BRITISH NEW GUINEA. 419 



4.— EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERIES IN BRITISH 

 NEW GUINEA SINCE THE PROCLAMATION OF 

 SOVEREIGNTY. 



By J. P. THOMSON, F.R.G.S.S., &c., Hon. Sec. R.G.S.A, Brisbane. 



When first invited to contribute to the literature of the 

 Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, a 

 sense of prior duty to other kindred institutions almost fore- 

 bade an acceptance. Considering, however, how intimately 

 associated Australian interests are with the development of 

 British New Guinea, and how closely connected the writer 

 has been with the progress of exploration and discoveries 

 made in that tei'ritory since it became })art of the Empire, it 

 was thought that the Hobart meeting would afford a favour- 

 able opportunity of placing before the public a brief resume 

 of what has been accomplished on behalf of scientific and 

 commercial geography since the proclamation of sovereignty. 



Although but three years have elapsed since Her Majesty's 

 sovereignty was proclaimed over the south-eastern section of 

 Papua, the writer knows of no other region in the Queen's 

 dominions, representing the theatre of human energy for an 

 equal period of time, that can be said to have yielded to 

 science and commerce equal measures. And these will 

 appear even more remarkable when we consider the limited 

 resources available and the multiplicity of obstacles at all 

 times associated with jiioneering struggles in the midst of 

 heathen people and an unknown region. 



Her Majesty's sovereignty vt^as proclaimed at Port 

 Moresby on September 4, 1888, and since that date the work 

 of exploration has been conducted without interruption. 

 The first scene of Sir William MacGregor's operations in 

 this connection was the archipelagos of islands off the south- 

 east shores of the Pajiuan territory, known as Louisiade and 

 D'Entrecasteaux. For years these islands had been the seat 

 of feudal strife, tribal and intertribal warfare being the chief 

 occupation of the inhabitants. 



Public attention was first invited to this part of the 

 Papuan land by the discovery of gold on Sud-est Land, and 

 subsequently on the Island of St. Aignan. These goldfieJds 

 are not extensive, nor have any very rich deposits as yet been 

 discovered, but sufficient has been unearthed to keep a party 

 of diggers employed during the past three years or so. It 

 was chiefly for the purpose of estabhshing law and order 

 that Sir William chose this part of the possession as the 



