The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-08-11

special Correspondents Of The Sunday Republic
Thursday Island Torres Strait. June a.
Some of the most Interesting colonial exper-
iments OF the day are taking place In New
Guinea, the great island which lies en- the
other side OF the Strait. In which this letter
n dated. The island has been divided VI
among the British. the Dutch and the Ger
mans. and each nation Is now establish
ing Its settlements upon 1t and sending cut
exploring expeditions to investigate its ma
tarfal and scientific resources. Within the
past year the North German Lloyd Steam
ship Company has been making New Guinea
enc OF its regular ports Of call. A big syn
aicate called the German New Guinea
Company. has been formed to develop that
part Of b island and plantations Of cot
ton. tobacco q rubber are being set out
The company has already three steamers
aud . number Of sailing vessels engaged in
fts trade, and 1t Is ~endeavoring to build UP
. little Germany away down here in the
South Pacific Ocean. The Dutch are gov
srntnG their territory through the Sultan
and the native chiefs Just as they rule the
rest Of the Dutch East Indies. and the
British are managing their property on the
same lines that they observe In their colo
nies the world over.
The Worlds Biggest Island.
0SAOLC i ocSCElDo WuAt u ptluB QOu6 u
British New Guinea, I want to tell you
something about the whole island. I have
learned much concerning It at the capitals
Of the Australian States. and here at
Thursday Island. where there are many
New Guinea natives. More especially. how
ever. am / indebted for my Information to
the Reverend q. n. Dauncey. . missionary
Of the Church Of England. who has lived
for ten years in New Guinea. and who long
before this letter Is published will be back
At his home in the British part of that is
land I have been travelling for several
weeks with Mr.. Darncsy. and 1t IL through
him that I have secured photographs Of
New Guinea and it, people.
New Guinea IL by far the largest island
Of the globe II exceeds Borneo by over
$500 square miles, and It is bigger than
any country of Europe except Russia. 1t
would make ten States as large as indian
six States the size OF New York and more
than thirty-seven as big as Massachusetts,
From one end OF 1t to the other 1t is as
long IS from Boston to Omaha and at
places Is as wide as from Boston to Wash
ington.
Look At It as It lies upon the map. II
10 Just north OF Australia and right under
'<xhe equator. extending for ten degrees
8outn Oh u ttb shape Is tndt OF . gigantic
bird squatting on Torres Strait. and the
Arafura Sea. with Its island-feathered tail
spread out on the Southern Pacific Ocean.
and its ragged head looking toward the
Philippines and Asia
What an enormous country, and now 1T
tie known! 1t Is wilder than Africa and
less explored than any part Of South
America. Only the smallest part of 1t has
ever been trodden by white men. II has
savages OF whom We know nothing, and
plants and animals which are Just begin
hing to be pictured in the scientific Journals
1t Is a land Of high mountains and low
miasmatic plains. The tallest peaks be-
tween the Himalayas and the Andes ere
to be found IN II. There are mountains in
Dutch New Guinea supposed to be over H.
900 feet high. They are covered with snow
all the year around. and have never been
climbed. The height Of the Bismarck Noun
tains in the German possessions 10 esti-
mated at 1900 feet. and in British New
Guinea the Owen Stanley range has several
peaks Of over 1900 feet. Each colony has
one great river, the British having the
Fly. which might be called the Mississippi
Of the country.
nrstish New Guinea.
To-day / write especially OF british New
Guinea. This IL the southeastern portion
Of the country. The Dutch own the most
land. They have the eastern half Of the
Island, including the head md ypper part