The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-03
CHEAP CRUISES
CONTINUED from Page Five.)


the student of racial differences. They
are but a pleasant holiday run at
trifiing cost from Sydney. and should
be within as easy reach of Hawaii, and
probably will be before very long.
The cruise to the low-lying line is
lands, scarce six feet above the tide
may be made from Villa or Sydney di-
rect, it is in the two dollar and a half
per day itinerary, and in these groups
the tourist finds himself nearer Homo
lulu than Sydney.
The monthly cruising steamers to New
Guinea and the Solomon islands leave
Sydney on a Tuesday, and arrive as
regularly as clockwork at all the stops
during the forty-four days of the
cruise. All the Australian coastal
towns are visited en- route-the sea
voyages between ports being made
usually by night. On a Saturday. al
ways, the Moresby or the Makambo
leave Cooktown for British New
Guinea. This marks the beginning of
the cannibal island cruise, and is a
complete breakaway from all commu-
nication with Australia.
As the Australians tell it-British
New Guinea-now known as Papua,
since it has come under the con-
troll Of the commemorative ex-
tremely interesting from whichever
point of view it is considered. Not SO
many years ago it was terra in
cognita" to the great mass of Austria
lians, only vaguely understood to be a
place inhabited by fuzzy-headed saw
ages. crocodi1es, and Birds of Paradise,
but since the Commonwealth has as
summed control it has been prominently
before the public, who are beginning to
understand sthe vast possibilities of
their newly acquired possession. AL
ready, under the vigorous new system
of control, development is being foster
ed and several enterprising companies
are taking up areas of land for the
cultivation of rubber, copra, and other
tropical products. Based as these in
dustries are upon a more permanent
and solid foundation than the gold
which previously formed the
mainstay of New Guinea, there is ev-
cry indication of an extended growth
of population and consequent increase
In value of the territory to Australia.
Port Moresby, the first port of call
on the New Guinea Coast, and also the
seat Of government, is reached on Mon
day. Approaching by a narrow pas
sage through the encircling Barrier
Reef, the ship anchors off the township
in a beautiful bay. If the traveller is
wise he will make direct for the ma
tive villages on the opposite side of the
bay, easily reached either by road or
by water. The merry, fuzzy haired,
Papuan may here be
observed amongst his native surround
ngs. A visit to the L. M. S. station
above the village may be included in
the days enjoyment. Leaving Port
on Tuesday, run of about
$50 miles along the coastal reef termi-
mates at Samarai, the commercial CEN
ter of the possession. The township
itself, which is situated on a small is
land of perhaps half a mile in length,
is most interesting as a specimen of
4 thriving tropical settlement; but the
tourist will find the greatest attraction
in a visit to the neighboring islands of
Sariba and Rogea, where he may rove
the native villages, picking up
curios, or working with camera and
sketch book to his hearts content
Leaving Samarai on Friday, a call is
made at Woodlark Island, the mining
center of Papua, and the Shorthand Is
lands "a subsidiary group of the Solo
mons) are reached on the following
Tuesday or Wednesday This marks
the commencement of a cruise of
twelve or fourteen days from island to
island in the, as yet, absolutely bar
barrie Solomons. Each day and each
island provides. something new and in
teresting. There are no sign boards to
mark the beauty spots, no trained
guides or tourist bureau to direct the
travellers steps along a beaten track.
At each anchorage, while the steamer
is loading her island produce, he just
amongst the native villages.
for 'curios, or swapping with
his kodak the endless variety of pretty
scenes that surround him everywhere.
At many of the islands the steamer
winds its way through a veritable
labyrinth OF reefs and coral islets to
reach its anchorage. On fine day the
intensely Iuxuriant foliage forms
dark contrast to the various shades of
green on the reef broken waters, most
to the eye. AS the steamer
drops her anchor, however, attention is
arrested by the canoes shooting out
from one or other of the many sur
native villages. The occu-
pants of the canoes present a remark
able sight to the>newcomer. Mostly
naked to the waist, they bend 1.-the
some to the paddle, shooting their light
craft along with graceful ease, their
dark bodies. often surmounted by a
thatch of unkempt hair, dyed gIaring