GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS, ETC. 



GEORGIA. 



341 



cut off their ringlets of crisp hair, making 

 them into wigs for their own wearing. The 

 men go naked, some being marked with seams 

 upon their shoulders, and all cutting the lobes 

 of their ears into curious forms, and threading 

 the rim all around with wool and fibres of 

 bright colors. They ornament their heads with 

 plumage, and wear necklaces of strong mother- 

 of-pearl. The women, who are ugly, are put 

 to the coarse labor ; they are kept out *of view 

 of strangers ; their dress is a narrow waist- 

 clout, with ornaments of cassowary-feathers 

 round their knees and ankles. The only weap- 

 ons of these savages are bows of bamboo with 

 arrows four feet long. They are great sailors, 

 making canoes of large size from the trunks 

 of the native trees. They eat the flesh of hogs, 

 which are abundant both in the wild and tame 

 states; and are addicted to the use of the 

 kava, which is found some way in the interior. 

 They have banana and taro plantations upon 

 the driest spots, and cultivate also yams, sago, 

 and bread-fruit. The appearance of the shore 

 is the same everywhere, a level flat reaching 

 to the horizon, covered densely with trees of 

 all kinds. Going up the river, which narrows 

 rapidly, they passed for two miles through 

 mangroves, with palm-trees beyond of fifty 

 feet, and beyond them a lofty and dense forest. 

 Sailing thence to Darnley Island, they did soine 

 dredging. They came to Hall Sound, on the 

 east side of the Papuan Gulf, on the 18th of 

 August. Rough weather prevented their go- 

 ing farther. Remaining a fortnight at Yule 

 Island, where Signor d'Albertis is posted, they 

 returned. The surgeon of the expedition, Dr. 

 James, with Mr. Knight, one of the botanists, 

 and Mr. Pollard, a taxidermist, determined 

 upon an independent exploring expedition to 

 New Guinea. 



Signor d'Albertis, who has established him- 

 self upon Yule Island, in the gulf of Papua, 

 has made a number of excursions upon the 

 mainland, though greatly hindered by the de- 

 sertion of most of his men, who stole his boat, 

 and by the robbery of the natives. He enter- 

 tains friendly relations for the most part with 

 the islanders. Procuring a canoe he has visited 

 five villages, and can converse with the natives. 

 On the shore the fauna and flora resemble 

 those of north Australia ; but inland on the 

 mountains the vegetation is of the Papuan 

 type. He has obtained a perfect specimen of 

 the Paradisia raggeana, the new bird-of-para- 

 dise which he has discovered, as well as a 

 second tree-kangaroo, Dorsopis luctuosa. The 

 natives here are of a light color, medium-sized, 

 and agile. Their hair, which is not woolly, 

 they wear long and gathered up behind. They 

 chew the betel-nut. They wear a narrow 

 strip of cloth about their loins, belted down 

 tightly. They are timid, greedy, and thievish. 

 The women seem to rule, and are not back- 

 ward before strangers. The younger ones are 

 not ill-looking, wearing showy waist-cloths; 

 they tattoo their breasts and bellies. They live 



amicably together, building their villages upon 

 sloping ground, and keeping their houses clean. 

 Considerable attention is paid to cookery, and 

 to the manufacture of pottery, cloths, and 

 nets. There is in each village a house built 

 solely for the reception of guests. 



SUMATRA. An expedition is under way, in- 

 stituted by the Geographical Society of Am- 

 sterdam, for the exploration of the unvisited 

 portions of Sumatra. The region selected as 

 the special object of the exploration is the 

 territory which is designated by the name of 

 Djambi. The whole unexplored tracts of the 

 island extend between the straits of Banca and 

 the sea of Riano on the east, and the volcanic 

 range which transects the island on the west, 

 and are bounded on the south by the resi- 

 dencies of Palembang and Bencoolen. The ex- 

 ploration of the country of the Bataks as well 

 as the native kingdoms of Reteh, Indragiri, and 

 Kwantan, which lie within the bounds of the 

 colonial territory, would prove of ethnographi- 

 cal and linguistic interest ; yet, induced partly 

 by the disturbances which have lately occurred 

 in the north, the war with Acheen preventing 

 a peaceful exploration of the neighboring 

 parts, and partly by the promise of commer- 

 cial advantages which would accrue from the 

 navigation of the Djambi River, the society 

 made their choice of the above-named region. 

 The domain of the Sultan of Djambi has never 

 been visited by a European, except when, in 

 1869, the Resident of Palembang, Van Ophuy- 

 sen, ascended the Djambi River in the steamer 

 Boni ; he was called back before he had com- 

 pleted the observations purposed, and brought 

 a favorable report both as to the navigability 

 of the river, into which important tributaries 

 emptied, and the fruitfulness of the country ; 

 neither had he found the inhabitants unfriend- 

 ly. Two parties will set out, one ascending 

 the river in a steamer, and the other striking 

 across the mountain-chain from Padang, in- 

 tending to follow the course of one or more of 

 the tributaries, and especially the Batang Hari 

 if possible. Upon meeting, they intend to 

 survey the courses of the -Teboo, the Tabir, 

 and the Tambesi, making their way toward 

 the mysterious valleys in the interior of 

 Korintji, Assei, etc., of which wonderful ac- 

 counts have been rumored, and which the 

 natives who trade with the coast describe in 

 glowing terms. The staff will consist of a to- 

 pographer, a linguist, a naturalist, an artist, 

 and probably a botanist sent by an association 

 of botanists and horticulturists ; the vessel will, 

 it is likely, be commanded by one or more 

 capable naval officers, and will be provided by 

 the Indian Government. 



GEORGIA. The regular session of the 

 Georgia Legislature began at Atlanta on 

 Wednesday the 13th of January, and came to 

 a close on the 1st day of March. . There was a 

 large amount of legislation effected, but the 

 great bulk of it was of a local and special 

 character, regulating or prohibiting the sale 



