460 



NEW GUINEA 



(Ntifur), and Aml>erpoca in Geelvink Day; Am. 

 near the south-west coast; Myitol, Sal win ty, 

 liatanta, ami Waijiu at tin- north western, anil 

 the Louisiade ami D'BntnoMtaMX Archipelagoes 

 at tlie south-eastern extremity of New Guinea. 

 Hut elsewhere the mainland is washed hy dee|> 

 waters, ranging from 500 to 1300 fathoms mi the 

 smith eastern and nurthern seaboards. It is dis- 

 posed in the direction fnun north-west to south- 

 east, stretching from Cape Gocde H<HI|> ('Good 

 Hope '), just south of the equator (()' 1'J' S. and 132' 

 30' E. ), for about 1500 miles to South Cape, over 

 700 miles Mow the e.piator (10 34' S. and l.M)4M' 

 E.). Hut owing to its extremely irregular shape, 

 somewhat resembling a huge saurian, the wiiltli 

 varies from under 20 miles at the narrowest parts of 

 both extremities to 480 miles at the broadest part, 

 alKiut 141 E. Inn;;., giving a total area roughly 

 (Climated at 320,000 sq. in., or six times as large 

 as England. The island thus forms three some- 

 what distinct geographical divisions a large 

 central mass from whieh two peninsulas project 

 south-cast and north west. The south-east pen- 

 insula is defined by Uuon and Papua Gulfs on 



the north and south coasts, while the north-west 

 iieninsultt is dMMnpOMd i"io two secondary mem- 

 bers by the Macluer Inlet, which penetrates from 

 the south-west side to within 20 miles of Geelvink 

 liny on the north-west coa-t. 



Most of the interior is still a terra incognita; but 

 the more salient physical features of the island 

 have already been roughly determined. It is 

 essentially a mountainous and even an alpine region, 

 being traversed in its entire length by lofty ranges, 

 by far the highest in the Oceanic world*, and in 

 some places rising 2000 or 3000 feet almve the snow- 

 line. These ranges, which in the two peninsular 

 regions fonn single continuous systems, develop 

 in the broader central parts two or more parallel 

 chains with a general south-easteilv trend, at many 

 points approaching close to the coast-line, and 

 elsewhere enclosing extensive rugged plateaus. 

 Thus, the Arfak Hills of the north west peninsula 

 ( 10,000 feet) are continued in the central region by 

 the Charles Louis range, which for nearly 300 miles 

 appears to maintain an altitude of over 14,000 feet. 

 \\iih many peaks towering to heights of 18,000 and 

 even 20,000 feet Parallel with this chain runs the 



A R A F U / 



A S A ~'\ 



northern coast range, known as the Finisterre 

 Mountains (11,500 feet), which terminate east- 

 wards in an imposing headland projecting in the 

 direction of New liritain, and enclosing Huon Cult" 

 on the north side. Between these two chains run 

 the Uismarck and Krittke ranges ( 10,000 feet), the 

 latter discovered in 18S7 by Dr H. Ziiller. AlMiut 

 the same time Count Pfeil, administrator of Ger- 

 man New (Guinea, penetrated from the north coast 

 still farther inland in search of expansive table- 

 lands suitable for settlement; but lie found the 

 whole surface broken into a confused mass of steep 

 mountains composed mostly of old sedimentary 

 rocks altogether 'a ragged, hopeless region ' inter- 

 sected by deep gorges, but few open river -valle\ s. 



All these mountain ranges converge in the south- 

 east peninsula in a single lofty chain which tra- 

 verses the whole of I'.iin-li New (Guinea, but the 

 various sections of which take the names of the 

 Albert Victor. Yule, Owen Stanley, ami Lome 

 ranges, in their order from west to east. Hut the 

 nomenclature is still far from settled, and much 

 confusion has l>ecn caused by recent travellers re- 

 naming peaks and create and even rivers already 



determined by previous explorers. The prevailing 

 formations appear to lie very old plutonic and 

 sedimentary rocks. Gneiss and granites crop out 

 in the Arfak highlands : elsewhere stratified clay- 

 slates and old limestones abound, containing shells 

 identical with those of south-east Australia ; quartz 

 and gieenstones occur on the south-east coast re- 

 sembling those of tin 1 auriferous region in Mew 

 South Wales, and there are numerous other in- 

 dications of the presence of gold in many districts. 

 l-'.arlln|iiakes are frequent in some places, but no 

 active volcanoes appear to exist, although there 

 are several comparatively recent craters on the 

 spurs of the ((wen Stanley range, while pumice 

 and scoii.e cover the flanks of the Finisterre Moun- 

 tains. 



One result of the explorations has been the 

 discovery of a surprising number of considerable 

 rivers in every part of New (Ininca. The three 

 largest ap|>ear to be the AiuM'iio < Mamhcran, or 

 Great Kivei ') in Dutch, the K.mpress Augusta in 

 German, and the Fly in liritish territory. The 

 Amlierno (the Kocliussen of Dutch geographers) 

 descends from the Charles Louis range to the east 



