Oct. 27, 1887] 



t 



Yt "^^^ steamer was taken cautiously up Burns River, the north- 



■■west branch, and a splendid view of near mountain ranges was 



Ir&btained, and apparently a splendid spot to explore. . . . Seven 



miles up the river an anchorage was come to, the river being 



over 300 yards wide, and the soundings being from 2 to 6 



fathoms. The scenery was picturesque in the extreme. Hills 



of from 600 to 1000 feet, clothed with verdure, came down to 



the water's edge. There were cedars, oaks, eucalypti, fig-trees, 



acacias, pines, palms, and tree-ferns. Feathery bamboos, ferns' 



and varied flora adorned the river banks. Butterflies of gaudy 



hue, and birds of the brightest plumage, flutter in and out 



amongst the trees and shrubs. The water was placid and in 



the deepest recesses of the gorge-like ranges was sombre and 



cold. ... 



A few miles further up the river a small rapid was passed, and 

 it was then found that there was a break, one arm apparently 



NATURE 



621 



running in a northerly direction towards ranges about 4 miles 

 distant, and from 2000 to 3000 feet high, and the other arm 

 stretching easterly towards high distant ranges, which closed in 

 the horizon in that direction also, but they appeared to be about 

 25 miles ofi". This junction was named after the Victory, but 

 the steamer could not pass it to any distance. The highest 

 point reached by the steamer was ascertained to be in south lati- 

 tude 6° 51', and east longitude 144' 8', that is to say 65 miles 

 in a straight course from Cape Blackwood, or nearly 90 miles by 

 river courses. This was on March 31. 



A boat party was formed of eleven, and a week's provisions 

 put m, but progress was slow, owing to the strong currents, the 

 rapids, and the heavy rain that now came on in the evening. 

 . . . The highest position inland reached by the whale-boat 

 was within 25 miles of the German boundary, or 80 miles as 

 the crow flies south-by-west of Cape Blackwood, and over lOO 



Sketch pla 11 oJ'Nav Gu iuca sh eio iiiifboii nda rit : 

 ^f EuL^Usii Gerinuii&r Dutch territories. 



miles by river courses. This was in south latitude 6' 39', and 

 east longitude 144° 11'. It appeared to Mr. Bevan that the 

 natural boundary or water-parting between the river systems of 

 the two territories might be found to exist a few miles to the 

 north of the present German boundary. . , . The nature of the 

 coast for several miles to the westward was now Known, and it 

 remained [after return to Deception Bay] to continue explorations 

 to the eastward, and also to settle the point as to whether from so 

 far in the heart of Deception Bay there existed a deep water 

 channel leading out into the Gulf of Papua. Mr. Bevan de- 

 cided to test this question. Although there were the river 

 openings between them and Bald Head, it was unlikely that there 

 would be room for any considerable river between the newly- 

 discovered Douglas River and the large river of which it had 

 been for years reported that the five openings east of Bald Head 

 were separate mouths. Mr. -Bevan first proceeded to Motu 



iVttUUrO-BoMta'A si. 



Motu, situated at the mouth of the Williams River on the eastern- 

 most boundary of the gulf, and lOO miles distant, in order to 

 send off" despatches. A start was made from Motu Motu on 

 Monday, April ix, and after calling at Karama, Silo, Namai, 

 and Vailalla, they anchored off" Orokolo, in rather dirty weather. 

 On April 14 the steamer was within a few miles of the Alele 

 River, or first of the five openings east of Bald Head, reported 

 by the natives as leading into one large river. Upon superficially 

 examining the entrances to these five rivers, namely, Alele, 

 Aivei, Panaroa, Unta, and Aral, no safe channel for the steamer 

 could be found, owing to the heavy break on each bar. Off the 

 next opening, or Marwau River, the same conditions were ex- 

 perienced, and there now remained but the wide entrance 

 marked on the Admiralty chart. Towards this opening the 

 steamer was steered, and carefully proceeded in with a 2\ fathoms 

 channel at low water, leading half a mile to the west of Bald 



