1897.

VICTORIA.

ANNUAL RJ~PORT

ON

BRITISH NEW GUINEA, FUO.Y

lsrr JULY, 1895, TO 30:rn JUNE, 1896;

WITH

APPENDICES.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF P.ARLJ:.Al;IENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY'S CO:m.t:.AND.

No. 20,-4240.

1 '

L 2.

4. 5.

6.

7. 8. !J.

10. 11. 12. 13. H.

15. 16. 17. 18.

HI. ::!0. 9.::,.. t2. 2:l.

2[). 30. 31. 3::l. ;3;}.

34. . ,. o)i),

38.

ANNUAL REPOH'l', 1895-96.

INDEX.

Subject.

Preliminary

LEGISLATION. Ordinance No. I. of Ul9ii makes Appropriations for Services o£ year 1805-96 Ordinance No. I. o£ 1896, Ordinance No. If. of 1896, and Ordinance No. III. of 1896 make

certain Supplementary Appropriations for Adjustment of past E.x:penditure ... ... . .. Native Regulation No. 2 o£ 1895 passed to prevent Obstruction of Water Channels by fallen

Timber Nati>e Regulation No. ;l o£ 1895 provicles for keeping Roads or Paths open Regulation No. 4 of 1895 seeks to ensure Preservation o£ India-rubber Plants

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. Additions to J udieial Establishment during year ; Particulars of Matters dealt ltiLh J uJicially

and General Hemarks thereon ...

REPORTS OF OFFICEHS. Report of Resident Magistrate for Western Division J~eport of Resident ::\1agistrate for Eastern Division Rt>port of CommanJant of Armed Constabulary ... Report of Go,·ernment Agent for North-East Coast Report of Government Agent for ::Yfckeo District He port of Go1·ernment Agent for l1igo District ... Report of Ut>sident Magistrate for Central Division

I Report of Head Gaoler .. . . . . .. . . ..

ADMINISTRA'riVE VISITS OF INSPECTION. Vi8it of Inspection to Rigo District. nncl to ~Eastern Division ... Visit to Dobu, Duau, and Fergusson IslauJs . . . ... . .. Visit to Murawawa Bay and Chad's Bay ... E.x:pcdition to Mambarc Hinr to effect Capture of .Murderers implicated in Murder of Mr.

Georgc Clark . .. .. . . . . . . . . .. Tour of Inspection of l\Iusa RiYI'r ... Ex:pedition undertaken to e±Iect Ascent of Knmusi River Visit of Inspection of J,ouisiade District ... Visit of I nspedion to Inland Pol"tion of l{igo Dish·id Vi~it of Inspection to \Vestern Division Further regarding Visit to Western DiYision Visit of Inspection to Ua.mbare River District Expedition undertaken to lte]Jcl Tugeri Invaders :Measures necessary for proper Repression of Tug cri Visit of Inspection to Mekeo District ... . ..

MISSIONS. Advances made in Mission Work generally during year; Efforts made by \-Vesleyan Mission \York of London Missionary Society ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . .. Progress made by Sacred Heart Mission ... Anglican ].fission ... .. . . . . .. . .. .. . .. Means sugge~ted for Enforcing AttenJance of Scl10lars; Failure of Missions to Extend Stations

Inland; Assistance rcnJered by Missions in cflecling Settlement of Country

GENERAL KATIYE WORK. Progress made during year in Settlement of Natives Remarks on Totemism . . . . . . . . . . ..

X i\.1'IYE I> IAL ECTS. Vocabulary of \V ords obtained from Natives of M us a and ;\if oni :RiYcrs; M am bare Y ocabulary;

Dungcrwab and llangu Dialects ...

PUBLIC WORKS. H.emarks on Works. carried out during year

TRADE. 39. Imports and Exports ... 40. Shipping 41. Postal ...

FINANCE. 42, Revenue '.L:l. Expenditure ... 44. S.S. ·• M errie England"

ESTABLISH.MBNTS. 45. Changes made in Personnel during year ... ... I

Page.

v.

Y,

Y.

V.

y,

Yl.

Yi.

XI.

xi. xii. xii.

xiii. xiii. Xlll.

xiii.

Xlll,

xiv. xiv.

X\',

XVI.

xvii. xvii.

XVlll.

xviii. XIX. xxi. XXl.

xxii. xxu.

xxiii. xxiv. XXV.

xxvi.

XXVI.

xxvii. xxviii.

xxix:.

xxix.

XXX.

xxxi. xxxi.

xxxii. xxxii. xxxii •

nxii.

iv. INDEX.

Section. Subject.

LANDS. 46. Progress in Land Settlement by Europeans

METEOIWLOGY. 117. Remarks on Climatic Conditions

SCIEI'\TIPIC HEPOirrc. 48. Notice by Mr. De Vis on additions to ColleeLions in Queensland l\iuHeum 49. Notes by the late Baron V on Muellcr on Botanical Collections

GENERAL. 50. Arrival from Kaiser Wilhelms-land of Remains of Herr Elders' Expedition 51. Assist'l.uce rendered by Government of {l,ueensland

A. B. c. D.

E. P. G. H. I. .r. K. L.

j\1[. N. 0. P. Q. R. s. T. u. Y. w. X. Y. z.

AA. BB.

APPENDICES Despatch reporting Visit of Inspection to Daru, Rigo, &c. Despatch reporting Visit to Dobu and Duau Islands Despatch re11orting Visit to Murawa1m Bay and Bnunia Bay Despatch reporting Result of Expedition to Mambarc Hiver to Capture Nati>es implicated

Murder of Georgc Clark .. . . . .. . ... .. . .. . Despatch reporting Expedition undertaken to effect. Ascent of .i\fusa River Desp Itch reporting Asf'ent or Knmmi l~iver .. . .. . ... .. . . .. . .. Despatch reporting Visit of fnspcction to the Lonisiacles anclueighbouring Gro~lps Despatch reporting Yisit of Inspection to the lulllncl Portion of the Ri!!o DistrlCt Despatch reporting Visit ot InspceliOJJ to the \Yestern Di.-ision of the Possc.<sion Despatch reportin;.: Vi~it of Inspection to the l\lamlmrc l~i>er District and otht>r places Despatch reporting Expedition undertah·n 1o l'<'j'l'l Tngeri Invaders .. . De,patch reporting Visit of Inspection to the i\lPkeo District ... ... ... . . Despatch ~nbmitting Estimates of Expenditure for the Year ending :30th June, lSIJ6 Report of the Resident Magistrate for tLe IV c:;tcrn Division Report of the Resident Magistrate for tl1c Eastern Division Report of the Commamlant of Armell Constabulary RPporL of the Government Agent for the North-East Const Report of the Government Agent fm· the lVIckeo District Report of the Governmc11t Agent for the Hii-(O District ... Report of the Residtnt Magistrate for the Central Dirision ... ... ... . . Description lJ_y :\lr. J. B. Carneron of a B11rial at Kopuana Village, Kabadi Distrid Report by Mr. C. Kowalu of a Visit to the Villages situated in the Mount Yule Rauges i\1etcorologicall~cturns (Port ;\Jorcsby and Darn) ... ... ... .. . . .. N ole by Mr. C. W. De Vis, i\1. A , on reecnt Colleclions Note by the late Baron Sir Pcrdinuncl Y on .l\Iueller on Botanical Collections J m)'orts, Exports, .Navigation, an<l PostHl ... Revenue and Expenditure-Certificate of Audit ... N ativc Dial<'cts-

Aboriginal Vocabulary of l\Iusa .LU1·er Distric-t Vocabulary of Words Spoken by .:\' nti1·cs of Mamba re lEver District Duugerwab 'f>i (1\r a si) and Bangn (:\Iorch<'acl) Dialects

l'age.

XXXlll.

XXX Ill.

xxxiii. XXXlll.

XXXIV.

XXXV.

1 :1 6

Ill

]~

22 2H :30 :~3

:~R ,1\)

5~ 5ti 62 ()6 70 72 75 77 HO 8:~

86 R7 !)()

H1 n2 n:~

--·I "''iot " ,.

ltH 103 106

BRITISli NEW~ Gl lNgA~

] -' ----.::::.-, -I=> 0 R T - \_· _j_1~ - - •

British New Guinea, 18th Janual'y, 1897 . .

M:Y LoRn,-1 have the honour to submit the usual Annual lteport for the year ending ·with the ~Oth June, 1893, a.;; follows:-

LEGISLATION.

Only Ordinances of a formal chm·acter were passed during the year.

1. ORDINANCE No. I. of 1895 is the Appropriation Ordinance for 1895-96. This measure was passed to appropriate for the set·vices of the financial year the following sums :-For ordinary administrative purposes, the sum of £15,000 ; for establishing and maintaining additional Government agencies during the year, the sum of £437 18s. 5d.; and for the maint~mance of the steamship "}!errie England" for the ycfLr ending 31st :Nlarch, the sum of £7,000. The details ofthe services and of the expmul~tnre thus provided for are given in Despatch No. 30 of 17th J nne, Appe~~ix M, 1895, Appendix }f. page bw.

2. ORDINANCE No. I. of 1896; being " The Supplementa·r!J Approp1•icttion ONlinmwe of 1896, No. 1."

ORDINANCE No. II. of 18\">6; being "The Supplementar!J Ap[wopriation Ordinance of 1596, No. 2."

ORDINANCE I\ o. III. of 1896; being " The Supplement wry Appropriation Ord£nanae q_f 1896, No. 3."

These three Ordinances are alike in character, and simply adjust past expenditure.

NATIVFJ REGULATIONS.

3. Three Regulations were passed h,v the Native Regulation Board during· the year.

REGULA'£ ION No. n of 1895 was enacted for the purpose of preventing water-channels from being choked up ·with felled timber or other obstructive matter. It is made penal to cut down any standing timber that is within twenty yards of the line of high-water mark, or that is within a like distance of any permanent ·water, or to put anytbing· in a water-channel that may obstruct the flow of water. Magistrates have power to order any native that has placed any obstructive matter in a ·water-channel to remove it. 'l'he pmn~rs giYen to magistrates are limited to European magistrates. Obstruction to water-channels was extremely frequent, caused by the making of gardens on the banks of rivers.

4. REGULATION No. Ill. of 1895 is intended to keep roads or general paths open. A European magistrate may, to facilitate culti·mtion, for example, permit a native to block a portion of a road, if the latter makes a new piece of road that can be used instead of the blocked portion. Persons that place obstructions in roads may be ordered to remove them. Blocking roads without permission is penal.

Natives are constantly clearing fresh land for gardens. A road or path very frequently runs through land thus cleared. Pt·oba,bly most natives \Yould. admit that when they block a general path they ought, in accordance with native custom, to open a new way through the forest. But they very often neglect to do so when they can.

VI.

5. REGULATION No. IV. of 1895. The immediate need for passing this Regulation was the preservation of plants from which indiarubber is obtained. Getting indiarubber is quite a new native industry. 'rh ere was great danger that this trade would rapidly in certain districts become extinct or crippled if the tapping of the trees and plants was not regulated, and the felling of ruhber-gi ving trees prohibited by law. The Regulation applies to any plant or tree from which indiarubber or gutta­percha can be got, and which has been brought under the Regulation by an order of the Administrator.

It is penal to destroy a protected tree or plant, or to k<tke sap from the same in a way which has been forbidden by a magistrate ; or to take sap from a protected tree or plant during a period within ·which it has been forbidden by a magistrate to take sap from such a tree or plant. The administering of this Regulation is confined to European magiRtrates. This Regulation has, where in force, already had a good effect, and is appreciated by natives themselves when once they understand its o~eci. •

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

6. The only addition to the establishment for the administration of justice made during the year was the appointment of an agent for the north-east coast, who is also a warden and a magistrate for native matteJ's,

His Honour F. P. 'Winter, C.lVI.G., Chief Judicial Officer, furnishes the following list of cases dealt with by the Courts during the year:-

MATTERS DEALT WITH JUDICIALLY FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE, 1896.

CENTRAL COURT.

CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.

Appeak

Court Appealed from. Courictiou Appealed against. Rcslllt of Appeal.

Court of Petty Sessions, Central District . . . Assaulting Constable Sentence reduced.

" "

" " " " Assault

" "

" " "

CRUIINA.L BUSINESS (0RDil!'ARY).

Number or Persons Committed for Trial.

23

61

13

Total ... 97

District from which Commltt<ld.

Central District

Eastern Di stri et

Western District

Persons Committed-how Disposed of.

10 tried 4 committ.als qll!lshed 1 discharged 8 awaiting trial

43 tried 6 committals quashed 8 discharged 4 awaiting t.rial

12 tried 1 awaiting trial

-------'------------------'-----------·----··- ---····~-

VII.

TrrE CounT held FIFTEEN CntMINA.L SESStoNs at the P!.ACES and and with the RESULTS, undermentioned:-

Numberot I Persons Tried. Offence Charged. Result ot Trial. Sentence.

I

Samarai-17tk July, 1895 . 3 • •• I 2 guilty of manslaughter, 1 guilty 13 six months' imprisonment with

' of larceny hard labour. 12 murder, 1 larceny

Samarai-16th September, 1895. 2 murde,·, 3 attempt to murder ... 'I. 1 guilty of murder, 1 guilty of 11 death, 1 t.wo years' imprisonment

manslaughter,3 guilty of attempt with. hard labo:1r, 3 one year's i to murder . impnsonment w1th hard labour.

2 12 murder Boianai, 7th October, 1895.

.. . I 2 guilty of murder ... ... 12 death .

8

1

2

11

12

1

4

6

6

NilJani--2nd Novemher, 1895. [.3 murder, 4 selling a corpse, 1 rape 11 guilty of murder, 2 guilty of 11 death, 6 two months' impri~on·

manslaughter, 4 guilty of selling ment with hard labour. a corpse, 1 not guilty

11 murder

[2 murder

Samarai-15tk November, 1895. , .. , guilty of manslaughter

Port Moresby-22nd to 25tk Not•ember, 1895 •

. .. , twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour.

... 11 guilty of murder, 1 guilty of 11 death, 1 three yeo.rs' penal ser-manslaughter vitude.

Port Moresb.y-3rd to 7tl• December, 1895. I 6 murder, 5 attempt to murder ... ]2 guilty of murder, 1 guilty of 12 death, 1 three years' penal ser·

I manslaughter, 3 not guilty, 5 vitude, 5 two years' imprison· guilty of attempt t.o murder ment with hard labour.

Daru-16th and 17tk December, 1895. 3 assault, 1 abusing girl under ten, 2 guilty of assault, 1 not guilty,

3 unlawfully wounding, 5 in· 1 guilty of abusing girl under decent assault on female ten, 3 guilty of unlawfully

wounding, 5 guilty of indecent assault on femo.le

1 three years' penal servitude, 1 two years', 4 eighteen months' 1 twelve months', 1 nine months'' 2 six months', and 1 three months: imprisonment, with hard labour.

j wounding S<tdest Island-22nd May 1896.

... , guilty .. ., one year's imprisonment with hard labour.

Sama1•ai-Btk June, 1896.

1

1 murder, 1 wounding, 1 assaulting 11 guilty murder, 1 guilty wound· 11 death, 2 one year's imprisonment constable, 1 attempted suicide i ing, 1 guilty assaulting constable, • with hard labour, 1 imprisonment

1 1 guilty of attempted suicide I until rising of Court.

Rabi, .lfilne Bay-lltk and 12tk June, 1896

12 murder, 2 attempt to murder, ll 4 not guilty, 2 discharged.

2 rape

Samarai-15th, 16tk, and I7tk June, 1896. ! 6 wounding with inte11t to do 11 guilty of wounding, &c. ; 1 guilty 11 two years' imprisonment with

grievous bodily harm, 1 abusing abusing girl under twelve, 1 not hard labour, 1 one month's im· girl under twelve guilty, 3 discharged prisonment with hard labour.

1 I 1assault Awaiama, 22nd June, 1896.

... '1 guilty ... 11 one year's imprisonment with hard labour.

2

Total70

Number of Proceedings.

7 2 1

Total 10

I I Taupota-28rd and 24tl June, 1896.

1

4 murcler, 1 wounding, 1 assault ... 11 guilty murder, 1 guilty wounding, 11 death, S one year's impri~onment 1 guilty manslaughter, 1 guilty I with hard labour assault, 2 not guilty ~

2 assisting prironer to escape Samarai-27th J11ne, 1896 ..

... 2 guilty

CIVIL BUSINESS.

Nature of Proceedings, &c.

Applications for order t<! administer by Curator of Intestate Estates. Applications for order under section 34 of lntest.ac7 Act by Curator. Application for probate.

.. . Fined £2 each.

District ol Court.

Central Distri0t ...

Ea3tern District ...

"IN estern District ...

District ot Court.

Central District

Eastern District , ..

Western District ...

Distri~t of Court.

Central District

East ern District

Western Di~trict ...

VIII.

COURTS OF PETTY SESSIO~S.

INDICTABLE OFFENCES JURISDICTION.

Number ot l 1ersous Cltargod.

24

82

Total 120

:.\"nture or Charge.

-···-------· ·-· ------: 18 murder 5 attempt. to nmrder 1 arson

27 murder 5 atlcmpt to murder

19 rape 4 selling n eorp~e !l wounding 4 assault. 1 att.ompted suicide ... 2 abusing young girl 2 assisting prisoner to eRcapc 2 escaping fo·om gaol ... 5 Feditious langua~e 2 indecent assault . 1 murder 3 wounding 1 ubusing young girl 6 indecent asaault 3 assault.

Result ol Inquiry.

committed di~chnrged.

13 committed 1 dismissed.

·------------'--··-- ------·----- ---~---·····

SUMMARY OFFENCES JURISDICTION.

~umber ot Persons Charged. Nature of Charge. Result of Trial.

------------- ·-·~1-----~

40

9C

5

Total 141

Number of Aetions Tried.

2

11

Tota.l15

12 a•sanlt 3 refusing duty on ship 5 breach of Prisons Ordinance .. 1 injuries to property ... ... 3 breach of Constabulo.ry Ordinance 3 breach of Labour Ordinance 1 careless URe of fire 1 indecent exposure ...

10 larceny 1 brea~h of Arms, &c., Ordinance ...

14 breach of Prisons Ordinance 32 larcenv 30 assault 2 in j urics to property 1 brcaeh of Customs Act 3 brcaeh of ~avigaHon Act 2 breach of Constabulary Orclinance 3 drunk and disorderly 1 breach of Pearl Shell Ordinance ... 1 threatening lnnguage 7 breach of Labour Ordinance 1 breach of Labour Ordinonce 4 as~ault

CIVIL JUIUSDIOTION.

Nature or A-Ction.

1 work and labour performed 1 goods sold ... 8 goods sold ...

1rent ... 1 work and labour performed 1 hire of vessel 2 wages

8 convicted, 4 discharged. 3 convict.ed. 5 convicted. 1 convicted. 3 convicted. 3 convicted. 1 convicted. 1 convicted. 4 convicted, 6 discharged. 1 di~charged. 6 convicted, 8 disclmrged.

25 convicted, 7 discha1•ged. 2·~ convicted, 6 discharged.

1 convicted, 1 discharged. 1 discharged. 3 discharged. 2 convict.ed. 1 convicterl, 2 discharged. 1 convicted. l convieted. 7 convicted.

Result o! Action.

---- ···········----------------

S!'ttled out of eourt. Settled out of court. 7 verdict for plaintiff, 1 verdict for

defendant. Verdict for defendant. Verdict. for defendant. V erdiet for plaintiff. Verdict for plaintiff.

·-----------~-----

District of ConrL

No. 2 (Central) , ..

No. 8 (EastPrH) ..•

No. 1 (Western) . .,

Total ...

District of Court.

IX.

NATIVE MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CmMINAL JuRISJHC'rroN (l<'oRBIDDEN AcTs).

118

63

13

184

0 assa.ult 62larcenv

Kalmo ot Charge,

18 destro:ving vnlunblc tree,; 5 extortion

1 5 <li~obeying mngistrate's ortl£•r G spreading lyiug reports 1 e•caping from custo<ly ... 1 breach of roads reguhttion 6 abduction 1 ndnltery 4 threatening IU1Jfiul1ge

3 spreading)ying report-s 20 adultery

0 80rcerv G assa11lt l threatening language

1llarceny 1 extort-ion ... 1 dcBtroving mluable trees l breacli of l'Ouds regulation

i lO nd ulterv 1 2 larceny. ' lassauU

CtvrL .Tt:RISDICTION (CrvrL Cr.Ants).

Num'bcr of Actions 'l'rie£1., :\n.tnro of Clnlm.

No. 2 (C<'niral) NiL

No. 3 (Eas!t•rn) l : 1 ownership of sh-ing of ><llf•ll money ...

No. l (Western) Nil.

ToTAr, NmtBRR oF CRnrr:;-AL PnocRRDIYGS.

Result of Trial.

8 convicted, 1 discharged. nli convicted, 6 discharged. 18 convicted. 5 convieted. 5 convicted. G convicted, 1 convicted. 1 con vietod. G convicted. 1 c-mvicted. 3 romictcd, 1 discharged.

3 convicted. 11 convictccl, 9 di~charged. 7 couvietcd, 2 discharged. 6 convicted. 1 convicted.

10 convicted, 1 discharged. l ccnn· i ded. 1 convicted. 1 convicted.

9 convicted, 1 discharged. 2 convicted. 1 cm~ victcd.

In Central Court 97 In Court-s of Petty Sessions (exclusive of the 97 cn,es that went up to Ccntml Court) ... HH In Nt1tive Magistrates' Courts ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18·1.

In all Courts

TOTAL NUMBER 01!' Cryn, PUOCEI!DINGS.

In Central Court In Courts of Pet.tv S0ssions Ill Native ~fagist;utes' Court8

In all Courts

... .

.. , 445

10 15

l

26

Of the 445 cases that were before the Courts in their criminal jurisdiction, nine resulted in a sentence of capital punishment. In each of these cases the circumstances attending the offence were such as more or less justified in the eyes of the natives the act which constituted the crime. '£he sentences were all commuted to long sentences of penal servitude. The following is a brief outline of these cases:-

A canoe with a number of natives from Budiai, in Normanby Island, ,,·ent to Sewa Bay, in the same island. Some time previously certain of the Budiai people had killed two of the native" of a village in Scwa Bay. 'l'hc relatives of the deceased thought this \vas a good chance to aveng·e their dead kinsmen. Many of the Scwa Bay people considered that the matter as intertrihal feud shoulrl he deemed at an end. But the relatives jn question disagreed with this view, and, followed by a party of their friends, some of whom appear to have gone simply out of curiosity, they went to where the Budiai canoe was. Two of them succeeded in killing one of the Budiai men. One of the two was soon arrested, tried, and convicted of murder. The other was tried at a later date.

x.

Two men of Boianai, in Goodenough Bay, killed two lads belonging to a hill vi1hvse call eel K wamana. rrhe K wamnna people had for long been at feud with their greatly more powerful coast neighbours. The two culprits had both lost relatires, killed hy the IC"wamana men. The slaying of the lads was simply an act of retaliation.

Two natives of Gulewn, a village of ~Iisinm (St. Aignan) Island, had in 1892 killed a native of another village on the same island cnlled Ariha. Some little time previous to this murder the Ariim people had killed the bl'Other of one of the offenders. Of the latter, one was arrested and tried in 1894; the other ·was not captured until 1895.

Some natives of Niakihiri, in the Astrolabe Range, attacked some natives of Veilmri, a village 1wneath the range and near the coast, and killed one of the latter. This happened in 1889 or 18DO. rrhe culprit was one of the party that made the attack. rrhe homicide was a reta1iator.v one, the Veihuri people having killed some Makibiri people at some anterior period.

A band of natives of the village of Yarumi, on the eastern slopes of the Astrolabe Range, in 18~)1 attacked four natives of Veibmi who were camped in "the bush," and killed two of them. rl'heir reason for making this attack appears to have been that they lmd lately lost one of their own people from natural causes, and they regarderl it as their duty io kill some one of their neighbom·s who had probably procured death by h1Cantation.

'l'owards the end of the year the second native of Sewa Bay, N ormanby Island, implicated in the killing of a Budiai man already referred to, was arrested and tried.

A few years ago a native of a small village near Cape Frere had, by his own pretentious or by common repute, acquired th0 reputation of being a great sorcerer. 'rhis being so, deaths from sickness that happened in his neighbourhood were put down to his inc<mtations. '1'he people became very frightened of him. Finally the brother of a man who probably was above his neighbours in resolution died, and the death was attributed to the sorcerer. Urged on by others, the brother killed the supposed evil-doer.

'rhe fifteen sittings of the Central Court in its criminal jurisdiction were held as follows:-

In the Western District In the Central District In the Eastern District In the South-eastern District

... ... 1 2

10 2

Five cases-three for assaulting constables and one for common assault­were brought before the Cent.ral Court on appeal. 'l'he sentences were in each instance reduced.

There were thirteen cases awaiting trial before the Central Court at the end of the year.

Of the 120 persons charged before the Courts of Petty Sessions with indictable offences forty-six were for murder. The nineteen cases of rape, all of which appertain to the Eastern District Court, might lead to a wrong impression being formed of the natives in that district. A charge of rape was brought against a company of men who were alleged to have abused some women of another village, but the evidence was not sufficient for even a committal. Two cases of rape reached the Central Court, but both cases completely broke clown. rrhe corpse, for selling which four men got a mild sentence, was negotiated for the sake of the skull, which was wanted as a trophy by the people of an out-of-the-way village. Cases of wounding are as a rule the result of loss of temper. Of the three cases of abusing young girls only the Western case was a charge brought against a native.

In the cases tried by the Courts of Petty Sessions in their summary jurisdiction assaults and larcenies predominate.

In the Native Magistrates' Courts it will be seen that in one district one class of offences is more frequently on the calendar than it is in other districts. In the Central District larcenies represent more than half the cases, whilst adultery only figures once. In the Eastern and Western Districts adultery heads the list. Sorcery is confined to the Eastern District this year, so far as proceedings before the Courts are concerned.

XI.

The total number of cases brought before the Courts has been-

1895-96. l89J.-95. !12-93. 1591-92. 1890-91. ! 1880-90.

1-~---

471 362 138 142 81 71

Although there is a large increase on the previous year, this is mostly due to cases in the Native Magistrates' Courts, and these are largely cases in the Central District. The total number of the cases in these Courts last year was eighty, and of these thirty-two belonged to the Central District. This year the cases amount to 184, ancl 118 are Central District cases. .During last year the two Government Agents of tJ1e Central District were absent on leave for half the year. The majority of these cases are dealt with by the Government Agents, who are generally tra veiling through their districts. The civil jurisdiction of the native magistrates was only once formaJly appealed to in the year. Judging by the order of the Court, the evidence must have been evenly balanced or very conflicting.

RI~PORTS OF OFFICERS. 7. The Resident :Magistrate for the Western Division notes a steady improve- Appe~dix N,

mention the behaviour and general condition of tbe native population, with less crime page <'6·

and more general punishment of criminals, which he attributes to greater willingness on the part of the people to report cases, and to the activity of the village police. Crimes having their origin in sexual relations predominate. Sorcery continues and will continue to cause trouble, as all the ills by which the wcsteru man is visited can be ascribed to it. The year 1vas a dry one in the west, and food was accordingly scarce, hut the public health was good.

As was to a large extent the case in the previous year, the very infirm health of the Resident :Magistrate made it quite impossible for him during the greater part of the year to visit the different tribes, with the exception of a few of the old settled communities on the coast and nenr to the station; hut he was able to do good work in this direction during the last three months of the year. He then travelled inland from the coast in several directions in the country that lies between the western mouth of the Fly and the J\:t:ai Kussa, visiting several new· tribes and finding the people friendly and the country thinly peopled, but of greater value than was .. - 'dd. '!'here still remains much to do, however, to complete our knowledge of

~·eat flat land that lies between the sea and the last 200 miles of the Fly, a task ~h has hitherto proceeded but slowly.

'!'here is no real settlement by Europeans in the 1Vestern Division, and there no advance in trade to be noted there. rrhe Resident Magistrate feel;<, what

... _deed it is impossible not to feel, that the vV estern Division is placed at a most serious industrial disadvantage by its natural fishing-grounds being practically all held by Queensland.

':Phe western station is in good order, and the magistrate is making praise­worthy and successful efforts in gro,,·ing food for the establishment and in thus keeping down expense. The principle of self-help he has with good result extended also to the erection and maintenance of buildings. rrhere has always been good reason to be satisfied with the discipline kept up at this station. A great extension of the Government authority may be expected from this important centre if the health of the Resident Magistrate continues good for the next two or three years.

The most important work of a permanent character initiated during the year is the building of a stone jetty. It is not easy to obtain stone, and what is got is generally of poor quality; but a jetty is so m~ch wanted and would be of such great use across the mud-covered foreshore, that it is very necessary to proceed with this undertaking, the difficulties in the way nohithstanding.

8. In the Eastern Division the Resident Magistrate attributes the increased Appendix o, number of offences by natives brought before the Court to the extension of the page 7o. village police system ancl to the increased readiness of natives to complain to the magistrate. He notes also that natives are shifting down from high lands, to which they had formerly been driven, towards the coast. He concludes that infanticide is practised by the natives at Tubetutu in his district, and that they also procure abortion. Infanticide, probably by neglect, is not improlJable there. It has not so

Appendix P, page 72.

Appendix Q, page 75.

XII.

far been established that any method of procuring abortion is known to, or is practised by, the natives of this colony, although they, like probably all aboriginal races in the vV estern Pacific, nse harmless herbs to prevent conception. The year was a dry one in the Eastern Division, hut unfortunately the meteorological records have been discontinued.

The opening of village cemeteries is proceeding satisfactorily. A considerable amount of labom was expended in road-making, espeeially along the north shore of )i[ilne Bay, urcler the initiation of the chief of Jlita. 'rhe magistrate notes the extension of gold-mining and the introduction of the rubber inclusb~r in the division. On the whole there was a considerable enlargement of trade there. The gaol and the Custom House and bonded warehouse are not in good condition, hut otherw-ise the station is in a satisfactory state. 'rhe health of the residents on Samarai has been mueh improved by the filling· in of the dozen acres of mangrove swamp that formerly occupied the centre of that islalHl.

