BRITISH NEW GUINEA. 425 



vvlifiu tlie Star of Peace was pillaged and her captain Anspll 

 brutally massacred. The inhabitants proved themselves 

 remarkable for their warlike disposition and refractoriness 

 after the deed had been perpetrated, Occnpying- an advan- 

 tageons position they succeeded in eluding the Administrator, 

 who tirst occupied their villages, and, subseqnently, Ansell's 

 Peninsula, for several weeks. Sir AVilliam's movements, 

 although wisely plannetl and skilfully conducted, were closely 

 watched and aggravatingly evaded, and it was only by the 

 aid of friendly disposed chiefs that the capture of Ansell's 

 murderers was finally etfected. 



The eastern districts embrace the country l)etween Port 

 Moresby and East Cape. Part of this territory Avas known 

 before sovereignty was proclaimed ; but it was not nntil Sir 

 William MacGregor's offiinal duties took him on extended 

 tours of inspection that we were able to obtain reliable infor- 

 mation concerning the geographical character of the whole 

 section, and the social conditions of the inhabitants. Of the 

 former it may be said that in quality the same variety exists 

 throughout that is met with in other parts of the possession. 

 The basin of the Kemp- Welch comprises some fine agricul- 

 tural and pastoral land, most of which, however, is occupied 

 by the native dwellers. Vegetation is luxuriant ; the con- 

 glomerate faces of the Astrolabe Kange and its outliers are 

 mantled by dense forest, and the lower ridges and flats are 

 interspersed with patches of grass and timber trees, among 

 which the well-known eucalyptus flourishes. The limestone 

 hills are carpeted with nutritious pastoral grass, and the 

 intervening valleys possess soil of very I'ich quality. 



In the immediate neighbourhood of the seashore the country 

 is thickly populated by a variety of tribal communities, but 

 in the inland districts the people are scattered. For this 

 reason mucli larger areas of country are unoccupied than in 

 the more thickly settled coastwise regions. The inhabitants 

 are divided into tribes, some large and others very small, but 

 all more or less hostile to one another, consequently they are 

 rarely at peace. From incessant incursions some formerly 

 powerful tribes have been almost entirely exterminated, the 

 remnants living a miserable existence in tree houses. This is 

 notably the condition of the wretched Veiburi and Seme 

 people, who for years have been persecuted by the hostile 

 tribes of Manukora and Garia. Not satisfied with repeated 

 assaults upon inferior numbers of men, the Manukora savages 

 were eager to take advantage of poor defenceless women and 



