PAPUA. OR NEW GUINEA. 



647 



ing in August as compared with the preced- 

 ing year: 



The number of sheep in the State at the 

 last assessment was 2,593,029. 



Constitutional Amendments. The amendments 

 to be voted upon in November prohibited the 



manufacture, sale, or giving away of intoxi- 

 cating liquors, changed the date of State elec- 

 tions from June to November, and gave the 

 Legislature power to fix the salaries of State 

 officers, these being now established by the 

 Constitution. Neither of these propositions 

 were successful. The prohibitory amend- 

 ment, in spite of all efforts in its behalf, failed 

 by 7,985 votes, 19,973 votes being cast in its 

 favor and 27,958 against it. The election 

 amendment obtained 19,947 affirmative and 

 22,760 negative votes, while the salary amend- 

 ment found only 5,993 supporters to 35,628 

 opponents. 



PAPUA, or NEW GUINEA, a large island in the 

 Pacific Ocean, lying north of Australia. The 

 southern coast is separated from the northern- 

 most point of Queensland by the Torres Strait, 

 about 90 miles wide. The area is estimated at 

 300,000 square miles. The Netherlands Gov- 

 ernment claims the western part of the island 

 as far ns the 141st meridianeast from Greenwich. 

 The area of Dutch New Guinea is 150,755 

 square miles. The German Government pro- 

 claimed a protectorate over the northern coast 

 east of the Dutch line and over New Britain 

 and other islands constituting the Bismarck 

 Archipelago on Dec. 17, 1884. The area of 

 Kaiser Wilholm'a Land in Papua is 70,300 

 square miles, and that of the islands of the 

 Bismarck Archipelago 18,150 square miles. 

 Both are under the administration of the Ger- 

 man New Guinea Company. The population 

 of German New Guinea is 109,000; that of 

 Bismarck Archipelago, which embraces all the 

 islands lying between 141 and 154 east longi- 

 tude and between 8 south latitude and the 

 equator, is 188,000. By virtue of the Delimit- 

 ation Convention concluded between England 

 and Germany on April 6, 1886, a part of the 

 Solomon Islands are also included in the Ger- 

 man boundaries. The German islands of the 

 group have an area of 8,460 square miles and 

 contain about 80,000 inhabitants. The south- 

 ern coast of Papua was formerly annexed by 

 Great Britain on Nov. 18, 18^4. The eastern 

 extremity of Papua and the Luisiad group and 

 other islands were annexed to the British 

 dominions in January, 1885. The area of the 

 British possessions in Papua and the adjacent 

 islands is 88,460 square miles, and the popula- 

 tion 229,100. 



British New Guinea. The British Government, 

 after the protectorate was proclaimed over 

 Southeastern New Guinea, appointed Sir Peter 

 Scratchley High Commissioner. He spent sev- 

 eral months in endeavoring to induce the gov- 

 ernments of the Australian colonies to contrib- 

 ute to the expenses of the administration. 

 They finally agreed to raise 15,000 per annum 

 for the purpose. As soon as he arrived in 

 Papua the Commissioner was attacked with 



coast fever, and died. John Douglas was ap- 

 pointed temporarily to the post of High Com- 

 missioner. After the death of Sir Peter 

 Scratchley, the South Australian Government 

 withdrew from the agreement to contribute to 

 the expense of the administration. This was 

 followed by similar action on the part of Tas- 

 mania, New Zealand, and Western Australia. 

 The premier of Queensland drew up a plan by 

 which he undertook to organize the adminis- 

 tration. The premiers of Victoria and New 

 South Wales met him at Sydney in the begin- 

 ning of May, 1886, and agreed to his plan. 

 The sum of 15,000 annually is contributed by 

 the three colonies in equal shares, and will he 

 guaranteed by the Government of Queensland, 

 which will direct the administration. The 

 legislative and executive powers are to be con- 

 centrated in the hands of a crown administra- 

 tor. No purchase of land is allowed to be 

 made by private persons except from the Gov- 

 ernment or from persons who have obtained 

 their titles from the Government. Trading 

 with the natives in arms, ammunition, or in- 

 toxicating liquors is prohibited. The enlist- 

 ment of laborers is allowed only under Govern- 

 ment supervision. The administrator will act 

 under the instructions of the governor of 

 Queensland. The arrangement wberehy 

 Queensland guarantees the expenses is to re- 

 main in force five years. 



German New Guinea. The New Guinea Com- 

 pany in Berlin fitted out an expedition, which 

 sailed from Hamburg on Feb. 3, 1886, for the 

 thorough exploration of Kaiser Wilhelm's Land 

 and the Bismarck Archipelago, and for the es- 

 tablishment of plantations and factories. The 

 leader of the expedition was Dr. Schrader, of 

 Hamburg. In the German, ns well as in the 

 English possessions, the sale of fire-arms, 

 ammunition, and spirituous liquors is forbidden. 



The Russian naturalist Nicholas de Miklouho 

 Maclay has resided many years on the shore of 

 Astrolabe Bay, northwest of the district which 

 the Germans intend immediately to colonize, 

 and within the territory conceded to Germany 

 in the arrangement with Great Britain. The 

 natives of the coast between Cape Croisillce 



