The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-19
PAPuA. OR NEW GUINEA


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Nnv stations OF the Paeino
yss , roductions, Commsrcis' -
80 Advantages as n whaling ana iis"s
station FOR American Vsssen' .,.a hv
49,. 10 mated at thsInfrasoa y
Torres strait from the northern extremity OF AusuA
Ea-by the strait of Gallo~a from the sns siaua u
Saluabty, which lies further west, aud bJ pAmpiera
strait from New Britain, which Is 10 ths sass VI I've
II extends from 10 degrees south iantude nearly W
the EQUATOR Cape Rodney, the most southern poan',
Ia in 10 deg min. south latitude, an& the most
nortbern point Cape Good Hope, Is in deg. 10 min.
.outb latitude From west to east Is extends DO
tween 100 deg. and 81 deg. IL min. east longitude.
The most northern point, Cape Salu, on Gallowa
strait, is in 1872 deg min. east longitude. The
length from southeast TO northwest Il about 1900
miles, and its width varies bet ~een 500 and ls miles,
Between 1856 deg. and 1873 deg. east longitude,
Geilwink, or Great Bay, penetrates two hundred
miles southwark into the body of the island, aud IL
about two hundred miles wide at its entrance, in
which some Islands Of considerable extent are stu
ated. The southern extremity Of this bay is sepa-
rated from the Molucca Sea by an isthmus Of only
eighteen miles width That part of the island viii sh
Is west Of this isthnus is indented by several deep
inlets, the largest Of which is McCleuIes Bay, up
wards Of one hundred miles long.
Rhe Arabs, In their early voyages, appear to have
frequently visited Papua aud describe the natives,
in the most fiightful coora, as cannbals They are
mentioned by the Arab travellers Ibu Wahab and
Ibu Zad and nesrly the same accounts seem to be
repeated by Masoudi. Yakuti, and Ibu ell Wardl
1t was probably as well koown to the Arab nsvl.
gators of the tenth century rs IL Ia to the European
traders Of the present day.
d., nffnV I..fa Tim GaI fNr
phical exploration and commercial enterprise. 1t is
inhabited by two distsct races OF people, the Pc
pusns and the Horogoros, who subsist upon the
spontaneous productions Of the earth and by fish
ing. The interior has never been explored. There
is an extensive range of lofty mountains, covered
win primitive forests, visible from the southwest
coast, called the Owen Stanley Range, the highest
peak Of which is alb nut l3 205 feet high.
1t has several LARGE sy 81 miles into the
TIE largest yet discovered is five mile, wide
at its embouehure into the Pacific III latitude A.
south, and l43 So east longitude.
The island abounds III many valuable commercial
products, among which arr tie ollowiug:--Anber,
ambergrs, trpaDy edible I'd nests, tortoise shell,
pearls, pearl shell, mother o. pearl, black loories,
large and red oories argss pheasa4ts birds OF para
disc and many other kinds OF birds, which the Pa.
puans have peculiar say of preparing; wild mat
megs, rose maoes, ebony, iron wood, various odo.-
ferrous, medicinal, aud dyeSo0ds, camphOr, sago
cocoanut, palm oil, gold aust. and diamonds One
Of the most important articles OF export is massey
bark, which Is taken by the Dutch traders to Java
where the powder made Of il is enslvely used by
the Javanese for fubb pg the body and fetchss $50
per picul OF l33t pounds. Tie Dusch, Chiness
Buis, and natives OF the Dcshb ring Islands of Co
ram, Goram, and the ArIu group, arc the principal
traders with Papua. This commerce. is represented
to be very extensive and profitable. The Chinese
have found the trade with Papus so lucrative that
they are doing all they Can ~ monopolize It; ard
with this vie take every occasion to prejudice the
natives against all other foreigners which will &C
for Tho hna fhuv hay tN
tae English and Americans who have attempted to
open intercourse and trade with them Oae of the
principal articles Of commerce with Papus consists
In slaves. which are taken on board by the Chinese
and sold at Borneo and the adj AGENT islands Of the
Indian Archipelago at great profit. To obtain
these slaves the Caincse traders stimulate the Pa
puan tribes to war With each other, ~ Is done for
the same purpose In Africa. A this traffic is repre-
sented to be very considerable the Western nations
and especially the United States, as much bound
to put down slavery In the East in the West, and
open up legitimate trade with this immense, popu.
lous, and fertile island.
