Ixxvi Appendix. 
height on its southern board, but to the north-east rises to about 1,200 feet, 
and is separated by Fortescue Strait from Moresby Island, a noble island with 
peaks nearly 2,000 feet high. 
“It is à curious question how it has come about that the mistake of 
supposing New Guinea to end in a wedge-like shape should have occurred. It 
may have been that D'Entrecasteaux and the old navigators knew of the 
existence of the north-east fork, and placed their discoveries relatively correct 
with regard to it, while they knew nothing of the south-east fork. Modern 
navigators—making the land from the south—knowing nothing of the 
north-east fork, and seeing high land of that part of New Guinea over the low 
land of Mourilyan Island, hastily jumped to the conclusion that it must be 
D'Entrecasteaux Island. Thus confusion arose and the fork was shut up. It 
is clear enough now. 
* I am strongly of opinion that the route between China and Australia will 
eventually lead through China Strait, which is free from danger and has safe 
anchorage everywhere. A ship leaving Sydney would follow the outside route 
to the great north-east channel, a clear, free sea from that well-known track 
leading to China Strait, tbence to East Cape is a clear run." There the 
* Basilisk” was brought up by reefs. Unfortunately a want of stores and 
fuel prevented them looking for a passage to the south of Lydia Island, which 
Captain Moresby thinks will undoubtedly be found. He examined the 
northern shores of New Guinea for about 25 miles in a boat. “Once round 
East Cape New Guinea is washed by a grand, clear, reefless sea. A ship 
might literally sail with ber sides rubbing against the coral wall which binds 
the shore, and find good anchorage in any of the bays where a beach is seen. 
How far to the westward this description would apply remains to be proved. 
Of the beauty and fertility of these islands and shores of New Guinea it is 
impossible to speak too highly. In its general features it strongly reminded 
me of Jamaica. The precipitous wooded mountains are to a considerable 
extent cleared and terraced to their very summits with taro and yam planta- 
tions, in a way that even a Chinaman might envy, while the valleys produce 
cocoa-nuts, sago, palms, bananas, sugar-cane, oranges, guavas, pumpkins, and 
other tropical productions. Mountain streams abound, and contain a delicious 
eating fish, almost identical in taste and appearance with the English trout.” 
The torrents which discharge into Sir Alexander Milne Bay are very 
numerous and large. 
At the head of Sir Alexander Milne Bay fine specimens of steel-sand were 
obtained. At East Cape the natives possessed large lumps of obsidian, but 
they did not observe that it was used to barb Spears or make knives of, as at 
the Admiralty Islands. 
The whole of these coasts, except where the mountains rise too precipitously 
