MonzsBY.— Lecture on New Guinea. Ixxxix 
out its brains on the quarter-deck, looking upon the rite as a ratification or 
sealing of friendship—at least so we understood it. 
* The natives appeared to be subject to a kind of leprosy and other skin 
diseases, but elephantiasis—so common in Torres Strait as a cause of 
malformation— was scarcely ever seen. 
“The meteorology of the coast of New Guinea, from Yule Island to the 
eastward, was found— during the months of February, March, April, and 
May—to differ materially from that of Torres Strait. Leaving Torres Strait 
the first week in February, when heavy rains and occasional stormy breezes 
with dirty weather from the north-west prevailed, we remained in the 
neighbourhood of Redscar Bay until the first week in March, during which 
time we only had one day's wet weather and strong breeze; all the rest were 
fine with calms and light variable winds. At Cape York, again, in March, 
we had a constant succession of heavy rains and dirty weather. On March 
30th we were again at New Guinea, with lovely weather, and thus it 
continued, excepting two days’ rain (27th and 28th April) until we finally 
left China Strait, on 7th May. On 10th May, off Mount Suckling, the south- 
east monsoon set in strong, with rain. This was immediately following after 
three days dead calm. At Cape York the south-east monsoon had been 
blowing steadily since the end of March. 
“The barometer had been steady at 29-80, or thereabouts, and the 
thermometer has ranged between 82? and 88°, but the heat was rarely felt 
oppressive, and our ship's company—although they have served almost 
continuously for the last eighteen months in tropical climates, and our boats' 
crews have been much exposed in surveying the rivers and creeks—have 
enjoyed general good health. 
* Referring again to the natives, I think you will now agree with me that 
the ferocious character assigned, on no authority, to these poor New Guinea 
Savages may be dropped. Wandering through their peaceful, luxuriantly- 
planted villages, it often made me sad to think that our discoveries must 
inevitably, sooner or later, bring white men among these contented creatures, 
with sin, disease, and misery in their train." 
