THE RECENT DISCOVERIES IN NEW GUINEA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 154, 21 June 1876, Page 4

THE RECENT DISCOVERIES IN NEW GUINEA.

ALLEGED HIGH CIVILISATION.

PULL PARTICULARS. Not long since a telegram from Australia mentioned the discovery in j New Guinea of a community posessed of civilised habits in a high degree. The Sydney Mail of Saturday, June 3, contains despatches from the Ellaugowao, missionary and exploring vessel, from which the substance of tbe telegram was taken. We reprint the portion of the despatches relating to the particular discoveries under notice, from which it will be seen that their importance has been a little exaggerated, although there is no doubt about tbe community discovered being far advanced of other savages : — " 10. Mr Lawes joined us at Port Moresby, where Dr and Mrs Turner remained until our return. . Having on a previous voyage, visited the villages from Port Moresby to the western side of Hood Bay, we decided to commence with Kerepunu, which iB situated on the eastern side of the bay, at the entrance to Hood Lagoon. We left Port Moresby on the afternoon of the 3rd April, and steamed through the Basilisk Passage, hoping to run down under sail during tbe night, and so save our fuel, but the wind fell off, obliging us to keep up easy steam. On tbe following morning we stood in for Hood Bay, running along the reef, on the eastern side. This reef, it appears, is fine fishing ground. We saw about a hundred natives at work there. Being anxious to get as near the village as possible, we steamed slowly along the reef, hoping to find some passage through which we might push our little steamer, but there did not appear to be any opening. We returned to try and find anchorage under the lee of the barrier, but could not find a bottom at twenty-five fathoms. Evening had set in, and we felt tbat we must anchor in the bay somewhere for the night ; so we returned towards the head of the bay, and when well up, saw, to our delight, a fine passage behind the reefs large enough lor a vessel of a thousand tons. We steamed up to the lagoon, and anchored in, the entrance, close to the village, which is a quiet and safe anchorage qt all seasons. r "ll_" It very soon became evident that we had dropped into a thickly populated place. Canoes came off thick and fast, but there was no cause for fear, as the people were friendly with those at Fort Moresby, and some of the chiefs had met Mr Lawes there, Our decks were soon crowded with men, women, and children, all talking at once, and aB loud and fast as tbey could. They are a strong, healthy, and active people; seemed mightily pleased with all they saw on board, urged us to go and see tbeir villages on the morrow, and went on shore to have a big dance, and dream of beads and hoop-iron. We heard tha drums and singing nearly tbe whole of the night. " 12. At an early hour this morning the, nine chiefs came off witb a crowd of people. In order to secure a space for breakfast, which we generally have on the skylight, we fastened a rope across the deck. It was highly amusing to see the dusky crowd pushing and fighting for good places to see tbe lions feeding! They seemed astonished at the • set-out/ on the table, and I daresay some of our friends at home would bave been astonished too, though from a different point of view! They were evidently in doubt about the salt beef, and asked if it was human flesh. We gave them a piece of bread, which they examined and passed from one to tbe other, also a little sugar, but no one had the courage to taste; although what the taste would bave been in tbeir dirty mouths, filthy with constantly chewing the betel and cbunam, and a kind of astringent bark, it is hard to Bay. At prayers they seemed bewildered, although they had evidently an ides that they ought to be quiet. We hadYsome talk with the chiefs, some of whom oould speak tbe Port Moresby language. Having made tbem a small present each, we accompanied them on shore, and were delighted to find on eyery side evidences of intelligence industry, and cleanliness. We were conducted by tbe chiefs, and followed by a crowd of natives through tbe township, Which consists of nine villages connected by gardens and lanes neatly fenced in, the former being well weeded, and the latter, like tbe villages, cleanly swept. Although the houses and streets are overshadowed by trees, not a dead leaf or cocoanut bush is to be seen. They must be swept at least once a day.' Parrots and cockatoos are great pets, and are to be seen on the verandahs of many of the houses. One part of the people devote themselves to fishing, and the other to planting, neither interfering with the special work of the other, but each returning in the evening from fishing and planting to barter their provisions. The agriculturists never try to catch fish, nor the fishermen to plant, although they live together A large plot of land is turned over very systematically and quickly by a number of men standing in a row with a pointed stick in each hand, which they raise and plunge into tho ground simultaneously, and theu use them ub so many levers in turning over the soil. It is surprising how quickly they can turn over an acre of soil in this way. They make and use a great number ol canoes ; some have outriggers, though they are mostly double, two lashed together about 18 inches apart. We saw them at work making a number of

canoes, and were surprised at the adaptability and durability of the stone axes, aDd their dexterity in using them. They cut very much better than many of the common axes sold to natives by Europeans. The bouses of the Kerepunnites are well built, their canoes ! neatly made, their gardens carefully cultivated, their streets kept clean — everything, indeed, appears to be done decently and in order. They understand well how to drive a bargain, and may be considered a commercial people in a much higher state of civilisation than many, of their neighbors. The chiefs seemed delighted tc walk with us arm-in-arm through the town carryiog our umbrellas. I noticed that walking arm-in-arm was quite common amongst them, even, or I should perhaps say especially, wifch young men and women. We suppose the town to consist of not less than 2,000 inhabitants. " 13. From the natives we learn that a river runs into the lagoon, whioh takes its rise behind the Astrolabe range ; bo we took our small boat and crossed the lagoon, which is about 15 miles in circumference, and from 5 to 9 fathoms deep at the entrance and for more than half way across, although it has hitherto been supposed that there 'was no passage ioto it. Now, however, we have found it to be a splendid anchorage, large enough to accommodate a fleet. The river bears about N.N.E. from the entrance to the lagoon. We pulled up it for a mile and a half, and found it 8 feet deep and about 80 yards wide, although shallow at tbe entrance, there being not more (the way we went) not more than 2 ft. of water at low tide. At first it bore to the E., aud then took a pretty sharp turn round a range of hills and bore to the N.W., running, the natives say, between the Macgillivray and Astrolabe ranges. From the account of natives, it would appear that the Astrolabe range is the watershed or sourse of this river and the Manu manu — the one running to the east and the other to the west. We have named our discovery the Dundee. It runs into a basin about a mile in circumference just before entering the lagoon."