Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 7G3 
River to the new camp at Toupoue at the foot of the snow- 
mountains. 
In one of his last letters Mr. Goodfellow writes :— 
“ It may seem to you that so far we have progressed very 
little. In a sense this is true, but I must tell you that at 
home it is impossible to realize the impassable nature of the 
country and the difficulties which have to be overcome. This 
part of the coast was entirely unknown, but it was supposed 
that the mouth of the Mimika was the best place to land at, 
and that this river came from the highest snow-mountains. 
We now know that such is not the case. All the rivers on 
this part of the coast, though they come from an easterly 
Text-fig. 8. 
Outline Map of part of New Guinea coast near the Mimika River. 
direction, turn away to the west in the interior, so that the 
highest part of the snow-range lies far east of the head¬ 
waters of the Mimika. There is no doubt whatever that 
the Oetakwa River drains the water from the snows of 
Carstensz Peak. Looking at that mountain from the sea you 
would think that it lay directly behind the Mimika River ; 
but, as we now know* it is nearly fifty miles off along the 
base of the range, and there are many big rivers to be crossed 
before we get to it. 
SER. ix. —VOL. iv. 3 E 
