous as the seat of a new " cult." We learn from a recent exchange that a " Nouthetic Association " has been formed there, the precise objects of which are not stated. To our unaided reason it appears to b« a debating society, for its members are reported in the local paper to have been discussing the question, "Is a continuous system of railways necessary or beneficial in a colony like New Zealand ?" As the journal in question cautions the initiated not to expect long reports of " non-legal, semi-private debates possessing interest for a very few readers," we are more than half inclined to suspect the title of the Association has been misprinted— that it should have been "Mouthetic." Lately, in one of the Colonies, at a hotel dinner there sat near each other a wealthy settler and a young fellow lately from tho old country in search of fortune. Probably from, mofciyep of economy, perhaps from choice, the youngster was drinking water. However, when his genial elderly acquaintance said, "Will you have a glass of pale ale, a bottle is too much for me ?" the youth politely acquiesced. It was the right thing, in fact, to propitiate a man who had more, sheep than .Job could ever boast of before the foot rot on his station. He was just a little taken back next morning at breakfast by his entertainer reminding him in the blandest manner, "By the way,- you forgot to pay for your share of that bottle of ale. You owe me ninepence.' 1 The non-appearance of the Rangitoto at the time she was due in Wellington was the ; subject of considerable speculation. The ' correspondent of a contemporary says :— " The hypothesis of a fog in the straits was current for some time, but the day" was ' beautifully calm and bright, and it soon became evident that the delay could not be attributed to that cause. , Strangely enough, a shrewd guess at the actual facts, ■■; which the subsequent news confirmed in every particu- , lar, was made by Mr White, of Hokitika,

a gentleman well acquainted with the coast, and who well knows the dangers that lurk in that ragged fringe of rocks which forms the northern extremity of the Southern Island." A rumor has been current in Hokitika that some Maoris had discovered a quartz reef up the Hokitika river, and were making inquiries as to the means of securing a prospecting claim. Agnes Irving, a married woman residing at Tucker Flat, near Hokitika, died very suddenlY of disease of the heart. The deceased woman held a miner's right, and worked with her hasband in his claim. She was much respected by the people in the district, being regarded as a hard-working and industrious woman. Another claimant for compensation from the County has cropped up in the person of a Mr Donoghue, whose land adjoins or adjoined M'Mullen'si and was likewise used for the Christchurch road. The claimant states that he applied to the County Chairman some months ago, and that he was promised to be compensated at the same rate as M 'Mullen was.