NEW GUINEA AND THE PAPUANS o7 



uncertain. The massive peninsula north of ]\IacCluer's 

 Inlet appears to be everywhere mountainous, a continuous 

 series of range behind range extending along its north 

 coast. The most lofty peak of the Arfak range of this 

 series was found by Lieutenant Powell, during the cruise 

 of the Marcliesa, to be 9046 feet, but it is possible that 

 farther inland still higher altitudes may be reached. 

 The Wa Samsum river, which enters the sea near Cape 

 Spencer, probably rises iu the Arfak Mountains. It has 

 not been visited by Europeans, but the necessary short- 

 ness of its course precludes its being of any great size. 

 In the narrow isthmus at the head of MacCluer Inlet 

 there is a ridge about 1200 feet high. The seas 

 approach each other very closely here. They are known 

 to be in one place only a few hundred yards apart, and 

 it is not yet absolutely certain that this supposed pen- 

 insula may not prove to be an island. Lately its insularity 

 has been reported to be proved, but to all intents and 

 purposes it forms part of the mainland, and will be thus 

 described in these pages. South of the inlet lies another 

 land-mass of almost equal size — the Onin Peninsula — and 

 this also appears to be mountainous. "V\Tien we pass 

 into the great central mass of land to the south and 

 east of Geelvink Bay, we find the ranges of still greater 

 altitude. The Charles Louis Mountains, beginning close 

 to the coast with Mount Lakahia (4526 feet), increase 

 to the eastward till, at about long. 136° E., they reach 

 a height of 9500 feet. They thence stretch farther 

 inland in the same uniform direction, and their summits 

 have been seen from the sea in fine weather, apparently 

 covered with snow, and have been estimated to attain an 

 altitude of from 16,500 to 17,500 feet. They are thus 

 the loftiest known peaks in the whole archipelago, and 

 even in the whole area between the Himalayas and the 