9e 'rhe report of the Commandant shows that the eonstalmlary were kept very busy during the year. Divisions of frmn six to eleven men arc stationed perma­nently with each of the magistrates and Government Agents, except at Samarai, where the men employed are not members of the constabulary. There are, in addition to this, generally from fifteen to twent~' men at clisposal as a movable force, which can be employed to strengthen the district divisions or to perform other special service as required. The force, now about four score strong, consists exclusively of natives of this country, and may be regarded as being in a satisfactorr condition. At present all enlistment is voluntary, and thm·e is n steady increase in the number of men that set>m disposed to make the constalmlary their permanent profession. This gives to the body a steadiness and continuity of great value. '1'lw movable force visited each occupied district of the colony during the year, and performed a large amount of very useful work.

One of the most interesting incidents mentioned in the report of the Com­mandant is where some 250 sr)earmcn assembled at night to attack them on Sewa Harbour. 'l'he fact that the natives retired without cl,)ing so shows well the utility of always keeping on one's guard. Those tribes will never trust c~tch other again, and will not in future unite to attack the eonstabulal'Y·

As to the loyalty of the men there c~m he no doubt. They arc recruited from widely different districts-from the Mambare River, Dohu, and Rossel Island in the east to Mawatta in the vvest. rrhe force is remarkably healthy,'"'\~ · steadily gaining in prestige, in self-confidence, and in efficiency.

10. The report of the Government Agent for the north-east coast covers the last three-quarters of the year, the station having been first established in the beginning of October, :1 895. He describes the steps taken to found the station, for which no good site could then be obtained, all the land near the locality where it was thought the station vYould be most useful being low and subject to occasimml flooding. }fr. Green was very successful and industrious in providing suitable temporary accommodation at small expense. Progress in opening up personal communication with the nattves he de~;;cribes as having been slow, as the latter were naturally suspicious and had been hostile; and because the men found the ~Iamhare district very different from any they were acquainted with. The agent also visited the coast tribes as far south us Cape Nelson, meeting with no unfriendly demon­stration, but finding ,,-h::tt others have experienced on thi::-; coast--that the pilfering propensity of the native is highly developed. J1r. Green is inclined to think that certain trihes that attacked the lowet· villages on the Mamlm<'P came from German territory. 'l'his is quite possible, lmt on the whole the probability is that they came from the Ikore ltivcr, which is prolmhly all in British territory except a few miles near the mouth. But this cannot he uetermine(l until time is found to cut a path on this side of the boundary till it strikes the lkore, when careful astronomical observations will have to be made to arrive at an approximate boundary, the tribes clearly inside of wbieh will then be duly taken in hand.

The agent assisted the few miners that visited the district with whatever assistance wtu:l in his power. 'l'hese numbered eight during the first four months of .J\lr. Green's occupancy, and the same mnnher were in the district the last three months of the year with a large numbm· of native C::tl·rim·s from the lower coa"t tribes, who frequently deserted and were thievish.

XIII.

From October to ~fay the }fambare was liable to frequent and sudden floods, "Which caused much trouble at the station. The Government Agent regrets the complete absence of missionary work in his district, and points out that progress is being made in establishing English as the language of the station.

11. The Government A"gent for the Mckeo district notes the gradual A~re~dix R,

settlement of the tribef; to quiet habit::>. Some nmv tribes visited near the Korio pa"e '7

·

(Yule Range) were of the }Iekeo type, a:ncl friendly; their country very mountainous and not rich. A few new tribes were also visited in the Gulf, and friendly relations were established with them. About a dozen traders are engag·ed in the district making copra and collecting sandalwood, rubber, and gum. 'l'here is no serious planting for commercial purposes. Good progress was made in opening and improving roads in the J\:Iekeo district. Serious crime is greatly diminished, but petty offences are much more frequently brought before the magistrate. Chief and village constables require to be carefully watched to prevent extortion by them. Larceny is the most common petty ofl:'cnce.

The defective school attendance is noted, as is also the neglect of the English language in the schools of the distriet.

12. The Government Agent of the Rigo district points out that there are -~rp.endix s, still many tribes near the main range not yet brought into contact with Europeans p.tgu so. but living in their original condition. Amongst these superstition is the root oE most crimes that are eommitte(l. 'l'he Kokila aml 'l'ahow tril>esJ and the Jtupi, Galirupu, and Kamiti tribes have become settled under Government authority. 'HIC coast tribes are manifesting a strong desire £or }Jmopeau clothes, tools, &c. 'l'he first cocoanuts planted under the Native Regulation are now beginning to bear. The rubber industry was keenly prosecuted during the year.

Several small blocks of land taken up for planting purposes are now being cultivated ·

Four new tribes and twenty-three new villages were visited during the ymr. Murder has entirely ceased in the district, and petty offences are more

g·cnerally punished than formerly. Sixty-two prisoners were received into the district gaol, sentenced to short

terms of imprisonment under the Native ltegulations. 13. The Itesident ::VIagistmte of the Centml Di visiou points out that trading _lppe•;.dix T,

f • f • f' f l d t k 1 t f P"'"0 88 voyages or sago were, m consequence o scaretty o · ooc, un er a 'en \Y mos o. o •

the coast villages, and with sucec~;sful re:-mlts. He mentions that in regulating burials during a visit to the Gulf he anrl J\Ir. Kowald caused the natives to exhume over 200 bodies. The magistrate refers to a considerable amount of work performed in the division, much of "Which was of tt progre3sive and ordinary character.

14. 'fhc Head Gaoler's report seems to have been miscarried by post, and is not given here. '_l1he prisoners did a considPrahle amount of work during the year, filling in foreshore, clearing, and planting· cocoanuts. I'nr the fhst time there was an outbreak of the disease beri-turi in the gaol at Port Moresby, which caused no fe"\ver than nine deaths. The nmlady wns introduced by some prisoners from Cloudy Bay. 'l'owards the end of the year some fifty prisoners wrre lent to the gold-mining company starting crushing operations on Sudest Island. 'fbey have been principaJly employed in making a road from the coast to the mine. They arc employed on the basis that the company pays all expenses, including those of supervision, and a small rate a day for each prisoner ~"tt work.

VISI1'S OP INSPECTION. 15. ~L'he first administrath'e inspection made during the year was in the Appendix A,

district of Rigo, early in ,July. Certain points were :fixecl by astronomical page L

observation to facilitate the filling up of the map of the district. Some 5,000 to 6,000 cocoanut trees were growing well at the station, and the condition of hoth constabubry and prisoners was satisfactory. 1fhe station and district had suffered much from the absence on leaV\~ of ::Hr. Eng·lish, the Govcnnnent A!.!.·ent, but matters were Uf!'t"tin assuming their normal aspect. ~It was found that 1Ir . .English was very successful in training and educating the village police, although the latter still make frequent mistakes. Peaceful and re~·ular habits -were seen to be finuly established over a large area, and some good main roads had been clearecl. On the other hand,

Appen:lix B, page 3,

Appenrlix C, ruge G.

XIV.

the planting of cocoanuts had not been well persevered in, and those planted had been generally neglected. In short, the Government .... '\_gent and the natives generally were not giving so much attention to the Regulation for planting and weeding· cocoanuts as that important subject deserves. rrhe ordinary excuse was that the natives could not obtain nuts to plant, but that was no reason why they should neglect those they had already planted out. 'rhe station will soon be able to pay for native labour in cocoanuts grown there, which will be a great advantage to all concerned, to say nothing of the encouragement to be derived from the very successful example of their cultivation at the Government Station.

'11he rubber industry was being started in the district. On a visit to Wabumari, in the Eastern Division, in July, a returned good­

conduct prisoner was installed as village policeman. He has done good service since. A native accused of murder, and arrested at Geagea, Port Glasgow, by the village policeman of Magula, was brought on board the steamer at the same time for transmission to Samarai.

16. In the beginning of August all was found quiet and progressive at Dobu. On the Sunday there was an attentive congregation of about 350 people in the principal church. The planting of food was being industriously attended to by the people of Dobu, but apparently principally on the large island of Duau. rrhe greater portion of the adults were there spending the working days of the week in their gardens at Duau, but they all came to Dobu (some of them a distance of several miles) on Saturday evening to attend church on Sunday. On Sunday evening or Monday morning they returned to their work in the gardens. 'rhat the mission is able to induce the natives to do this is a convincing proof of the singular success that has attended their labours in this colony. The head of the vVesleyan Mission, the Reverend \¥. l3romilow, practises himself the laLorious round of duties he insists on exacting from his teachers; after conducth1g service in the principal church he visited others, and preached in the course of the clay to about 1,500 nati,"es.

A number of village cemeteries were laid off on Dobu and Fergusson Islands. As the native tri1)es that live on the southern slopes of Mount Kilkerran

"'ere said to be still hostile both to the Government and to the peaceful tribes between the mountain and the sea, a visit in force vYas made to them. 'H10y -vvere taken by surprise, as they had thought we could not ascend to their villages. 'rhough at first defiant they soon submitted and surrendered the murderer, through whom all the trouble had arisen. A large area of good land was found to exist between Mount Kilkerran and Dawson Straits, sufficient if utilised to relieve the congested district of l?ergusson, facing Dobu.

In the end of July the centre of the island of :Fergusson was examined by a journey across it from IIughes Bay to Seymour Bay. At several villages the people ·were timid, and at certain places they could not be induced for some time to return to their houses, but none were in any way unfriendly. At only one place were any armed men met with, and that was near the centre of the island, where they had noticed the approach of cur party without knowing who wc were. Skull trophies had disappeared in the villages near the coast, but they still remained exposed in certain others tow·ards the centre of the island. Contrary to whttt had been expected, no swamp land was traversed in the interior. It is not thickly inhabited, though villages are dotted over tlw whole island up to an altitude of 2,000 feet on tlw large mountains. The different tribes seem to be industrious, making very large food gardens, 1mt building rather inferior houses.

·what seemed to be most wanted in the district of Duau, Dobu, and Fergus­son was the introduction of some industry on which the natives could be profitably employed on a larger scale than is the case at present. Some village policemen were appointed on the south-cast end of Duau. There the tribes near the coast are peaceful and industrious, but it was reported that several crimes bad been com­mitted in the mountains ancl had not, so far, been dealt with by the magistrate.

17. In the earlier part of August, the Commandant with a number of men of the constabulary was sent to visit the villages on );Iurawawa, a bight in Goodcnough Bay. 'J1his was rendered urgent by a report kindly furnished by the Reverend Copland King, head of the Anglican );fission in this colony. J:i~rom ages immemorial those tribes had been accustomed to murder their neighbours from time to time, and they remained true to their old habits in spite of repeated and

xv.

prolonged visits from the magistrate and constabulary, and uninfl"?-eJ?-ced by the proximity, and latterly by the presenee among themselves, of the m1sswn workers. They had lately committed tvw apparently unprovoked murders. The Commn,ndant found that the houses were empty when he arrived in the bay. He succe.eded in inducinO' many of the owners to return home, a work in which he was assisted by the two

0resident teachers, but the murderers had fled to certain distant hill tribes

for refuge. The first step taken on the arrival of the main party was to pay a visit to the

hill tribe of Kwamana, members of which had been the last victims of the 1\:lurawawa tribes. 'l1he Kwamana, not knowing the errand or quality of their visitors, prepared themselves skilfully to repel an attack ; but they soon underst.ood the wishes of the Government and manifested their desire for peace and protectwn.

'I.'he Commandant was sent to effect the settlement of the mountain tribe Budi, reconciling them with the J)ogura tribe of Murawawa. Then .the tribe~ west of the Murawawa were reassuretl and settled; lJut the Resident J\Iag1strate fmled to induce the chief of Paiwa to come to Kaiboda. 'fhe actual murderers belonged to the villaO'es of Kaiboda ami Boianai. Without anv previous hint having been

0 ~ d . h given, all the arms in their houses were suddenly collected and burne m t e village squares.

As it was found that the rich gardens of these two tribes depended wholly on an elaborate system of irrigation, it was threatened that the water would be cut oft', that the food would be eaten up, and their cocoanuts would be used up if they did not surrender the two murderers. A party of the inhabitants, accompanied by two or three constables, set out for the inland villag·es, where the murderers were hiding, and eventually they were handed ove1·, tried, and convicted before the Central Court.

A charge made against some of the constabulary of having criminally assaulted some women of Boianai was promptly inquired into by the magistrate, and found to be groundless.

A call was made at the well-settled village of Awaiama, in Chad's Bay. It was with this tribe that the Government first came into collision, since which they have remained loyal, the chief being a village policeman. They had a coloured teacher of the Anglican Mission among them, but he was ·working under serious disadvantages and without very promising results. :Matters were found to be quite satisfactory at Taupota. There was a mission teacher there under circumstances very similar to those of his colleague at Awaiama. On our stopping at Paiwa the rural constable there reported the murder of four men of his tribe by a mountain sept. This latter was visited by the Commandant with a large force; the natives attacked them and were beaten off, while some of those accused of murder were arrested.

18. On proceeding to an inspection of the lower part of the :M:ambare River on Appendix D,

the 19th August it was learned that :Mr. George Clark, leader of a gold-prospecting page lt.

party on the Mambare, had been killed in a treacherous and unprovoked attack made by the natives. The patty reached the river on the 1st July, and in eight or nine days passed the highest villages on the low-lying reaches of the river. 'l'he natives were helping them up the river, and had seen considerable trade stores of the travellers; and the fact that the women and children had been sent awav, while spears and clubs had become much more numerous, was at the time hardly' noticed by the Europeans. Taking advantage of a favourable opportunity, the natives cut the towing-rope of the boat in \Yhich was 1\Ir. Clark alone, with nearly all the 1-ifies of the party. They threw a shovrcr of spears on him, and he disappeared, apparently mortally wounded, in a deep pool. The natives secured most of the trade and made off. The party ·when returning down the river met t1 second lot of prospectors; they joined forces, ascended the river, and illegally set about inflicting punishment after their own fashion by breaking canoes, shooting pigs, and burning houses. There can hardly lJe any doubt that in descending the river after the first attack they would have to defend themselves from hostile natives, but the action of the minen; became ultimately aggressive. Mr. Clark bore an excellent character. If he erred at all in dealing ·with natives it seems to have been on the side of over­indulgence towards them. The chief of the first vilJage, 'fantutu, was friendly and visited us on the morning of the 20th, but his village and that next beyond it were practically deserted. 'fhe next two or threo villages1 judging from the friendly

XVI.

demeanour of the people, had not been directly concernecl in the murder of Mr. Clark. At the village of Apoclti, where there was a large number of natives preparing a feast, there was in the village square a shovel that had belonged to the miners. On seeing that it was noticed the natives ull fled to the bush. A rupture was avoided with the tribes of the upper district till better information should be obtained. They came to the station to trade, but were suspicious. ·while descending the river one could observe tlmt in all the upper villages new arms were being got ready, and preparations were going on for an expected struggle. At the village of Eruatutu two men were fired upon when in the act of trying to throw their spears on the party.

On the 23rd September the river was again ascended, this time with a strong force, about a score of men of the constabulary, headed by the Commandant and the magistrate. No proceedings hostile to the natives were undertaken before the party reached the junction of the Tamata with the Mamba, where a permanent camp was formed. A small party continued to travel towards the interior for six days after leaving the camp, and cut :1 path for about thirty miles along the rigllt bank of the river, on the Ajula Kujala ~fountnin. All was deep forest, uninhabited, with some prospect of gold. The party left at the camp encouraged visits from natives until the latter began to think themselves masters of the situation, and assumed a threatening and defiant demeanour. J"\.t a suitable moment the constabulary rushed on them and arrested the numbel' they had been instructed to secure-six strong young men. 'fhe six prisoners wew brought to Sam.a1·ai. A number of prospectors followed the party up the river. J\'Ir. Green was left at the camp at the 'famata junction, as Government Agent, with suitable equipment and ten men of the constabulary.

A hurried visit was made to the Mambare on the 22nd October to learn the state of matters there. It appeared that :tll was satisfactory. At the same time a tribe was visited on the Dubila Creek. 'fhev had made some threatening demonstrations towards certain miners and to people belonging to the ":l{errie England.'' 'rhey preserved a friendly attitude "When found at home.

Appendix E, 19. A.t the end of August an inspection of the River Mus:t was entered upon, pa-ge 22· over thirty miles of whieh had previously been examined. 'rhe few people living

in the first two small villages, some score of miles from the sea, fled on our app1·oach, but communications were opened with all other tribes during the ascent, and with the lower villages on the retum journey. 'rhe Baruga tribe was timid but friendly; they were poor and not W<'ll prepared for defence; they had no tree-houses. In heavy floods all their land, aml all between that and the sea, would he flooded. At the considerable vlllage of Gcwaduru shallows commence which the launch could not pass without some flood in the river. Here the people were from the fit·st friendly. 'fbey had a dozen excellent tree-houses, the best arranged and the best for defence hitherto noticed in the colony. They had evidently heard of I~uropeans f):om the natives of Colling\Yood Bay. Beyond Gewaduru progress was generally effected by dragging the boat by the tow -rope. 'fhe village of Gudari was reached on the 29th. 'l'hcrc also the people were friendly. 'fhey had three tree-houses and a palisade round the village. 'fhin stone adzes and some of their clubs were of jade. Up to this point the river bed lay entirely in fiat alluvial country, much of "Which would he flooded occasionallv. The same dav the boat entered the first low hills of the Didina Hange. Half-a-dozen miners whO' accompanied us in the steamer's dingy did not go further than these hills. vVhen the boat could be taken no hig·her up the river on account of rapicls, a camp was formed, nearly four score miles from the sea, and the river was f'ollo\Yed up on foot for six days. It was extremely difficult to travel by the river bed on account of the numerous impassable cliffs projecting into it. On the east side of the river tl10 hills, generally forest clad, rise to about 3,000 feet. On the west they are lower and more grassy. It was found that there were natives waiting :fo1· the party on its anival across the bilb. On emerging from these one finds oneself in front of the confluence of the Moni and the Adaua, the former from the we:::;t, tbo latter from the east and south-east; united they form the Musa. 'fhe country lying· south of the junction forms a g-reat plain twelve or twenty miles broad, and of grc:1ter but uncertain length, especially towards the west. It is very lightly wn ; 1 'rL and is slightly undulating. :.Many viila.gm~ could be seen on it. Our camp was "visited hy natives from several parts of the great valley, all of

XVII,

whom were very friendly and unarmed. They are of a daL·k~brown colour, are fairly robust, and apparently arc numerous. They did not know tobacco. 'rhe return jomney from the junction of the Adnua and :M:oni to th~ boat ca.m.p oc;upied less than a day and a-half. 'rhe miners did not find any gold m the D1dma hange. Gudari and Gcwaduru were friendly as we descended the Musa, and so were all the other tribes, including the lowest villages of all. On the 18th September we were camped on the river bank not far from the foot of Mount Victory. At gt·ey dawn next morning a force of about 300 men, in twenty-eight large war canoes, aH painted and feathered as if for ·war, went up the river past us. The steamer was met the same day at the mouth of the Musa, and early next morning a strong party, comprising a score of the constabulary, started at an early hour after the invaders, and came up with them early in the afternoon.

The canoes were all passed in the river by the steam launch, and were driven down the stream. 'rhcy were all captured ·without a siu:~ le exception ; every canoe they had brought up the river, and r~ number of smaller \vorldng canoes which they must have taken from the natives on the Mambarc. They had already caught at least some ten or twelve unfortunate natives, the bodies of nmny being cut up, divided out, and partly cooked, probably a good deal eaten. In a conflict between a party of the cannibals and a few men of the constabulary, two or tbree natives were shot dead and some were ·wounded. One of the latter was taken on board the steamer, and was sul)sequently conducted back to his tribe, the :Mapuya, on Mount Trafalgar. It was clear that the greater part of the men, if not indeed all of them, that took part in that expedition were from the 'l'rafa]gar Bay and Collingwood Bay tribes.

20. About the middle of October the Kumusi River ·was inspected to the Appendix F,

highest point accessible by the small steam launch. 'l'here was some difficulty then pago 29

·

in crossing the bur at the mouth of this river. 'rherc was no native occupation of any kind on the Kmnusi within two dozen miles of the sea,. At this distance about a score of natives were making sago. rrhey were friendly. A mile or two further on there was a larger party, containing about three score fighting men, besides many women and children. 'l'hey were friendly, but timid and nervous. They seemed to be emigrants, alHl about to settle down there, as they bad all their household goods with them on canoes. Those that appeared armed were made to put their weapons aside. Above that point many natives were met with; generally they appeared

-mw:ei.l, the warrior being frequently followed by a woman carrying part of his panoply, or ready to relieve him of his arms when he was induced to dispense with them. 'l'he natives of the villages on the right bank, on the flat a1luvial plateau nearest to the hills, did not seem to be on very good terms with those on the left bank,

A large tribe lives near the foot of the flrst hills on the left bank, and many of those people came to our camp there. They were friendly, but they are quite untrustworthy. All were taught to not approach the boat or camp with weapons in their hands. If they do so with future parties this will be an indieation that mischief is contemplated.

The smalllauneh ascended about fifty miles by the river course from the sea to the foot of high hills. No villages were visible thence ; but a "bush" tdbe visited the camp from the right ba,nk, and did some friendly trading. A number of natives also appeared on the left hank, and hl'ought us food for sale. 'rhe banks and shingle in the river had all the appearance of audferous deposits, but it was difficult to find the smallest " colour" of gold.

All the natives seen in descending the river made friendly demonstrations. 2L. An inspection of the T.ouisiadc district was made in November. It was Appendix G,

not found that agriculture or planting of any kind was making progress at Panaietti, page 30

•

which \Vas otherwise in a satisfactory condition. 'rhe village policemen seemed to be useful.

The prison of Nivani was elean, but discipline had become lux. 'l'he islands of vVare and Murua were put under the jnrisdiction of the I,ouisiade J)ivision, as being more accessible to that magistrate.

There were not more than half a score of European miners on Sudest, the search for gold on that island having passed chiefly into the hands of the natives.

rrhere was some prospect that :J, company for quartz-crushing would commence operations there.

b

Appendix H, page 33.

Appendix I, page as.

XVIII.

On Misima there were about eighteen mmers. All these islands were apparently quiet and peaceful.

There were some twenty to thirty European miners on Nlurua, all doing fairly well, and there was good reason to think that golu-mining would be prosecuted there for some time. 'fhe island was declared a goldfield.

At Kiriwina the condition of affairs was unsatisfactory, the natives having become threatening and troublesome to the mission and to traders, and quarrelsome among themselves. 'fhe conduct of the pearl traders had been worse even than that of the natives in some respects.

The most arrogant and aggressive tribe was visited and some of their men arrested. A patrol was sent through the island, and a1l arms that could be seen were taken and destroyed. 'fhis practically put a stop to carrying arms.

The Reverend .Mr. J;~ellowes was obtaining some footing in spite of the machinations and opposition of the traders, alld undetened by the hostile menaces or indifference of certain natj ves.

22. As the Government Agent of the Higo District had been attacked by the natives of Kokila, in the inland part of his jurisdiction, and as the attack had resulted in two or three of his carriers being wounded, one severely, and in the loss of much of his baggage, it \Yas necessary to make a visit of inspection to the neighbourhood of the hostile tribes. 'rlw Government Agent had been making an extended tour in his district for the purpose of bringing netY inland tribes under control, and he had with him a force that could use thirteen guns, a strong party where the natives employ only spears. rrllC reports current among the tribes of the Rigo District were that all those of the interior were combining to offer a determined resistance to the Government.

All the tribes up to and on Mount Duamaga (Mount Dous:!,'las) were friendly. The chief of K ware arrived to inform us that the three villages of Dokura

had .ioined the eight of Kokila to fight the Government. 'Jll1e march was continued beyond Duamaga in fighting order. Wben we ·were camped at Bureclabu (Margarct Rive-r) the chief of ])okura was induced to visit us, and finally his tribes brought in and surrendered the man that had badlv wounded one of the Government Agent's carriers on the former expedition. TGe chief of Mara mtme into camp and said that Kokila had already been so severely punishe<l that they would not again face the constabulary. All their villages were found nearly deserted, but aJ~'!_ men were captured, and their district was patrolled in several directions without any opposition presenting itself. The neighbourhood was pacified without further bloodshed.

There was good opportunity on this expedition of learning the excellence of the sketch map of the district prepared by Mr. Cuthbertson on his expedition to Mount Obree, a wonder of accuracy when one bears in mind in what a short space of time it was composed. 'fhe district is populous, the people active and industrious.

23. In an inspection of the ·western Division, begun about the middle of December, the villages first touched at were those at the mouth ofthe Bailala River. A trader had established himself there to deal in copra. No attempt whatever had been made by the mission there to begin to teach English. 'fbe natives seemed to be quiet, but they reported certain breaches of the peace in some inland villages. The "\Vestern Division was suffering from a severe drought, which had much impaired the condition of the station. Discipline had been well maintained over police and prisoners, hut the serious ill-health of the Resident Jtiagistrate lwd necessarily greatly interfered with the work of the district. No progress was being made in European settlement, but Daru is a useful and convenient place of call, and of rest and shelter for large numbers of fishing boats. 'l'he impression conveyed to one by an inspection of the important village of Turituri was that the people were steadily advancing in the adoption of certain European ways, in hiring themselves out as labourers, and in wearing calico, &c., but were at the same time letting their houses, formerly bad, become much worse. This tribe is perfectly law-abiding, but has no mission teacher. Of the neighbouring community of 1\Ia·watta similar remarks may be made; they possess a teacbe1·, but he was mal\ing no progress whatever, his school being practically unattended. In the end of December the tribes on the Binaturi River were visited as far as Jibu. Halts were made in certain small

XIX.

villages, the inhahitant.s of which were generally found wearing European clothes. All \Ycre very friendly. :For several miles the country consisted of deep al1uvial land, much of which is wet and swampy in rniny weather. At many places th~re are considerable groves of cocoanut trees. Beyond this area of flat land there begms a succession of low, rolling, grassy ridges, which seem to give character to a largo area inland in that direction. It was thought that the Binaturi could be ascendeLl by boat for probably tvrenty to thirty miles, and Mr. llely has since taken the whale~ boat to near Jibu.

To proceed inland from 1\:fawatta by land it \Vas necessary to obtain carriers from 1\:fasingara, as the men of Mawatta, accustomed they say to earn £2 a month, demand exorbitant pay for carrying. }Iasingara has no mission teacher, but is well governed by an intelligent chief and hYo village policemen. :From l\iasingara the party, headed by the ehiefs of Mawatta, :Masingarn, and Badu, went as far inland as the village of Somlos. The country between :M:asingara and Somlos consists principally of low unclulating grassy ridges, with eucalyptus trees, crossed here and there by small streamlets, along ·w hi eh there grow the. ordinary forest trees of the country. Somlos was friendly, and its people are now frequent visitors to the coast. The strong village of Mirapo was put on friendly terms with :Mawatta and J\'Iasingara, places which they have subsequently visited several times. 'l'he appearance of the Badu tribes showed clearly that they had made great progress. They had built good houses, and a large number wore :European clothes. 'l'hey are quite peaeerul, but there is an outstanding dispute between them and Mawatta with reference to some cocoanut groves planted by the fathers or grandfathers of the Badu people before the arrival of the JYiawatta tribe in that part of the country. 'l'hc Resident Magistrate decided the matter in favour of Baclu, hut there may still be trouble over this question of ownership. It was fonnd that at least the stretch of country extending from Badu to Somlos rests on a bottom of old coral roek.

The London missionary teacher stationed at Boigu had collected a consider~ able number of people from Nc·w Guinea, to that undesirable residence on the pretence of educating them there. 'I'hc teaehe1· did not trouble himself in the matter, hut the New Guinea natives were evidently of great use in growing food for his countrymen, and in fnrnishing them with wives. 'l'hcir condition was miserable.

_ 24. No natives were observed on the coast between the "\Vassi Kussa and the Morehead River. It appeared that the tribes on the 'M':orehead River had been attacked and dispersed by the 'l'ug'el'i, their villages baYing been bumcd UOWll

and many people killed. They were living in small camps under poor shelter at difi'crent places in the forest, hut at some distance from the river, so as to be concealed from tran'llers. They were friendly, and anxious that we should proceed at once against the Tugeri tribes. rrhis, of course, was impossible, as they live many miles beyond our honncbry; but it 1ms decided that the steam launch and a strong body of constabulary should remain in the west until renewed attempts could he made to meet the marauders at the season at ~which they were nearly sure to carry out the next invasion o I' this territory.

The latter half of January aml the first part of :February "·ere given to an inspection that extemlcd from I>aru to Orokolo.

'J'he people of Paranm had greatly improved their houses. 'l'l10y have a very efficient local police cstabli.,hment.. 'l'hey try to Jive and dress like Europeans. 'l'hey professed to rcg'ret the long-continued absence from duty of their teacher, so that there was no school for the c hildre11. ~ 'fheir coast line seems to be sinking, and it will probably soon become uninh:.,.hitable if there is no speedy change in the sandbanks and currents near the island.

The nati.-es of Gasiri lwd left the island of Pnrama, and were building on a low confined site at the mouth of the \Virarnturi Creek on the mainland, a move of questionable advantage. Ttcy have a teacher, but education in the school stagnates beyond tbc alphabet. 'fhey are quiet and peaceful, and their police manage their own internal affairs. The smaller and less impOTtant village of Siu was found to be in a satisfactory condition. This community is not of sufficient magnitude to have a policeman or a teacher.

'lhc large village of Sumai mls found to be one of the most advanced in the colony. The community is largl~ enough to have four village p0licemen and two chiefs. Being very numerous they were formerly proportionately aggressive, and

XX.

l)ehaved badly to weak tribes in that part of the country. Now they are active in establishing and enforcing peace among other communities. Many young men of this tribe engage as bbourers, and perhaps the majority wear European clothes. They have a considerable trade in sago. 'l'his large and progressive tribe, the least nomadic of the great tribes of the estuary, has no teacher.

