Evening star., 1901-08-10

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,
however, l am Indebted for my informa-
tion to the Rev. H. M. Dauncey, mis-
sionary of the Church Of England, who
has lived for ten years in New Guinea,
and who long before this letter Is publish
ed will be back at his home In the Brit
fsh part of that island 1 have been travel
ling for several weeks with Mr.. Dauncey,
and 1t is through him that l have secured
photographs of New Guinea and it's people
The Worlds Biggest Island.
New Guinea is by far the largest island
Of the globe. 1t exceeds Borneo by over
sixteen thousand square miles, and 1t is
bigger than any country Of Europe except
Russia 1t would make ten states as large
Indiana, 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 as from Boston to
Omaha, and at places Is as wide as from
Boston to Washington.
Look at 1T as 1t lies upon the map. It
is Just north Of Australia and right under
the equator, extending for ten degrees
south Of 1t. Its shape is that Of gigantic
bird squatting on Torres strait and the
Arafura sea, with its island-feathered tail
spread out on the Southern Pacific ocean,
and It's ragged head looking toward the
Philippines and Asia.
What an enormous country and how lit
tie known, 1t Is wilder than Africa and
less explored than any part Of South Amer
fca. Only the smallest part of 1t has ever
been trodden by white men. 1t has saw
ages of whom we know nothing and plants
and animals which are just beginning 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 are
% ha hnra nrn taiv ",
Dutch New Guinea supposed to be over
1900 feet high. They are covered with
snow all the year around and have never
been climbed. The height Of the Bismarck
mountains In the German possessions Is es-
timated 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.
British New Guinea.
Today I write especially Of British New
Guinea. This Is the southeastern portion
of the country. The Dutch own the most
land. They have the eastern half of the
island, including the head and upper part
OF the body Of the squatting bird. The
northern section Of the remainder belongs
to the Germans: the southern including the
tail TO the British.
The British possessions are altogether
about three times large the state of
Indiana, and they now have just about as
r'any people as Cincinnati, of whom only
$50 are Europeans. The colony consists OF
missionaries. planters gold miners, store
keeper or two and government officials. The
seat of government is at the little town OF
Port Moresby on the southern coast, Just
back OF an excellent harbor. Here there is
a government house, the store of Burns,
Philip & Co. a church and about $50 native
houses. The church is also used as school
room and Is attended by 100 native children
week days.
The government uses native policemen.
and II has a force of 124 native constables
by whom order Is kept.
A Valuable Colony.
Men who are posted tell me that New
Guinea will eventually be valuable pos
session. The governmen is very careful in
leasing or selling the lands. Only short
time ago 1t refused to sell 10000 acres to
the British New Guinea syndicate at 90
cents per acre, notwithst anding the syndi-
cate offered to develop the property. It Is
now having numerous applications for
tracts of D06 acres and upwards, and
among others Mr.. Burns of Burns Philip &
Co. has offered TO invest 100000 IL he can
have 100000 acres of land for his company
No land is being leased or sold without the
proviso that II be developed and without
continued development the title does not
pass. The government is setting out cocoa
nut groves and rubber plantations, and
there is no doubt that the colony will even
tually be self-supporting. At present its
expenditures are about $4,000 year and
its revenues about $4,000. The revenues
are derived -ntirely from customs duties,
and the smallness of both expenditures and
revenues shows that the colony is still In
its infancy.
There is no doubt that there is gold in
New Guinea, but the mountainous parts
Of the country have not been touched or
prospected, and the quartz possibilities are
unknown. The most Of the mining, so far
has been on some Of the islands about the
coast, and especially on Sudest Island In
the Loufsade archipelago at the tail Of the
: bird, where considerable placer mining Is
done. Some gold has been found on Wood
lark Island. and quartz deposits exist along
the Fly river.
There is considerable pearl fishing about