The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-14
A NEW CONTINENT.

From the New York Post
II the American tleet invades the Corea,
and il the report Is true that the British
have bought out the claims of the Dutch
upon New Guinea, the last remaining
tracts Of srTa DIcCg8ita viii presently be
explored and opened to commerce; and
our planet will thencelorth he tame and
uninteresting object to adventurous
travellers and healthy boys, s7-r
The COrea Is known TO us through the
reports Of Chinese and Japanese travel
ers; the Astor Library contains several
accounts Of the country and It's luhabi'
tants; and 1t d certain that neither In race
nor civilization do the COrGans differ
greatly from their neighbOrs the Chinese.
But OF New Guinea less Is known to the
civilized part of mankind than of the In.
terror OF Africa. No white man has ever,
so far as Is known, penetrated even fly
miles from the coast, on the island, which
has yet about twice the area Of England,
scotland, and Ireland. Indeed II Is prob.
ably the largest island In the world; and
though It's climate is believed TO be ex.
iremely moist and very different from
that Of Australia, II may, in the hands of
the English, become in time u new en-.
pire, like Australia, ..5 ID .....-
In is physical form New Guinea seems
somewhat 10 resemble New Zealand, he.
ing divided by deep gulB into three large
pennsulas. il has range of snOw.Cad
mountains, visible from both the north
and south coasts, and believed by geo.
graphers u be not less than twenty thou.
sand feet high, which Is q good deal
higher than any of the Rocky, Mountain
peaks. With slCh Q mountain range, il
las probably considerable rivers, and In.
deed the Dutch, who have long carried on
An nCOnsideraole trade with some parts
Of the coast, report the mouth oil one
river to be three quarters of mile wide.
The coast, so far as II has been visited, Is
tlickly tlmbered. '-..
The people Of the Coast.line are divided
into petty tribes, who live at war with
each other, and cannot understand each
others tongues Some ofthem, Mr.. Wal.
lace reports, have neatly built houses and
cultivate small fields, OF the inhabitants
orthe vast interior little, or indeed moth.
Ing, Is certainly known. The Dutch re.
port that some of the coast tribes are say.
ages with whom they fOundlt, impossible
10 hold intercourse, every attempt being
fGrCely repused. Mr.. Wallace reports
the PGpuans, as the natives Of New Gui-
nea are called, 10 be distinct race from
the Malays. They are as tall as Euro
pCans, Of II dark.brOwn color and with
lrizzly hair growing in little knots over
their heads and faces. They have well.
shaped and large noses; q long face; the
mouth Is large and the lips prominent; In
manner they are impulsive and demon
strative, thus resembling more tho negro
than the Malay, who is reserved; and Mr..
Wallace credits them with much more
vital energy than the Malays! Whether
tue inhabitants Of the interior of the great
island are Of the same race and possess the
same characteristics as those Of the coast
remains 10 bU seen.
so far rs Is known, New Guinea pos.
seSses neither horses nor cattle. 1t has
five species Of kangarOOs; CrOCOdiles were
aeen on the mud banks, which line h con.
siderable part Of the known coast line, by
The Dutch navigator KOlti; and II has II
peculiar native pig. But II Is the home
III tue splendid bird Of paradise; and
Wallace says, speaking only from his
visit toa small part Of the coaBt, that It's
birds are "more numerous, more beauti-
lul, and afford more new, curious and ele.
giant forms than those of any other island
IN the globe" a'' ..hI|
New Guinea also produces the true
nutmeg; and the Malays get from there
tortoise shell, trcpang, pearls and edible
birds nests, sending fleets Of their pra.
hOos every year 10 tho coast To trade for
tbese objects. lEL7I'
This Is all that Is certainly known Of
an island which contains two hundred
thousand square miles, and Is one thou.
sand four hundred miles In length from
east TO west. II Is to be hoped that the
English will-if they have really bought
out the DutCh--send out scientific expe.
dition, properly fitted and armed TO
make an exploration Of thtElnterior. II
is curious and bewildering thought, that
in this vast iinexplored region We may yet
find living the great bird which became
extinct In New Zealand since that island
became known to Europeans; or that some
animal hitherto unknown TO civilized men
may be found In It's wildernesses; or that
even some new race of men may inllabit
there. What new products, or what
greater abundance Of those now scarce,
may he discovered by enterprising ex.
plOrers, remains To be seen; but doubtless
The timber Of New Guinea alone, which
all accounts describe as Of remarkably fine
growth, will be oi great value to Australia.
The first account of the snowy range Of
New Guinea, and Of the curious or novel
phases which nature may there take on,
will be looked for with great interest, not
only by geographcrs hut by all intelligent
people; aud Commerce, hitherto debar.
red IRON the island, will shortly, no doubt.
turn her eyes CurOusly towards the mys.
terious interior, which not even the Ma.
lays have ever penetrated, and where
NAV lie hidden, for aught any one knows,
siore Of precious metals as rich as that
"a rt.itf. ~ IA nv AttaINatta IH " ..f