290 ALL THE RIVERS NAVIGABLE. 



such a delta to exist on an island like New 

 Guinea. 



From what we know of the rest of the island, 

 however, the existence of such a river becomes 

 highly probable. A range of high mountainous 

 land runs along all the north coast from Dampier's 

 Strait to Geelvink Bay. High land also comes 

 out upon the south-west coast about Triton Bay, 

 where the Dutch once formed a settlement near the 

 137th meridian. The hollow between these two 

 ranges would run towards the south-east, in which 

 direction of course their drainage would be deflected. 

 We have already seen reason to believe that the 

 country is a wet one ; and the moisture, which 

 does not fall as rain from the south-east trade-wind 

 as it passes over the flat land, is no doubt caught 

 and precipitated in abundance on the south-east 

 sides of the mountains, and is thus sent down on to 

 the flat, in the shape of rivers. Whether these ever 

 join into one stream, or whether a number of them 

 all run for the south-east coast, and thus unite only 

 in forming the delta of which we traversed the outer 

 edge, is, of course, left open to conjecture. If they 

 ever unite in one stream, it will probably be found 

 to be a very noble one for the size of the island, 

 winding perhaps through rich flats of tropical 

 forests. Whatever be the characters of the interior 

 waters, however, they must afford access for small 

 craft into the very heart of the country. Unlike the 

 rivers of Australia, the estuaries of which are alwavs 