Kubira, formerly much behind its neighbours of Iasa and Sumai, seemed to have advanced rapidly of late. '1'11ey are now a well-settled orderly community.

At Iasa the chiefs and police were heard and consulted in regard to a reported assault by the ''r ahuda people on the police and others from \Viorubi. The chiefs of Iasa are intelligent and the police are very efficient. .Many of their young men hire themselves to employers, and the community carries on a considerable trade in sago, which extends as far as Mmray and Darnley Islands. 'l'he tribe of Saguana has to a large extent adapted. European ideas. They arc a well-settled community, but on this occasion they were loud and persistent in their complaints against their teacher, the only one stationed. on that, the principal, mouth of the Fly. The charges were dealt with by the magistrate, when it was proved that the teacher had acted foolishly and arbitrarily. After settlement of the dispute and payment of compensation for the damage done there would be no permanent d.islike to the teacher, but of course he would he less respected for some time.

A visit to Ipisia was the occasion of impassioned complaints against the teacher associated with that tribe. He and the complainants could. not then he brought face to face, but there could hard.ly be any doubt that his conduct had been as reprehensible as that of his colleague at Saguana. linfortnnately these two men were the only representatives of the ntission in connection with the :Ply River. Their extravagances 11roceeded from want of supervision.

In every other respect the condition of Ipish was satisfactory. On arrival at \Yalmda Island it was ascertained that all the people bad left

their houses and. fled to the swamps. 'fhc villagers of Gcsoa showed they had nothing to do with the attack on the \Viorubi people, who had gone to Wabuda to trade when they were assaulted. The chief of the offending tribe came in on the second day. 'fhey delivered up the ringlemlcr, hut two others coulcl not then be found, but were subsequently surrendered. 'l'he fear of punishment restrained. a large number of y>cople from participating in the assault on the \Viorubi men, and induced them to aid the latter to get away from their assailants. ,

The tribe next called upon was that of ~laipani. No great advance has been mad.e by this people, the chief of whom is one of the most backward men of the sept. '!'hey were still on unfriend.ly terms 1.vith Sisiamia and with the Gama tribes, though not at actual war with cithe1· of them.

It was noticed in proceeding along the coast from the l:'ly to the Purari that the sea had. during the preyious two years seriously encroached on the shore; at many places a third to half a mile of land had quite disap1)eared. This was probably o'ving to an unusually strong and protracted. south-east rnonsoon. 'l'hc change was effected in &uch a short time that subsidence could hardly have had. much to do with it.

As the weather was favourable for travelling along the coast no village was stopped at between J\faipani and Orokolo. In the latter distriet were two or three traders making· copra. Orokolo has some village policemen, but they are so far removed from any European control that they arc not so efficient there as they are in many other places. Nothing· rcq uired special attention at Orokolo. There they have at least one excellent teacher.

On the 2nd February a call was made at Apiope, on the Aivei. :Matters there were also in a satisfactory condition, but they confirmed the report heard at Orokolo, that the Koriki had murdered some of the J\:Iaipua people. 'rlw latter were quiet and friend.ly, but in deep mourning. All the triLcs of the Purari delta were in a troubled and agitated condition, chiefly on account of the prestige earned by the Koriki through this massacre of people that had visited them as friends to sell clay pots. A visit was made to their villages, on which the war cry was immediately raised; but before the warriors cm1ld reach the bank of the river they were fired upon aud driven off. Nothing bPyond destroying the prestige of the tribe could be effected then. The Knimare villagers, though nervous on account of the Koriki occurrences, were friendly. No tribe on the Pnrari delta appeared in arms with the sole exception of the Koriki men.

XXI.

A friendly reception was accorded to the party by all the tribes at Risk Point with the exception of the large village of Tereho. 'l'here the men drew themselves up on the bank armed to the teeth. No collision took place then, but a future misunderstanding with that tribe, the only one that appeared in arms, is not improbable.

The formerly very populous villages on the Gawai seemed to have lost a large part of their population, and with their strength their arrogance bad disappeared. They ·were timid and difficult to approach. ·

rrhe fragmentary tribes of the lower Bamu were very friendly. They have no permanent villages, and seemed to be afraid to build any on account of Sisiamia.

On the site of the former great village of Sisimnia there was not even a hut sta-:1ding. It secmr~d that the Matapaia trihe, on the Wavitmai branch of 1 he Bamu, had been driven from thcit• home by Sisiumia. There were friendlr, but poor, and in wretched circumstances. 'rho Sisiamia men were found establishing a now village a few miles below the old one. They ·were duly warned to lot their m~ighbour~ alone in future.

The tt·ibes on the northern half of the ]:i'ly estu::ny appeared all quiet, and to he making decided progress in following up the Kiwni civilisation.

25. On a visit to Samurai in the end of :March it was found that the prison App:ndix J,

there was overcrowded; other·wise the condition of the station was satisfnctor~·· At page 49

·

the London JHissionary Society's ::;tation at Kwato it was observed that excellent work had been done. Foreshore had been reclaimed, comfortable housct'i for the students had been built, and four native students were leaving the station to hegin the labours of village teachers. rrhc teaching of English was being pushed by the Rev. C. W. Abel.

On the 29th of :March the village of Taututu, the low·est on the J\fambaro River, was found to be practically desm·ted, the inhahitants h:lVin~ been driven out by the tribes of 1\njiga and Gonwo. Ii is not yet clear whether the latter arc British or German subjects. The tribes between 'l'antutu aul the Government Station were not anyn·herc unfriendly, although they were son1ewhnt nervous an<l timid. They did not carry weapons. In the bay at the mouth of the Mambnre River a station was fixed a mile and a-half on the south side of tbo boundary, and a commencement was m:;de to cut a line on a true vvesl:erly bearing in order to uscertain what tribes on the Ikore nre subject to 13ritish jurisdiction. The natives met with were friendly, hut they arc great thieves and probably treacherous. Matters were quiet in and near Collingwoocl Bay, hnt progress is slow there, as contact with Europeans is rare iu that district. 'J'ho principal ehicf Milne Bay received a visit, the first object of which \Yas to encourage him in a great task of ron<l-making carried· out by the natives under his supervision. All the tribes of that populous district WPl'e living peaceably and working up a considcrub]o trade in copra, &c.

At Tubitubi matters were quiet, progressive, and satisfactorJ·, but the Rev. Tvir. :Field reported that the birth-rate wa-; unpreccdentedly low and infant mortality excessively high.

The lessee of the Coni:liet Group bad made considcrabl<, vrogress in planting coco:mnts, and was producing sponges of an encouraging appearance. The islnnd to he reserved in this group for public purposes has: not yet been definitely selected.

'Ihe condition of the Govemmcnt Station at :Kivnni \Yas fairly !'atisfactory, but the advances made jn r)lanting and in hcusc-lJUildi11g were hardly up to the , .. average of other stations.

Several dnys were spent amcmg;:;t the tril:es on the north side of :M:isima. rl'Jwy were formerly quarrelsome, very thievish, and ml!Ch addicted to murder. rrlw latter crime has heen effectually suppressed, and they have much improved in other respects. Tlwy have now sc.-eral fairly g·ood yilJagc policemen in their communities.

Nothing of any serious consequence was reported at the Yarious places called at on the coa.st he1ween Mairu :md :Port )[oresh.r.

2u. On the 11th ::\fay the i'iland of Boigu was reached on a journeJ undertaken Appendix K,

with the express object of meeting the so-called Tugeri tribes that mid this colony pll,ge 52.

from Dutch territory. }'rom JJoigu the smoke of the hunting parties of the invaders was seen in the distriet of tlle ·wnssi Km:sn. X e:xt i'nv a <1etachment of some dozen 'l'ug<~ri eanoes l'rns encouuterPd in the ehannd bei \Ye<~n New Guim•a and the Tnlbot

.Appendix L, page 56.

,. -XXII.

Islands. Those that remained in the clmnuel were immediately attacked ; several casualties were inflicted on them ; their canoes with the who'le of their food and ?amp gear were all captured, anrl their owners fled for refuge into the mangrove IS!ands of the Talhot Group, without having been able to use their bows and arrows w1th any effect. No p!_·isoners were carried aw<"tJ, ::tlthough they were much desired. The possibility of securing prisoners eoulcl not be taken advantage of because the fugitives were already outside the jurisdiction of this colony, and for the further reason that there was no accommodation for them in the boats, while the task of meeting and defeating the main body was still unaccomplished. It was therefore necessary to rem'lin satisfied for the moment with the complete rout inflicted in this division. Meanwhile a large number of canoes had assembled at the mouth of the vVassf Kussa, apparently with the object of examining the position. ],our of them started westward along the New Guinea shore as if to return home. 'rbese were intercepted by a boat, the launch being aground, ami their crews returned overland to the main body on the ''T assi K ussa, leaving their canoes which were broken up. The fire of the Lee-'M:etford rifles caused the canoes at the mouth of the Wassi Kussa to retire up that channel for safetv. A number of canoes that were aLout the west end of the Talbot Islands escap~d westward and were pursued with no success for several miles past the Miabuta Point. Next day the main camJJ of the Tugeri, situated on the western bank of the Wassi Kussa, about three miles from its mouth, was rushed and captured in splendid style by twenty men of the constabulary, who were supported by only four Europeans.

The whole of the fifty wm· canoes belonging to the main body were captured, with all their camp gear and food, as well as the greater part of their arms, which they threw away in the rout. rnlCy left three dead in the camp, including their leader. In the face of the severe loss inflicted on these marauding tribes, it is very unlikely that they will ever retul'l1 to the vVassi Kussa. About half of all the canoes captured were distributed among the heads of N e\V Guinea families then resident at :Boigu. The south-east wind set in with great violence during these operations, so that it \Yas not possible to proceed along the coast to further harass the Tugeri on their long and arduous journey homewards without food, arms, clothes, or shelter. So far as punishment was concerned, it was thought to Le already sufficiently SfWeJ·e.

27. It will he rememLered that, to enable operations to be carried out with greater freedom and precision in dealing with these tribes, a suitable natural boundary was agreed on by Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Queen of the Netherlands. Some effort seems to have heen made by the Dutch authorities to settle these tribes, but their endeavours do not appear to have been renewed after they attacked the magistrate posted among them and made his removal necessary. It was then seen that on this side the only course that would afford relief effectively would Le to raise the native constabulary of this colony to the level of being ahle to inflict a signal defeat on the Tugeri marauders while executing a raid in this Possession. This object has been kept steadily in view. It was thought that the force was in a condition to meet the invading tribes, and when the men were brought face to face with the intruders it was easy to see that they did not give a thought to the disparity in numbers, ancl were quite unmindful of the great fame of the Tugeri as accomplished bowmen. r.I.'he dash and spirit with which they carried the Tugeri camp showed clearly that the constabulary are now quite able to repel any similar incursion that may take plaee in the future.

28. A visit of inspection was made towards the end of June to the Mekeo district. It was noticed that the Rev. H. Dauncey had succeeded in forming a solid district station at Delena. 'l'he ltev. Dr. Ginoechi, the working head of the Sacred Heart Mission, had left the district and the colony, to the great regret of both Protestants and Roman Catholics alike. The village and community of Pinupaka seemed in a satisfactory condition. The greatest impL'ovement effected 1·ecently in Mekeo was the clearing of O'Ood main roads, which was being carried out under the

::)

supervision of Mr. Kowald. For this no payment was made by the Government. The village of Molm was in a satisfactory state in all things save that the

children would not attend school; less than a dozen boys and under a score of girls mustered in their classes.

Most of the Abiari people were absent in the gar(lens. 'l'hev are well­conducted, but have no resident teacher. 'l'he Bereina tribe was~ quiet aml prosperous. They have a strong mission established among them.

XXIII.

The Government Station was in good order; constabulary and prisoners nndee strict clis~ipline. An excellent start of mission work had been made at Vaepa, where there were on the school rolls the names of 16! children. They seemed to readily attend school, but it is still a novelty to them. So far this is a station of great promise. At Inawi one could not fail to notice that the labours of the well-tried and devoted missionary, Pather VitaJi, had produced a beneficial effect on that tribe. In spite of illness and discomfort he still adheres closely to his post, and works incessantly and patiently.

It appeared that the :Father stationed at Yeku had needlessly alarmed himself and others because some of the young men of that tribe had boastingly said among themselves that they would not clear a road when ordered to do so by the Government officers. His nervous, though apparently well-meant, interference might have caused serious trouble bad it not been made in a quarter where the strength of the Government had already made itself felt. 'J'he village constables of the J\1ekeo district are already very useful in suppressing crime and offences. 'fhe lower part of the Kiva (Ethcl Creek) was inspected. No good land, cultivatable, was found on it. Attention was given to a difficulty that had arisen between the London Missionm·y Society and the Sacred Heart Mission. The former bad some years ago bought lancl in Vanamai, and had (as afterwards proved) duly paid for it; it had also been surveyed at theie expense, and they had built on it, and had a teacher resident there for some timl), but as a station it had been left vacant apparently three or four years. Missionaries of the Sacred Heart had gone there, bought land from the natives-which they said was not a purchase-cleared it, built on it, and lived on it for about six months, without respect for the law prohibiting the acquiring of htnd from ahoriginals. 'l'he claim and rights of the London Missionary Society were withdrawn, ~o that there was no further obstacle to the issue of a grant of land thel·e to the Sacred Heart Mission for religious purposes, when that body should apply for it, a precaution entirely ncglectecl by them. 'l'l1is was the first serious encroachment of one mission on another in this colony, and in this case it was certainly not carried out because there were no villages unprovided with teachers in the district of the mission making the encroachment, for there remain in their own district proper many villages entirely unprovided with teachers of any kind.

MISSIONS. 29. In mission work there were some very decided advances to note during

the year, in the case of the Wesleyan :Mission and in that of the London Missionary Society.

'fhe formee body has already attained to the position of training a considerable number of students that wiil in a few years become teachers among their countrymen. '!'here are about a score of them at Dobu station alone. A most important matter in connection with the education of these youths is that they are not allowed to accustom themselves to indolent habits or to consider that a teacher should not perform manual labour. They are the most successful cultivators in their district. 'fhey arc being educated in their own climate; they grow their own food; and by the example of industry they put before their countrymen they are already teachers. From these young men great things may be expected in the evangelisation of the Wesleyan district. 'l'he Rev. '\V. Bromilow, the chairman of the New Guinea district, seems to have started from the first with the sound conviction that the district can become completely evangelised only through the medium of native teachers. In this opinion probably every person that knows the country will concur. The \Vesleyan Mission is certainly not losing time in giving effect to it in practice. 'fhey succeeded, through the Rev. Mr. Fellowes, in founding an important station in the Kiriwina Group. 'l'his was at first attended with unusual difficulty, but by tenacity and perseverance this has been overcome, and the future of that centre seems now assured.

The weak point in the teaching of this mission-from an administrative point of view-was that English did not receive so much attention as was desirable. This is in all teaching here a matter of the utmost importance. If this is ever to become an English-speaking country, now is the time to encourage the use of that language, and in this the missions could undoubtedly lend very valuable assistance.

XXIV.

All Government officers have been instructed to sec that English is used as the language of the different stations among police, native employees, and prisoners. This, together with contact and association with miners, traders, &c., would probably eventually make English the common language of the coast districts. The missions, by teaching English, could greatly assist this movement. To native young men engaging to work for Europeans some knowledge of English is of such value that it is impossible not to think that secular education imparted to them without an acquaintance with English is but of little utility or advantage. The teaching of English is now receiving more attention from the \Vesleyan Mission; and no don bt every one of the native teachers ldll be trained to teach that language, and, perhaps, eventually to teach in it; but unfortunately some of their South Sea teachers do not know any English themselves. Such men-and there are not a few of them in the service of the YV esleyan and London Missionary Societies-may he excellent catechists, but they cannot be held to be qualified to act as teachers in a colony like this, where, from the multiplicity of dialects and the necessity for a common language, the power to teach English becomes of such special importance. It is an undoubted fact that, as regards religions teaching, the earnest seriousness of the vVesleyan l\Iission has made already a deep impression en the character of many natives in their district, which is undergoing a real transformation, which radiates from their score of churches and fifty preaching stations.

30. The I~ondon Missionary Society has many stations established for a number of years at which apparently Hot a word of English is understood. 1Vith the teachers to whom that tongue is unknown this is all hut irremediable. But splendid progress has been made at certain places during the year by this the oldest, most experienced, and widest established mission. At Port lforesby the Rev. A. E. Hunt has been able to actually establish the system of teaching the upper school in English. That this gentleman has done so, and does it successfully, is a notable and congratulatory event in the history of education in this colony. Under the direction of the Hev. Dr. vV. G. Lawes a very suitable training college has been built in the Central District. It is well situated for extending mission work towards a great and populous district of the interior. It is on a ·healthy site, is easily accessible from the sea, and has about 150 acres of cultivatable land attached to it. Here the Papuan youths will receive th<>ir final theological course before proceeding to occupy villages as teachers. 'fhere is sufficient land attached to the college for the industrial training of the youths, so that they will not be allowed to lapse into indolent habits or to become used to a mode of life different from that they will have to live as village teache1·s. This mission has always recognised the necessity for training Papuans as teachers, many of whom are now doing good work. They certainly reach the hearts of their countrymen in a way that no foreigner can imitate.

During the year Dr. Lawes put through the press an extended and much improved edition of his already excellent grammar and dictionary of the Motu dialect, by far the most accurate and valuable work ever issued on a Papuan language.

At Kwato the Rev. C. W. Abel established systematically the teaching of English, which may be said to be practically the language of that station. A novelty introduced by !fr. Abel in teaching deserves special notice on account of its originality and its undoubted great utility. It consists in imparting to the children in catechismal form a 1·esunuJ in English of the native laws passed by the Government. 1\:Ir. Abel has kindly furnished the following note on his system:-

"The twenty-two 11ative laws which the children at Kwato have committed to memory in English, and which nre now being taught at five out-stations in Milne Bay, affect their personal relations with each other, their attitude towards personal offenders, and the way they are expected to regard other people's property.

"They deal with their duty in regard to the formation and preservation of roads from village to village, and not only prohibit them from destroying valuable trees, such as rubber-trees, but enjoin upon them the necessity of planting cocoanuts if called upon to do so by the Government.

"They are taught obedience to those in authority over them, and the necessity of assisti,ng, if called upon to do so, in the proper carrymg out of the law in their villages.

"Perjury is denounced, and they nre apprised of the necessity of keeping strictly to any agreelllent they may make for work before the Governlllent with trader", masters of vessels, and others.

''I have found, with a little practice, they are easily able to pronounce English words with remarkable accuracy; and, with a little explanation in their own language, they soon pick up the meaning of these laws in English."

x.xv.

In the Western District the J,ondon Missionary Society decidedly retrograded during the year, in consequence of the absence of the Rev. Jnmes Chalmers and the ensuing want of supervision over tlw teachers. On the return of th:1t gentleman to his post matters at once began to assume a different aspect, and the Mission forth·with set about regaining the lost ground.

31. The Sacred Heart Mission mffered a great loss in the departure of the Rev. Dr. Ginocchi from the colony. Up to the adYtmt of this gentleman the mission had favoured and practised the pagan and n:tsanitary custom of burying the dead beneath or near the dwelling-houses of the living. Under his wise direction this practice was discontinued by the mission, and the efforts of the Government were seconded by the Father to compel the nat~ves to bury the dead in appointed cemeteries. The harmony with which Dr. Ginocchi Yl'orked with bis neighbours, and his tolerance towards other churches, won for him general resp~ct and esteem. The most important steps made by this mission during the year were the very succe;;sful establishment of a mission at Vaepa, with a branch at Aipiana, and, towards the end of the year, the taking poso;;ession, somewhat irregularly, of the village of Vanamai, in a ,way that could hardly be regarded other\\'ise than as an encroachment on the London .ftlissionary Society. 'rhe district proper of the Sacred Heart, 1\cfekco, which has not been touched by the London Missionary Society, is not nearly fully occupied by the S:wretl Heart, but prcp:1ratiom ara being made for extension there. Their missions at Inawi and at V aepa are of a high order; at other stations the results arc not alwavs commensurate with the labour that has hcen bestowed on them, nor 1:rit h i !le s~crifices made by the me m hers of the mission, who have suffered far more from sickness than any other people in the colony.

About half a score of stations "·ere in operation during the year, about one for each year of the life of the mission. Several were being taken in hand about tbe end of the twelve months.

In some respects tbis mission is at a disadvantage. The number of fetes and ceremonial observances requiring the presence of the missionaries at head­quarters is a decided drawback to them as teachers. 1J.1hey cannot, like the married ministers of the Protestant missions, put hefore the natives the example of family 1if,9 after the European model, an ohjeet lesson that has been by no means without influence at Dobu, Kwato, Kerepunu, &c.

At Mohu some progress is made in teaching English to a few little girls, but practically it may be said that ]~nglish is neglected by the mission. Indeed, few of the missionaries know that lnngu:tge. 'rhey have, however, some eight native boys, aged from twelve to fifteen, at Thursday Island for the purpose of learning English, and these may perhaps hl~ able to teach this language by-and-by. It does not appear, howeYer, from a report of the missionary entrusted with their training, that special attention is given to English in their case; but this is a matter that 1vill be watched by this Government, for there can be no doubt that the training of these boys at 'l'hur~day Island will be in some respects a serious disadvantage to them. They will become declimatised; they will get accustomed to European food ; and they are completely cut off from work and such industrial occupations as the planting of natiYe gardens, by which they will principally have to live in their own villages if they ever hecome catechists there. Unfortunately they can have no opportunity of learning anything about European cultivation at Thursday Island.

At present this mission has no Papuan teacher in its service; and it is not easy to see how it can avail itself to any large extent of such auxiliaries for a long time to come, unless the rule of celibacy is dispensed with in the case of native teachers. If this is not done, the natives will be unfit to ever advance beyond the degree of catcchist, and the work of the Sacred Heart Mission will have to ])e carried on chiefly by European Fathers and foreign Brothers, which will, for a large mission, be a heavy expenditure. Some of these Fathers are excellent missionaries, and certain Brothers furnish fine examples of devotion to duty, but it is doubtful that Europeans ever so thoroughly gain the sympathy of these natives and understand them as fully as their own trained countrymen would, or even as South Sea teachers do. The Sacred Heart Mission has suffered severely from sickness, and mortality

XXVI.

has been high in their ranks, especially among the industrious and ever-devoted Sisters. Yule Island has never had a good sanitary reputation among natives; the Mekeo district is low and damp, and the mission has no hill sanatorium. It is, however, extending further inland than the other missions, and may before long reach the hills. This mission is desirous of encouraging agricultural industry in the district, and it is hoped that its influence in that direction may be of advantage to the natives of that part of the country. The mission is liberally supplied with land wherever it requires it in its own district, but it is not the policy of this Government to grant land to any mission to help it proselytise.

32. The Anglican Mis~ion gained but little in power during the year. The result is that the period closes with the whole of the three great rivers and all the north-east coast beyond Cape Vogel totally ·without any mission settlement of any kind. They had some half-dozen stations at work, but some of them in an initial and rather rudimentary state. When the missions ngrecd among themselves to divide the colony into certain specific fields for eacb, the north-east coast was left exclusively to the Anglican Mission. Prior to that date this mission was inclined to think itself unfairly confined hy not being entrusted as well1vith the care of the islands now occupied by the Wesleyan :M:ission ; hut the north-east coast alone has proved to he so much beyond its stt·ength tlmt by far the greater portion of it is entirely neglected. It is sincerely to be hoped that mission 'York of a serious kind may be established soon on the now unoeeupiod northern coast and on the large rivers. The Rev. Copland King, the head of the mission, has done all that it was possible for him to do with the few lmlf-tntinml teachers at his disposal. Personally he has done as much as it vms possible for any one man to do. Exceptionally good work has been accomplished at the head-quarters of the mission, where, however, the omission of the English language from the list of the subjects taught is, from the public point of view, much to be regretted. But what has been done outside that centre does not amount to much. Unless there is a large increase of strength to this mission it would be hopeless to look to it for the evangelisation of the north-east coast. Mr. King has under tuition a small numl)er of youths that may perhaps furnish two or three tea.chers ; hut one man, however able and willing he may be, can do but little towards supplying such a large area of country with native teachers.

33. There is one serious difficulty confronting alike all the missions :·the irregular attendance or the non-attendance of scholars at the different schools. At certain places where the I~ondon Missionary Society have been long established, and where they lmd formerly well-filled benches, there are now very poor schools. The falling off at Port Moresby, the oldest London Missionary Society school, is nearly in as great proportion as it is at Mohu, the oldest school of the Sacred Heart on the mainland. A Native Itegulation dealing with this subject has been prepared, and the draft submitted to the several missions for their views on it. This Regulation is to provide means in a mild and tentative way for enforcing school attendance.

It is becoming a matter of anxious consideration that the missions do not extend their stations inland. Up to now their operations, except in the case of the Sacred Heart :Mission, which has not got half-a-score of miles inland, hardly leave the coast line, and there are in the interior many populous districts. From what precedes it will be seen that there is likely to be much delay in filling up even the coast line itself in certain parts of the colony. 'l'he tendency is natur-ally to take up the coast villages first. l1ut if this is done systematically, and the inland districts are then left unprovided for, serious difficulties will ultimately arise with regard to the interior. Already the Sacred Heart Mission complains of being too much cut off from the coast; but it does so somewhat unreasonably, because the coast line was occupied in its locality before it established itself there; and the heads of that mission refused to take up the then entirely unoccupied north-east coast or to settle on the eastern islands, for which they were offered the active assistance of a Govern­ment vessel. It will, however, do good work if it extends inland, as must have been its original intention, to the tribes of the interior, where it will find a very extensive and unoccupied field. The vVesleyan :Mission will have no trouble in reaching the interior of their islands, and already many hill tribes come to the coast in their circuits to attend Sunday services, while other tribes are shifting down perm an en tly to the sea.

XXVII.

At the present rate of expansion it will take the London Missionary Society at least two or three generations to occupy their hinterland; without further incrPase of strength the Anglican Mission cannot do so within a period so near as to possess any practical interest to those now living. 'fhe complete evangelisation of the tribes of this colony would therefore seem to be still a long way off.

But even constituted as they are at present the missions contribute powerful aid towards the settlement of the country. No secnlar education is being supplied to natives except that which is given them by the missions. All missionaries of British citizenship, and some of those that are not, constantly inculcate the sentiment and duty of loyalty to the Queen and of obedience to the Government. 'l'he example of the disinterested life of the missionary unquestionably produces an effect on native feeling and character. Missions, to whatever Church they belong, cannot but do great good here so long as they are not led into the temptation of proselytising. Any proselytising mission wonld assuredly do much serious harm among these natives. 'fhe total absence of missions would be preferable to proselytising.

GENERAL NA'l'IVE 'VORK. 3't There was undoubtedly considerable progress made during the twelve

months in the settlement of natives. rrhe murder of J\fr. Clark, on the Mambare, was fortunately the only case of the kind that occnned during the year; and it was perpetrated in a district that had hut little acquaintance with Europeans, and among men that were strangers to the country, q nite unaccustomed to deal with wilJ. natives. The influence of the Govemment was better established near each centre of authority, and in many cases its al'Ca was largely extended. 'rhe full force of village policemen or of chiefs doing police duty at the end of the year amounted in round numbers to about 120 men, as follows:-

\V est 17 chiefs, 26 police 43 East 25 , 25 Louisiades 14 , 14 Rigo, &c. 22 , 22 Mekeo 20 , 20

124

In their districts, serious crime has been reduced to limits about as low as it reaches in ordinary civilised communities. '!'here at·e, however, large areas towards the centre of the country where no Government control whatever is exercised; and there are many inland districts where at present it only exercises an inhibitory influence, under which great raids are no longer indulged in, bnt whet'e solitary and pett.v crimes go unpunished. The limited means at the disposal of the Administration do not admit of any attempt to reduce all the tribes of the colony to authority at one time, or even within a short space of time. 'rhat would. require an expenditure probably ten times as great as that which is at present available. The slower process of working from certain established centres, being' the only one practicable, must therefore be persevered in. rrhe Government continues to have good reason to be satisfied with the aptitude of the natives for civilisation and with their growing regard for established authority. One of the difficulties oflieers complain of is that the name of the Government is from personal motives frequently abused by :Ew opeans and others to intimidate natives. It is, of course, fully recognised that any man should. invoke the name of the Government with natives to prevent the committal of any crime or offence, or to preserve peace; but when threats of Government punishment are held forth in order to peocme the services of natives or to extort unfair trade advantages, then much harm is done. Unfortunately, such cases are by no means unknO\Yll. At least one o (ficer has complained several times that certain teachers in his district are very ready to lodge complaints against natives, and as soon as the latter are dealt ·with judicially then the informant or complainant proceeds, with the knowledge of the native, to beg for the 1·emission of the sentence. In all districts, however, the missions render valuable service to magistrates in bringing to their knowledge offences that might otherwise remain unknown.

XXVIII,

Less progress has been made than might lmve been expected in making the natives extend their cocoanut plantations. It '.Yould appear that officers have been so keen on the suppression of crime and the extension of their authority to new tribes-matters that require much travelling over difiicu1t country-that the more domestic concerns of the settled tribes have not had as yet so much attention as they require. It is a matter for congratulation that some of the missionaries now take a lively interest in encouraging· the natives to extend their plantations of cocoanuts, &c. At the Chri5.tmas and other meeting;::; of natives it is -..vell known that, for example, the Rev. Dr. L:nn~s mul ::\Ir. AlJel hnve earnestly urged this matter on natives. Such counsel will certainly not be altogether lost.

On Sudest Island a considemblc numlJc~· of natives wash out gold on their own account ; in other settled districts they engage to work for miners, traders, &c., or they make copra. rnw collection of ruhhcr, however, promises to become the principal native indush7. ~For this there is large scope in the colony, and it is an occupation that is congenial to natives. The numb8r of natives engaged before the Government officers for terms of serYicc ·was-west, 16:3 ; cast, !jll ; Port Morcsby, 268. Unfortunately other officers have omitted this point in their reports.

