596 nerort— 1883. 
subject to causes which have ceased to operate, as, first, the difficulties of the 
navigation, now minimised by steam ; secondly, the exclusive system of the Dutch 
in the Spice Islands, which hindered explorations of the regions further east, and 
latterly the diversion of the stream of enterprise towards Australia. As regards the 
first, the unsurveyed reefs and channels of Torres Straits, the mud flats and 
shallows further west, the concentrated violence of the monsoon on the south 
coast, and the precipitous and harbourless character of the northern, were no doubt 
formidable to sailing vessels; but it is strange that the position, central between 
India, China, and Australia, never attracted official exploration. 
New Guinea was actually discovered about 1526-283. More is probably due to 
the old Spanish navigators than is usually supposed. By the time of Torres, who 
achieved the Southern passage in 1606 (though this is given, mysteriously, in maps 
of earlier date), the whole coast line, excepting the north coast from Cape Finisterre 
eastwards, was roughly known. The author traces its geological relations with 
Australia, showing the date of their separation to be probably not earlier than the 
Lower Miocene, shells of that period being found on the east of the Gulf of Papua 
identical with those of the same series in Victoria and South Australia. Of the New 
Guinea amphibia, too, those not of wide distribution are exclusively Australian. On 
the west side of the Gulf, from the swampy plains intersected by the Fly and other 
streams which bring down the drainage from the mountainous interior, isolated 
hills of Australian character rise abruptly, which apparently, like the higher 
islands of Torres Straits, escaped the submersion which insulated both. ‘The 
plains, since they emerged, have been mainly occupied by an Indo-Malay vegeta- 
tion. The paleozoic rocks of the Eastern Peninsula, judging from small specimens 
of mica slate, quartz, sandstones, greenstones, and jaspervids, are undistinguishable 
from the Silurian and Devonian series of the New South Wales goldfields; but 
as yet gold has been found only in very small quantities. The mountains in the 
north-west seem chiefly granite and gneiss. From the Gulf of Papua to Princess 
Marianne Island the sea is so shallow and the coast so low that land is invisible 
from shipboard. Here a great submarine bank extends to the Aru Islands, which 
Mr. Wallace shows to have formed part of the mainland of New Guinea. The 
west and north coasts are chiefly precipitous (the cliffs frequently of recent lime- 
stone with raised coral beaches), broken by considerable rivers affording access to 
the interior. Otherwise the densely wooded mountain ranges make such access 
difficult, though in places these rise in terraces which are highly cultivated. The 
north coasts are almost-free from reefs, which, however, skirt the south coast of the 
Eastern Peninsula, forming within them valuable harbours and anchorages. Vessels 
stationed in these would command the passage both of Torres Straits, and of China 
Straits at the eastern extremity, which are the important routes from Australia to 
India and China respectively. ‘The interior here consists of ranges of rolling grassy 
hills, sparsely wooded with acacias, eucalyptus, &c., and interspersed by streams and 
fertile tracts well fitted for tropical cultivation, as sugar, &c. Beyond is the central 
range, 13,000 feet. 
Severe earthquakes occur on the north coast, but no active volcanoes have been 
seen. They may however exist, and Mr. W. Powell observed a mass of pumice at a 
considerable height, opposite to New Britain, but the great voleanic energy of that 
island seems to die away in the small islands to the west, and to pass north-west, 
through the Schouten group, towards the Moluccas and Philippines. 
The forests contain magnificent timber, fruits, spices, barks, and gums. The 
sago palm (about which statistics are given) and sugar may become great staples. 
There are also tracts suited for cattle-raising. It is a question how far the good 
lands are unoccupied. The natives have a keen sense of rights in the soil, indi- 
yidual and tribal, and even in the fruits of the forest trees and the fish of the streams 
belonging to the tribe; and they probably would not work regularly for Europeans. 
Perhaps confidence might be created first by establishing trading depéts. There is 
an active trade between the hill and coast tribes in their respective produce and 
manufactures, and in Western New Guinea a small foreign trade—sago, massoi 
bark, and bird-skins being the chief exports, but their wants are very few; thus, 
