71 



But of the three political divisions of New Guinea, the Dutch portion is, taking all things into consideration, the 

 most important and valuable part of the island-at any rate so far as its coast lines are concerned. A glance at a good 

 map will show that the more north-western and south-western coasts are indented and worn into greater or lesser bays, 

 ri<rht up on the south side, almost from the two or three degrees of the Dutch boundary line, or m longitude 138 bast 

 to°about E. long. 131 : and on the north side from E. long. 137° 30' to 134°- The McCluer inlet on the western side, 

 pierces the land nearly through to Geelvink Bay on the eastern side (for only about ten miles intervene between 

 them). Geelvink Bay represents a huge excision of coast of the most remarkable character— the two extreme points of 

 which are quite 230 miles apart : the land having been cut out to the extent of quite 170 miles. Within this bay is an 

 enormous cfoast line of between 400 and 500 miles, with many smaller Bays and Harbours, and a number of islands, such 

 as Tobi, and outside the Bay the Schouten Islands. The eastern point of the Bay is also cut up by the big river Ambernoh 

 and its branches into at least 8 islands, that are otherwise really a part of the main land On the western side, besides 

 the McCluer inlet there is a considerable number of Bays and Harbours— many of which must be of great value. 



Some important rivers also drain the extensive south-west of the island ; whilst Batanta and Waigeu appear at 

 some time in the past to have been separated from the mainland. The Mountain Ranges so far as they have been 

 explored, are generally clothed with dense tropical vegetation : the Arfak and Charles Louis Mountains reach the limit 

 of perpetual snow.* 



All these parts of this island are subject to great rainfalls through a considerable part of the year ; and explorers 

 speak of the forests and vegetation as being continually saturated with moisture, which sends up clouds of steamy mist, 

 just as one may see it doing in the rainy season on the New Granadian Coast of South America. The country, how- 

 ever, is probably not more debilitating than in British New Guinea, where, with the exception of the district ol the 

 Owen Stanley Mountains, the extensive flat portions of the land are very unhealthy.! 



With the exception of the Gulf of Papua, British New Guinea is not so favoured in its coast lines : its Harbours 

 appear to be distinctly inferior in value to those of the Dutch division of the island J and the coast is said also to be 

 greatly encumbered with coral reefs. But with the exception of Astrolabe Bay Humboldt Bay, and Huan Gulf, 

 German New Guinea possesses a coast line which seems less valuable than either of the two other political divisions 

 of the island. 



The four important islands at the south-west and western extremity of New Guinea, together with a number of 

 smaller ones, give us an idea of the much greater extent of this country in the remote part ; for they take us nearly 100 

 miles farther to the north-west (or the W. of Mysol), and quite as much farther north (or the N'. coast of Waigieu) 1 he 

 principal islands thus included are also Salawatti, Batanta, Koffian, Gamu (a satellite of Waigieu), and perhaps Popa, 

 about the same distance from Salawatti as Mysol is. The shallowness of the seas separating these portions of land, 

 and the similarity of their fauna and flora in general character fairly justify this conclusion. In all these districts the 

 Fauna are very rich and remarkable for their beauty-much richer than Wallace, in his time supposed them to be ; for later 

 explorers and naturalists have been able, not only among the Birds of Paradise, and Pigeons, but among other families 

 of birds, and among all orders of insects, especially Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, to add very largely to our knowledge 

 of their productions— almost beyond the dreams of the greatest enthusiast. The island of Batanta is very lofty ; but 

 the isle of Tobi in Geelvink Bay, which resembles it in shape, though it is 2* times as long possesses mountains of 2,000 

 and 2,500 feet in altitude. Batanta is well clothed with dense forest ; and is a locality for the King Bird of Paradise 

 and a large species of Cassowary. As the south coast of Batanta is so densely clothed with jungle insects are few ; 

 and no Ormthoptera appear to have been taken there. The northern part, however, yields Wilson s Bird of Paradise, 

 as does Waigieu also ; and the Red Bird of Paradise. At Momos, on the south coast of Waigieu, Ormthoptera of a 

 species belonging to the green groups are plentiful, but very difficult to capture, owing to the rapid pace at which they 

 dash through the woods, and the density of the vegetation by which the collector is hampered. The Pigeons and 

 Parrots of this district, as in other parts of New Guinea are very numerous. 



Momos is situated to the east of Chabral Bay, a narrow gulf running into this part of the island of Waigieu so 

 far (about 26 miles) as to cut the island nearly in two— somewhat in the same manner as the McCluer inlet nearly 

 divides the Arfak, or N. Western portion of New Guinea from the remaining parts of the Dutch territory—for the two 

 parts of the island are only united by about 3* miles of land. Just within the entrance to this gulf or inlet is a large 

 number of rocks and islets extending for a couple of miles. Towards its northern extremity is another similar group. 

 These all rise from the calm water perpendicularly within coralline cliffs, and are mostly clad with dense jungle ; and the 

 whole district is singularly rich and varied in its splendid fern and other vegetation. 



The islands of Batanta and Waigieu, though many miles farther apart than are Batanta and Salawatti, never- 

 theless appear to possess a fauna almost common to each ; while that of Salawatti does not furnish many of the forms 

 found on the other islands— although Batanta is only about 2 miles, at its nearest point from Salawatti, and 25 miles 

 from the nearest point of Waigieu. The sea which separates Batanta from Salawatti is deep ; but shallow between the 

 former and its more distant neighbour Waigieu. The geological reasons therefore for such unexpected zoological 

 differences in the islands are obvious. 



*No other Mountains in tropical Asia attain this limit. 



The Dutch established a settlement at Triton Bay, 



+The coast settlements of Dutch New Guinea, which are few. must however be very difficult for Europeans to live in. The Dutch establi 

 T on the south side of the island in 1828 ; but found it necessary to abandon it after seven years of trial. 



