NEW GUINEA AND THE PAPUANS 
421 
so little elevated that the foreshore left exposed at low 
tide is as much as 10 miles in width. From here to the 
Fly Eiver the country is very sparsely inhabited, owing 
chiefly to the ravages of the Tugere tribe, a cannibal 
people of nomad, raiding habits, who have their head¬ 
quarters in the neighbourhood of Prince Frederick 
Henry Island. The Fly has an enormous embouchure in 
about 8° 30 7 S. lat., with Kiwai Island in its centre. 
This island is about 36 miles long, and has a population 
of quite 5000, the people being well disposed, living by 
fishing and agriculture. In this district the large houses 
characteristic of New Guinea are especially noticeable, 
many being 500 feet or more in length, and accommo¬ 
dating some hundreds of people. 
The Fly Eiver was first ascended in 1876 by Signor 
d’Albertis, who explored it for a distance of over 500 
miles, and it has since been visited and charted by 
several English travellers. Sir William Macgregor 
reached in 1891 a point 605 miles distant from the 
mouth, beyond which it was impossible for his boats to 
proceed. It was found that the tidal influence extended 
to a distance of 150 miles from the sea. Here the river 
was 600 yards in width and 40 feet in depth, and was 
estimated to send down 180,000,000,000 gallons of 
water in the 24 hours, or enough to supply 120 gallons 
per diem to the entire population of the globe. In 
lat. 7° 30' S., that is to say, at about the middle point of 
its course, the Fly receives its largest affluent, the Strick¬ 
land, which was explored nearly to its source in 1885 
by Captain Everill. The next tributary met in ascend¬ 
ing is the Alice, 460 miles from the mouth. Between 
the junction of these two rivers the course of the Fly 
forms for some distance the British boundary. Its sources 
were found, as far as could be judged, to be in the 