It appears that in certain districts the greater pm·t of the time of natives is taken np in preparing for and attending feasts. 'l1hc general excuse has been that they ·were to celebrate Uw establishment of intertrihal peace, hut this threatens to become a nuisance. r.J~hc opening of cemeteries is now so well established and widespread that there is no longer any apprch('nsion of serious trouble in suppressing house and village lmriaL The only plaec where obstinate difficulty was Teally created was in the Mekco dist.rict, at tl1c time that the Sacred Heart Mission favoured and practised this most insalubtious mode of sepulture.

It continues to be a matter for congratulation that relations lJCtween Europeans and natiYes have remained perfectly tranquiL 'l'he treatment of natives by miners and settlers generally has on the whole beGn exemplary. The miners that haye worked in this colony up to now have been nearly all hardworking respectable men, who have dealt fairly by tho native, although them have, of course, been instances jn which they were too ready to take the law into theit· own hands. And there have been a fl'W cases in which natives have l>een unjustly dealt with.

35. One of the most interesting subjects in ethnology to which attention has been. given during the year· is that of rl'otemisu1. That this exists in a modified form from the Louisiades to Orangcric l3ay seems clear. It also extends up the north­east coast; but it appears to have been quite unknown, in a recognisable form, west of Cloudy Bay. It is a matter that requires much further and very patient inYestigation, and its elucidation proceeds but slowly. Birds aro tile most common emblems of the totem tribes, hut animals, fishes, nnd even insects are used. Pictorial re1wescntation of the totem has not been observed anywhere. '!'he general belief seems to be that the totem contains the spirit of a common ancestor. 'l'hc native would not kill his totem animal, and was prepared to go to 1var with any person or tribe that did so. Its principal effect is in regard to sexual relations. No man can marry a woman having the same totem as himself, even if their tribes live so widely apart as to be complete strangers to each other. All sexual commerce between men and women of the same totem is completely prohibited. Any violation of this great principle was nearly sure to lead. to serious disturbance, unless it were heayiiy paid for. rl1o have a common tote1i1 doc3 not interfere with or prevent fighting between individuals or tribes. r:l1he children take the totem of the mother.

People belonging to tribes west of Orangerie Bay, after they arc brought into contact with totem tribes, readily adopt the idea th:-tt it is the correct thing to have a totem, and they arc always 1)repared to mislead the inexperienced inquirer. On the other hand, its influence is waning already in the east in at least some respects. Serious men may even now he seen eating their sacred totem with evident relish, but its influence in match-making will probably not become wholly extinct for several generations to come.

NATIVE DIALECTS.

Appendix BB 36. The brief and very imperfect vocabulary of words from the Upper :&Iusa page 100. 'River was obtained chiefly from natives of Gewaduru and Gudari villages, but partly

from 11atives on the Adaua l~iver. It has sine<' been supplemented by a small

XXIX.

collection made by :Mr. vV. Simpson, chiefly on the M:oni River. The :1a.tives of the Upper Uusa and -:\Ioni Valley converse 1Yith each other freely, but It IS not at all clear yet whether they speak the s:~nw dialect or not. There are certainly considerable differences in the names gircn to common things in the t'IYO districts.

The 1\fambarc vocalmlnry has been ohbincd from the tribes nearest to the Government Station. It is a bw•uag·.~ that is understood over a considerable area of country on the coast nearly as t'ar 'south as the "JYiusa River. Its compilation will be made more complete as Mr. Green 1ind::; time and opportunity of adding to it.

'l1he Dungerwab dialrct was written down from members of that tribe. 'l'hey lived on the \Vassi Kussa inlet before they were broken up anfl dispersed by the invading Tugcri. 'rhey wonld very speedily take to English if they had the opportunity of mixing much \Yith :English-speaking people. All that is known of the Bangu languag·e is printed with the Dungerwab dialect.

37. rro the ~ubiect of native land tenure there was only one contribution .Appendix N,

during the year, an m;usually complete one, hy Ur. Uely, on K.iwai Island in the page 66·

Fly cshmry.

An interesting description, by J[r .• T. n. Cameron, of a natiYc burial he Appendix u, attended will be found at page 80. This took place in the Kabacli district, some two pa.ge B6.

score of miles west of Port Moresby. Perhaps the points of most interest in it are the painting of the body as if for wa1·, and ornamenting it with native jewellery.

PUBLIC WORKS.

38. Practically all public work was confined to what could be effected hy prison labour. In the Central District it consisted in weeding and in adding to the cocoanut plantations, and in building a son-wall on the foreshore. Messrs. Burns, Philp, and Co. erected a substantial wharf, at which vessels drawing 10 feet can discharge cargo at lowwater. rrhc sca-.wall was laid out so as to reach from this wharf to the Government sheds near the foot of Paga Hill. In the Rigo district ~ome main paths we1·e well cleared hy the several tribes, acting under the direction of the Government Agent, and progress was made in substantially bridging the creek where crossed by the road leading from the sea to the Government t5tation. '11

h" ~ nut plantation was also extended.

_. Mekeo the principal undertaking was road-making, especially a trunk from the Government sbtion to a convenient navigable m·eek near 1\Iolm

village. 'Jlhere was much work in renewing the station buildings, which arc of native materials. In the 'V cstem Division some new houses \Yore built and substantial fencing was cm-ried ont, vvhilo the foreshore was faced with timber, and considerable progress was made in constructing a stone jetty.

At Samurai roads -..vere improved, and a beginning was made in forming a sea-wall on the south side of the island.

At the 'ramata station, on the 2\Imnba, work \Vrts confined to building houses and phLnting food, labour which was performed on a large scale in proportion to the number of hands employed.

At Nivanl more land was clea,rcd, and some cocoanuts planted. At the vY cstern station, at 1\fckeo, and at '1\tmata all buildings arc of native materials, and are constructed by the officers respectively in charge there. This applies also to the police quarters at Samarai and Nivnni.

Substantial coustabulary barracks of wood aucl iron were built at Port :Moresby and ltigo; also a powder magazine, and quarters for the boat's crew at Port J\rloresby.

Some small boats were constructed for the Govemmcnt, but no new vessel of any considerable size.

TRADE. Details of imports and exports, navigation, and postal matters an~ given in Appendix z,

the Appendices to this Report. pa.ge 93.

XXX.

IMPORTS.

39. The total of imports into the three ports of entry has been:-

1888-R9 1880-90 1890-91 1891-92 1892-!)3 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96

Year. Samarai.

£ G,OHl 6 798 7:45:'.

10,379 13,173 15,331 12,079 20,912

-~---~-----···--·- -~-~------~- .

rort liorc•by.

£ 5,019 9.305 8,075

13,377 12,088 11,428 1·J.,03G 12,235

The chief items imported have been:-

£ £ £ £ Food Stuffs ... 5,400 7,124 4,4G3 6.037 Drapery and Clothing 1,735 ].582 2,838 'Toba<'<'O and Cigars ... 996 1;290 3,257 Hardware ... 027 1,123 2,677 Bevemges 805 l ,14:\ 800 Building Mnterials ... 246 1.0813 1,065 Other Articles 990 ! 2/i56 !

(5,091

Total ... i £11,108 : £16,104 £23,755

------~---~··-- ~--··-~--

189~-93.

£ 6,.25!! 3.414·

I 2;4-o7 2,828 1,625 1,474 7,261

I £25,261

Darn.

£

1,H1 2,253 1,374

1893-9~.

i

Total,

£ 11,108 16,104 15,530 23,755 25 261 28:501 28,367 34,521

189!-95. 1395-96.

£ £ 9,328 3,149 2,735 4,844 1,755 1,916

10,794

£34,521

Food stuffs show a substantial increase, which is more or less due to the increase in the European population attached to the vVoodlark Gold Field and the auriferous country on the Mambare River. Although the value of the tobacco imported is less than the value of what was imported last year, the imports of tobacco in quantity exceed last year's imports by ahout five tons. Hardware displays a considerable advance, but mining implements account for a portion of this. An increased European population means an increase of imported beverages. Miscellaneous articles show a decided rise in value.

1888-8!) 1889-90 1890-91 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 189-t-95 1895-96

EXPORTS.

The total value of exports, as entered at the Custom House, has b ..

Year. Samanti.

£ G,071 5,458 7,678 8,0!l9 6,290 9,555 8,39!)

10,600

Port ~Iore,by.

£ 8il 997 755

3,~~~ S,Gn> 3,542 5,059 8,326

Darn.

£

1,854 2,757

475

:::>_. jt,

5,943 6.455 8,434

11,289 14,!)66 14,952 16,215 19,401

'fhe exports show an increase of over £3,000. Gold, however, represents over £2,000 of this. The gold that actually is exported must be much more than what is reported at the Customs. It may be safely asserted that the gold obtained from Woodlark Island alone from 1st ,July, 1895, to 30th June, 1896, amounted to some thousands of })Ounds sterling in value. The statement that follows gives the annual returns of gold reported at the Customs for export :-

1898-80.

i 18~9-90. 1800-9!. 1__:::~ 1B92-93. 18fl3-9·1. I l8lH-95. I 1895-96.

--· ----- ------ : ~~-~

Ounces 3,850 i

3,470 2,426 1,235 582 1,128 728 1,3i3 ... . .. ... Value ... ... . .. i £1-±,88i I 12,440 s,:m 4,322 2,236 3,906 2,G65 4,735

I i

The principal export in value after gold ·was t'andalwood, of '"\vhich there was exported 524 tons, valued at £4·,035, being an increase of 14() tons on last year's

·exports.

XXXI.

It was stated in the last Annual Iteport that there was every reason to suppose that indiarubber would take a more prominent position in t.his Report. It has done so. A couple of hundredweight mts the export for 18U4-95. During the financial year last ended nearly three tons were sent awav, which was valued at £009. 'l'his industry should incr~ase, as incliarubher collec"ting can he carried on by nativ_es without European supervision; and the knowledge of how to prepare it, and of Its use as an article of tmde, is spreading amongst a race who arc always on the look-out to find products which they can exchange for European goods.

On the list of exports sponge appears for the first time. Sponges are being cultivated in the lagoons of the Conflict Group of islets.

A small quantity of ginger was exported. In a wild state there is plenty of it in the country.

Pearls and pearl-shell show a decrease. 'l'he 'l'robriand beds, from which the pearls are mostly obtained, are of courRe not so prolific as they were at first. The diving for pearl-shell seems to take fits and starts ; the chief obstacle in the prosecution of the work being the depth of the water in which the beds are found.

There is but little difrerenec in the copra export. 'l'he following table gives the export of this article since the foundation of the Possession:-

188S-89 76 tons valued at 1889-90 43

" " 1890-91 198

" " 1891-92 340

" " 1892-93 194

" " 1893-94 450

" " 1894-95 427 " "

1895-96 381 "

,, 'l'he total volume of trade for the year was­

Imports Exports

Total ...

SIIIPPING.

£34,521 £19,401

£53,922

£550 250

1,433 2,084 1,159 2,885 2,830 2,748

40. Tl1e shipping entered inwards and outwards was wholly British. 'l'he total number of foreign-going vessels entered inwards was E9, representing 10,387 tons ; the entries outwards were 60 vessels, representing 9,472 tons. This gives an increase in tonnage, as compared with the previous year, of over 8,000 tons, due in part to a large steamer having beqn during the year put into the carrying trade between the Possession and the Australian colonies.

The coasting vessels entered were 169; tonnage, 3,639.

'l'he mail schooner has made regular trips during the year.

POSTAL.

41. The postal business for the year, as compared with previous years, shows a slight increase. 'J.1he following is a tabulated statement for the past eight years:-

-------------I I

Article. 1888-89. I 1889-90. 1890-91. i 1891-02. I 1892-93. 1893-94. 1894-95. 1895-96. I I I --------- ------ -------- ------- - --------- ---- --- - - - - --- -----

J,etters recci ved 2,366 3,166 2,664 4,393 4,079 6,280 6,279 7,130 Letters despatched ::: 2,587 2,586 2,191 3,917 4,011 5,297 6,189 4,987 Packets received 93 111 142 45 230 157 129 24G Puckets despatched 98 84 88 78 427 467 468 281 N ewspupcrs received 4·,071 6,845 6,042 8,505 6,749 8,131 7,046 7,197 Newspapers despa.tched ... 574 590 468 756 276 240 776 828

XXXII.

FINAXCE. J{EVKNUE.

~i~c~~);.A.A, ~2. rrhe ~mount of revenue. paicl into the Queensland Treasury by the l~oss?sswn during the yenr was £G,G l7. It i,.; compared below with the revenues of prevwus years :-

Items.

Cu•toms Dues Gold Field Receipts Fees ... ... . .. Fines J,icenses Miscellaneous

Total

--·----------1 • I -~ss-~~!__:89-90. ~8-9~-9~:_ ~snt-92~- te92-93. I 1893-9~. 1_1:~~~-~ 1893-00.

£ £ £ £ £ £ . £ I £ 2,41fi 2,893 2,525 4,428 3,757 f.i,067 ·! 622 I 5,!J74

187 20 2:l 24 23 5<t ' 2fi 78 I 2 4 •1 10 le>/ 115 1 /8 21 '

25 41 ·J•l 34 24 22 I 27 I 37 ... 2 11 21 136 106 :!17 1 247 293 ... 42 4-t I 5:3 I 119 ::i3:J 291 ' 109 I 1<14 ---------------------- ---'----

£I 2,6/!J I 3,()15 I 2,G73 4,783 I 4,Gl'4 ! G,866 : 5,109 I 6,547

________ ___:__ ---- ----------- ------------------- - ----------

BXPENDI'l'UHK

43. The sum of £1G,OOO appropriated to the ordinary Administrative Services o£ the year was expended. rrlw sum of ~£>t3 7 18s. 5<1. allmYecl for the support of two new Govemment agencies was a,lso cxpendC:~d for such purpose. The expenditure of the £15,000 is classified and comparccl as follows with that of previous years:-

Head of Expenditure. 1SS8-S9. I 1889-90. 1GOO-f!l. 1892-93. I 1893-91. 1SD1 95. i 1895-96.

~-- ~-- -£ £ £---- - --,~--- I £ --£--- £

Civil List Salaries Other Salaries Vessels and Boats Allowa nccs ... Buildings aud vVorks

~,fi:l3 3,:lOO 3,2!!0 3,300 3 300 · 3,300 3,248 3,186 1,796 2,atn :l,,J7il :l,G:>D 3:7oi I' 3,47D 3,640 3,779 2,717 2,5G4 2,!!38 2,!J!J3 1,GOO 1.30'> 2,114 1,587 1,2!JG 2,G4'> 1,500 1.35G 1,748 1,45~ 1,614 1,388

185 . 1 ,H·L !Ji!J 'ISO 8i2 43:J 3()7 661 2 I 137 355 335 I 146 203 145 142 Agriculture .. .

Mail Senicc .. . . .. I ·1t:> : ... ... ... ! 450 . 75o 900 900 Miscelluncou~

Total

"'1_1,662 ~~~~5[) •-2,G75 ~~~~-·J,(}~ __ 2_:::_ _3,357

£ I 10,769 i 14,975 15,000 I 15,COO I 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 I ! I I

-----~-~---- -------- ---------------------'------

S.S. "niEH,RIE EXGLAND."

44. During the year ending the 30th ;June, 189u, the "Merrie En~d" steamed 15,708 miles and. consumed 7H~ tons of coal, making an average distance of 22 miles for each ton of coal.

The financial year of the steamer ends on the 31st "Niarch. The gross total expenditure for the year was £7,327 l,!s. Of this sum £433 9s. 3d. was refunded. by earnings, leaving a net expenditure of £6, 591j .J s. 9d. 1'he Imperial Government provided £3,000, and the three contributing colonies £1,333 6s. Sd. each for the steamer's maintenance .

.Appendix M, The considerations on which expenditure was regulated arc given in full in page 62• the despatch covering the Estimates, and. printed. as Appendix M to this Report.

ESTABLISHMENTS. 45. At the end of the year the personnel of the establishments of the public

service, besides the civil list officers, was as follows :-Resident Magistrate, Centrnl Division

, , Western Division , , Eastern Division , , Louisiades

Government Agent, :M:ekeo , , Rigo

" " North-east Coast

Commandant ... Government Storekeeper rrreasurer and Collector Sub-Collector, Samarai Sub-Collector, Daru ... Head Gaoler and Overseer of Works Commander, s.s. "Merrie England" First Engineer, "Merrie England"

Dr. J. A. Blayney. B. A. Hely. M. H. Moreton. A. M. Campbcll. C. Kowald. A. E. English. J. Green. A. '\V. Butterworth. H. N. Chester. D. Ballantine. W. E. Armit. H. W. de Lunge. J. :M:eredith. M. A. Jones. H. Phillips.

XXXIII.

The only new rwst created was that of Government Agent for the north-east coast. The service sustained at the end of the year a sensible loss by the retirement, on account of ill-health, of Commander Jones. During the time he was in command of the steamer he was able, by means of special knowledge and proficiency, to give valuable assistance in preparing sketch surveys :md in determining geographical positions, while from his acquaintance with business transactions he was in a position to attend, with decided advantage to the service, to many matters of a mercantile nature when he was present in the ports of Queensland.

Towards the end of the year, "Mr. R .. J. Kennedy resigned his appointment s Resident Magistrate of the Louisiades, and retired from the service.

LANDS. 46. It appears that no Crown grant was issued during the year 1895-96,

although a considerable number of small holdings of land were alienated to missions, traders, and others.

The most discouraging element in the administration of the Possession is the fact that no European planting on a scale of any importance has been started, although the colony presents considerable advantages of soil, climate, and labour.

rrhe contributing colonies agreed to expend a special grant of £1,000 in seeking out and roughly surveying a certain number of blocks of land suitable for different kinds of agriculture. These it is intended to offer on very favourable terms to settlers possessing the means necessary to enter on serious cultivation. This survey was, however, not entered on, though sanctioned, in the year under review.

METEOROLOGY. 47. Meteorological returns have been sent in only from two stations-l)ort Appendix W,

Mores by and Daru. These show clearly that the year was in the west an unusually page 90

'

dry one. The rainfall at theie two stations has been :-

1895-96 189:t-95

Dam.

69·49 inches 116·52 "

Port Moresby.

32·15 iuches. 40·ll inches.

At Port Moresby rain fell on 54 days, 24 inches out of the total of 32 falling in nearly equal proportions in January, February, and March.

At Daru rain fell on 175 days, 5S inches out of the total of 69 falling in the first five months of 1896.

The warmest month at each station was December. At Port Moresby the highest December temperature was 58 degrees, the lowest 83 degrees. At Daru these were 84·3 degrees and 7 8·3 degrees respectively.

SCIEN'£IFIO REPORTS. 48. A brief notice by Mr. de Vis is attached on certain additions to the public Appendix x,

collections of this colony preserved in the Queensland Museum. pa.ge 91.

It is, as pointed out by the Curator, very much to be desired that an illustrated catalogue of this collection should be prepared. The difficulty is the usual one-lack of funds. 'l'his colony possesses no means whatever that could be made availa 1Jlc for such a purpose.

It will be noticed that tb is collection, which is purely of a national character, l1as already assumed large proportions. It was not practicable to establish it in the Possession on account of the expense it would have occasioned. It is only by the liberality of the Government of Queel1Sland that its existence has been made possible, :md that it is accessible to the public. It has already been pronounced by competent authol'ity to be the best P::1puan collection yet brought to .. ether. "\Vith the continued co-operation of the Govcmment of Queensland it can °soon be made greatly better than it is now, before it has become too late.

49. A melancholy interest is attached to the notes from the late Baron Sir Appendix Y,

Ferdinand V on Muller, as they are the last that can he furnished by him. They page 92·

were not elaborated so fully as was intended, but it has been thought that they would be useful and of interest, even in their present form. One of the most

c

XXXIV.

cherished. studies of that great and enthusiastic man of science was the flora of New G!linea, of which he possessed unique knowledge, and in which, especially in th~ alpme plants, he took the very deepest interest. His hearty, sympathetic, and faithful co-operation will be greatly missed in this important branch of research in connection with this new colony in a new and greatly diversified country.

GENERAL. 50. One of the most striking events of the year was the arrival in this colony

of the remains of an expedition fitted out in Kaiser Wilbelms-land, and led by the well-known traveller, HPrr Otto Ehlcrs, who wns accompanied by Herr Piering, Officer of Police at Friedrich Wilhelmshafen. 'rhey had, on setting out, forty-three coloured carriers nnd a creole Rervant It was calculated that they carried with them provisions for thirty days. '!'hey were furnished with eight rifles and two shot guns, but were not provided with instruments for geographical determination, nor with materials for making collections in natural history; bnt they carriml some trade goods. '.l'he party starteil inland from the nwuth of the Prancisca River on the 14th August. On the 23rd August they reached an inland village, which must have been in German territory. There they remained for three days, and it does not appear that they saw another native till they reached the gardens of the Mobiabi people, on the Lakekamu River, on the 21st October, sixty-seven days after they had begun the journey overland. Rainy weather set in even before they reached the inland village, and there the first death occurred. They met with no native tracks beyond that place, but were constantly exposed to rain and damp fogs while cutting their way through dense forests, up and down steep mountains, and across precipitous ravines, swimming rivers, devoured by myriads of insatiable leeches, and suffering from cold and fatigue, to which was soon added a more fat.al enemy­hunger. 'fhe clothes of the two leaders were torn to pieces by thorns, and the carriers, having no tent, had to rest all night cowering in the rain. At what d:1te they reached British territory it is not possible to say, but their food was probably exhausted or nearly so by that time. Herr Ehlers seems to l1avo done courageously and nobly all that it was possible to do to keep up the courage and spirits of his party, but fate was against him.

'l'hey were reduced to eating grass, the leaves of trees, &c., and it does not appear that the leaders had any better fare than the carriers. Dysentery reduced them all to extreme debility, and soon ten men died. About the 30th September it would appear that they struck some considerable branch of the Lakekamu, but the strength of the brave leader and of his companion (Piering) was now completely exhausted. An effort was made to descend the river on a raft, which soon capsized, drowning the already comatose and dying Europeans. 'fhe survivors were apparently twenty-one in number after the death of Herr Ehlers. They traveJled nine days along the river, and then built rafts, by which they descended six days before they reached the first cocoanut-trees of the Mobiabi tribe on the 21st October. Then the wanderers were found by some of the J..I obiahi men~ who at first took them to he thieves. As soon as the l\lobiabi people discovered their pitiable condition they treated the strangers with g-reat kindness, taking them to their village and giving them the hest welcome they could. 'Ihe chief, who is an intelligent and kindly man, gave them his only shirt. In the village there was only one tobacco-pipe, that belonging to the chief, and this he immediately presented to the guests. After a few days' rest the nineteen men that reached ~{ohiabi were conveyed to Toaripi, where some of them \Yere temporarily received hy the teacher of the London Missionary Society. 'fhe chief of Toaripi set off to search for a missing man, and after much trouble succeeded in finding him. Altogether the conduct of the nathres was very gratifying in this matter. The su1·vivors were brought to Port Mores by by 'Jr. Kowald, Government Agent for th~ Mekeo rlistrict. At Port j;foresby they were properly cared for till they were returned to l!'riedrich Wilhelmshafen by the s.s. "Merrie England."

Up to his dying moments Herr Ehlers seems to have thought of the rescue of his followers, and it is owing to his last directions that they reached the coast and escaped with their lives.

Much of the above information has been obtained from the admirable report {Jf Landeshauptmann Riidiger, published in the IJeutsches Kolonictlblatt.

XXXV.

51. This Report should not be closed without acknowledging the obligation of this colony to Sir Hugh Nelson, the head of the Executive Government of Queens­land, for many acts of valuable assistance rendered during the year in a variety of ways, both through the personal influence and authority of the Premier himself and by his permitting and directing different officers in the service of the Government of Queensland to perform special services for this Possession. Captain Almond, Mr. McDowall, and :\{r. Deshon were always ready with advice and with active practical aid whenever they were appealed to. They have again well merited the thanks of this Government, as they have done in previous years.

It should also be mentioned that General Sir Henry ·w ylie Norman, in retiring from the position of Governor of Queensland, ceased during the year to be directlv coneerned with the affairs of this colonv. Sir- Henrv Norman took much interest in the devebpment of the Possession, ~ncl, with the~ acumen of an officer of great experience, he was always prompt and generous in noticing meritorious service and in encouraging in this -vvay the different officers and employees of this Administration even down to the lowest grades.

I have the honour to be, 1\Iy I..~ord,

Your most obedient humble Servant,

WJ\!I. MACGREGOR.

His Excellency The Hight Honourable Lord Lamington, K.C.1\LG., Governor of (~ueensland.

APP1:1JNDICES.

APPENDIX A.

DESPATCH REPORTING VISITS OF INSPECTION TO DARU, RIGO, ETC.

No. 44.] The l~esidency, Samarai, 17th July, 1895. 8IR,-I have the honour to report some of my movements since my return to the Possession. The

station at Daru was visited on the 8rd June. It was in a satisfactory condition. 1\-Ir. Hely has had a considerable quantity of food- planted, and expects to supply half rations from t-hat source to all the constabulm·y and prisoners on the station. He has been successful in establishing this station at comparatively little expense, and he manages to maintain the district vessel at exemplary small cost. There were about a score of prisoners on the island. 'l'hey were in good condition, well under discipline, and the prison was clean. The detachment of constabulary is kept in good condition, some of them being men of superior intelligence and activity. Their work is much lightened by the village constables of the district, several of whom are wonderfully efficient, if one bears in mind the short period over which their education ha;, extended.

2. Little or no progress has been made in settlement on the island. A considerable number of applications were received for holding~ ou Daru, but it appeat·s that this was in most cases done merely to enable applicants to engage natiYes of the Possession as hands for the Straits fishery. As soon as this was effected the greater number of the applications were not proceeded with any further. 'I'he apparent reasons for this are that the Possession has been left with practically no fishing-ground in the west, the boundary between (lueeu:;land and this colony coming, as Your Excellency is aware, to within a few yards of the mainland of New Guinea west from Darn. 'l'he fishing-ground thus being all occupied by Queensland, the boats that purported to be located in this colony could do nothing without the Queensland licenses. 'fhe sole and only inducement that boats had to visit the Possession, or that owners had to ap!lly for allotments at Darn, was therefore to engage natives to work on the boats. 'l'his induce­ment appears to be losing its attractions. It seems that the supply of labour in the Straits is greater in proportion to the clemand than formerly, and the wages are much lower; whilst, on the other hand, the health of the men employed from New Guinea htts not been good. They are thus less sought after than formerly. Complaints were made that the regulation requiring that the men should be paid quarterly was vexatious and costly to employers. I Ree no rea80ll why the Queensland practice should not be followed in this matter. At the 8amo time it does not appear feasible to ailow men to he engaged and removed from the colony on the strength of a mere paper application for a piece of land on Daru, e8pecially as the natiYes, after having had some experience of t.he work, are not very keen on continuing it, and employers are no longer very desirous of having them .

.'\.pplications for land in future will· not be received unless accompanied by a small deposit as a mark of good faith, which will be fmfeited if the applicant retires; but at the same time every reasonable facility will be given to engaging men, subject to the provisions of the existing law. It is, however, much to be desired that the boundary between the two colonies may be rectified before long, so as to give to this Possession at least some share in its own natural fishing grounds.

It was cl.e!tr that the authority of the Government is becoming more confirmed in the district, and is extending in area; but I regret to say that Mission work is in a backward condition there.

:3. I was in the Rigo District from the 20th June to the 5th July. Some progress was made in fixing a few positions, from which the G-overnment A gent and others can extend inwards the mapping out of the positions of native villages.

'fhe condition of the district was in some respects sati;;factory, in others di8appointing. The half­dozen prisoners at the station were in good condition, and their conduct is very good ; the prison was clean. The detachment of six constabulary were in good order, but their house requires to be rebuilt. The growth of the cocoanuts planted at the station--some 5,000 or 6,000-had been all that could be desired, but they have not been kept so clean as should have been the case. 'l'his matter has been to some extent neglected during the absence of the Government Agent on leave, and arrears of work of this kind have not yet been fully overtaken Nevertheless, ihe cocoanut plantations at the station show very clearly how admirably allapted to that cultivation the district is.

The food gardens ha>e been allowed to run out, and the maintenance of the station will entail expenditure during the next few months that could, and that therefore should, have been avoided. It is much to be regretted that most of the imported plants have died, many it is to be feared from want of proper attention during the absence of the agent, It is intended to extend the cocoanut plantations at the station, but it must be maintained more economically tlmn at present, or the establishment must be reduced. The quality of the land is good, and it is quite clear that under zealous, intelligent, and economical management it could ultimately be made self-supporting.

,_~.. Nothing could be clearer than that the natives of this di~trict have settled down to regular and peaceful habits. 'fhe village policeman is fa8t becoming the right hand of the Administration. Needless to say they make many, some regrettable, mistakes; but they do make much progress in learning their duties, and many of them execute them faithfully to the best of their ability. In this respect Mr. Bnglish ha:; been equally successful with Mr. Hely in the west. The dependence of the Government on this establi8hment is fast becoming more clear, and it is already manifelit that native government in this country is in the future to be carried out by means of the village constable. They brought to the station, while l was there, several persons charged with petty offence8.

The adoption of peaceful and regular habits over ll large area iu this district is of itself a matter of great impm·tance as a first step, and is very <mtisfactory as far as it goes; but it has not heen followed up by other marks of progress to the extent that might have been expected. It is the case that the roads

J..

2

h~ve been grell;tlJ improved, a point with regard to which the agent deserves credit. He thinks that:he w~ll have no dlfli~ul~y now in having them kept clear and open by the natives wherever they traverse tri~allands. It Is mtended to con11truct a dray road from the sea to the Government Station, an under­takmg that should be carried out jointly by the natives of the place and by prison labour from Port Mores by.

One of the disappointment~ of the district was to find that the natives have the plantin~ of cocoanuts. It appears they did phtnt a large number a year or two ago; but they were badly planted, and have been neglected ever since in most crrses. They will sometimes plant half-a-dozen in so many yards; then they are left exposed to the great enemies of the cocoanut in this and swine.

