Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



703 



River to the new camp at Toupoue at the foot of the snow- 

 mountains. 



In one of his last letters Mr. Goodfellow writes : — 

 " It may seem to you that so far we have progressed very 

 little. In a sense this is true, but I must tell you that at 

 home it is impossible to realize the impassable nature of the 

 country and the difficulties which have to be overcome. This 

 part of the coast was entirely unknown, but it was supposed 

 that the mouth of the Mimika was the best place to land at, 

 and that this river came from the highest snow-mountains. 

 We now know that such is not the case. All the rivers on 

 this part of the coast, though they come from an easterly 



Text-fipr. 8. 



ARAPURA 



Outline Map of part of New Guinea coast near the JNJimilia River. 



direction, turn away to the west in the interior, so that the 

 highest part of the snow-range lies far east of the head- 

 waters of the Mimika. There is no doubt whatever that 

 the Oetakwa River drains the water from the snows of 

 Carstensz Peak. Looking at that mountain from the sea you 

 would think that it lay directly behind the Mimika River; 

 but, as we now know, it is nearly fifty miles off along the 

 base of the range, and there are many big rivers to be crossed 

 before we get to it. 



SER. IX. VOL. IV. 3 E 



