ON THE SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA. 1C9 



from various sources^ some utterly unworthy of 

 credit; and of the inhahitants and productions of 

 these regions^ nothing* was known heyond that por- 

 tion at least of them were peopled by a savag'e and 

 w^arlike race. 



The first navigator who saw the shores in ques- 

 tion^ appears to have been Luiz Vaez de Torres^ in 

 the Spanish frigate La Almiranta^ coming from the 

 eastward^ in August lOOG. In lat. lli° S.^ Torres 

 came upon Avhat he calls the heginninfi of Kew 

 Guinea^ which^ however^ appears to have been a 

 portion of what is now known as the Louisiade Ar- 

 chipelago. Being' unable to weather the eastern- 

 most point of this land (Cape Deliverance)^ he bore 

 away to the westward along its southern shores. 

 '^ All this land of New Guinea y^ says he^ in his 

 long' forgotten letter to the king- of Spain (a copy of 

 which was found in the Archives at Manila^ after the 

 capture of that city by the British^ in 17C2)^ ^^is 

 peopled with Indians^ not very white^ much painted^ 

 and naked^ except a cloth made of the bark of trees. 

 They fight with darts^ targets^ and some stone 

 clubs^ which are made fine with plumage. Along- 

 the coast are many islands and habitations. All 

 the coast has many ports^ very large^ with very 

 large rivers-, and many plains. Without these 

 islands there runs a reef of shoals^ and between 

 them [the shoals] and the mainland are the islands. 

 There is a channel within. In these parts I took 

 possession for your Majest}^ 