The regulation that provides for the }Jlanting of cocoanutR al~o ha:> provisions for enforci1ig the owner to keep them clear of weeds; but that part of the regulation has not been and the result has been that many, vary many, plants h:tve perished miserably in flame. But the ravages of pigs are eq~ally, perhaps sti!l more, destrnctive to the young planb. The natiYe hog is extremely active a:nd persevermg, so that tlmt no cocoanuts can escape him ueai· a village it very securely ~enced m .. The Saroa natives, who have as chief a young man of unu~ual sagacity, have met this difficulty m a pra.ctwal way by killing the pigs; but probably few other tribes will have the good sense and self­abn.egatwn. to follow their example. 'l'he Government Agent waR enjoined to enforce the planting ordmance m the matter of requiring that the nuts planted out should be kept clear of undergrowth.

. Many natives complain th~1t they cannot obtain nuts to plant 'l'hnt difficulty was obviated by sendmg the district vessel for 2,000 nuts for the use' of the station. These are to be paid to the natives, so many for a day's work, instead of tobacco. Thev have alreauv been set out to sprout, and will be give~I out in that co~dition for planting. The cliffi~ulty pt·esente'd by the however, is a serious one, and 1ts solutwu i~ not :1t present quite clear.

Efforts are being now made to set on foot in tbiR distrtet a small industry in collecting india~·ubber. It is not probable that in the populous districts and dry hills near the coast there is much of this article obtainable, but it appears to be of good qnality. Step~ arc rn progl'ess for preserving the rubber-yielding trees, and for regulating the collection of the s:tp. Ho f:1r the wol'k of obtaiuing it is in the hands of natives exclusively.

G. Hitherto Mission work has 11ot produced such good results in this district as might reasonably have been looked for. Reeently, however, the new college of the London Missionary Society has been built and established bv the Rev. Dr. I,awes between the sea and the Government Station. 'rhe site is ~~~ every respect well chosen, the houses good and well built, and the land attaehed to the establishment Is good and ample. Should this ingtitution remain under the mam~gement of Dr. Lawes, it cannot fail to become an important educating centre for a large portion of the colony. It is near enough the sea for fishing, and is far enough from it to be a residence for youths from the interior. Its soil is good for the cultivation of new plants with which to acquaint the students, alJ(l it has acres enough to furnish them with the manual labour necessary to prevent them lapRing into idle ha.bits or into the belief that they should not labour in the field. Hill tribes are already beginning to visit the Mission station, and ~ts influ?nce will before long spread far both in improving and giving life to the stations now opened and m clearmg the way for others.

7. I wa:s d~ly visited by all the chiefs of the vicinity, and perhaps none came without a small present of native food to show his goodwill.

The Government Agent has before him <t journey towai'ds the mountains, to extend his authority in that direction among new tribes. Both he and the Resident Magistrate accompanied me in the "Merrie England" as far as Dedelc-that is, nearly to the eastern limit of the Central Division­intending to visit all thr, village policemen, &c., from that back to Kapakapa.

8. On the 6th instant I inspected the Government cocoanut pl!tntations at Holm on the mainland, and at Tauko. The former plants are not in good land, and consequently arc far behind those at Rigo a~d Mekeo stations in growth; but they looked her:lthy, and they will, now th11t they have t:tken a h?ld of the ground, grow much fnster. I was pleased with the progress made by the plants at Tauko durmg the last year. Those planted in pits have never done so well as those planted in the surface ; but all looked now much stronger and more healthy than formerly, and clearly they will soon be a valuable property. They are being carefully weeded by the prisoners.

'l'he latter were healthy, in good condition, and are under excellent discipline. An armed guard of four men of the armed constabulary 11ccompanies them.

9. On arrival at Laraoro (Amazon Islands), on the 14th, news of a somewhat vague character was brought that a murder had been commilted in some quarrel about a woman at Geagea (Port Glasgow). Next day we anchored in \Vabmnari Bay, from which place I walked to the village of Sila­Sila to appoint a returned good-conduct prisoner village policeman of that tribe. It may be remembered that some three or four years ago this tribe murdered a 11ativc of Suabiua, and was accused of eooking the body and of eating part of it. The new policeman, who was implicated in that affair, was du_ly installed in office. When his father found him he wept solemnly on his neck; when we left the policeman the tears dimmed his eyes as he ~aid good-bye to those who had been his mnsters. It was learned at W abumari that a native implicated in a murder had been arresteu by the village policeman of Magula (Dufaure Island), and was detained there in irons until he could be sent to Samarai. The sergeant and two constables were sent away to Magula, and they and the 1\fagula policeman brought the prisoner to ~ur camp near \Vabumari early next morning. It turned out.that this was the case the rumour of whiCh had reached Mairu from Geagea, and that the l\1agula pohceman had gone all the way to Geagea to arrest this man.

I arrived at Samarai on the 16th. There are about a score of prisoners there. The prison was clean ; and the prisoners, though not in such good condition as skin disease, &c., as at the other stations, are still in fair condition.

I have, &e.,

His Excellency Sir IIenry W. Norman, G.O.B., G.C.l\LG., O.I.E., &c., Brisbane.

WM. ~IA.CGREGOR.

3

APPENDIX B. DESPATCH REPORTING VISIT TO DOBU AND DUAU ISI,ANDS.

No. 49.] The Residency, Samarai, 7th Al1gnst, 1895. Sm,-I have the honour to report that on the 20th of July I went from Samarai to the Island of

Dobu. All was found to be well there, and the Rev. \V. Bt·omilow had heard. of no recent unusual occurrence in the district.

Certain natives on the west coast of Fergusson Island. ha(l some time previously shown themselves unfriendly on a visit to them by some of the IJative teachers, and had used threatening language t:nvards them; and the tribes in the interior, recently encountered by the constabulary, as described m Mr. Winter's despatch, No. 11, of ] st April, were ·,till regarded as hostile. I could not spare the time that would be required to visit both nlneeR, and .Mr. Bromilow thought it decidedly more important that the mountaineers should be visited first, as tlw coast tribe::< could be conveniently viilited by a Government officer at nny time. ~lr. :Yioreton, the Rel:lident Magistrate of the district, whom we met in Dawson Strait on the way to Dobu, reported that the natives in Hughes Bay believed. that the constabulary had with­drr~wn involuntarily from the skirmish with the Oiatabu mountaineer~. This made a visit to them clearly necessary.

2. It was gratifying to find that the health o£ the principal misilion station was good.. There are altogether about fifty per~ons resilient there. This includes some fifteen or sixteen youths, 1;wst of whom will probably eventually become teacher~. About a "'core of young are recmvmg an education there under Mrs. Bromilow :mu the Sister~, which will fit them to become the wives and helpers of native teachers. I have no hesitation in ~aying that the Dobu 1\fis~ion is at least one of the mo~t succe~sful which 1 have seen in the conro:f! of a wmewhat nnusual experience. One of the most gratifying and most promising aspects of it is, in my opinion, the excellent commencement that has been made in getting together this nucleus of the youth of both sexes for educational purposes. The young men forming the student corps are not being educated into the idea that a teacher's life is to be an easy or a selfish one. Instead of doing less work a:-~ studentR than devolved upon them before in the freedom of pronounced barbarism, they perform more manual bbour than ever fell to their previous lot. Their food gardens were, last crop, the best in the district. 'l'hey are living on food grown by themselves, and seem bent on showing othe1· members of the community that the student~ are to lead the way in industry as wen as in letters. 'l'his is undoubtedly tlJC proper spirit by wlliuh such an establishment should be animated. If it can be maintained it will result, in less than a score of years, in providing all the important eastern i~land:; with a complete network of native teachers. It were vain to suppose that this eau ever be attained in any other manner than by training native teachers on the spot, and the nntive students could never be maiHtained in sui1icient numbers by the most wealthy mission, unless they themselves grew the major portion of their own food.

The demeanour and aspect of the students was aU that could be wished. If they do become teachers, it will be for the work itself and not merely to have a profes~ion.

On the Sunday there were present at the forenoon service about 3:)0 people. J\fany of them had come o\·cr from Duau J "land on the Saturday night to spend the Sabbath at Dobu. Neither during the forenoon or afternoon service did J see a sleepy person in church. The services are short and varied, and the congregation was thus ahle to remain attentive. 'rheir external demeanour was exemplary and devotional.

M:r. Bromilow visited other churches after holding services at the principal station, and in the course of the day preached to nearly 1,500 people.

3. At present the Dobu natives are preparing food for a feaRt to be given two yea.rs hence. It uoes not appear that this is contemplated for any other reason than as nn incentive for extending their food cultivation. 1'his continues to be carrie<l out more and more on the north end of Duau Island, the idea ot many seeming to be to let their lands on Dobn have a re:;t, now that they can go elsewhere to plant. 'l'his expansion, however, requires careful wat,;hiug, otherwi;,;e the more knowing men from Dobu may cut off the Duau tribes from their own coast frontage. 'l'o obviate this a division of land facing Dawson Strait will have to be made as soon as the magislrate ean find. a convenient opportunity of doing so.

By some oversight cemeteries had never been laid off on Dobu, nor on the opposite coast of J<'ergusson Island, and the people were ~:~till burying in the 'rhis was promptly attended to by the Magistrate, who laid off a number of cemeteries on each side of the Strait. It does not appear that there will be any difficulty in initiating this very uecess11ry reform. 'I'he native teachers that have died hitherto have been buried oubide their villagefl.

'rhe natives have spontaneously given proper and affectionate attention .to their graves, and this has to some extent prepared their minds fot• the idea of cemete1'Y burial.

·J. On the 22nd we landed at the village of Begassi, on the south coast of Fergusson. There is there a settled, peaceful community, with a rc~iclent "\Vcsleyan teacher. Carriers were obtained there for the party, which was a strmlg one, a~ I had been led to expect resistance from the mountaineers. \Ve counted in all three Europeans anu fourteen of the constabulary.

The village of Mogoruia, distant from Begassi about thr.ee miles, was reached in an hour and a half. 'J'he former Be gas si teacher, a Samoan, who died recently at his post after performing remarkably good work, had a small house built here, and used to oceasioually hold Rervice there. The people were quiet and friendly. Here I met the brothrr of the man that had been killed by the mountaineers, and and who had led formerly the employment of the constabulary in this matter.

The villages of Kwabakwabaia, Aumoborcpa, Seburnia, and Auapata were passed through. They are all small and only a few people were present in them. Our camp was pitched in the village of Ebwauepa, near the little river 1\farasi, and about half a mile from the place where the skirmish took place between the constabulary and the mountaineers.

'I'~ere were only three or four men to rceci>·e ns at Ebwauepa, but the inhabitants grauually came in towards evening ; the chief had spontaneously built a ueat small house in the village for the use of the Government, and he and his people were very hospitable and friendly. They had not been in recent <'Ommunieatiou with the mountameel'8, but it was common talk tltat the latter were devoting all their time to making spears for the purpose of fighting the Government.

Next morning a guide was obtained to conduct us to the hill villages, and we were accompanied by the chief and other men from Ebwauepa, who came voluntarily and without arms, a fact that showed clearly that they had complete confidence in the superior strength of our party.

5. Our guide led us across the l\farusi, the boundm·v between the hill tribes and those that occupy the lowlands. \Ve skirted along the left bank of the :Ma{.asi for a mile or so, and then turned our faces towards the lower spurs of Oiatabu (:\fount Ki I kerran), where they were occupied by the Garea tribes. Our object wa,; to surprise the first village and to make prisoner~. A march of about four the last portion of which was through dense undergrowth and up very steep ridges where there were no paths of any kind, brought us to the first village, which eon~isled of about two dozen houses and was built on a ridge of sandstone. There was no one there a blind man. A dash was made for the next village, and three or four women were caught on the way. Th~tre \ras no one in tile second village, but beyond the third one two men were captured, :ttJd the comd.abulary chasetl others. Our camp was formed in a vil~age about 1,000 feet, perhaps, above the se<t. ']'here seemed to be only one other at a higher altitude, and between us and the top of the great mountain. 'V e had, therefore, taken up our quarters in the very heart of the Garea country, and in :t position from which we could hardly be dislodged, and whence we could advantageously operate in all directions.

Apparently the 1mtives had trusted their defence more to the difficulties of access, which indeed were nothing unusual, than to their own mean,; of resistance. No attempt seems to be made to con­centrate all their forces together, as tlte voices of natives shouting to each other could be heard at many places in the forest. The women prisoners we1·e kindly treated, mHl in tl~e afternoon were dismissed with messages for their people that we did not wi::;h to fight with them, but had come to arrest the murderer only. Some natives who were in the bush not far away from Hs were invited into camp; they replied that we a~ked them to come on purpo~e that we shouid arrest them. They were, assured that we wished to arrest the accused only. After a little one or two men arrived, and soon some of the women returned, followed by the chief of the tribe. After some conver~ation he indicated that the man accompanying him was the murderer. It was propo~ed to the chief that this man should be arrested, and that the two men captured in the fo1·cnoon should be releaHed. ·The chief :tnd the culprit both argued against the arrest of the latter. They urged that they had killed only one man, while five of them had been l,illed or wounded, and they pertinently asked in a touching way whether that was not enough, especially as the murder had been committed to pay an old debt. }'inally the chief agreed, and the alleged homicide was put in irons, while the oiher tiYo men were released awl became our hosts without any further misgiving. The chief was told that we would make no additiorml arrests, and that we should henceforth have peace. The natives then eame freely to the camp and village, and they were reconciled to the chief and veople of Ebwauepa. They showed no further distrust of us, b11t they were sent away before it was quite d:wk, and they were warned to not come near our camp at night. For some reason or other those members of the constabulary that are natives of this part of the country mistrusted the submission of these hillmen at first, and declared it all a ruse to information, and to surprise us at night. But there was no apparent reason whaterer to justify ;;uspicion, The chief and his people were treated as being- sincere, and they justified that confidence.

6. There is altogether a considerable population on the southern spurs of Oiatabu. It is believed that the Garea people can muster at least 200 or 300 men. They have an abumhmee of food, yams and taro principa1ly, with a few cocoanuts and bananas. 1'hey bury in their villages, but in little plots or mo11nds, which they plant with betel palm~, dracenas, etc., eove1·ing the graves, a,t least in many places, with flat slabs of stone. 'l'heir weapons are practically cot1fined to long slender spears of palm-wood. They ~ave a few wooden clubs, of Kiriwina make apparently, and ~hey do not seem to use the sling or the shield. The stone club appears to be unknown to them, and so 1s the bow and arrow. As peace has been established between them and the lowland tribes, there will be no further serious trouble with them, unless a flame should suddenly be kindled by some fm~atic before the moderate men can prevent it. The chief promised to vh:it Ebwauepa and Begassi, and perhaps to go to Dobu, the chief of which accompanied me to Garea.

7. From the sea to the Marasi the country is generally uneven, traversed in all directions by low rather steep ridges, generally covered and with little clump~ of sago trees on the lower wet parts. The formation is recent volcanic, soil rich and fertile, full of pumicestone and fragments of obsidian. If fully cultivated that countt-y could maintain a very numerous population. It seems pretty clear that the Boioa people should be made to out in th:.t direction if they have not sufiicient planting land at home instead of crossing Dawson Strait, a;,; they are now doing to make gardens in ~he north end of Duau. North of the .M:arasi the soil is still fruitfnl at most places, the lower spur$ of the hdlo; showing traces of volcanic formation, but at higher leveh there arc numeron;; outcrop~ of sandstone or metamorphic rock. The climate seems to be very on the great mountain, but we felt the cold rather keenly at night. On the 24th the chief and · of his people arrived early bringing us much fo?d and eager to do some ~mall trading. By a forced we reachecl the coast in the afternoon and arnved at Dobu before dark.

8. On the 25th July I engaged fourteen carriers at Dubu, intending to walk across ]'ergusson Island from Hughes Bay to Seymour Bay. This was contemplated with the double object of learning the nature of the interior of ihe island, and of making the coast people less fearful and less suspicious of the inland tribes in future. At Hughcs Bay the steamer took in water, and left that place for Kiriwiua, with the Hesident Magit<trate, the Commandant, and with fourteen of the constabulary on board. Their chief endeavour was to be the arrest of a nati,,e of Oboraka, that nearly two years ago killed an inhabitant of Kavatari. Six con,;tabulary remained tu accompany my private secretary and myBelf ttcross the ii:lland.

9. On the 26th I landed aL the village of '\' etari, near the mouth of the Paai, a little river about twenty yards broad, w hi eh seem;; to come round from the western side of Oiatabu. The \Vetari people are very friendly, and have been for years well known to u~. Here guides were obtained, and some other men attached thcm~>elves tons, among them a nephew of £namakala, chief o£ Kiriwimt. Om rm:d for nearly two miles skirted along the Paai, until we reached the village of Lagea,gea. Here the inhab1tiwts were found quietly at home. We then crossed the Paai, aud travelled towards the lowest spurs of the inland Dirirb l{ange. Seveml small villages were pa:::~ed through before it was reached, all on lm': alluvial rich land. Where not cleared for planting the lowland is covered by forest or by patches of

5

long: grass on old garden sites. We ascended the eastern ridges of Diria to :1 height of seven or eight hun:lrcd feet to the of Asarimana, near to which are three or four smaller villages. Several others were visible on the grass spurs of that range. '!'he greater number of the people fled on our approach, but some of them remained, anrl the principal man w:ts soon sent for. \Ve met him aftpr we left tbe hurrvinu towards it. He was friendly, and showed no timidity or mistrust. There were a few cocoanut tree;;"' ftbont tlJC villages, but their number was small and the soil was not rich. From the hard volcanic ridges of Diria, the path deseended into the plateau of the Totobwaia River, a considerable stremn which opens into the north end of Hughes Bay. We there passed some of the largest trees I have seen in this conntry, but many of tlwm are of soft c:moe wood, and probably would not yield timber of much value. This plateau, on the right bank of the Totobwaia, was less fertile than the alluvial deposit~ on the Paai. In the afteruoon, after walking seven or eight miles from the sea, we reached the village of Diawa1'e, where our gnides from Asarimana recommended us to sleep. It is pleasantly situated below the highest point of the Diria hills, and on the right bank of the Totobwaia. The inhabitants remained in the village, a~ we were accompanied by men from Asarimana, and soon brought us much more food than the party could use.

They live in the same manner as the people of Garea, on the other side of Diaware and the seacoast there did not appear to be swamp land. rrhey cook in said, they obtain from Uras;.i J R land. Up to this point no skulls were seen over the nati re.~ carried arms.

Oiatabu. Between potR, which, it was

doors, and no

10. On the 27th we went from Diaw:ue to the village of Itonn, a distance of seven or eight milEs. The path took us through half-a-dozen small village~, but many more were sepn a.t HO!ne distance. About a mile and a-half from Diaware we came on the Buinai Hiver, which would probably be navigable by boat or canoe np to that point. In all probability it joins the 'rotowaia not far from Diawarc. On the Bninai we were suddeulv confronicd bv a number of men armed with spears, with the appn.rent object of opposing u~. Our gu{~le:;; told them" who we were, and that we intended them no harm. The spears cli~appeared with wonderful rapidity. l'his "'tts the only occasion on which we saw an arm•3d man.

In some of the villages passccl through there were skulls on a shelf over the door of the house. On one were of thcKe trophic~, on other!' from two to four. ~{ear them were noticed, displayed similarly. the mandible of the hornbill, a bird that does not seem to visit the island, but the head of v:hic'h iN the Cro~s of several di><triets on the mainland. In this capncity, judging from its

with the hnmrm 8lmlls, it had bee11 hrm1ght from the mainland in the course of inter-tribal exdtange. Between Diaware and Augobi most of the country tr:wersed is of volcanic formatwn, but three or four small creek~ were cros~od, eYitlentlv from the foot of :JYioui1t which would vrobably be found to contain gold. •

Halfway from Dinware to Itonn the pnth Pnters on low grassy hills, rtnd from two miles before :reaching the latter it follows ;Yithont intcrmpiion Ni mwm; wooded ridge:;, pr·obrtbly 700 or 800 feet higl1. .From the~e a ~mnll lake ;va.s yi;,;iblc !J(·m· the foot of 1\lonnt Taumoa., at a diRtrtnce from ns of abont two mile~. The slope~ of these woodnJ rid:; Pi! RPC'mecl, wht>re enltiYatod, to be very fertile. In one vilbge passed through they had a few plants of tobacco, ;yhich were doing well. rfhi~ was the first time I ha([ ~een it eultivaled on the islands, but I eould not learn where they had procured the seed. In anol her were two or three indigenous orange tn·e~. the greater of the fruit being made up of a pithy rind, inside of which was n <'111:111 qnnntity of Yery dry pnlp. 'I'here was no swamp between Diaw::we and Itona, and none of the active plnlonic phenomena met with in Bay were seen in this district.

11. 'I'he inhabitants of Itonn., a small village of ~ix or eight fled before we arrived there. The:t·e was a number of other villages not far fmm it, nml our Diaware went there to establish relatiom; with the inhabitants. After two or three hour~ a few of the Itom, people returned, and a woman cooke(l food for us. The principal man sold u;; yams, and a pig for the carriers and comtables. The natives of the distrid seemed quiet, timid, and inoffenRive. They had very extensive weH.kcpt and ~everal time~ honsrs were ~e<>n full of ymns; in fact, all through the island house'! seemed to more for storing food than for sheltering the people.

On the following day we oLr,uned guides at 1tmm to take us over the hills o£ Bulina to Augobi village, at which they lHlvised m to ~leep. The path lay over wooded hills all the way, but keeping the tops of ridgeR, so that it never descended again into ally deep gnlli('~. No villages were passed through until we were nen.r Augobi, when the paih lelt througft two, ncitlwr of lftrge size. The hill that lies between Itona and A ug-obi is called Bulina, mHl ri~es to 1 ,500 or 1,800 feet. It is wooded and is of remarkable a;.; to the nature of whieh it i" not safe to say mneh without further examination. The path fm· considerable disbmee;o; cros~t's ritlg<'R that seem to be entirely composed of obsidian or pitc1stone. At some boulders of this material, three or four feet in diameter, lie on the surface. :Xear the foot of the I, on tlw SPymour Bay side, there are outcrops of something like a fissillaminated sandstone, which is sometimes in horj:wJJtal layer;;:, sometimel:! perpendicular. It could be seen from Aue;obi that the area, behind the north half of l:"leymom· Bay, from which there are sulphur emanations, extends aC1'oss the plateau from side to sirle, and may be nearly a mile broad. The two small lakes visited by me and described in lSSS, WE're seen from A ugobi, but tl1cre does not appear to be any moro. At there are very large food gardens, yarns and taro. The natives remained timid both there and at neighbouring villageR, several of whieh were visited, hut they readily supplied us with all the food we reguired. 1'he natiYc name for Seymour Bav is Midimimi.

'l'he distance from Hughes Bay to Heymom· Bay, by the paths taken by us, would be in round numbers about two dor.cn miles. Contrary to whnt waR expected, it cros:::es no swamp whatever. Augobi is probably a very hraithy di~trict. At night wme of us suffere(l a good deal from cold. On the 3oth July the thermometer Htood aL sunset at u5 dqrrees Fahr. It is pretty clear that the whole island is inhabited, the mountains of J~dagwaba, 1\bvbole, and Kilkm·ran to a height of nearly 200 feet. But there nre no large villagus. I'erhap~ every old village ha~ a small divan, built o:f stone, eovered by slabll, and with a single stone set nearly upright, as a baek-rt>st. At some places a string bearing bunches of h·aves or grass bnd been put round the dil'an to preserve from our vit~it its sacred character.

. .As the carriers accompanying tbr; party wer~ from Dobu, th!3 chief of wh.ich place ac~ompanied me, xt IS very probable that our trac.;k W!ll ~oon be followed by tradmg and travellmg coast natlves.

6

12. We joined the steamer "J\ferrie England" in Seymour Bay on the 31st July, and reached Dobu the same night. On the following day I visited a number of villages on the Fergusson coast; the demeanour of the natives was quite satisfactory, At Sikirulm I was informed tlmt they are no longer mo~ested by other tribes. ]'he teacher of that place anrl of Begassi also were absent, it being the day for their weekly report at Dobu. At Boioa there is a very good village policeman. When I was at Dvbu he brought over as a prisoner a native that had committed adultery with the wife of another, and had in addition assaulted the iniured husband.

'l'he constabulary arrested there a man that had stolen some materials for building a new church. 9ne ~eacher complai~1ed of the chiefs of two small villages, that they would not go to church. I mt.erv1ewed them at h1s requeBf., to try to find out what objection they had to the church. One of them, a man of conspicuous stupidity, said that a friend of his had died and he must make a feast first. The second was a hard-headed obstinate man, who could not see the use of going to church, and who did not wish to go because his neighbours did not attend. 'l'hey said, however, that in future they would go, and would assist in building the fine church now in eourse of construction in their neighbourhood. The vill~ge policeman can fairly well control these people, and there is thus every reason to be satisfied with their peaceful and orderly habits. Unfortunately, verv little progress has been made, oris even probable for s.ome time to come, in t};~ir )ndustrial oecupations: They plant plenty of food, but they produce nothmg for export except a httle copra.

. 13. On the 2nd August I went to the south end of Dnau Island, to visit the large population rcs1dent there. I was accompanied by the Ilev. \V. Bromilow, to whom many inquiries were addressed as to when he is to pro1·ide them with teachers. The coast people are f]Uite o:ettled in their habits, and receive and trade with Europeans quietly and houestly without anv fear or hesitation. I received information, however, of no lc8s than three crimes that h;td been comm'itted by bush tribes in different pa1ts of the island. 'l'he constabulary detachment had been sent away the day before to the north-east coast, where their services 8Ccmed to be required, so that these Duan cases could not then be dealt with. It was arranged with ihe principal chief there that two men should be appointed village policemen for that district, and that the constabulary should land there, to be condttcted hurriedly and secretly to the "bush" tribes concerned in the crimes reported. On the following day I returned to Samarai.

I have, &c., WM. MACGREGOR.

His Excellency Sir H. W. Norman, G.C.B., G.C.M.H., &c., Governor of Queensland.

APPENDIX C.

DESPATCH REPORTING VISIT TO MURAWAWA BAY AND BAUNIA BAY.

No. 54.] Mambare River, 12th October, 1895. Sm,-I have the honour to report that I arrived in the s.s. "Merrie England" at Murawawa

Bay, a bight in Goodenough Bay, on the lOth of August, to deal with certain difficulties that had arisen there.

On the 11th June the Rev. Copland King, head of the New Guinea Anglican Mission, addressed a letter to the Resident .M:agistrnte of the district, of which a copy will be found annexed to this despatch, and from which it will be seen that certain men of Boianai, among whom the Anglican Mission had for half a year hnd two colot1red teachers employed, had recently killed, and were reported to have eaten, two persons of the neighbouring Kwamana tribe. From the last paragraph of Mr. King's letter it may be clearly seen that he was then of opinion ihat strong-ha11ded intervention on the part of the Govern­ment was necessary. Although I have not always been able to quite concur with the views of Mr. King as to the use of violent means, involving bloodshed, in :previous cases in that district, in this instance I decided to have as little temporisiHg as possible.

On completing my visit to Eergusson IslanJ, reported in my Despatch No. 49 of 7th August, I despntched the Commandant of Constabulary with a small det::~chment of men on board the di;;trict vessel "Siai," with instructions to touch nt Dogura, in Bartle Bay, or at any other place on the coast at which it might seem probable that informrttion could be obtained. The Commandant was to ascertain whether the murders had really been committed, aml if so, to arrest the murderers if possible. If he could not effect this he was to visit the K wamana and other neighbouring tribes, in order to try to open friendly relations with them, and to isolate Kaiboda and Boimmi.

2. At Dogura, in Ba1 tle Bay, the Commandant was assured that the Boianai and Kaiboda men were determined to offer battle to any Government force. On reaching the latter place, however, it was found that all the people had fled from the village.

After much trouble and delay a few of them were induced to return to their homes, and these were later on joined eventually by· tlle greater number of the population of l\Iurawawa l3ay. The resident teachers had no knowledge of the murders, and no person could or would give the constabulary any information whatever for several days. At last the chief man of one of the villages informed them that the murderers had sought refuge with a tribe living in the hills at some distance on the west side of Murawawa Bay. The Commandant had not been able to visit the neighbouring tribes, having been told that the distanee to Kwamana was and the path very difficult; and at the same time he could neither obtain guides nor interpreter~. He therefore devoted his time to resettli11g the Murawawa population in their homes.

3. J found on nrrival that the constabulary had succeeded in gaining to some extent the confidence of one man in the district, the chief person in the village of Dogura, which is situated in the head of Murawawa Bay, a man that did not appear to have been previously in contact with foreign influence. All others were opposed to the police, either openly or secretly. The reputed chief of Radava came to

7

pay me a visit, probably only in the expectation of receiving a present, for he did not -return .when his advice and assistance were needed. The chief of Dogura soon came to sef\ me, and appeared d1sposed to ~e .really of m.uch use .to us. No chief put in an app~amn~e fro.m Kaiboda, nor. could J'h.e two teachers hvmg there g1ve me h1s name so that one could send for lnm. Sunday was spent at Ka1boda, where I ha<l encamped. 1'he teachers hel<l divine service, at which, besides the const?'bulary, nearly 1~0 pm•sons were present, among them about a score of women. The teachers, owmg probably to thmr insufficient acquaintance with the native language, and to their being without the infl.uence that a church building lms on an audience, produced 11 very slight impression on the native .hearers, who were uninterested and inattentive, but seemed somewhat inclined to applaud when the serviCe was brought to a close by the benediction.

I invited the so-called chief of Radava to meet me with others on Monday morning to discuss the situation with them. He disappeared from the village early in the morning a~d could not b~ found. The clnef of Dogura came punctually, however; and a young man presented htmself from Ka1boda as the chief of that place. An infirm and aged man, said to be the real chief of Radava, came to talk over mdters because the de facto chieftain had vanished.

