65 



nor nets, this luxury was usually denied us. The natives catch the 

 fish by spearing them and by fish-traps composed of stones or pickets 

 across the streams. The little black stingless bee is common every- 

 whei-e, and the honey and comb is much prized for food and as a 

 dressing for the hair. 



Cockatoos, both black and white, and pigeons were plentiful. 

 Those wonders of avian architecture, the play grounds of the bower 

 bird (Amblyornis subalaris), were seen on Mount Murray, at an ele- 

 vation of 7000 feet. Of insect pests, the land leeches were very 

 troublesome. The feet of the police and carriers were often red with 

 blood from their bites. We tried painting their feet with sulphur 

 ointment, but it proved quite useless. Scrub itch was very bad, 

 except in the valley of the upper Kikor. The scrub itch is caused 

 by a minute red insect that buries itself under the skin. Mosquitoes 

 did not trouble us while on the highlands, but both they and sand- 

 flies were very troublesome on the Kikor river. 



The "leaf" or "stick" insects were fairly plentiful, and in some 

 instances their resemblance to the plant life in their immediate 

 environment was wonderfully accurate. One insect resembled a stick 

 covered with green moss ; the green colouring appeared so exactly 

 like moss, that a member of our party refused to believe it was not 

 actually moss until he had examined it with a magnifying glass. 



On the map accompanying this report the course of that portion 

 of the Kikor river lying to the west of the 114th meridian of east 

 longitude is only approximate, as, while descending this river, most 

 of our instruments were lost, and the compass-bearings and estimated 

 speed could not be checked by observations for latitude. In addition 

 to which the great difficulties that beset us on our return journey did 

 not permit of the careful mapping previously undertaken. 



The most important results of the exploration were: — 



( 1 ) We went practically right across the centre of the unexplor- 

 ed portion of the territory of Papua, travelling approximately 524 

 miles through totally unexplored country (374 miles on foot and 150 

 by river.) 



(2) We ascertained that instead of the Western Division of 

 Papua being low-lying recent alluvial country, as previously sup- 

 posed, it is (except along the coast and in the vicinity of its navigable 

 rivers) an upraised plateau having an area of approximately 12,000 

 square miles, the lowest valley being over 2,000 feet above sea-level. 



(3) The upper waters and watersheds of the great rivers empty- 

 ing into the Papuan Gulf are now roughly defined, thus completing 

 our knowledge of the river system of the territory. 



(4) We have now data for estimating the population of the 

 whole territory with some accuracy, the hinterland of the Western 

 Division being formerly an unknown quantity. 



(5) We found coal deposits in two places along the watershed 

 of the Kikor river, the coal c(aintry along its upper waters being very 

 extensive. 



(6) Wo found sago growing inland as far as we penetrated and 

 at an elevation up to 3,500 feet. 



