BRITISH TRADE PROSPECTS 
pectors at work in the interior of the islands with 
a view to increasing the supply. To my own know- 
ledge efforts are being made to extend this trade, by 
several Europeans, east and west of Hall Sound, but 
there is plenty of room for others without in any way 
damaging the prosperity of the industry. 
New Guinea is favourable to the production of 
coffee, although the plant is not indigenous to the 
island. A fine quality is grown at Wariratti. The 
plantations are flourishing, but here again the enter- 
prise is still young. The trade is so new that the 
experimental stage is hardly passed. It cannot be 
doubted that Australia offers a vast and lucrative 
market to the future coffee grower of New Guinea. 
Cocoa and chillies thrive in the Mekeo region, and 
this district is also very rich in fruit. The Govern- 
ment at Port Moresby often sends down a sailing vessel 
to bring back large consignments of fruit for the con- 
victs in Port Moresby jail. The fruit-farmer might 
find in the Mekeo region a richer California. 
In about the same condition as the coffee is the 
rubber trade. ‘Trees are found throughout the pos- 
session, and the natives have some understanding of 
the method of collecting the sap. Their operations 
are, however, very crude and rough. I question 
whether the New Guinea rubber would ever rival 
in excellence the South American variety (hevea 
Brazliensis), which is undoubtedly the finest in the 
market, although Ceylon is just commencing to send 
rubber which may run it hard. 
To the stock-raiser New Guinea offers a tempting 
field. At the Mission of the Sacred Heart on Yule 
339 