I proposed that, first of all, we should go and make peace with Kwamana, of which tribe they had killed two persons. 1'he old man, blind and lmne, said he would most willingly go with me himself, but his legs were tuo feeble to carry him so far. Only the chief of Dogura, the soi-disant chief of Kaiboda, and a young friend of his could be induced to ac.:company me. \Vith these, my acting private secretary, and six constable><, I started to viRit Kwanunm, as to the position of which we were then quite uncertain, but which we eventually found to be only four or five miles from Kaiboda. We proceeded eastward along the coast about three miles, when the guides pointed out to m a few small grass huts visible from th3 sea coast on the hce of the mountain, at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. The mountain is covered by gras~ almost to its highe~t peaks, and its sharp and finely-bevelled ridges are scarped and steep to such an extent as to present a most uninviting appearance to the traveller. \Ve soon reached the foot of the ridge, on the narrow edge of which the native path could lw seen.

It proved to bent several places at about the steepest grade that would be accessible to human fe,:lt, and tl1e ridge was at many plaees so excessively sharp and narrow th:~t a false step to the right hand or to the left hand would be equivalent to disaster. At about 800 to 1,000 feet we reached the top of a .ittle eminence on the ridge we were ascending, from which we could be seen by the peo}1le of Kwamana, who apparently W('re on their guard. Their arrang0ments for defence were excellent, and were speedily disposed in proper m·der. Some dozen men, armed with long heavy spears, took post on a little knoll on the steep ridge-crossed by the only path by which the village could be approached from below. They were about 600 yards from us, and on ground ;,;evera.l hundred feet higher. Two or three hundred yards bd1ind these, on a similar knoll, stood a second detachment of men of about the same strength as the first, but at a higber altitude.

Both these divisions trustell to their position and their serviceable spears, the only arm they carried. They u~ed no shields or clubs; the former could hardly be necessary, as spears from below cc.uld not reach them.

Two or three hundred yards behind the second division, on the top of a prominent crest, which also was crossed by the steep and narrow path, and at several hundred feet above the detachment of men nearest to them, stood the women and children. :rhe offensive means of this last band would have been of .~erious value in repelling an attack by spearmen aclvancing from below, as they were provided with slings and sling-stones, and with fragments of rock to roll down the steep and treeless hill on the invader.

The slings in use are worthy of some notice. ·They are made of plaited twine, and are in one piece. 1'here is a loop at one end of the string to receive the right index finger. In Papuan warfare there is always a striving after means tu produce a moral effect; they yell at the enemy; they use paint and feathers; they hold glaring and fierce-looking mouthpieces ; they put their faces into a frame or boar's tusks. Even in the sling this principle is carried out. At the second end of the string a piece of soft twine is attached, which cracks like a s;tockwhip when the stone is discharged. The stone is like a pigeon's egg, sharpeued at each end, and is generally made of basalt. Naturally these people supposed our. visit to be a hostile one, and evidently they were prepared to ~eli their lives dearly in defence of thmr wretched home. The young chief of Kaiboda showed great courage and skill in approaching them. They believed his overtures of peace tu be only an attempt to get within reach of them to kill them. He approaehed them unarmed, aud although they were menacing in attitude, and, as I thought, in a dctngerous mood. But after some time he was able to meet one or two of them. Soon afterwards the sergeant met the chief halfway, and the latter came on to myself. .From that moment he cast aside all suspicion, and they all became very friendly, providing us freely with any food at their disposal. On the top of the mountain, at a distance of thref'-fourths of a mile, there was visible a small company of spea!men, apparently belonging to another but an allied tribe. 'They were at firRt very exuberant in hostile demonstrations, but seeing that peace was establi~hed they soon disappeared.

4. 'l'he villa,ge of Kwmnann, consisted of only some half-dozen huts, which give shelter to about three seore of persons. 'l'heir community is thus a very feeble one compared to the large population of :Murawawa Bay, 011 whieh are situated the villages of Kaiboda, R~adav:t, and others hostile to Kwamana. 'I he former had clearly been the aggressors, and lmd gone out with the intention of killing afi many of the weak tribe of Kwamana as they could meet. It does not appear that any part of the bodies of the vtctims was eaten. The only strength of the little tribe consists in the nearly inaccessible position of their village. They live chiefly on taro, which is planted on terraces cut across the steep face of the all but perpendicular slopes of the mountaiu, nearly always between their village and the peaks above the~?· They live the life of the chamois, and their llhysical development is in harmony with their enVlromnent and mode of life. They are remarkably small and light in build. lVIr. Green saw several pigs in their v,illage that had been blinded, apparently to prevent them from straying. They seem to have no l uxunes; tobacco they do not use, and betel-nut and lime they can seldom procure. The position of the Government was explained to them, and they were of course only too willing to promise to provoke no hostilities with their neighbours in future. That they believed that the Government both c-:mld and would protect them was demonstrated by the fact that a number of men and a dozen women c~r~ied food ~or us at sundown to our boat, which was on the beach a mile or two inside the boundary of Ka1boda, the1r late assailants.

8

5. On the following day the Commandant, with the chief of Dogm·a and some other local natives, a.ccompanied by a small detachment of constabulary, were sent to vi~it the mountain village on Budi, s1tuated at a height of, verhaps, 2,500 feet. As they had already heard all over the district of our peaceful accommodation with Kwamana there wets little likelihood of any misunderstanding with the Budi people, and I wag therefore engaged during the day with Commander ,J ones in commencing a sketch survey of 1\furawawa Bay and its neighbourhood. The Commandant was successful in his mission. It appeared that not long ago there had been war between Budi and Dogura; but it was speedily arranged between the two chiefs that their differences should be composed. 1'ho same day the constabulary and my stnff took up camp in two divisions, one in the village of Kaiboda and the other in !he village of Boianai, the two that supplied the men composing the party that attacked Kwamana. The mhabitauts were informed that we would take possession and remain there until they delivered to ns the two actual homicides that had killed the Kwamana people.

6. On the 14th the Commandant ::md the Hesident Magistrate went to visit the villages that lie west of Murawawa Bay. 'fo be in a better position to do this the latter had been sent to Paiwa, in the l1ead o£ Goodcnough Bay, to fetch Uebuna, the rural constable of that district; but in this Mr. J\foreton was not successful. He reported that he found Rebuna, but that the latter having been bullied and frightened by the miner$ recently in his district, was cowed and afraid to come with him. They, however, mnnaged to get on satiHfactory terms with the native~ of the places visited by them, and learned that the two homicides had for some time taken shelter with the inl:md Baimala tribe, but that they had lately separated and left that place.

As it was clear that heavy pressure would lu1ve to be brought to bear 011 the two tribes of Kaiboda and Boianai to compel them to the surrender of their champions, orders were given to collect, without notice or warning, all the rtrms of those tribes, and to publicly deAtroy them. This was carried out effectually by Mr. Green and Sergeant B,uuu·i. They collectetl 27H spears, many o£ them old, highly­finiAhed weapons of curious make and of much value in native estimation. When the object in view became apparent the natives pleaded earnestly and foeli11gly to be allowcrl to retain their spears, but the order to destroy was carried out inexorably. 'l'hey were stacked in the square of the village of Kaiboda and reducerl to ashes, leaving the two tribes defenceless. Men were told off to mark all the cocoanut trees belonging to those that were of the party that proceeded against Kwamana. All others were so intBnsely eager to preserve their own coeoanutfl that there was no difficulty in ascertaining to whom each tree belonged. '!'hey were told that we would eat the fruit of all the marked trees before we touched any others. The gardens of these villages were visited and the patches belonging to the same men were marked off, with an intimation that, we should eat them up first, beginning with those oE tbe two homicides. 1'he sergeant was sent to kill the best pig belonging to each o£ the two men wanted, and it was given out that we would next take the pigs belonging to those that accompanied them to Kwamana: The sergeant shot the largo pig of one of them, but by mistake shot a pig belongiug to a man of &1.dava. 'rhe sergeant, the dead pig, and its owner all reached me at the same time, the owner volubly asking for justice. A few minutes sufficed to establish his claim to my satisfaction, and he received payment for his pig on the spot, :md left perfectly satisfied. Half an hour later one of the teachers put in an appearance with another man, to lodge a complaint against the sergeant for killing this man's pig. It turned out that he was the brother of the real owner; but this claimant and the teacher looked not a little foolish when they found that the pig had already been paid in full to 1.he satisfaction of the man to whom it belonged. This little incident showf'd among other things that there was no want of a sense of justice in the community, and that they expected to find it in the Government. It was interpreted as a hopeful sign, a view that was verified b.v a serious proposal the same night from Kaiboda and Boianai that the sergeant with four carriers I had brought with me from Taupota should accompany a number of t.heir men to go and bring in the homicides, that they might be duly surrendered to the Government. On the morning of the lGth, the party as proposed started accordingly, the natives asking that we should lease their cocoanuts and gardens until they brought in the two men. Next day a messenger arrired to say they were already on the return journey, and were accompanied by the two men we demanded. As it was manifest that these tribes were humbled, and as it was now clear that the two homicides would be surrendered, I decided to proceed up the north-east coast with six constables as a boat's crew and five carriers from Taupota. The men were duly delivered up, and have since then been tried before the Central Court, and sentenced to capital punishment.

7. As the steamer had to proceed to Port Moresby and Cooktown, the Resident }fagistrate and the Corumflndant were instrneted to go to \Vamim after settling matters at J\1urawawa, and thence to Duau. When the Commandant touched at the Mission Station at Dogura on hit' way to Jtadava, two natives of the former place learned his destination and object, and started off in full haste to warn the people of Radava, tolling them the police were coming to burn eyerything and to kill everybody. This probably occasioned the desertion of all their villages. These two men were arrested and sentenced to seven days' imprisonment under the Native Begulation that deals with the spreading of lying and malicious reports. One of them escaped at Kaiboda, and it was now necessary to re-arrest him. This was effected by the Commandant after leaving Radava. He and the Resident :Yl.agistrate then proceeded to Duau, and arrested several natives of that place charged with having committed criminal offences.

8. The tribes in Murawawn. Bay form the Rtrongest centre of population in that part of the countr.v. I had every reason to be !.'atisfied with their complete reduction without bloodshed. It is quite true that they have up to the present time committed sporadic murders with impunity. I had two or three times visitecl them and warned them. The Resident i\lagistrate of the district and the Commandant had more than once been stationed there for some days with orders to arrest alleged murderers, but in this they never succeeded. Consequently these tribes remained unsubdued, without fear of the Government, and quite uninfinenced by the presence of the Mission planted among them. ·\V ere there in their midst now a teacher of some force of character, fairly educated, and familinr with their language, he could undoubtedly greatly change their lives in a short time.

From the attached report by the Resident .Magistrate, dated 19th August, it will be gathered that the murder of the Kwamana people was simply the continuation of an intertrihal blood fend. The same report shows also that the result of our intervention at JYiurawawa Bay had extended much beyond that neighbourhood. It should be stated here that the charge alleged against the J<]uropean

9

mentionen in Jl,fr. Moreton's report has been inquired into by the Resident Magistrate, who did not find ~t ~ubstantiated. 'The allegation reached the Magistrate from the Anglican Mis~ion, an~ M:. ~oreton mforms me that the Rev. Copland King is not yet satisfied that the Europe~m m q ueshon IS mnocent of the offence imputed to him. But as it was duly inquired into it is not likely to be reopened.

From Mr. Moreton's report, dated 28nl August, copy of which is attached heret?, it will b~ seen that the Kwamana people and their mountain neighbours came down to meet the Resident Mag1str~te at the sea on the 20th August, showing that the district on that side felt that peace was really bemg esbblished. -

The ~ame report also mentions that the ReY. Copland King, after visiting Boianai, lod~ed complaints against the constabulary to the effect that they had violated certain women of that t:tbe. Such a charge made against the police, and from such a quarter, could not be disregarded; and I enttrely approved Mr. Moreton's action in promptly returning, and in bringing face to face all parties concerned, although it was undoubtedly a serious loss of time to have to devote to a groundless accusation, especially as the Resident Magistrate had himself been camped with the detachment of constabulary occupying Boianai. The immediate attention given .to this matter may, however, not be lost on all affected bv it.

9. ·It is to me a matter of deep regret that the prospective settlement of that part of the coast, Good enough Bay, is not likely to be "followed by any industrial settlement of importance. The Roil is in general quite unfit for planting by Europeans, and it must take even the natives nearly all their time to obtain ~uhsistence from their cultivation. 'rhere is no fisherv. The miners prospecting for gold found nothing likely to lead to the permanent employment of Euro1ieans there in that industry. The men of Tanpota are, however, at present the carriers and " boys" for all Europeans requiring such employees on thi:;; coast. A number of them are now with gold prospectors. They will probably soon learn to wash out gold, and may start that work on their own account on the hills inland of their own tlistrict, which are probably not rich enough to pay European working. 1'he Government has had no opportunity of introducing any new industry on that coast, and the Anglican ~fission has done nothing whatever in that direction at their outlying station~. l visited the village of A waiama, the most southerly mission station on the north-east coast. These are the people that were first made to feel the hand of the Government immediately after its establishment in 1H88. 'rhey have remained perfectly quiet and very friendly to Europeans ever since.

Amongst these there is a coloured teacher, a native of Ambrym. The Mission owns there barely enough land for the necessary buildings. The church is a frail structure, the roof of which has probably fallen in before this date. The teacher cannot be blamed for not planting in this caRe, because he has no land at his disposal. It is impossible that he or any other colomed teacher could work to good advantage under such circumstances as those he is subject to. He is engagetl from year to year, like a house-boy, at £25 per annum. This teachel' possesses in full measure the amiable cha,racter of the natives of the New Hebrides, and he consented to renew his engagement for a second year out of complaisance to the Rev. C. King, to whom as his chief he wishes to show the utmost fidelity. But he remains of unsettled mind, and cannot possibly take the interest in these villagers that a man permanently settled there would feel in them. He, like his colleagues, is unmarried, and conRequently cannot put before them the example of a regular home after the European model. He complained that only few people come to chureh. He has twenty-four boys and twenty-five girls as scholars, but they go to school with conspicuous irregularity. I attendetl a sitting of the sehool at which there were present nineteen boys and sixteen girls, some of whom the teacher had not seen for weeks or months before that meeting. ·rhey were all struggling with the alphabet. No one profe~sed to be able to read anything, or to be able to repeat the Lord's Prayer. Some had learned to recite, and I am glad to add that several could count in English up to twenty. 'l'he teacher was doing his best to teach them some Scripture history, but they confused the Virgin Mary with Miriam, and mixed up in a very odd way the finding of Moses with Daniel in the lion's den, although they had the assistance of pictorial illustrations before them. 'J'hese results in a well-settled community cannot be considered great, but they are commensurate with the employment as teacher of an untrained native of the New Hebrides on a yearly engagement. In justicfl to the teacher it should be addetl that he has learned a considerable part of the native dialect, and that he is trying to teach some of the people to sing, and with considerable success. He is not in the habit of visiting the neighbouring villages.

10. l was able to visit the teacher stationed at Taupota ou the lOth Augt1st. He is a native of Mallicola, a race that may be considered to be among the most amiable of all the mild natives of the South Sea. It appears that the Mission possesses at this station about a score of acres of good land. A European lay brother of the Mission was located here probably about two years, engaged in teaching the natives. It does not seem that he put before them an example of agricultural industry, for I found only two houses built of ordinary native materials, a few bushes of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, and one young cocoanut-tree, which I was told on inqniry was planted by a native then present.

The teacher informed me he was Pngaged for a year, half of which was already gone, and that he hoped and expected to leave after six months. I attentlcd school in the forenoon. There were present twenty-seven boys and nine girls; all were small except one girl of about thirteen, already a married woman. First of all they count in English up to 100, whieh must be considered creditable; then they chantetl the first two lines of the multiplication table; then all had the alphabet together on the printetl card, which they know well by rote; they spelt words composed of a vowel and a eonsonaut, which reprcsentctl their furthest in the tlomain of letters. 'l'en were beginning to write on a slate. It was very interesting to see them form the characters, holding the pencil as if they were carving a club, but in figures generally beginning at the lower entl. The teacher has naturally but little grasp of the native language, but yet he, like his colleague at Awaiama, htts to a considerable extent won the respect of the chiltlren, which is no doubt attributable to the great amiability of character of these teacbers. The church is a very poor building of native materials, with posts of cocoanut wood, the floor the original shingle of the beach, whieh if not comfortable or luxurious is at least clean. Peace and order reign in the eommunitv of Taupota, which has one of the best rural constableR in this part of the country.

The teaching carried on at Kaiboda and Radava iR also of a very primitive kind. The two New Hebrides men stationed there have been six months at work, and they are lool>ing forward to the expiration of their year of engagement that they may return to Queensland. That they conscientiously

10

try to do their best is an undoubted fact; but as the extent of their own knowlerlge is very limited, as they know very little of the native language and are not in the confidence of any native in the district, and as they have nothing to give away, they have not been able to gain any useful inAuence over the natives. They have not yet built any s~hool or church, and they have planted nothing except two melons. I was present at an open-air school on the 1.3th August. There attended on that occasion nineteen boys and nine girls. 'l'hey chanted the letters of the alphabet aR they are printed on the cards supplied to the teacher, hut they knew them better by the ear than by the eye. They have hardly begun to sing. A day or two later I saw forty or fifty scholrtrs present. One teacher was endeavouring with some success to drill them to the sound of the concertina, and was making praiseworthy efforts to give a new impetus to school work.

11. The natives on the Bay of Murawawa live in seven villages, which are as follow, proceeding westward :-Kaibadn, Boianai, Radava, Kaibaboana, Urawara, Pagou, and Dogura.

They have a considerable quantity of cocoanut8, but not more than their large population would require for domestic purpose~. To the south-east of the villages there are several ~'<quare miles of an even, nearly level plateau of the kind that is peculiar to that part of the country, and which was probably sea-bottom in recent geological times. 'rhey are grass-covered, and consist of dark marly soil, a mixture of humus basalt, shingle, lime, &c. On this these people have their gardens, chiefly devoted to the cultivation of taro. Their gardens are extensive, and are cultivated with great care. They are watered by an elaborate system of irrigation, by which small strenmlets of runnin£{ water are crtrried in all directions among the industriously tilled beds of taro. Before sundown water is carried by· hand to many of these, or the running water is divertt>d on to them. I was not aware of the existence of this complicated system until I happened to come through their gardens in returning from the visit made to Kwamana. It was at once apparent that the Murawnwa people were at our mercy if we took possession of their gardens and waterworks. It was simply like the complete inve8tmcnt of a fortress, for in a week or two their crops, if neglected, would perish. Advantage was taken of this. It was pointed out that we could keep them out of their gardens until tl1e taro rotted. Hence the great haste with which they ultimately hrought in and surrendered the homicides. ~Iurawawa Bay, unfortunately, is very deep. The steamer was anchored opposite the Dogura village, in twenty. six: fathoms, and this was the best anchorage obtainable. Before leaving the north-east coast I was able on the 27th of October to c:tll in at Paiwa, in the head of Gooclenough Bay, to visit rural constable Hebuna. He stated that some four or five montns ago tour people of his tribe had been murdered by the inhabitants of a mountain village situated on the other side of the IJay. The Commandant was despatched next morning with some eighteen con­stables, accompanied by RBbuna and a score of his tribe without arms, to arrest the murderers. On the way to do this they were intercepted by the warriors of the trrbe, who threw spears at them, from which two men had a very narrow esrape. 'l'he outcome was that two spt>armen were shot and fonr men were arrested, three of whom were identified as having taken part in the attack on Rebuna's people. 'l'he same day I proceeded to Murawawa Bay, and camped in Dogura village. All idea of fighting the Government seemed to have been completely abandoned. The tribes were all perfectly quiet, and were without any suspicion or misgiving. They excused their past conduct by saying that their eyes were shut before, but added that now they are opened ; that this tying up of men for killing a man is quite new to them. One of the teachers informed me that attendance at school and service is now very satisfactory. A crowd of people waited on me with four baskets of food and two pigs, presented by the brothers of the two convicts. 'rhey did not exactly propose that I should accept these things and release the prisoners, and it was not quite clear whether that was their object or whether it was only to purchase good treatment for them. It ended in the food being sent on board the steamer for the two convicted men, and in the purchase of the two pigs after an explanation of the position was made to them, which appeared to satisfy them for the present.

On the 29th I accompanied the Rev. Copland King to Baunia Bay and visited the native villages there. They form a quiet, peaceful, settled community. Here the work of teaching is carried on industriously and successfully. 'rhe scholars were all collected at the W amira school, numbering 104-viz., from W amira, 27 girls, 15 boys; W edau night school, 13 men, 8 girls; \V edau day school, 13 boys, HI girls; Dogura, 6 boys, 6 girls. The girls have been taught by Mrs. 1'omlinson and Miss Murray to sew their own clothes. Mr. 'fomlinson teaches a class of about a do:r.eu girls and as many boys~the elite of tl1e school. They read slowly but with tolerable accuracy a ~hort historical paper, pen-printed by Mr. 1'omlinson, and which they had not ~::~een before. A sum in simple addition of seven figures by five was correctly done by ten of them. Some of the less advanced ones in~tead of attempting this sum wrote single letters, or a line of the multiplication table. Iu that elass the strong point is th.a very good writing of several of the girls, who will soon write a really excellent hand. The weak point of this class, and of all the others, is that there is no English taught, except the numbers up to about 100. :Miss Murray has a class of twenty-nine boys and girls all just beginning to read. The night school, at which attendance is not regular, is hardly so far advanced. The rest are taught by a native of JYiallicoUa, engaged on the same terms as the other coloured teachers mentioned above. His class has about mastered the letters. They all sing well. '!'hey are bright and cheerful scholars.

I was again able to point out to 1\fr. King the urgent need there is to greatly extend the mission; but that gentleman is nearly as anxious as myself to see this done. He can do no more than he is doing now until he receives additional assistance. More European ministers are clearly indispensable if this missiuu is really to undertake in earnest the whole of the noJ•th-east coast; and a great addition is required to the coloured staff, but it must consist of better trained men engaged on a different system. In my opinion the coloured teachers now employed by this mission would make excellent teachers if they were themselves reasonably well taught, and if they married, and perma.nently enrolled as members of the mission. 'I' hey are personally men of good character, of good principles, and a1·e conscientious and sympathetic; but under present circumstances they are not, and could not be, efficient teachers. Without the constant supervision of Mr. King they wouH do nothing. It is surprising that Mr. King has been able to do so much as he has accomplished in the teeth of such difficulties. The explanation of this is the steady way he has persevered in and remained at his work.

I have, &c., WM. MAOGREGOR.

His Excellency Sir Henry W. Norman, G.O.B., G.O.M.G., C.I.E., Brisbane.

11

rEnclontre No. 1 to Appendix G.] - Dogura, Bartle Bay, 11th June, 1895.

Sm,-I beg to report that there have been two murders in this districL. A party of men belonging to Boianai tribe surrounded some Kwamana natives in their gardens, and killed a man na~ed Inerel.JUlo and a boy named Geriebo. The first belonged to the Yillage of Ubu, and the second to Lercgwtta. The body of the first formed the staple for a cannibal feast.

The Radava feople, the old men told me, that the fir~t was killed by Garuiama, a Boirwai man, and ~he second by Ipopori, o Kaiboda villagc. I was told that the Radava people ate Inerebulo's body; but ~hey den~ed ~t, and said it was sent on to the villages of Kwago and Dogura. It seems to be t~e custo~ tha_t the VIllage wl11ch 1s responsible for the murde1· does not feed on t,he man, but sends the body to a ne1ghbourmg nllage. . . .

May I, with all due deference, expre~s the wish that the Government will not proceed to the district until it is ready to take decisive action iu the matter. The frequent visits of the Government schooners and steamer, which have all so far ended in talk, have left an impression on the native minds that nothing more can be done. Hence their disregard of the warnings we have given them.

I have, &c., COPLAND KING,

Head of N. G. Anglican Mission. The Resident Magistrate, Samarai.

[Enclosure No. 2 to Appendix G.] " Siai," Masakana, 19th August, 1895.

Sm,-I am glad to report that on Saturday, the 17th instant, the day Your Excellency left i~ the" Merrie England," Sergeant Bonari marched into Kaiboda, about 4 p.m., at the head of a long string of natives from the coast and bush villages to the west of this, leading in the two culprits that he had been after.

It appears that the K wamana people had come down some five months ago--but this time is ver~ unccrtain-:­and killed the child of one of the prisoners, the father, two mothers or aunt~; of the other, and had kidnapped h1s young brother, named Gavadia, who is still living with them. To.day Bonari went to interview the Kwamana people, and they have promised to send Gavadia in to-morrow.

Re also brought in with him a lot of bush people representing numerous(?) bush villages, men, women, and children. He also arranrred that the chiefs and others should meet us to-morrow morning at the place you went to the other day, where the "Siai" will pick us up on the way to W edau.

The Rev. C. King arrived this evening, and I saw a copy of a letter he had written to me about the one-eyed man, Gallagher. 1'his letter I had never seen. From that and from the information I had gained from the Taupota carriers, I considered that I ought to go and arrest him at once; so I propose to land the police at W edau to-morrow, where they have some work that may take them a couple of days, and go straight across to C~pe Mourilyan, Fergusson Island, where I hear Gallagher is trading, and which place I should reach by morning, br1~g him across at once, pick up the police, go on to Awania village, where he is reported to have violated a young g1rl in I understand a somewhat brutal way, and hold a court there.

I should then cross the police to iSewa Bay, and as I expect to have some six or seven prisoners on hoard, including a white man, I would take them into ~amarai and return at once to Sewa and take the police round to Cape Peirson. I should then work the rest as was arranged.

Trusting that this change in the programme will meet with Your Excellency's approval,

I have, &c., M.H.MORETON

His Excellency Sir Wm. }facGregor, M. D., K.C.M.G., "Merrie England."

[Enclosure No. 3 to .Appendix 0.] Con.]

" Siai," 23rd August, 1895. SIR,-I left a letter for Your Excellency. dated 19th instant, with the teacher at Kaiboda. I have now the honour to report that we left floianai on the 20th instant. Mr. King, Mr. Butterworth, and

myself walked along the coast, and met the bush people at Modidi Point. About seventy came down. We were picked up by the " Siai" in the afternoon, and reached W edau next morning, Mr. King going back to Boianai. On arriving at \Vedau the police were landed at onc0, and I started at 11•45 a.m. for Cape Mourilyan, arrested the white man Gallagher, and returned to \V edau by 9·30 a. m. next morning.

On my return I found that the escaped prisoner from Kaiboda had been rearrested, and that a party of Wedau men had gone out to arrest a native that was wanted for an assault. He was brought in on the evening of the 22nd.

This morning, the 2:3rd, ~fr. King arrived by the" Albert Maclaren," and reported that three women of Boianai village had laid complaints against the police for having had connection with them unsolicited. I therefore deemed it advisable to return to Doianai at once, and see into the matter. I asked }fr. King to come too, to substantiate the charges he brought. We left \Vedau 10·30 a. m. this morning and investigated the matter, the police being drawn up, so that the offenders might be picked out. I am glad to say that the women Mr. King brought forward each denied it. Even the teachers had heard nothing about it; the chief of Kaiboda had heard nothing about it, and others the same. My opinion at the time was that the idea probably originated from inquiries made by Mr. King. I trust that my action in returning at once with Mr. King, although a great loss of time, may be approved of. If I had not he would naturally have remained unsatisfied, and it would have been unfair to the constabulary to leave such a charge uninvestigated. ·

I am now, 4 p.m., on my return to Wedau to drop Mr. King. I shall not anchor, but go on to Awania to get the evidence in Gallagher' s case.

On the evening of the 22nd the chief of Garagaradi, named Toareki, a bush village some fourteen miles inland from Vi'edau, and from which Mr. Butterworth had some carriers when he went inland after Hurley's murderers, arriYed with some twenty followers, under the impression that you were at W edau with the steamer, bringing a pig and a quantity of betel-nut for Your Excellency. They received a good return present.

I have, &c., M. H. MORETON.

His Excellency Sir Wm. MaeGregor, M.D., K.C . .l\LG., "Merrie England."

12

APPENDIX D.

DESPATCH REPORTING RESUL1' OF EXPEDITION TO THE l\fAMBARE RIVEU TO CAPTURE NATIVES D1PLICATED IN 1'HE ~fUHDER 01<' 'riUJ LATE .MR. GEORGE OLARK.

No. 56.] S.S." JVIcrrie England," 15th November, 1895. Sm,-I have the honour to report that, on the morning of the 19th A ugm;t, when proceeding up

the north-east coast in the s.s. "Merrie England," we met n small vessel roturni11g from the Mambare ~iver to Samarai. It cont~ined a number of prospecting miner~, with scveml natives from the villnge of Taupota., who had been actmg as carriers for the party.

They reported that Mr. George Cl ark, the leader of the British New Guinea Prospecting Expedition, had been killed by nati,·es on the }fambare, and that a number of miners had been left at the mouth of the Mambare, where thev would remain until the vesNel returned from Samarai with stores. On the e\·ening of the same day the steamer reached the we~tern month of the J\fa,mbare, wlwre there is good anchorage. Commander Jones held a judicial inquiry into all the cirenmstances connected with Clark's death, and a copy of his report is nttached hereto, in which will be found in detail all the information obtainable.

