Latest from New Guinea.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3063, 9 December 1878, Page 1

Latest from New Guinea.

The s.s. Hibernia has arrived at Cooktown from Fort Moresby, and brings twenty returned diggers, and reports another vessel also left with ten more. The leader of the colonist party reports prospecting at an end for the present season.. On the return trip from the last camp the party experienced great difficulties and privations. The rivers were flooded and their horses were drowned, and rations and swags lost.' ; Nothing further is likely to be done till the wet season is over, if at all.' X A few men still at' Port Moresby with Captain Bedlich. . • ■ ' The Ellangowan mission steamer arrived in safety at Booth Cape, New Guinea. . The Bey. Mr Chalmers writes to say that everything is progressing favorably with the natives, and the mission made recent explorations, and were well received. They ascended 1600 feet up cloudy mountains^ and found an interesting people living there. . They expect to find inhabitants on the top of the mountains. They also explored Loone range, at the back of Oragery Bay Lagoon, and were well received and feasted by the mountaineers. ■' ■ • The lagoon is much larger than was at first believed. The inhabitants of the mountain are similar to the coast natives,

and very industrious. Large plantations were made in terraces. It is intended to Slace teachers in the Mondiri mountain istrict, at the back of Farm Bay. No payable gold has been obtained by any of the prospectors, and the New Guinea gold-fields are pronounced a failure for the present.