EXPLORATION IN NEW GUINEA.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 35, 18 February 1878, Page 2

EXPLORATION IN NEW GUINEA.

Too following is a summary of tl\o offloial report of Mr H. M. Olipstor, Police .Magistrate at Somerset, on Now Guinon i— Wo left. Thursday Island an Doe. 1, and proceeded to jervis Island to ombnrk i the rent of the party at Marbink, and fonnd two of tlic crow of tl>o Norn just retnrnod from the Fly River, whoro thoy hnd boon with D'Albortis. One was in a pitinblo condition from fevor nnd ague, Thoy statod that thoy had boen told to find their own ivny to Somorsot from tho mouth of tho Fly River j nnd nftor a nnrrovv escape fVorrt doath at the hnnds of tho Bnmtom islanders, tho Knton natives 1 brought thorn to tlioic villngo, nnd son* thorn (o Cornwallis. Thoy found tho Now Guinoa imtivos numerous and hostile whoro a year boforo thoro was no sign of inhnbitnnls. Tho Nova w«»s frequently attacked, and ono ol' tho ChincßO crow whs woundod by nn nrrow. . Tho origtnnl pnrl;y on board tho Nova inoludod Mr D'Albortis, n European En^inoor, throo South Son Islandor», and Civo Ohinoso sailors. Ono (I^mcr) died during tho cruise ; tho fato of tho other four was mi'oortain. Thoy woro said to havo run away with tho Nova's boat, and wcro probably killkod by nativos. Wo loft Mnrbiak on Deo, 3, the pnrty consisting of Messrs, Jardiuc, Summary Pouuq-

father, Piht Wilkio, myself and son, together with fi>o "Ktiropowis and. sixloon South Sea Islanders, with tw,o largo boats belonging l<> Jardino and Ponnof nth or. Mir Pearson, manager o/ Hull's station, give,, us. tho serviocs of one- of his mum to, pjlofc us across the Or man. roof, and also induced Mnmoo&e, tlio oliiof <»f Uw TaUvot Island we passed to tlio outward of Turnaguin, winch, is morcly a nvingrovo swamp, ntid anchored £ay tho night fivo mil^s from Talbwt wloud in, 10ft of w,ator. frost ruorning wo ian.ohorod nt tho north o»,d of Tnlbof, iv .four fathoms :, opposite-, wus tbo villauo, consisting of four mis/>rablo gunyahs, inferior even, to tlv)*o. on th,o mainland. A canoo with seven native;*, cjirao oflj\ Ench kad a s»iott book it* kia kaiid or stuck in his waistlojU, They proved to bo •• Primers,'* printed i,n ftnglish clinr.iiclers, but in tho native langw»K»- Thoowuers appeared to regard them with, a sort of superstitious reverence, as a talisman, for their protection. O»o intelligent young fellow afforded muck amusement by nn nnxicty to displiiy hi* recently acquired- knowledge, hit it extended no further than, tho fi.fit page, wit foil k» had ovidontly got by rote. One tUiuvjx how* over, is noticeable, tint wh areas, thoi, notation never previously r xocodod- two, they now couo,' as fivr «s 10 in RufilisU though I doubt whether thoir own languago is enpahlo oi ci pressing that number otherwise than roponting two . ftvo times. Wo landed nt Moigno, and during tho day sent Mamooso to secure the services of or interpreter for Now Quit.en, On tho const tho whole island with tho exception of a smnll mound opposite to tho Anehorago, appears to bo v swamp in tho wet senson, Tho timbers consist principally of mangroves, silk and gotten trees, and a few oocounuti. At the western end of tho island tho inhabitants are fine nuisculnr men. From a quantity of dugong bones, crab and turtle shells, in the vicinity of the huts, they evidently live well. Tho gcruUhcus are very numerous. Tho ln*t» aro morn n.i>orable than those oa any island of tho .Straits, which his remarkable. Towards sundown Mamooso returned with a numlior of men including 9 cliief, who. answers to tho nnnio of Mnmooso. On Decembor 5 wo took ai» inlerpretor, j\nl aftor a run of two hours <m<l a half anchored at llie mouth of 1 lie w i\T»»»fUsstir," ©lose to tho left bank » in JJJ fnihoms. Tho river is about a mile wide. Two oanoos full of I>(>rgio me.i accompanied us. A short limn before our visit they lost a man in a skirmish with tho Few Guinea jinives, but they had sim-o becomo friends. They »oJd us there was a village a shork distance inlanH. In hopes of bo'imj |>blo to o-)mmunicato with tho people % w« landod, and n KlronK parfy, -eleven Europeans and eight r»lyn<vs,ians, croa«ivl « belt of ntnng*-ovos. then exlon.wvo flit covered with leatree scrub; and cam> out upon a com. pirativcly opon oountry ad] .mod with maßninoent trco ferns and clumps of batohoo. Then o^o^sod a sultwft'or creek on a slippery fallen trco, Wo halted for n spell and reconlinued, »nd wo had <o coino fivo miles, ond the jjuide*. whm asked where the villas* waa still spok« of it ns a long way off. Wo questioned them more closoly, and found that wo wore not half way. As it wmh imposxihlo fo reneh I'ic- villnjie, and return boforo Rundown, wo r< turned, Holnewhat fatigued with our oxer imis. In such a olimnte our prow* ss through tho bush wns much onMor thnn wo atiticipiitctl, as tin* Rrass had bocn recently burnt, and in placoa the fallen tiittUer was still sm )»ldcrin«f. We saw 0110 or two wild ptgs, a kangaroo, and a quantity of pigeons of a kind not found in f\ies»rnit!». Wo went on 10 miles in tho cuttor, and anohorod lor tho night in 10 fathoms. Tho Horgio mon doclined to go further, and wo continued our ascent on the ftih without any impediment, anchoring at night, and on tho 7th%passcd | a plantation of cocoanuts and l>an'nnn«» but no sign of tho natives. Tho river hojv nivrrowinl r»pidly, and n fringe of broad-leavod palms took tho plnoo of tho inevitable nvmgrovo on ©ilhor bnnk. We onohoro.l about I' 4 milca honond tho furthest point roaotiml by tho Ellogowan, in J.B7CH.. Tho rivor is about 00 yards wido. \Vc lai\Jod a watering party, som» of whom wnndorod awajf in tho bush shooting pigeons and scrub hens, leaving two of tho cutter's orow to fill tin breaker from tho oreek at Rundown. Tho boys enmo running hack Raying the natives wcro mustering with bows and arrows. ltoinforccmcHts wcro sont, but they wcro not required, as no attempt was mndo to molost tlio mon in tho creek; On tho Bth wo filled tbo tanks, but tho water proourod was so charged with decayed vegetable u»nttor as to bo scarcely drinkable Whilo breakfasting on dock, suddonly wo hoard loud shouting, and thinking the watering party had boon attacked snatched our guns to go to thoir assistanoo, but prosontly saw a number of natives on tho opposito bank, shouting and waving groon boughs. Tbo words " fioigno," •' missionary," " smoke," "whilcfollow," vrcro distinguished. Sevoral of us jumpod into tho boat, an,d to. moot them, tnking a quantity of Turkey rod, calico, knivos, tobacco. Only 10 mon showed themselves, but many moro wcro concealoJ in tho bush. Thoy bartered a few arrows, dilly bags, bpno. diggers, necklaces, and dogs' teoth, and wo hud no difficulty in porfluad ; ng two of U\cm, to go \o tho ou,t or vvit.h v.3,. Tuosp.

