Ixxxii Appendix. 
the interior of New Guinea. Yule Island lies off the entrance to a large, 
well-sheltered sheet of water, now named Robert Hall Soünd, where the 
“ Basilisk” remained several days. The island. is about 550 feet in height, 
well cultivated, and fertile. The mainland, excepting some bold headlands, 
is one vast extent of flat swampy-ground, extending six or eight miles inland 
to a low range of hills, which are backed up by range after range until they 
culminate in the magnificent Owen Stanley Mountains, 12,000 to 13,000 feet 
high. They were not successful in finding a river leading to these high lands. 
One river, which looked capacious enough to raise their hopes greatly, proved, 
after its sluggish course had been followed for many miles, to lead nowhere, 
and to be merely the drainage of the immense surrounding fresh-water swamps. 
A rapid river emptied itself into that just referred to, but its current was too 
powerful to admit of the captain’s six-oared galley ascending its course far. 
It was from this latter river probably that the drift-wood seen at sea was 
derived. The scenery on the banks was monotonous in the extreme. There 
was a dense growth of mangroves and other moisture-loving trees. With the 
exception of flying-foxes and screaming, gaudy-coloured birds, there was an 
entire absence of animal life. Occasionally they came to ill-made native huts, 
from which a track through the swamp led to some acres of raised ground like 
an oasis in a desert; these were carefully cleared, and cultivated with yams, 
taros, bananas, ete. Here also were permanent houses, built, as usual, on poles 
some eight feet from the ground, with one room only, common to the whole 
_family. Immediately on their appearance the natives hid themselves in the 
swamp. It appeared marvellous how human life could exist in such a 
malarious place, Even in the glare of a noon-day sun the air was thick with 
mosquitoes, 
In Robert Hall Sound the ship was always crowded with natives, fresh 
parties from distant parts of the coast arriving each day. They are a dark 
copper-coloured race, combining both dark and light shades, decently clothed— 
the men wearing a breech cloth, the women the usual ti-ti, or South Sea 
petticoat. The men have their hair frizzled out in a mop, but the women cut 
theirs short, and tattoo their bodies extensively, which the men never do. 
They ornament themselves with black, white, and red pigments, variously laid 
on, and fasten bunches of bright flowers and the plumes of the Birds of Paradise 
to their heads and shoulders, Occasionally the great beak of the Toucan was 
worn as horns on each side of the head. The men’s mouths were all much 
disfigured from the excessive use of the betel-nut. Their weapons are bows, 
arrows, spears, and clubs made of wood and stone. They were totally 
unacquainted with the use of iron, and infinitely preferred their own stone 
hatchets to our axes, The barter they most liked was the polished pearl-shells 
of Torres Strait. 
