JOURNEY TO NEW GUINEA AND NEW BRITAIN. 791 
The principal products of the islands are pearl-shell, beché de 
mer, copra, and rubber. Gold also is found both on the mainland 
and in the islands—from which latter the principal amount has 
been obtained. There is little doubt, I think, that rubber will, at 
no distant date, be the principal article of export. It is obtained 
from large trees by boring, and also from several species of vines 
—the latter being the best in quality. 
I have visited New Guinea on three different occasions, and I 
noticed very great changes in the social position of the people 
which had taken place since my last visit in 1891, some six years 
ago. The influence exerted by the Government and by the Mis- 
sionaries was very apparent in the change which has taken place 
among the people. I noticed particularly that the people travel 
far more now than they did, because they can go in safety ; this 
is of great benefit to the natives living on many of the islands as 
they can now purchase food during the months of scarcity and 
so they live better than they did previously. Another benefit is 
that the coast line is becoming more settled. Formerly the bush 
people were afraid to live there from fear of the large tribes living 
on either side of the unoccupied district, whilst the people of those 
districts, and those of the neighbouring islands, were afraid to 
settle on them from fear of the bushmen. Now, large portions of 
these coastal districts are being settled, and villages are being 
established in districts which were quite unoccupied on my pre- 
vious visits. 
Twas not able to make many notes in the Engineer and De 
Boyne Groups, as my stay in those islands was very short. The 
people in De Boyne Group (Panaieti) are great canoe builders, 
and some of the finest canoes in south-eastern New Guinea are 
built there. : 
At Dobu (Goulvain Island) in the d’Entrecasteaux Group ,I 
made a longer stay and found that great changes had taken place 
there since my last visit. The skulls of enemies, who had been 
killed and eaten, which used to be placed in rows over the doors 
of the houses had all disappeared. The dead, who were formerly 
buried in the villages close to the houses, are now all buried in a 
general cemetery at some distance from the villages and the social 
position of the people is much improved. 
KITE FISHING. 
This mode of fishing is much practised here, and I was able to 
get a specimen of the entire apparatus. The kite is made of 
broad leaves kept extended and flat by means of pieces of light 
wood. To the tail of the kite some cocoons or spider webs are 
attached. The kite is flown from a canoe and the end of the kite 
tail is kept just skimming the top of the water. The gar-fish bite 