men had aquiline feflfmv?, straight hair,, und a superior physique to the Aus'raliau, aborigines, It was unfortunate luivin^ no interprctor, as thoy woro evidently in constant comniunicntion with tho Horgio men* who doubtless, told them of tho' niisfiioniuic-%. and that tUcy hnvo liitlo fear from, white, people* They u,nd«tstoo«l Iho use- of tobacco, ami woro rngcr to get it, In a MwKt timo they disappeared, and wo <}id no* arc ♦henv that afternoon. Wo started to go higher up tho ri«©r in tho skiff. A short distnnco above wlioro tho. Kiitier was observed wo enmo npo<» a raft nißdo of bumboors luslvcd together, which was evidently their o«'y means of crossing, tho river. About five milos further wo lauilol nt a sun 1 1 plantation of Qoeonnuts,, yaius,, and bnnnas, partially. Mirrouiid«>l by a fence in an unfiini^hi'd skite. Wo continue I the meant nnoihi-r ftvo miles, and found tho clnnnel b'cotning hlockeJ with ire»>9 ns if by landslips. The river wns here 25 yards n-ido and tho water q,uitf «alt. The infrionc<* of t)u>, tides was plninly discertu'iili'. We cotiw.cnci'd on,;- return nt midnight o> the S' lt. and cutered another branch on tho 9\h, and anchored on'sido the mo'ilh <>n tho evening of the lith, having ta tow tho cutter the whole distance from tho an-*, ehornge. H(«t^ut> boro>cast l>y cisf, distant rvuo miles. Tho " Mnicu/wr" i* certniiily ft magniS^ent rivor, not n hlioml* or sundbnnk to obstruct navi^iti-nv nor a dangerous bar At tho mouth. W<* found niin' faihiins at tho ontmncr. Vessels diuwing 18t't ca«i lio aloncido llv bank", and llvre is proj>ab4y a docp pissigi' between Talbot Island Bnd New Oum»t, 1 whiolu if properly snrve; «>l and mnrke«V woiill be avuilft'Hr f.ir tho largest vessel. If so. a man-.)t-w.ir by sending lu'B stra >i 1 biunoJi aliead to sound in mod«»riti» weather, could avoid Torres Straits «lto« gi'th#r, passing eastward of OirnvvalliM. and> thi'neo to tlxo Hrotlipn, Jn w.ir timo rii otvmv's »Uip raight thus cJude obier«. vntion, and before h«r pri'serwe boeamiv known intercept every vessel passing through the nortU-enst ol^nnel, We saw several roofs and shonls not marked oil tho chart, notably n ri>ef dry at low water abnut haU'-way b>twoen Talbot and O)rnwallis Islands, tlw latter boarini; Bouth* cast; troin if. Theco are ni.lo shoal pntehes. ah >nt seven miles southeast of Corn*. Wlllli' ,