One OF the principal objects Of the arn. H. Sooloo
and other pratica tribes in their forays the north
ern and southeastern coasts OF Borneo is to procure
aaves for sale at other ports, on which they realize
enormous profits; and until those tribes subdued
or exterminatsd the commerce Of the Archipelago
must langush and be proportionably checked.
No European nation except the Dutch has any COM
mercial intercourse with the island. In 1925 Capt
Steenboom, OF the Dutch vessel-of war Triton accom-
panied by the brig Iris explored and took possession
OF the west coast, which is estimated to contain q
population Of two millions. In about deg. so min.
south latitude they observed maest, chain Of lofty
mountains, running from east 10 west, at great dis
lance in the interior, several Of the most elevated
summits of which we're Of dazzling wheress, and
appeared to be above the limits Of perpetual snow,
which in those ATTITUDES would give them elevation
of from Is 900 to 20 900 feet. They discovered and
named Tritons Bay, in latitude 3deg. As min SOUTH
and longitude 134 deg. Is min. east. 1t Is a very
large bay, surrounded by lofty and picturesque hills,
the highest OF which, Mount Lamautsjeri, is about
2, 500 feet high.
On the oath August, 1928, Fort Du Bus, on Tri.
toms Bay, was opened with much ceremony by Lieu
tenant Modera and the officers Of the Triton, and
possession taken, in the name Of the King Of the
Netherlands, Of the entire west coast and part Of
the north and south coasts, in presence Of many
native chiefs, who swore allegiance to the Dutch
government.
The expedition remained in the bay taree months
and after losing twenty from the effects Of the
climate with sixty on the sick list, including Captain
Steenbo0m, WAS compelled to return 10 AmbOyns,
where the captain shortly after died
They collected much valuable information respect
ing the geography, ethnography, natural history,
and ny biography OF that part OF the island. Among
the animals which they discovered aud described
were various species OF kanssroo one OF which lives
on trees, the wild boar and one hundred and nine
teen kinds OF birds.
In consequence Of the insalubrity OF the climate
the Dutch were compelled to with draw their troops
from Fort Du Bus, in 1885, with the intention OF
y
coast.
The promontory Of Cape valsche, In deg. p
min. south latitude, and Longitude 1877 deg 40 min
east, was considered part OF Papua till April, 1885,
when Lieutenants X DOL and Bause, Of the Dutch
Navy, discovered the strait separating 1t from the
In about deg. 80 min. south latitude,
which they named Princess Marianne Strait, and the
island Prince Frederick Henry. The island, about
eighty miles broad is low and covered with trees.
The strait is narrow, wi ii q strong current.
The Dutch appear TO have an incontestabe claim
to that part Of Papua which is situated between 14l
degrees east longitude the southern coast, and
thence westerly north .es'ery and northery as far
as the Cape of Coed Hope situated on the nosthern
coast Since the first discovery OF the island they
have asserted their supremacy over the greater part
Of the northwest coast as being subject to their
vassal the Sultan OF Tdore, to whom the natives &C
knowledge thor allegiance and regularly pay tri.
butte.
NJ. D'Uvile, the celebrated French circumnayi
gator explored this coast in 1882 aud the count
OF his last voyage speaks OF great mountain, re-
markable for lis conical form, not far from Cape
Buro in latitude degrees SOUTH and longitude lbs
II crees He cOnsdera IL In eycalent mint of