5

A.—3b

it does not seem quite to be wanting in great mammals of the highly organized order, though the affirmed occurrence of the rhinoceros in the island so far cannot be proved. The climate of New Guinea is, of course, a perfectly Indian one, exactly like that of Java, characterized by an everlasting monotonous tropical heat, and by the damp and dry monsoons, changing with the times of year. The connection with India extends even to ethnological relations, since clear-coloured Malay races have occupied a great part of the coast as far as the extreme south-east, whilst the dark-coloured aborigines, who, ethnologically, are also not to be divided from the negroes of the Indian islands, seem to have, for the greater part, retreated to the mountainous interior." The following is a translation of the conclusion of the article from the newspaper:— " When, therefore, New Guinea is, according to our opinion and without doubt, to a certain degree the extreme branch of the East India island world that cannot be considered otherwise than in relation to Java and Sumatra with respect to cultivation and civilization, it is yet on the other side, and perhaps in a still much higher degree, also the first branch of the Australian island world. We do not in the least doubt that once there existed a neck of land between New Guinea and Ceram, and Bulu and Celebes ; but just such a neck of land existed even more probably between the North Australian Cape York and the New Guinea Maikassa coast, and this last neck of land probably lasted on into the younger geological formation, like the former. The high sandstone rock islands of the Torres Straits—Tauan, Boigu, Saibai—are in a certain measure the remains left behind of the isthmus, and the gigantic sandstone blocks which cover these islands, like the traces of fresh landslips much noticed by travellers, point out to us one of the geological forces which have destroyed the isthmus in the course of millenniums. The erosive effect of streaming rain is on the coasts of New Guinea so powerful that it perhaps would suffice quite alone to explain the work of destruction. But also the wash of the sea is in the whole of the south-east during the south-east monsoon a fearfully strong one, and the breakers naturally also gnaw into the rocks. "In interesting contrast to these disturbing forces, we notice moreover in the geological appearances exactly on the same spot turned towards Australia very active building forces, which appear to be endeavouring to join again together the broken band. We are alluding now above all to the reef-building madrepores and millepores which to the number of billions are at work straight across the Torres Straits, and which, partly through their reefs, make the passage of the Straits, as also the harbours on the New Guinea south-east coasts, so extraordinarily difficult. Also the mangrove woods which cover the south-east coasts of New Guinea for a long distance, which retain on the land through their root-work the deposited products of the flowing waters, and which thereby effect a perpetual increase of the land, must not here be forgotten. "When we reflect that the land connection of New Guinea with Australia consisted of this until the geological later period, we cannot wonder if we, through its living world, are reminded in a still higher degree of Australia than of India. In the midst of the thick mangrove, cocoa, and sago woods appear in hard dry places extended tracts of the Australian kangaroo grass and eucalyptus bushes; and to the New Guinea, Papuan, and Malay the kangaroo is the principal game and the principal animal food, just as to the Australian black of New South Wales. The predominance of pouched animals and the poverty of large and highly-developed mammals remain characteristic of the island at first sight, and also after its thorough investigation. "If we fix our eyes upon this large island according to its physical geography and possible developing characteristics only from the standpoint of the colonial politician and cultivator, it appears to us, from what we thus far know of it, not in the least as a contemptible object of possession. And in case the German Government make attempts, as many wish, to acquire the island, we might perhaps, in the interest of our nation, congratulate ourselves on the acquisition. According to our opinion it might be possible to create out of the island a German Java, a great trade and plantation colony, which would form a stately foundation-stone for a German colonial kingdom of the future. People will perhaps reply : The climate of New Guinea is a tropical one, unhealthy for Europeans. Wo thereupon answer: Not so unhealthy as Java. And this report of the tropical climate is, according to our opinion, through false inferences from the former experiences of the history of colonization, a much worse one than it ought to be. " Pioneers of civilization, in the midst of mangrove woods and swarms of mosquitoes during the tropical rain and during the tropical heat of the sun, without sufficient comfort, face all possible hardships. European soldiers, who must camp in the open air; European sailors, who, after the monotonous ship fare, allow themselves to be beguiled through the splendid tropical fruits into all sorts of mistakes in diet, feel the tropical climate certainly unhealthy. But would it remain deadly if European cultivated people could be sufficiently considerate about their health ? Besides, do not the numerous Germans, who in foreign service—we are thinking particularly of Holland—work as cultivators in the tropics, face just the same dangers ? From the German or European colonists in New Guinea one ought to require just as little strained physical work as is the case in other tropical colonies. For that one would require tropical people. The natives of New Guinea offer in this respect no better prospects, but also scarcely much worse, than those of Java or Sumatra, and of Cuba have offered each in its time. Where they are rightly handled they appear, as a rule, to be very friendly to Europeans, and much is their diligence praised already in their present primitive stage of civilization. From different races, at least with reference to this, something might be expected if these, so to say, were placed under European guardianship. That the natives are not advanced |to the formation of a State might, perhaps, rather make their civilization easy than difficult. Effectual resistance to an occupation by the Europeans at least would not be much to be feared from them. But naturally, in case of need, Chinese labourers could just as easily be procured as for Queensland. "Finally, so far as the places are concerned which are fit for the founding of trade factories, there are on the coast more than enough of them. All parts of the island possess good harbours, and the Fly Eiver offers an excellent natural road also into the innermost heart of the land.