LATEST FROM NEW GUINEA.

Kumara Times, Issue 467, 26 March 1878, Page 2

LATEST FROM NEW GUINEA.

The Brisbane Courier's correspondent boar-lei the Torres Straits mail steamer and interviewed Mr Morton, of the Sydney Museum, who had Keen in Goldie's party, and accompanied him in searching for gold in New Guinea. He hits specimens of good coarse gold washed out of the Mack sand, and gold in quartz. His statement mainly veri fies Mr Lawes's report, and there are no further discoveries. He states that he first discovered gold fifteen miles from the coast and followed it up sixty miles. The correspondent felt quite certaiu, after conversation with Mr Morton and seeing the specimens, that some large field must be opened. The black sand is verv plentiful in the river bed, ;ind the formation is Milestone and slate. Mr Morton left Gape Moresby on the 19th January and reports a severe drought all along the New Guinea coast, from Port Moresby to •South Cape. The plantations were destroyed, and even the forest trees were killed by it. Mr Goldie and the party left Cape Moresby to go to South Cape. Ou Ist January sighted the missionary luggar Maya, C-ptaiti Dudfield, who reported as follows:—" While anchored at Stacey Island, where the IteV. J. Chalmers and wife and four natives teachers are stationed, on the afternoon of Saturday. 29th December, sei»t three of my black crew to out wood, myself and another native only remaining on board. One Stacey Island native came off to barter. I told

the cook to give him food, and, I lay down in the cabin, ijfrter a few? minutes a spear was thrown into the cabin and-struck me on the left side,?pinning me to the .deck. .• Another. went into ; my right thigh. On turning round for my gun I received another spear in the left shoulder and another through the hand. I fired several shots, and tried to get on deck. There I foand six or eight natives, and received a wound in the foot, severing all the tendons of the toes. We wounded several and killed one. They then left, and on going on deck I saw two or three hundred natives on the shore. Mr Chalmers came off, and informed me that the natives were ' launching war canoes, and insisted upon my leaving. I pressed him. to come with his wife and the teachers, but he refused to desert his post., Goldie's party returned" upon hearing * this, and grave fears are entertained for the safety of Mr Chalmers and .party. Captain Dudfield is maimed for life."