38 Neio Guinea. 



the flattest and most slugglisli part of their course. Any craft 

 then, that can get across the mudflats off" their mouths, need 

 never fear the being unable to find water enough for many miles 

 above them. No doubt some channels aa'IU be much more shoal 

 than others, but a small light steamer, drawing about six feet of 

 water, might probably penetrate for a couple of hundred miles, 

 over into the very heart of the country. We had no means 

 of judging which would be the best channel to take, except 

 that the large southern arm (in lat. 8° 45') which Captain 

 Blackwood first visited, seemed both the largest and to have the 

 deepest water at its mouth. I know of no part in the world, the 

 exploration of which is so flattering to the imagination, so likely 

 to be fruitful in interesting results, whether to the Naturalist, 

 the Ethnologist, or the Greographer, and, altogether so well cal- 

 culated to gratify the curiosity of an adventurous explorer as the 

 interior of New Gruinea. New G-uinea ! The very mention of 

 being taken into the interior of NeAv Guinea sounds like being 

 allowed to visit some of the enchanted regions of the Arabian 

 Nights, so dim an atmosphere of obscurity rests at present on 

 tlie wonders it probably contains." — Narrative of the Surveying 

 Voyage of H. M. S. FI//, commanded by Captain F. P. Blackwood, 

 H. N., in Torres Straits, New Guinea, and other Islands of the 

 Eastern Archipelago, during the years, 1842 — 18i6. By J. Beete 

 Jukes, M.A., F.G.S., Naturalist to the Expedition. Yol I., pages 

 2S9, 291. 



Captain Blackwood ascended the great river which he had dis- 

 covered on the south-east of New Guinea, and which he named 

 the Aird, from one of his officers, for about 20 miles. It was 

 about two miles broad at that point, and there were numerous 

 Ullages and a comparatively numerous population on its banks. 

 Every attempt, however, that was made to conciliate, and to 

 hold a parley with the natives, proved unsuccessful, and their 

 persistent efforts to overpower the Expedition by means of 

 arrows shot from their large and numerously manned canoes, 

 rendered it necessary, in the estimation of Captain Blackwood, to 

 resort to force for the defence of his party. In this collision, 

 several of the natives were unfortunately killed, and one of their 

 villages being taken, Captain Blackwood and his party went 

 ashore, to examine the place, and in particular a very large 

 building, which seemed to be the habitation of the entire com- 

 munity, and which Mr. Jukes described as follows : — " The house,, 

 or whatever it might be called, was raised from the muddy ground 

 about .-^ix feet, resting on a number of posts, placed irregularly 

 underneath it, most of which seemed to be stumps of trees, cut 

 off at that height, and left standing. The floor raised upon these 

 seemed to consist of poles fastened across a framework, on which 



