Nevo Guinea. 43 



Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., in H.M.S. Rattlesnake. Captain 

 Stanley took up the work at Cape Possession, on the east side 

 of the Great Bight, where it had been discontinued by Captain 

 Blackwood, and added, including the previous discoveries of 

 Captain Edwards, an extent of about 240 miles to our knowledge 

 of that coast ; his own sickness and death before the completion 

 of his voyage imparted an additional and melancholy interest, 

 to his valuable labours. This portion of the coast of New Guinea 

 is remarkably different from that surveyed by Captain Black- 

 wood ; for whereas the line of coast surveyed by that officer is 

 low, swampy, and covered with dense forests, the whole coast 

 line surveyed by Captain Stanley is backed up, at a distance 

 of from twenty to fifty miles inland, by a noble range of lofty 

 mountains, that give rise to numerous streams, some of which 

 are known to pour down immense volumes of water into the 

 sea. 



Of the mountains along this line of coast, the following are 

 those of greatest elevation : — 



Mount Tule, 10,046 feet above the level of the sea. 



Mount Owen Stanley, 13,205 feet 



Mount Obree, 10,246 feet 



Mount Suckling, 11,226 feet „ 



Mount Brown, 7,947 feet 

 besides various others of lesser elevation. 



In short, there is no country on the face of the earth more 

 admirably fitted for settlement and colonization, or that holds out 

 a higher promise for the future adventurer in that heroic work than 

 the south-east coast of New Guinea. 1 should not recommend 

 the formation of a settlement on any part of the low line of coast 

 surveyed by Captain Blackwood, as it is not likely, from its 

 physical character, to be salubrious for European life ; but the 

 more elevated coast-line surveyed by Captain Stanley, backed up 

 as it is by the lofty mountain of the Owen Stanley Eange, affords 

 the highest promise for successful colonization, on the part of 

 adventurers of our own Anglo Saxon race, matured and improved, 

 as they would unquestionably be for such a purpose, by Colonial 

 experience. I should desiderate indeed, above all things in the 

 department of geographical discovery, the fitting out of one or 

 two small steamers to ascend the river which Captain Blackwood 

 discovered in the Great Bight, to the head of its navigation ; 

 but I should not like to recommend a settlement for British 

 colonists, on any part of that coast. The coast-line of the Oweu 

 Stanley survey, is unquestionably the proper field for British 

 colonization in New Guinea; and it will be a great re- 

 proach to our coiintry if it shall not be occupied for that 

 purpose soon. For it is not to be supposed, in the present 

 condition of the great maritime nations of Europe and America, 



