Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

NEW GUINEA.

We observe with regret (says the Aus-. tralasian) that an attempt is being made*n New Zealand to equip another expedition to New The promoters were, connected with the disastrous tradinr expedition, which left Wellington someirwo years with the intention of form-, ing a settlement in the neighborhood of Astrolabe Qulf. It says a good deal forthe hopefulness of human nature that a scheme for the settlement of 2000 men on. a comparatively unknown island should b c ever seriously considered after the ren peated failures which have occurred; during the past few years, and more especially after the cfowning disaster of theNew Ireland colonising expedition. The difficulties in the way of colonising a, trophical country like New Guinea are not only those incidental to a climate unhealthy to Europeans, and in which they cannot safely labor. The aboriginal inhabitants are very numerous and warlike,, and even if they were subdued are quite> unaccustomed to persistant labor, and as they have not yet enlarged from the thraldom of the stone age are necessarily ignorant to a degree that would prove exasperating to a more favored race. It must also be borne in mind that the old idea of New Guinea as a sort of El Dorado is being fast disabused. The country may be—probably is—rich in minerals ; but they are quite undeveloped, aod so far any miners who have pros, pected there have failed to establish the fact that auriferous deposits exist in pay.* able quantities. The products of the country may became a source of great commercial wealth, but they are scattered over so large an area that their value as articles of commerce ia still Jjroblematical. But apart from these considerations, we desire to direct attention to the warning words of one who, speaks from recent experience of the. grave, difficulties attending any per-. ma,]aent European settlement in New Guinea. The EjeVi George Br own, who. for years has been in charge of the Wes-_ leyaja mission on Duke of York and w,hose disinterestedness, in offering. . advice on such; a question may be admitted, has thought i,t necessary to warn, tho public against participating in the projected New Guinea, expedition. He contends that the climate : is. utterly nn-. sdSH for Europeans, audi wauting. native, la.yor, at! colonies formed in auph must necessarily fail. H;e unhesitatingly predicts that any scheme, the success of which depends on the active labor of the. colonists themselves in clearing the land, or upon the employment of the natives, themselves will necessarily break down. Speaking as one who at least knows, something of such settlements, he does, n ot hesitate to assert that the samg.

causes whi h were fatal to tlie Port Breton colony also exist in that part of New Guinea which is proposed for the settlement of the New Zealand party. Even if this warning be disregarded, the promoters would do well to remember the emphatic declaration that Sir Arthur Gordon addressed to the Melbourne ad. venturers, who in 1878 contemplated the civilisation and conversion of the New Guinea He warned them that if they vutuntaiily placed themselves in positions of danger in a savage country they did so at their own risk and peril, And could not expect the forcible support -of the State whose fostering protection they left. We hope to hear that prudent .counsels will prevail, and that for J-he present, at any rate, the natives of New Guinea may be allowed to enjoy their own savage independence.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TEML18810614.2.10

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Temuka Leader, Issue 400, 14 June 1881, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
581

NEW GUINEA. Temuka Leader, Issue 400, 14 June 1881, Page 2

NEW GUINEA. Temuka Leader, Issue 400, 14 June 1881, Page 2

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert