436 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 



MacGregor says: — "For my part I was always glad of a 

 blanket in the morning ; such a covering I could not tolerate 

 at Port Moresljy or in the east part of the possession at this 

 time of the year. This makes the Upper Fly River district 

 rather a pleasant abode at this time of the season" (January), 

 In the neighbourhood of the east end of the territory several 

 of the numerous islands enjoy salubrity of climate and freedom 

 from the drawbacks so frequently experienced in low swampy 

 localities. Essentially a tropical climate, British New Guinea 

 possesses a wet and a dry season, the former extending from 

 November to the end of March, during which time heavy 

 thunder storms, accompanied by drenching rain, prevail. 

 While the dry season lasts the south-east trade winds con- 

 tribute greatly to the comfort of life and to the salubrity of 

 the climate. 



Achinnistration. 



The affairs of the territory are administered from three 

 principal centres of organisation, Port Moresby being the 

 geographical Centre, Samarai the Eastern Division, and 

 Mabuadauan the Western District. At each of these places 

 a Resident Magistrate is stationed with jurisdiction over a 

 given area. 



Religious Organisations. 



The organisations devoted to Christianity are — (1) the 

 London Missionary Society, dominating the division extending 

 from East Cape w^est to the Anglo-Dutch boundary, except- 

 ing the St. Joseph's District ; (2) the Wesleyans, who occupy 

 the Archipelagos of islands at the south-east end ; (3) the 

 Anglicans, whose field of operations extends over the whole 

 north-east coast line ; and (4) the Roman Catholics, located 

 on Yule Island, in the St. Joseph's District. Some of these 

 have quite recently estabhshed themselves, but there can be 

 no doubt that the influence of their presence on the native 

 mind must be very considerable. 



Natives. 

 A remarkable feature of the native inhabitants of British 

 Papua is the numerous tribal divisions and the almost corre- 

 spondingly different languages or dialects spoken by them. 

 Even in localities separated by only a few miles the dialects 

 spoken differ the one from the other, in some cases consider- 

 ably. The Motu, which is the language spoken and taught 

 by the missionaries at Port Moresby, is understood over a 

 considerable area, both east and west of that place ; but outside 



