The New York herald., 1875-12-30
NEW GUINEA.

DETAILS OF THE MAcLEAY EXPLORING ESPE-
D1r1oN-THE SOIL AND THE NATIVES MAN
NERs AND CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE.
from the Melbourne Herald November o.
Mr. Macleay, the leader OF the expedition that
started IN the Chevert, intending to explore New
Guinea, but which was broken up in consequence Of
internal disagreement, has given lengthy OF
the voyage to the sydney Morning Herald.
RESULTS OF THE JOURNEY.
He states that after five days unremitting work in
sounding and buoying the way through OF reefs
nearly twelve miles IN extent they dropped anchor
about 4 mile and half from the mouth OF Katow River
and village Of Mohatta. Next morning they vis-
tied by two canoes, with about twelve men in each
They on board with the utmost confidence, and
though they could only previously have vessels
OF small size they did Rot testify much surprise
Shortly aiterward the vessels company landed TO tho
number Of twenty-five, and received the vii
lage by The elder members of the tribe, seated in
a circle upon large piece of mating
VILLAGE
consisted Of seven houses, exactly OF the kind de-
scribed by Jukes in the voyage Of the Fly Each house
was ninety or 100 feet long. elevated about six feet
from the ground, and covered with thick thach The
ends were open, and on each side sleeping places
the inmates Each house would easily contain fifty
people, which would make the population of Malno
village $50. The houses built close TO the sea- and
are everywhere surrounded by mud filth, and stencil
THE PEOPLE
arc powerful and well made, jet black with straight
forehcads and Jewish noses, and without the project
ing jaws Of the Australian The hair is woolly but
grows in small tufts, which, when long, form close
compact rIngcts, and 1t is not uncommon thing for
people not only here but ut Warrior and Darney
Islands, to cut of their hair thus grown
into ringets and convert IL into wig for their
own use. The men have no clothing covering o.
kind. Some Of them arc marked, like the Austra
ians with scams the shoulders, and they all cm
the obos OF their into ancul shapes, and pierre
the rim all round and ornament II with colored wool
fibre. Tho women little Of, but enoughto
satisfy the visitors that they beauties Tley
duties OF the men being confined to fishing hunting
and lighting "A very scanty covering round the bins
Is their only clothing but they fond Of ornaments
Of cassowary feathers round the knees and ankles.
CHIEF WEAPONS
or these people bows and arrows OF very flrmi
dable description. The bows Of bamboo, vetv like
those used by English archers and strung in t same
way and the over four feet long, Ind can
be used effectively AT distance OF 40 yards
Like the woolly haired races OF FIJI and Tic New
Hebrides of which they probably a variety, these
people kaya. They are
GRRAT NAviGAToRs
and 90 long distances in their canoes, whc' arc of
great size and made from the excavatod trunks or
large coral trees (trythrnal. Their supply j animal
food is chiefly from the pigs, which are ve'y numer-
GUS both IN a wild and tame state sawno indica
ton among them Of cannibalism, though hghan skulls
were not an uncommon ornament in their housos.
the APPEARANCE OF TnE COUNTY
is the same everywhere From where tht ship lay the
coast line OF New Guinea could be seen, from Sabai
Island on the west to Bristow leland on nc cast dis
tance or thirty miles, and the uniformity was perfect
The same absolutely level mud fat without the
slightest apparent as far as the cte could reach,
and all densely covered with trees Of all nds and sizes
The following day SIR. haclcay attemRed the nayiga-
ton Of the river which, from 200 yans at s mouth,
narrowed to thirty yards, but at abot eight or nlno
miles distance IA wss compelled b return being