2. It would appear that this prospecting party ronsiflted originaHy of six Europeans, two Queensland aboriginals, and a nmnber of Taupota carriers. It seems the party went to the ]}:fambare River, at the extreme end of the colony, 'vithout ncqnainting Mr. \Vinte1· with the fact; and it would appear that they expected a Government ve~sel to be sent there to bring them back-an expectation that apparently was based on a letterfrom tl10 Hon. H. Tozer, but which neither .l\Il·. ~-Winter nor myself have seen .. I attn,ch a copy of Mr. Clark's letter to :\'lr. Moreton on this Rnbject, and of the minnte~ written on 1t. 'l'hey reached the mouth of the Mambare about the 1st of .July, and proceeded to ascend the river for the purpose of prospecting for gold. Daring the first eight or nine days they pa;:,t<ed all villages that are known on this river, ancl at no place did they observe :my ho~tilc or even unfriendly demonstrations. The native's had been fairly treated and honl'stly dealt with, so that there was good reason to expect that future relations would be amicable', and arlvantageou:< to both parties. Apparently the natives had ample opportunity of seeing that the party had a large quantity of Htores and trade goods, and they doubtless soon noticed that the pos~essors of those treaRures were inexperienced and easily thrown off their guard. It was only after the murder of Clark that nny importance was t\ttached to the significant facts that spears and clubs were noticed to have become much more nnmerous., a,nd that thP women and children had been sent away. The nnti\'CS seized the opportunity offered to them at the moment that the rifles of the party were on the boat with Mr. Clark alone. They cut the tow-rupe while dragging the boat Hp a strong rapid, which let the bo:tt drift swiftly down the rapid, to the management of which the attention of Cl:trk wonltl in 1'.1leh a position be r'ntircly directed. They threw on him a shower of spearR, nntil, seeing his da11ger, he fired his revolver on his assail:Lnts, and jumped into the water, retaining hold of the gunwnle of the bont till he sank wounded in a deep pool, from which hi<~ body was never recovered. Some ol' his colleagues, who were in ~ight, fired their revolvers, but apparently without effect. The uatives promptly thre\v the rifles ont of the bont into deep water, and fortunately :;.eem to have thought more of secnring plunder than of killing any more of the strangers. The pnrty recovered the boat, in which they ~ubsequently deKcemled the river. They now had left for their defence only two rifles and their re\'Olvcrs, and they seem to have been obliged to m<e these arms at several places to di:::perse groups of natives. On the way down they met a second prospecting expeclition known as the" Ivanhoe Prospecting Party." They joined forces, rcasccnded the river, and took the law into their own hands, inflicting much loss and damage on certain natives of the dish·ict.

3. On the forenoon of the 20th we were visited at the mouth of the lVIambare by the chief of the first group of small villages on the river. He and his people have remained throughout friendly to the miners. Natives also arrived from other inland villages. At noon we left the steamer to ascend the river with the steam l:tuncl1, accompanied by three miners to give information rnflpecting their former assailants. We founcl only two persons-a man and a woman-at the first group of villages, ancl at the next only two men. \V e 8aw no canoe or raft in the river that afternoon.

On the 21st we continnecl the ascent of the stream. At the lower villages the natives were qniet and friendly, and there was I10thi11g in their conduct to suggest that they were in any way implicated in the attack on the miners. The houses were ~earched in all villages that were Bituated within ten or twelve miles of the highest one on tl1e river, the presumption being that they alone wore concerned in thi~ matter. On landing at lt large village on the left hank ~ome three or four miles below the junction of the Tamatara, we found a large party of natives, compriRing perhaps some three ~core men, apparently all engaged in preparing a great feast. They had already built a large platform fot• the reception of the food, and on this structure I was invited to sit down. ln the middle of the square was what appeared to be a newly filled in grave. The roof hnd been pulled off a house that stood near and had been put over the grave to protect it. Near to this were the charred remain~; of what seemed to have been the club­house of the tribe. The general appeamnce of all thi,; was suggestive of recent hostilities, and I asked some of the natives what it all meant. One of them spoke very volubly and pointed to one of tl1e rniner1<. Before going up the ri>'er I had been nssured that the latter had not in any way retaliated, and consequetltly but for the Immisi<Lilable reference of this native, whoJ>e language was for the most part unintelligible, I should not have connected the prospectors in any way with the pidure then before me. The miner indicated replied promptly, "These people were so hostile that we thonght it absolutely necessary to burn one of the buildings." 'l'his clubhouse is doubtless one of the houses cnlled "sheds" in the evidence tendered to Commander J ones. 1'he testimony regarding thE- burning of houses, the breaking of canoes, the shootiug and eating of pigs by the miners, was obtained only after I had gone up the river. It is manifest that the witne~s that stated that these "sheds" stood in the track bet\veen the village and the spot where the miners had left the boat, &c., had quite forgotten the locality in each case, ns well ns the nature of the buildings, for the clubhouse is by far the best house in the village, and stands near its centre, reasons which in all probability led to thnir destruction. In this village I noticed, while seated on the plntform, a shovel leaned against a cocoanut tree on the bank of the ril'el'. I caused it to be brought to me, and I then demanded an explanation from the natives. 'rhe answer was

13

the immediate flight of all of them to the bush. It was tolerably clear they were implicated i.n the murder of Cl ark. Friendly greeting;, wern, however, exchanged for .the time being, aR it was des1rable ilmt the other villages should not be nhnnetluntil after they had bt>cn first visited. In these the people appeared desirous of being on good terrm; with m. Articles that had been obtained from Clark's boat were found in the other vilbgeH, so 1hat liHle doubt remained that every village in that group had been concerned in the murder anrlrohbery. J[en, old atul voung, women and children shouted "Peace,'.' and danred with their finger;; in their ears as we passed the villages; and after we pitched camp at the junct1?n of the Tamatara we were visited by a considerable nurnbet• of emwes, tlHl occupants of whieh were all desir?us of trading with us. They were, h.Jwever, more or le~~ ~u~pieious, aJHl kept one or two canoes hovermg about us on the river all night. .

4. Next morning we were visited early by ~evern.l t:anoes. N cithm· then nor on the precedm.g evening did we allow a single ImtiYe to cross the fence that ;;hut in the land side of our camp, and tlns they found to be very vexations. At hnlf-pa~t 7 next morning we left to return down the river. On turnirw the first bend we noticed a shovel lPaned :t"ainst a tree in a small on the bank. Some ~f the men belonging tc) it were followitl!.\' u>~ down the river· shouting "Pc:we" with lusty voices, but they suddenly stopped when the ,;hovel \\'a~ pointed out to them. \Ve then crossed to a lar£;e village a quarter of a mile further down. App:nently (he men had all gone up the river to visit us. They soon began to arrive, but were very suspicious, n,.; the.v Haw we had fount! in this village a pair of boots and some other things they had taken from the miner.-;. It was noticed that at several places men had appeared with new 8hields :mtl sp('ar·~, and it ::;cemed clmtr that all thi~ was being prepared in anticipation of a comh1g ~;tmgglc. In this village there was lying on the ground a flat piece of basalt ~Stone, apparently picked out of the river, already of tlw l'<'(j uiJ:<ite t hiekness fot' a lhsc stone dub, Hmooth on both sidcN, and dlipl'oid in outline; it wa,; now being bored for t!w rc•ceptiori of the lmndle. E<tch side was alre::~cdy pierced half-lm"im:h deep, the little pit being about an inch and a-half wide at the snrfat:e and tapering to a pomt at the dcepetit part. El'ideutly it w;ts bored by a l1ard stone \rith sharp angles, in the ~ame way a~ the native~ bore brgc hole~ in thick of shell with ~plinters of quartz on Duau and elsewhere. Unfortunately, nlthottgh the intentleJ clnb-head was then in position, the borer had been taken away. The~e people would not come nc:tr us 1 hen, but stood at a safe Jistancc, armed with spear::<.

In the next large village we saw only women, aml we did not laud there, but we remained for a little time at the next vilhlge, which app;n·cntly is the lowest of those implicated in the attack on the miners.

Soon a large number of men assemble(! there, coming down the left bank of the ri\·er. Many, if not most of them, had stone clubi<. Two or three very truculent-looking individuals had war ;:pears. Some trading wnH done with the others, a few o[ whom seemed 1o be friendly and desirou~1 of peace. I directed tho~e that had spear~ to lay them :tside. As they did not seem to be prepared to COIJ!ply, I made a friendly-disposed young man expostulate with them, but they were older men than he was, nncl he could only prevail on them to retire a little wa.r into the background, and even this was <lone :mlkily. \Vhen we had all but got into the boat to h'aYe, the corporal ~houte.J out, "'rlwse men are going to throw iheir spears." A shot-gun was ready for such an cmergeucy, and in good hands. The order was promptl:1-given to fire on them with that weapon. One of them wa~ almo~t on the point of hurling 'his weapon when he reeeived a charge of No. 3 shot at about forty yards; he dropped hi8 ~:>hield, on which blood was already spurting, and fled, carrying off his spear. 'l'he secoml spearman turned before diseharging his missile alHl received the second barrel, not in the front. Both bore away their spears, but the shield of ono became a trophy.

\Ve landed again in the village and remained there about a quarter of an hour to give the natives an opportunity of reassembling aud returning, but this was rrevented by a shrill-tongued old womau on the other side of the river, who continued to warn them that we were in the village waiting for them. To leave no room for boasting o:1 the pttrt of this tribe, we then returned to the next village, the place at which we found the recent grave on the pre,'ious day. One woman remained in the village. The men di8persed into the forest and scrub around it, ~houting" Peace." The woman danced n high step, shouting " Orokaiva," and held aloft a stone club ommnentrd with white feathers. She was most earnest both in shouting and dtmcing, but perhaps no woman ever danced with a heavit>r heart. She retired before we landed. No one could be induce-d to return to the village. 1'hey had placed a number of heavy blocks of wood over tl1e covering on the grave, but whether to prevent the exit of the Rpirit until the death feast ~>hould be celebrated or to keep us from exhuming the body it is impossible to say. At the villages below this all were friendly, and any man that appeared with a spear in his hand laid it down when told to do so. 'rhey all brought us food and other articles for sale.

The half-dozen constabulary I harl with me at this time were not. sufficient to ancst as many of these natives as I deemed necessary. The visit was made to ascertain what villages were implicated, nnll to see what wouH be the best way for the constabnlary io deal with the matter when in suilicient lllllllbers.

5. On the 2:Jrd September• I returncod agnin to the mouth of the ])IH.mbrtre. 1'hcre was on botu·d the " JYierrie England" the small movable detachment of about a score of the constabulary, eight pro,;pecting miner~, aud about two dozen carriers engaged by them from Taupota. Besides this tltere were six Taupota carriers ·for my own party. On the following morning we began the ascent of the river, which was much swollen and presented a strong cmrent, although there had been no rain on the coa~t. Besides the detachment of the constabuhtrv and the six cctrriers there were with us the Com­mandant and tho JYiagistrate of the di\'ision. 'rhe "miners remainetl at the mouth of the JYfambarc to prepare their store~ for transport on the return of the steam launch from the upper river. One miner who was of :Mr. Clark's party accompanied us to identify any assailant he could recognise.

\Ve found that dt1ring our absence the first villages on the river, ~which lutd always been friendly, had been provided with a palimdt~, whether to protect them from us ur from their neighbour;; we couid noL determine. A few people appeared as m• passed there and shouted " Peace." \Ve saw numy people bu~ily at work extending their garden:<, all of whom exchanged friendly greeting;,. \Ve cltmped about :1 score of miles from the sea in the edge of n sumll t:uo garden, where we soon received a friendly visit from the proprietor and some of hi» friend~, who brought us fooJ for sale. At !) o'clock at night we experienced here two severe shocks of earthlltta ke, travelling from the ea;;t towards the west. The shocks were separated by an interval of about two minutes, and were so well marked that my hammock swayed to and fro like a boat labouring at sett. At the large friendly villn,ge ou the left bank· the natives

14

had made some preparations to receive us, not by preparing new clubs of stone like those in!the upper villages, but by making imitations of them in clay and in wood, so cunningly executed that one could not tell by mere inspection that the vendors were not offering the genuine article. As we passed the large village to which belonged the two men that received the contents of the shot-gun on the former visit, a~d where the miners had burned the clubhouse and apparently shot one person, we kept the middle of the r1ver, and were about 200 yards from the village. It contained a large number of men and women at this time.

The latter burst into a deep plaintive wail as if they saw themselves about to be overwhelmed by some. dreadful calamity. The mental intensity of the moment must have been unparalleled in the expenence of the community, for at the instant of time they saw us retum in irresi,;tible strength a shock of earthqual{e came up the river and caused the ground on which the village stood to rise and fall in undulations that were visible from our boats. Christians have at all times connected the appearance of an enemy with remarkable synchrouous natural phenomena whenever it was possible to do so.

Probably the impression produced in the mind of these savages was not less profound. In any case, as soon as the shock ceased a man rushed down to the water's edge and shouted " Peace, peace." \V e did not stop at any village then, but proceeded at once to our old camp opposite the highest village on the river, and in the angle formed by the Tamatara at its junction with the :Vlambare. The plan of action was that all the constabulary except my boat's crew should remain there with the Magistrate, the Commanflant, and the miner in order to arrest half a dozen men as soon as possible after they were identified by the miner in question. It was therefore necessary to encourage intercourse with the natives until some of the right men should be found near the camp. Meantime it was intended that I should proceed inland with my private secretary and a boat's crew of constables to see whether we could find any other inland tribes in that district.

6. On the 26th September I continued up the river with Mr. Cameron, a boat's crew of six constabulary, and five Taupota carriers. At noon we reached the islands marked on the chart at 8 degrees 24· minutes 30 seconds south latitude. Beyond this the steam launch cannot ascend the river on account of rapids. In the afternoon we passed the place where Mr. Olark was murdered, an inspection of which showed how well the natives had selected their ground, and at the same time brought into clear relief the manly pluck of the two men, McClelland and Drislane, who courageously swam into the eddying pool to assist their mate, and to secure the boat so essential to the safe return of the rest of the party. Next forenoon we reached the log-house built by the miners at the highest point to which they deemed it ~afe to take their boat. It is about a mile below the furthest spot to which I ascended by boat the first time the river was examined. The site has been skilfully chosen, and the building is strongly constructed. Thence we travelled up the right bank of the river. It seems the prospectors took the left one. The first day we B!Lw many traces of native hunting parties in the forest over the whole of the seven miles traversed by us, but no houses and no gardens. There· were few indiC'ations of natives on the second day, and none at all after that. We had to cut a path for ourselves over every yard travelled by us, and during the seven days we continued the outward journey we averaged about five miles a day. The whole country was covered by forest, and would be of little or no value from an agricultural point of view, on account of the steepness of the hills, the remote situation, and the clayey nature of the soiL The collector of gutta-percha and allied products would, however, probably do well in this district. For two days and a-half we crossed many low hills not exceeding 500 feet in height, with numerous small streams or creeks between them. The red or reddish-yellow clayey soil was full of broken fragments of quartz, and there were at some places promising traces of gold in the creeks. Beyond that the quartz disappeared, and so did the colours of gold. During the last two or three days the altitude of the river must have increased to probably 1,000 to 1,500 feet above sea level, for the forest trees were all covered by moss. The hills were rising to heights of quite 2,000 or 3,000 feet where we turned back, and they were becoming very rough and difficult to cross. It appeared also that the rainy season was setting in, which would make rapid travelling still more difficult. vVe met with no slate formation in the district.

7. We reached the log-house camp of the miners on the return journey on the 5th October, and found they had all arrived there with their carriers and provisious except about a ton and a-half of stores left on board the " :Merrie England." Next day a visit was paid to some of the gold-bearing creeks crossed the first and second day out from camp. 1'he result was distinctly disappointing, nothing payable being found. On the 7th we arrived at the camp of the constabulary at the junction of the 'famatara. The detachment had remained very quiet for several days after I left them, and many natives began to frequent the camp. Gradually the visitors appeared to consist more and more of the fighting men, and these gained confidence to the extent of appearing in paint and feathers in proportion as they came under the belief that the constabulary were afraid of them. It was the opinion of the camp that in a very short time the natives would attack them. The moment for action was when the miner, who was kindly there for that purpose, pointed out sowe of those that were participants in the murder of i\Ir. Clark.

The natives had not got their spears in their handll ; they had striking arms, however, and their spears were doubtless near, but they had no trme allowed them to obtain those. The constabulary rushed on them to secure the number they had been instructed to arrest-half a dozen young men. The natives resisted to the utmost, and about half a dozen of them were killed, but six prisoners remained in the hands of the constabulary, and the natives were soon vanquished in the thorough and complete manner that never fails to put an end to real fighting in a district.

Between the log-house of the prospectors and the police camp we saw as we descended the river a number of small canoes near the banks, the owners being evidently in their gardens to procure food. They were manifestly terribly afraid; they were certainly not presuming in their demeanour, but seemed to wish to be friendly if they could overcome their fears. They ventured to approach and to sell some food to the canoe that followed my boat with two miners and some Taupota natives. They were now in the habit of bringing food to the opposite bank of the river for those in the police camp, and two or three of them had even ventured to visit the camp itself, endeavours having been made to tell them that no further arrests would be made.

'l'hey had :tlready brought a flag of peace to the camp, consisting chiefly of the plumes and feathers of birds tied by strings in large tufts to a pole. A seventh prisoner was an old man that had been captured separately, and it ;;eemed doubtful whethe1· it was desirable to carry him off. Meantime the arms and ammunition belonging to the miuers, which had been thrown overboard by the assailant.·

15

as >loon as they entered Clark's boat, and which consisted of four "\Vinchesters and two Martini-Henry rifle!', and of three double-barrelled shot guns, with a large supply of ammunition for each, had not been recovered. It was thought that the elderly man might he serviceable i11 reeovering these. He was set at liberty accordingly, but although he visited the eamp soon afterwnrd~ he brought in uo firearms, b~t unotht-r flag of peace instead. It uoes not seem to bo quite certain that these weapon~ at·e actually m the posses;.ion of the nafires; if they are, they Hmst already be u~eless or very Roon will become so.

8. On the 8th of October the C<Jmtnallllant with ten men was left at the junction (Tamatara) camp, to await there the arrival of Mr. Green, the newly appointed Government Agent for the north-east coast. 'l'he six prisoners were secnrcd in my boat, nnd bv 3 in the afternoon we brought them Rafely to the ~ea. AR we left the camp in th<> earl)~ ;norning few I1atives were then abroad, but Rome were visible. At the first bend below the camp a numlwr nf native~ were tempomrily settled on the left bank. A.n elderly man came to the rir<>r's edge to look at ns. \Viwn he s<tw the prisoner" he wept loudly. Th1s attracted the atteniion of a woman~ of about fnrty, who apparently was then engaged cooking something for tlw morning meal. 'rhc· ovcrwhelmiwr g1·ief of thig poor savage woman, when she saw the prisoners carried off in the swift-glidiiJg boat to a ~yorJd iotally unknown to her or them, was the most eloquent manifestation of acnte sorrow that it has been my lot to see in a human being. For a moment she stood stuuned and silent, her probably seeking a son in the half-dozen men in chains; then with a piercing ery she darted forward the air several feet, the right leg and the body straight and rigid, the left leg bent at the knee, the arms thrown upwards and out,vards. In this attitude her thin body, naked except for a small cloth, was da,shpd to the g-round with such force that the slap it produced on the wet, red, bare clay was distinctly heard on mv boat at a distance of about lOO yards. Apparently quite unconscious of what she was doing she' picked herself up, uttered a heartrending shriek, and again P.recipitated herself on the wet, cold earth. Probably all in my boat were glad when the bend of the r1ver cut off from us this painfully di~tre~sing seene.

A few yonng men came run11ing down the bank of the river, in the hope of being able to speak to the prisoners. They earried shields, which they u;;e in signalling, but they had no arms of offence. As we passed the large village, some half a dozen miles below our emnp, fifty or sixty men appeared, armed with spear~, shield~, and clubs, when they found the prisouers were with us. We did not stop, but they shouted to the prisoners; the latter replied; both parties then uttered a plaiuti\'e wailing shout of" Are," and we pasi'ed on. Sympathy with the prisoners was strong in the upper portion of the river, though without any display of hostility towards u::J, but it became fainter as we approached the sea; and at the lowe~t village8, though the prisoners were evidently personally known to the natives there, the latter did not ~eem to feel for them.

On the lOth October, Mr. Green was sent up the river to assume duty there as Government Agent. He was provided with ten armed constables, and supplied with stores and provisions for four months. A boat also took up the ri\'er the remaining stores belonging to the prospectors. Mr. Green was furnished with in,<tractions, of which a copv is enclosed herewith. 'I'hc steam launch and boat returned on the 12th, bringing the Commandant ·and his detachment. There had been no further dis· agreement with the natives, who appeared thoroughly humbled nnd desirous of peace, though still timid, and afraid, except in a few cases, to visit the camp.

. 9. -~s I was reluctant to leave this part of the coast, which I could not revisit for several months, w1thout being tolerably well assured that opposition on the part of the natives was at an end, I returned to the mouth of the Mambare on the 22nd October, and sent the Resident Magistrate up the river next u::,y with the steam launch to pay a visit to Mr. Green at his camp at the junction of the Tamatara. ·R hen he was absent there I ascended a small creek called Dubila, which enters the Mambare about half a mile from its mouth, on the loft bank. Some of the erew of the steamer, when shooting on the Dubila, \yore confronted by a large force of men in war attire, who indicated to them th11.t they must proceed no further, on which they returned to the steamer. It had also been reported by the miners that a number of armed men had tried to cut off some of their boys on the same creek, whither they had gone to fetch water. "\V e were accompanied by the friend] y chief of the lower Mambare villages. , , At abou~ a mile and a quarter from the Mambare we met a number of people at work in a garden. Ihere was no d1fficulty in getting on good terms with them. Indeed, they seem to be an offshoot of, or to be closely connected with, the lower villages on the :M:ambare.

In ascending the river and m returning, "Mr. }Ioreton saw nothing unfriendly in the demeanour of the natives. The young men were avoiding Mr. Green's camp, sending thither the old man and the women to barter food, &c. }fr. Green's report will be found attached hereto.

. .By the same opportunity I received a letter from Mr. Simpson, of which I append a copy, from whwh 1t Will be seen that the party had not found payable gold.

I enclose the specimen of gold mentioned by 1VIr. Simpson. I should be much obliged if Your ~xccl.l~ncy would kindly cause this to be submitted to Mr. Jack, Government Geologist, that he might Identify. the gray metal mentioned by .M:r. Simpson. Mr. Jack should then return the specimen until I am adv1oed by Mr. Simpson how he wishes it to be disposed of.

It .should be mentioned that nothing has been heard of the two Queensland aboriginals that accompamed Mr. Clark, and disoppeared a few days after his death,

I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant,

WM. 1\fACGREGOR. His Excellency Sir Henry W. Norman, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., C.I.E., &c., Brisbane.

[Enclosure No. 1 in .Appendix D.] S.S. " Merrie England,"

::VIambare River, N.E. Coast, B.N.G., 22nd August, 1895.

YouR ExcELLE~cY,-1 have the honour io lay before you my report upon the death of George Cl!lrk, late leader of the British New Guine:t Prospecting Party, the same being compiled from the evrdence, taken before me this day, of Thomas Drislane and Samuel MuC!elland, minel'H and members of the party in question. It appeaJ.•s that a party of miners consisting of George Clark (leader),

16

An~hony Linedale, Edward Braddon, Samuel 1\fcOlelland, William Day, and Thomas Drislane, with two nat1v~ Queensland blackboys, named Tommy and 1\filori, arrived at the mouth of the Mambare River e.a~ly m July, presumably about the 1st ultimo. They managed at once to make friends with the natives ~IVmg near the mouth of the river, from whom also they purchased two or three canoes to facilitate their J?urney up stream. The party started up the river about the 2nd ultimo All went well for the fir!!t mght or nine days; friendly relations were established with the natives for some thirty miles up, and from these the miners received much assistance in getting their boat over the rapids, and past some of the difficult points on the river.

A large number of canoes, however, followed the boat almost from the mouth of the river, and though all the men in these canoes had their arms with them, they refrained from making any display of these.

. SeYeral armed natives were also observed on the banks at various points, but these making no ho~hle demonstration, but little notice was taken of them by the miners. On or about the 12th July, neither of the witnesses being sure of the exact date, the party had reached a point some forty-five miles from ~he coast, and the river was becoming very rapid and difficult of ascent. Many canoes were still followmg in the track of the boat, though the natives still maintained their friendly attitude, and no treachery was suspected. About 2 p.m., however, the boat reached a rapid at wbich it was deemed nccessa~y for all the miners to disembark and haul the boat oYer the rapid by means of a tow-line. Accordmgly, Linedale, :YicOlelland, Drislane, and Day got out on to the bank, leaving Olark alone in the boat to steer. The tow-line was manned, the white men being at the far end, and some ten or fifteen natives l1auling on the rope near the boat. Suddenly the rope parted. Drislane at once picked up the broken end and found that it had been cut. He called out to his mates, "The natives have cut the rope," and McOJelland made an attempt to grasp the broken end of the tow-line still attached to the bow of the boat, .but the current running Yery rapidly, the boat had shot down stream out of his reach before he ~ad tune to do so. Several of the natives who had been pulling on the rope jumped into the boat the mstant the rope parted, and the white men on the bank thinking they wished to assist Olark in handling the boat, made no effort to ~top them. Clark himo;elf, even then, seems to have not suspected any treachery, but remained standing in the stern of the boat keeping it straight by means of the steer-oar. The boat in the meantime was rnpidly drifting down amongst the canoes astern, and when some few yards from them, the witnes:ses saw a shower of spears directed at Olark from the men in the canoes. Immediately they saw they had been tt-icked, and- that Clark's life was in imminent danger, Drislane, ¥cClelland, and Linedale produced their revolvers and fired upon the natives in the canoes, who by this time had closed round the boat. Clark also u~ed his revoh-er as soon as he realised his da,nger, but after firing two or three shots he was seen by Drislane to jump overboard and cling to the gunwale of the boat. The same witness then saw a native ;;trike him a heavy blow on the head with a paddle, and a second or two afterwards another nrttive drove a spear downwards into Olark's body, which then sunk below the surface of the water, and has not since b<>en seen or recovered by any of his followers.

McOlclland, as soon aR he had discharged his revolver, jumped into the water to swim to Olark's assistance, but the current swept him down below tho boat, and he reached the opposite bank in safety. Drislane also made an attempt to :;wim to the boat, but before he reached it an eddy swept the boat close to the opposite bank, where it was caught by the bow of an overhanging tree and remained. ·whilst the two abovementioned men were swimming across the river, Clark received his death wounds and sunk. The natives in the boat then commenced to loot all the tr:Lde and stores of the miners, which had been stowed below the thwarts; n.lso they threw into the river all the firearms-namely, four -Winchester rifles, three :Mari.ini-Hcnri rifles, and three double-barrelled shot-gnns.

Having taken as much as they could get away with, the natives then jumped into the ·river, some swimming down stream to the canoes, whilst others made for the shore and disappeared into the bush.

Lineclale and Daly then came acro~s the river and joined the other two men. A messenger was also despatehed up stream for l3mddon, who during this time had been on ahead in charge of the two canoes with the Queensland blackboys. 1'he party then recovered their boat, and a search was made for Clark's body, but without success, so towards evening they went a ,-;hort distance further on and camped for the night.

Next day, after a consultation, it was decided to return to the coast, since their leader was killed and the party were now badly provided with firearms and trade.

On the trip down the river the natives continued to make hostile demonstrations, and at several points armed natives congregated on the bank jeering, and in some instances throwing spears at the boat as it passed.

The miners found it necessary to fire on some of these parties, since the river was at the points in question generally narrow, and the boat had to pass ''ithin a few yards of where the men had stationed themselves, :md it was only in order to disperse them before the boat got within spear-throw.

Neither of the witnesses eau say whether any natives were injured or not. No reason can be given for the l<nddcn change of front on the part of the natiyes. Both witnesses

affirm that none of their party had any intercourse with native women, uciiher had any of the men received the slightest ill. treatment at the hands of Olark or any of the miners.

They both athibute the whole disaster to the desire of plunder on part of the natives, whose covetousness was arou::;cd bv the sight of the trade iu the boat.

They both speak very highly of Clark, who appears to have earned their confidence and respect as leader. .

The two Queensland black boys, Tommy and Milori, deserted from the miners' camp some two or three after Olark's murder, at a point about twenty-five miles from the coast. Both boy:> had been some time in Clark's service, and no reason can be shown for their desertion.

Amongst the mining party a good feeling seems to have existed throughout, and no signs of discontent were visible.

Both witnesses state that the miners refrained from making any reprisals on the natives; neither were firearms used except in self-defence or where their safety was threate11ed.

The statemeuts of both witnesses are clear and coincident in all the main particulars and in nearly all the details.

17

This is all the evidence I have been able to obtain as to the facts connected with the murder of Cl ark

I will now deal with the events subscqueut to Clark's death. From the evidence of Alexander Clunas and .Toseph McLaughlin, two miners who belonged to the

Ivanhoe Pr·ospecting Party, and who arrired at the mouth of the Mambare River some nine or ten days after Cl ark's party, it appears the I vanhoe Pro~peeting Party were proceeding up the 1-lambare in a cutter, and when about twenty miles from the coast they met the remainiug members of Clark's party coming down to the coast.

The latter men gave the Ivanhoe party an account of what had taken place, and after consultation it wns agreed that the two pnrties should amalgamate.

The cutter in which the I van hoc pnrtv had come up the river was accordingly sent clown to a safe anchorage about five miles from the mouth, and some two or three days afterwards the whole now consisting of twelre white men-namely, Braddon, Linedale, McClclland, Drislanc, and Day lark's party), rmd Simpson, McLaughlin, N ewmrm, Elliot, N eilson, Ball ton, and Olunas (of the Ivanhoe party), Btarted up the river again in the whaleboat and three canoes.

'l'he party landed at the village where the natives had shown hostility to the former party, with a view of searching the houses and seeuring, if possible, some of the stolen property. In this they were fairly successful, in so far tlmt n quantity of a11nnunitiou and some C..'tllllleH were found.

·when the miners landed the natives had all retireJ. into the scrubs, from where they were occasionally throwing spears and makiug other signs of fight.

I<'rom the evidence it seems that two native sheds stood in the track between the village and the spot where the miner>! had left their boat, nn!l the miner,;, fearing the native:,: would make a rally out from whore tl10y were concealed in the scrub, burued the sheds in order· to have a clear path in case of having to retreat.

:Further on at some villages more lost loot was rcrovered, chic!ly ammunition and some picks and shovels. ·

At these yillages six or seven houses were burned nnd three or four canoes Jestroyed; also two pigs were shot and eaten by the miners.

