Li 
MonrzsBY.— Lecture on New Guinea. Іххху 
be equally destitute of weapons. Мапу of their canoes were of the kind 
described by Lieut. Yule, of H.M.S. “Bramble,” in 1846, viz, double canoes 
with a cane deck or platform passing over all and fastening the canoes 
together. They are propelled by large mat-sails spread between two poles in 
the shape of the letter V, and steered with long paddles. Their length was 
about 40 feet, and extreme beam about 8 feet. No treble or juadruple canoes 
of this description were seen. 
In their houses these natives had rough wood spears, and а stone 
clubs, but no bows. “ We roamed over the country and visited their villages 
as freely as if they were English people. If any of our fellows got lost in the 
bush the natives took them to their villages, fed them, and offered every 
hospitality before bringing them back to the ship. Apparently they had never . 
before seen a white man, and their curiosity was great to see and touch our 
white skins." From their proximity to Redscar Bay they had learnt the use 
of iron, and eagerly took axes in barter. Their fishing nets, made from the 
fibre of a small nettle-like plant, are precisely similar to an English seine, 
quite as strong, and are universally used from Yule Island to East Cape. 
Wallabies were the only wild animals; pigs and dogs, the domesticated ones, 
. Been. 
Commencing at Heath Point—where Captain Stanley began his running 
survey of New Guinea—distant about 40 miles from the then supposed south- 
eastern extremity, the chart shows an unbroken continuation of the Owen 
Stanley Range to near the supposed South-East Cape. The north-east shores of 
New Guinea had never been examined, but all the charts agree in representing 
its eastern termination to be in the shape of a wedge, with D’Entrecasteaux 
Island on its north-east board. “ Тһе reality we have found to be very 
different, as the rough tracing will show. You will observe that New Guinea 
finishes its enormous length to the eastward in the form of a broad fork. 
Heath Point of Captain Stanley is a lofty island lying off the mainland. 
Thus Captain Stanley, in reality, commenced his survey at the extreme south- 
east point of New Guinea without being aware of it. It was probably thick 
weather when his soundings were taken within two miles of Heath Island. 
Under any circumstances, from the westward, Heath Island shuts out all view 
of the strait named by me ‘China Strait! The tracing will obviate my 
making any lengthened remarks on the unexpected configuration of the 
land which it has been our lot to discover. I will briefly say that the south- 
east extremity of New Guinea sweeps precipitously down from a height of 
about 2,000 feet to the tranquil shores of China Strait.” On the opposite side 
is Hayter Island, irregularly shaped, rising to a height of about 800 feet, 
Hayter Island is separated by a narrow pass (riven asunder by some mighty 
convulsion of nature) from Mourilyan Island. The latter is of a moderate 
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