The witnesses state that only those houses were burned in which any stolen property was found, and the reason assigned for destroying the canoes is that the miners did not wi~h the nati\·es to follow them up the river as they had done the previous party. 'l'hesc are the only acts of retaliation apparently that have been })erpetrated by the miner~. On thi8 point the evidence of JYieClelland and Drislanc is contradictory; they Jeny any repr·isals having taken place at all, their evidence only deaJing with the first trip.

The party stopped a couple of days at the scene of Clark's murder. A drag was maJe, and another attempt made to find the body, but without success, though they got one JYlartini-Henri rifle one tomahawk, and one knife up in the dr::tg.

The natives had buoyed the spot where they had jettisoned the firearms, but had evidently been diving there in the meantime and recovered them all, with the exception of one rifle the miners hauled up in the drag.

On 2:3rd July a point was reached lying about fifteen miles above the scene oE the murder, thus about sixty miles from the coast. Here, in consequence of the na vigatwn becoming very slow and difficult, it was Jecided to form a main camp. This was done, and Clunas with some sick men were left in charge, the remainder striking inland in a south-westerly direction. After travelling about thirty miles the river wns struck again, when it was deeideJ. to return by raft. Rafts were made, and the party came back to their main Cltmp in nine homs.

The witnesi!CS ;;ay they met with encouraging pro~pecL~, but the country away from the river is entirely descrteu of population, and fooJ. i" impo~~ible to obtain in eonscqueuce. On the return of the party to tlleir main eamp a consulUttion WitS held, ;md a deeision comt> to that they ~hould return to the eoast and despatch the cutter " May flower " into Samarai for stores, which by this time were becoming somewlwt scarce.

'l'he coast was reached without any further molesta,tion from the natives, and the "Mayflowcr" left for· Samarai on lGth August, taking with her BmdJon, Linedale, Day, 1.-limpson, and N eilson. The remaining men camped at the month of the Mamb::tre nwaiting the return of the cutter.

·whilst Clunas was in charge of the umin cmnp he was twice visited by the natives implicated in Clark's murder. l'he:;ewcre showing a desire to make friends with the white men, but Clunas wisely treated them with great caution.

I think I have now dealt on all the points in evidence.

I have, &c., l\:IERVYN ALBAN JONES,

Commander s.s. "JYicrrie England."

LE1wlosure No. 2 in Appendix D.] Bartlc Bay, 20th June, 1895.

Sm,-1 have the honour to inform you that the British New Guinea Prospecting Expedition will sail to-day by schooner "Seagull" for the ~:lam bare River. Failing to make a discovery of importance in country drained by that river, the expedition will v·obably prospect for some time up the Kumuri niver.

Referring to my conversation with you at Samarai, and your promise to bring the party back to Samarai, in about eight weeks from date will you send vessel for that purpose, and confer a groat favour npon all those who arc interested in the success of the expedition ?

I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant,

G. E. CLARK, The Re~ident Magistrate, Samarai. Leader B.N.G. Expedition.

B

18

Mn. WrNTER,-Have you sanctioned the despatch of a Government vessel? W.M., 18-7-95.

Ihs ExC:FcLLENCY,-No; I never sanctionerl any vessel being sent. ThiH party came over after I had left the East. I sent a former party to Bartle Bay in the "Peuleulc,'' and afterwards took them in steam.er to Paiwa. I believe they were subsequently brought back in tlw "Siai," thttt vessel having called at Pa1wa.

J''.P.W., 18-7-95.

P.S.-I understand you intended the "Alicc )fearl" to go for these people with a view to ge>tting them to prospect near t11e port, if they were not successful el8cwhcre. l3ut I do not think that he had communication at all with them, or knew they were going so far up the coast.

l'.P.W.

Youn ExcELLKNCY,-lYiy answer to the letter rcceiYc<l from the Hon. II. Tozer ;1ncl addressed to the Government Secretary, was that if it did not interfere with Government work, I would do all I could to forward them in their work.

This is the first time that I have seen this letter. ~LB .l\1., 7-8-95.

MR. MoRETON,-Of the letter of l\fr. Tozer mentioned by you, I know nothing. The writer (Clark) refers to a promise by you to bring the party back to Smnarai. It is quite

clear that the" Siai" could not be sent to the l\famlmre Ri\'Cr without putting a complete stop to your proper work for about a month.

On the other hand, tl10se men have apparently been allowed to leave fot• the Mambare under the impression that you were to bring them back to Samarai. They camwt now be abandoned there.

What do you propose to do P \V.::YI., 7-8-95.

Youn ExcELLENCY,-! made no promise to Mr. Clark excepting what I mentioned in memo. 7-8-95.

If men will come up in this happy-go-lucky ~tyle who is to suffer? M. H. M., 7-8-95.

MR. MoHE'ION,-The position is somewhat difficult. When the "Siai" went to the ::Yla~barc she could not go up the river, and it would be awkward for het· to waif; there perhap~< for weeks, and then to probably not find the men. The dingcy is clear·ly not sufficient for a~cending the 1\Iambare.

If I reach that in the '' l\ferrie England" I ~hall try to communicate with them, but then it will be a great expense to send them by her to 8amn,rai; still [sec no other way of dealing with the matter.

I understood you to say you had remon~traierl with tlwm agaiw;t going to the M am bare. There may be future trouble over thi~, and I think it would be a~ well if you amwer·ed 1\fr.

C1al'k's letter stating, as above, tlmt you made no ~ueh promi~e 11" 11mt ~et forth him, and thaL you were opposed to their going to the l\Iambare, if I am right on thew poiub.

You may add that I shall try to pick them up it! the" }ferric England." W.M., 7-B-95.

YouR ExcELLENCY,-} have written to lVIr. Clark according to :vour minutes. l\I. li. rl'f ORETON, 9-8-95.

[Bnclosure .1.Yo. 3 in Appendix D.] M'"in Camp, Mambare River.

Sm,-Bearing that Your Excellency wished to J1ear how my party were getting on by the 23nl, I t:~eud you thiti brief summary by A. Clunas.

Health of party good; no natives seen at camp or above it. \V cathe1· very bn,d ; heaps of min and big floods in river and creeks. No payable gold discovered so far. A party of four went prospecting from here after the canoes arrived with the provisions, for four or fhe da_vs, partly along yonr track and partly behind it. They found colours but nothiug payable. When I left here I followed Your Excellency's tmck to slightly past your fonrth camp. I found colours in the majority of the gullies we cros~ed up to that; in one of them we found a little gold regularly; thi8 one might pay very small wages for a short time to a man or two; the rest are very patchy and not approaching pn,yn,blc.

They are very shallow, only a few inehes of wash and soft pug bottom. \V c crOS$Cd t.he river some distance up from the fourth camp; had some difficulty in m·ossing, then pushed on and got about eight miles higher than we reached before. In this last eight miles we could not find a colour of gold, but at onr highest point we climbed down into the river and were fortunate in finding a small slate bar; in the crevices of this we mked up two ~mall dishes of gravel, in which we found 1 dwt. or more of gold, which I am forwarding to Your Excellency. Thera is a bright grey mineral in it. with a very high specific gravity. I should like to know what it is, if you can te11 me. I think tlm proves beyond all doubt the diggings is further ahead, probably at main range. 'l'be bed rock in the river is sbtc; it is narrow, rockbound, and running very fast. \V c cut. the traelc from this point to our main camp, thirty-six to forty miles. On behalf of the party I sincerely thank Your Excellency for yom kincl as~istance in bringing up our goods; we shall not readily forget it.

I remain, your;; obediently, W. Sll\IPSON.

To Sir Wm. l\iacGregor, K.C.J\I.G., Administrator British New Guinea.

19

[Enclosure No. 4 in. AtJ'pendzx D.] REPORT m• \VoRK PBRFORYED nY 'rlm Au:1mD CoN8TAlmr,.UlY ur THE MA.lLBARFJ H.rYER.

24th September, 189;).-LPft the "}ferric England" after an early ])reakfast with seventeen men and a white miner in the ;;hip's whaleboat, with stores fm· two wooks. Corporal Sadu and five men aecompanied His Excelloney and priYatc ;;ecretary in the river boat, l'.fessrs. }foreton, Cameron, and three men of the Samami boat's crew in the ~Loam launch; the lt1tter vessel towed both boats.

Camped in a g<n·dcn about twenty miles up the J\-hmlJare River. 1'wo natives brought sago and taro for Hale.

2:Sth Septeml,er.-Mallc an ~tm·t. vVo l:mded nt the first large village and traded with the natives, who were n:ry williug to their orn:unents and arm;:.. (shields, stone clubs, and spears). I bought two elnbs what I took to be two Htone elnb~, but on <!lose in,pnction I found them to be made of pottery, which would prove that the natives m·e very smn.rt rogues. I bought a few cocoanuts and some ~ngo for my men. w-e passed a unmber of the villages ~mpposeci to be implicated in Ulark's murder at about thirty-se\'Pll or thirty-eight miles up the river, but did not call at any of them. \Ve camped for the night inn garclen at the junction of the river with a smtLll creek <>ituated about forty miles from the mouth of the river. 13onght a q unntity of bro tl'Om some natives who visited our camp.

IT is Excellency inBtructcd me to make this place my main camp until he should return in about ten days' time from a visit to placc8 furthe1· np the l'iver. 1\lr. 1\Ioreton also stayed with me and took general charge of our party.

2Gth Septt:mber.-Hh I~xcelleney left camp in his river boat at 7·ao a.m. Sent two constables and the three men of the Samarai boat's erow to bt·ing the b,lat back to onr camp. Purchased a canoe and a quantity of native food from the natives. They arrived in their canoes in great numbers during the day.

27th Sepfelllbr:J·.-Afler breakfast 1'. Urislane, myself, and five constables went up the creek as far as we could go in our canoe. 1 shot a large !ish \rith dynamite. Drishme prospected and got a trace of gold, but did not think it worth while to go further up the creek. \Vhcn we were returning a large canoe with twr>lvc natii'ON in it followctl in onr walio. 'l'hey pretended to be anxions to make friends; but I did not like their looks, e;;peeially a~ they were armed to the teeth. As we wore turning a point where the water is 1·ory deep they ~wldculy shot up almost alongside of us. I luckil.v turned my head in time to sec the fnremo;;t man in the canoe stl·etdt oat hi,; hand to grasp our outrigger. I called out to Dri~la.ne, who was sitting 011 the platform of our canoe, "Look out, they are going to upset us!" He imtantlv pointed hi~ rifle at them and they dropped a~tel'll. Not more than BO yards round the bend the bank~ of the; creek were crowded 1\'ith natin:s, most of. them m·med with clubs and spears. l am eonfident that the nathes had planned to try aml upset our cmwl) when we reached this point on our return.· It was near thit~ place where they first :joined us, ami the natives who came with us held a couversation here with some natives thnt were iu the scrub whc;n we up. Con:-:table N arn arrived in the afternoon with the river boat.

27 tlt Septembe;·.-Xo uativcA came imo ih(• t>amp; they luwe all gone to lL spot up the river about DOO yards above our camp. I11 the afternoon a few women brought tnro for sale. In the evening just as the stm Bet ten o1· fifteen canoe,; full of young "bucks" and lighting men, all dressed up with feather hcad-dre~~es, &c, and with their face" painte(l, paddled up to our landing-place. I went down to the water', to see if they had brought anything fot· sale, btlt they had nothing in their canoes but their shields, and spear~. They staved for about fom minutes and then paddled away, some np the ereck and the renminder up the river. Thc;,ec natin~s nearly all night were beating their drums and blowing the eonch-;<hcll. At H 80 a. m. tlH" gmwl reported that they heard voices and noises in the scrub at the baek of our camp. I cau~od lal'ge GJ•t•s 1o be built along the edge of the llcrub, and kept a c11reful watch until day light.

2f!t1t September.-Feeling eonfi.lent that the native~ nwaut mi~l'hief, I· determined to try and effect the en pturo of Kome of Ciark'H tmmlcrct·s. After breakfast Hvo canoes full of armed men came to our cmnp, but I could not ii:ducc them to bud. l told Drislane to go up the creek about a quarter of a mile with fh·e men in our canoe, and pretend to prospcd. He retnmecl in about half an hour's time with a duck he had shot. \Vhilst he went to a. ,;mall braneh of the creek to shoot two ducks 1 managed to persuade the natives to come into the camp. Some' of them brought their spears, and all were armed with clnb or :-;tone adzes. I bought everything· th:tt they lmd for sale-htro, ~:~ngar-cane, &c.-and as many spears an(l clubs as they woulrl part with. They were very bold; one man actually lltole a knife when my head wn,s iurucd from him. 'I'hey sold me the same food twice OYer, ~tealing it from the heap of food I had bought already, and bringiHg it again for ~ale. \Vhen Dridane returned with the two duckt> which he had shot, I told him to le,we the shot-gLm against the on which 1 was sittilw, and to join l\'ft'. :iUoreton at the honse, abonl; fifty yat•ds <IWay. All my men wore near to me, but o~tly three had their ritles. At a signal from me a rush wa,; marle to arrest ten men who had been pointed out to me by DI·i~lano a~ men implicated in the mttrdor of Clark. 'l'he natives (about twenty-five or thirty) fot1ght like madmcu. One man made a blow at my head with an 18-int:lJ knife 1 had just given him in exchange for hi~ stone club. I managed to avoid the hlow, rmd shot him with my shot-gun. As soon as I fired, tho~e comtables who were not; struggling with the men we wi:-;hecl to mttke priwner~ fired on the n"tives to protect their companions. It was all over in a couple of minutes; and, with the exception of a few hard knocks and tumbles, none of my men were hurt. I handecl over to Mr. illoreton six prisoners nud seven cou8tables to gual'd them, aml then started down the river to search all the villages. At the large village about twenty natives let us come within 1:30 yards of them, when thev ran awav into the bush. 1 ~earcherl six villages, and recovered a number of articles belonging to the niurdered rilan Ulark aml to the Cairns pro~pecting party. All the prisoners were recognised by Drislrmo as men who had taken part in the death of Clark.

I am sorry that <Jeveral natives were shot in the ~truggle, but it eonld not be avoided; had I not tired, I might have lo;;t my life, aml probably :>o1ue nE my men would have been clubbed or ~pearecl.

·we found J\Iartiui-Hcnri, \Vinche,tcr, and revolver cartridges in the net- bags of some of the natives. :3Utlt September.-J[en employed all d<ty building a good stockade rouml our camp. Saw a. few

at'llll'tl!l;tiives oB the opposite bank, but they did not come near us. The miners arrived in the afternoon abont :3 p.m.

20

Sent Sergeant Banari with seventeen constables and twenty-two 'l,aupota men, carriers belonging to the prospecting party, to get a quantity of taro from a garden close to the camp on the opposite side of the river. They returned at 5 p.m. with some food and one prisoner whom they had captured near the garden.

lst October, 1895.-Leaving a strong guard with the prisoner, I started (lown the river in the boat to make a further search for the property which the natives stole from the miners when they murdered Clark. I took one of the prisoners with me, but owing to our not being able to speak his language, he was very little good to us. He showed me where several things were hid<len (two L. H. shovels, one hammer, &c., &c.), but he could not find any firearms. I went about tht•ee miles inland from the river, but did not come across any natives.

I .got a good supply of taro and rwturned to camp at •Jd30 p.m. Owing to the hot sun I had a bad attack oE fever.

2nd October.-Self down with fever; men employed cutting firewood for the steam launch. 3rd October.-Left ten men in camp to guard thE' prisoners. Mr. Moreton, myself, and the remainder

of my men went sixteen miles down the river to a large village, where a mlm who took part in the massacre of Clark was said to be. -

We reached the village at 11 !t.ln. After trading with the natives, who were very friendly, but timid, as we did not find the man in question we returned to our camp.

4th October.-Sent Constable Naru and four men to take the boat to the miners' camp, about thirteen miles up the river. The natives brought a fbg of peace (a long l)ole with a streamer composed of head ornaments, feathers, and shells) and a quantity of food. I went across the river in our canoe and paid for the food. They insisted on my taking the flag of peace with me, calling out " Orokaiva, orokaiva." One of our pPisoners made them understand that if they brought the firearms to us, that they, the prisoners, would all be released. They promised to bring the firearms.

5th October.-The natives brought some food and a pig. They informed ns that they were looking for the firearms. I paid for the food, and told them we would make tJeace if they would bring the firearml'l.

6th October, Sunda;ij.-Snme as yesterday; some of the prisoners' relatives came and wept on the opposite bank No signs of the firearms. Prisoners very anxious to be set frP.e to go and look for them. Bought a quantity of native food.

7th October.-After breakfast His Excellencv nrrived, and inspected the men and the prisoneril. Same natives brought another flag of truce, and begged for peace. vVe released one of the prisoners, an oJd man. He promised to go and bring the firearms. He shortly returned with a quantity of food, but no firearms. I believe the natives have thrown them into the ri\'er In a deep place.

Received instructions to remain in camp until relieved by 1\'Ir. Green. Three miners and a number of Taupota men arrived at our camp. 'l,hey intend to get pahnleaves

for thatching purposes, whilst one of their number goes to the month of the river to bring the balance of their stores from the "]\ferric England."

Sth October.-His Excellency, Private Secretary, and 1\fr. Moreton, with the prisoners and thirteen constabulary, left for the mouth of the river at 7·30 a.m.

Men employed pulling down the large stockade, and building a smaller one round the house. The old man we released yesterday brought some food to the camp. 9th October.-Left eight men in camp. Accompanied the two miners to the first village, awl

brought back a quantity of cocoanut palmleaves. The natives would not come near us. \Ve left trade (handkerchiefs and beads), a~ rmyment for the palmleaves, under each tree.

lOt!• October.-Sent Corporal Sepa and five men with the miners to some ntttive food and another supply of palmlcaves. They returned at noon.

No natives visited the camp, with the exception of the old man whom we had released. He brought me some taro. .

11th October.-Went over in our canoe to the opposite bank of the river, to purchttsc ;;ome food. In the afternoon the steam launch arrived with two whaleboats in tow. 1\fe. Green, five constables, and a miner arrived in them. Received letter of instructions from Hi>~ Excellency to join him at the mouth of the river, &c. Landed and stored Mr. Green's stores. I inspected and told off ten men to remain with him. I also inspected their arms and accoutrements.

Saturday, 12th October.-Left c:tmp at ·7·80 a. m.; traded with the natives on my way down the nver; they aJl appeared without arms, and seemed anxious to make friends of us. Reached the "1\ferrie Eugland" at 4·30 p.m. Sergeant Banari reported all well at the camp ashore, at the mouth of the river. I found the men had made a good strong stockade, in which the pri~oners ha(l been secured.

A. W. BUTTERWORTH, Commandant. The Honourable The Government Secretary, Port lVIoresby.

[Enclosure No. 5 £n Appendix .D.] CoPY o~' .Tot:RNAL OF THE GovERID.IENT A.uENT.

North-east Coast, B.N.G., October, 1895. Mambare River, Tltursday, 18th October, 1895.-I left the s.s. "lVIerrie England" at 8·15 a.m·

to proceed up the 1\Iamb:tre River, and commence my duties a:;; Government Agent for this district. I have the Samarai whale boat, which has been placed at my disposal. I have provisions and trade sufficient for four months.

Corporal Sidu is in charge of the contingent of nine constables who are to stay with me in this district. The steam launch which is towing us up the river has also the ship's whale boat in tow, bringing up the remainder of the stores belonging to the mining party. The }lambn,rc is in a semi-flooded state, and both boats being very heavily laden progress has been slow.

V{ e met Busimaiva a few miles below his village; he appeared to be rather afraid of us, and pulled hurriedly to the bank, at the same time calling out "Orokaiva." \Ve saw but one crippled man at his village, as all:lo at the next one above. \Ve c:tmped at 4·30 in lt taro garden on the left bank.

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Friday, 11th October.-We left our camp at 7 a. m. The river fell13 inches during the night, and we made better progress than yesterday. \Ve passed the large village on the left bank at 8'3(}. The natives were suspicious, and not so demonstrative as on previous occasions. They had put up a "tabu" along the bank consisting of poles stuck in the ground; to these was attached a string about 4 feet up, and on the string were suspenrled what appeared to be tufts of some kind of grass at intervals of a few feet.

\:Vhen we reached the first of what may be called the hostile villages the inhabitants stood on the bank waving taro, sugar-cane, &c., and calling "Orokaivo." A large crowd were standing on the bank at the village where the round house is. The women waved taro and sugar-cane, and the men held up their hands to show they had no weapons of any kind. 'l'he upper villages were apparently deserted. vVe reached Mr. Butterworth's camp at 3 p.m. Mr. Butterworth inspected the ten constables who are to stay with me, and supplied two of them with new rifles in place of old and doubtful ones. The constables are Corporal Sidu (in charge), Constables Girimu, Ibaia-Iapin, and Koonigi of Kiwai, l\falu and Dagai of Mailu, Dou and Ikinuni of Taupota, and Ivai of Orokolo. Mr. Butterworth told me that since the removal of the six prisoners from his camp not a single native hn.d visited him. Towards evening a canoe with a single occupant came around the corner, and made cautiously towards us. \Ve waved to this man to come to us, and after some hesitation he came. 'iV e gave him to understand as well as we could that now there was to be no more fighting it was "Orokaiva." He gave us a cocoanut, and we gave him a piece of cloth. He stayed some time, and then left. There are three miners and fourteen Taupot:t boys in camp. 'l'hey have two double canoes to take their rice and flour up the river.

Saturday, 12th Oct?ber.-The steam launch to"Wed the canoes up for about two miles early this morning, returning here at 8 a.m. Mr. Butterworth and his police immediately afterwards started down stream. \V c have occupied the clay in ~to ring our provisions and trade temporarily in a safe and dry spot, fixing the flies in a more permm1ent manner, and putting floors down in them all. Two police will sleep in the house where the provisions and trade are stored ; the remaining eight have two flies between them, and I have one fly. Ea~:h constable will have his week as cook, aml will be exempt from guard duty during that week. ~Four constables will keep guard in turn each alternate night. In this 'YUY ihey will not feel guard duty very irbomc. I gave the police some target practice this afternoon; they did fairly well.

Sunday, 13th October.-?'!: o sign of any natives yet. ~We thought we heard voices on the ridge on the left bank of the river, and shouted "Orolmiva," but received no re8ponse. It rained heavily during the night, but the river has not risen at all.

Some of the police were fishing to-day, both in the l\Iambare =and the stream at the back of the camp. They were not successful.

JJionday, 14th October.-I had a strong stocbde of logs, placed perpendicularl.v, put up around our storehouse. It is now very secure, &c. There will be no risk of stealing by the natives unless they aro allowed inside the store. Two nativeH paid us a visit this afternoon, bringing some taro and sugar-cane. They he,itated a long time before we could perwaue them to come over to us. Other natives were in the scrub on the OPl'o~itc bank calling" Orokaiva," but they did not show themselves. Appo,rently they have returned to the upper villages, as we heard il10m thi~ evening caliing to their pigs. 'fhe river rose about a foot duriug the night, but ha8 again fallen to its normal level.

Tuesda_y, 15th October.-'1'o-clay has been showery. \V c made a good landing of strong logs placed on bearer:'l resting on blocb of hard timber. \V c ran it out into the water some 3 feet. This will allow of the whaleboat or bunch coming alongside without touching the bottom. vVe had quite a number of native visitors to-d:ty, amongst them a few native 1romen. They were very timid and chary of coming within grasping reach of ns. All brought either bananas, taro, cocoanuts, or sugar-cane. They gave me to understand that they wished to go up the river to see their g:udcn~, but were afraid of being shot. I told them, as well as my very limited vocabulary would allow me, that we did not want to fight any more, but v.·ishcd to be friends with them. 'l'hey pas~ctl on up the river, and when returning late this afternoon called on us and gave us some food. One man wiP-hed me to give him a tomahawk, and he would buy us a pig from one of the villages. I felt tempted for the moment to comply with his request, but on second thoughts decided not to do so, as in ihc event of his proving dishonest, it might lead to a disturbance between us, which I very much wish to avoid. I think that they now realise that our stay amongst them is not to be of short duration, and that the majority of them are anxious for peace.

Wednesday, 1Gth October.-W P malle approacheR to our boat landing and improved camp generally A number of natives cnllecl during the day, principally old men, women, and girls. The young and middle-aged men who have come up the rin'r in the canoes so far have all landed on the opposite bank and sent the old men or women acrosR. They generally carry a shield, but no spear, but stand on the other side holding up the shield an cl calling "Orokaiva.''

Thursday, 17th October.-~4. fine bright day thiR. I had my tent altered. I had first laid the floor simply by placing thE' logs on the surface of the gtound. I found that tins would not answer from a sanitar.v point, as a nasty smell roRe from the damp soil under the logs. \V e have now raised the floor about 3 feet above the surfaee, thus aliowing a free circulation of air underneath, and at the sr.me time providing a platform on w hi eh to place our stores, Rlwuld a high flood necessitate our doing so. To-morrow I will ha•e the floors in the other tents raise(l likewise. 'l'he police had some target practice this afternoon. The Rhooiing was not so good as on the previous occasion. One of the old rifles jammed at the first Hhot, and will require to be taken to pieces to put into working order again. Some six canoes visited us this morning, bringi11g some col'oanuts a11d taro.

Friday, 18th Octobei'.-Fiuc this morning, but raining heavily since 2 p.m. The river has risen about 4 feet, but is now stationary. \V e raiRed the floors in the police ten is about 18 inches. They are IJOW much more comfortable and clean. No natives came within sight to-day. Perhaps the firing yesterday may have frightened them.

Saturda.1J, 19th October.-We went up the branch of the Mambare this morning in the whaleboat \Ve found it to be 1mvigable for ihe boat for nearly four mile~, wheJI a shallow rapid prevents any further progress. I made a traverRe of the river as far as we went. \Ve passed a few gardens and some new clca;ings on both banks. t:lome natives were on the river close to the gardens. 'l'hey fled at our approach, leavmg the canoes at the bank. \Ve pla~:ed some beads on each canoe and passed on. vVhen returning they stood on the bank with some sugar-cane until we were within fifty yards, then J?Ut the cane on the

22

edge of the bank and went into the scrub calling "Orolmiva." 'Ve took the cane and put some beads in its place. Three canoes visited us dnring the day, bringing sago, iaro, and cocoanuts. \Ve put up a small kitchen this afternoon. The river commenced rising again thi~ morning, and aJ 4 p.m. was between 6 and 7 feet above its normal level; since then it haR fallen about 8 inches. Only two small came clown during the day. At 7·50 thiR PYening there wa~ a rather strong e::vrthqnake shock, lasted for about half a minute.

Sunday, 20th October.-I had a rather anxious time last night. 'J'he river commenced ri~ing again abont 8 p.m., and continued rising until 2 a. m., \\'hen it was within 1 foot or 14 inches of the top of the bank It then remained stationary for about an honr, and since then has been falling steadily and rapidly. At sunset this day it was down fully G feet. I hatl made prcparahons to shift all our stores on to the floor of my tent had the river risen another li inche;;, but, fortunrttely, it was not necessary to do so. \Ve will start to-morrow to pnt up a small store with!> floor at least ·:L fAct from the ground, so that we need not fear floods for the future. H01reycr, I haYe come to the conclusion that however good this point may be from a strategical point of view it 'rill be q ttitc untenable (luring the wet season. As soon, therefore, a" we have made thing,; snJe for the time we will set about making a camp on higher ground. One native eallcd tl1is morning bringing taro cocoanut::'. The natives w1ll uot stop ::my longer than iR necessary, hurrying away a;; soon ns tbey receive p:1yment for \dmt they Thus far I have not been <lble to many words fmm them; they 8eem to be so :mspiciou3 of on our part that it iH difficult m:J,h:e them feel at P<t~e when with us.

]}Ionday, 2Ist October,--We made a start with on!' store to-d::ty. An old m::tn is supplying us with cocoanut fronds for the roof; he has been plying his canoe back :tnd fore all day between us and the village; he is to get a small knife when he bring~ enough for the roof. Stmnge to say, J had no difficulty whatever in arranging with him to bring the french, and he does not appear to be uncertain of payment. I expected him to ask for his Jmife thi,; evening when he brought his last load; but no, he signifie(l he would go home and sleep, and come again in the morning. ThiH same old man was our first, and has been since onr most con:-;hmt visitm·; he is the man who wanted a tomahawk io buy a pig for us; h0 is generally accompanied by two boy~ about ten year" of age. \Ve also had a number of other visitors here to-day bring sago, taro, and coeoalluts. Sago they call "aml)c"; cocoanut,;," nmtari"; disc clubs, "bunduga"; and pineapple clnbl'l, "gichi." 'Lw river i~ ri,.,iug :tgain this cyening, and it is raining very heavilv.

- Tuesday, 22nrl October.-The river c:ontinucd rising la~t night, awl at 10 o'clock was within a few inches of the top of the b:1nk. Fortunately, our store was in a f!LJflieicnlly advanced state to allow our storing the provisions and trade in it; thi;; we at once did. At 10·:)0 the ri\·er came over the b::tnks, and still continued to rise rapidly; by 11 p. m. the water was over !.he lloor in the police touts. put up a couple of flies oYer the boat, and shifted most of thcie into hnr; some of them camped rny tent. At rnidnigh t the water wns ju~t touching the bearers the floor of my tent, or abont 2 feet above the level of the bank. The water did not rise any higher th:w thi~, bnt remained i:!Latiouary until 7 a.m., when it gradually subsided. It was 11 a.m. before we mw any land aronml us. After lunch we ttt OHCe set about rai~ing the floors of the police tents. \\;' e have now raised them to :t height. of between il and 6 feet. 'rhe flood seemed principally to be the result of an iu;;n!Tic:icnt getaway at sonw point lower down, as at its Ycry highest tl1c en rront was very slow. \V c had some target practice thi~ evening, and some fairly good shooting was done. I expected some of the mining party down to-dny to report matters. It is possible that the terribly flooded state of the ri\·er may interfere with their arrangements.

Wednesday, 2!3rd October.-l'wo miners arriYecl here at 11 a.m. They reported ::tll well. Simpsc:n had returned from a toward the r::tnges, and had reported finding Rome excellent prospects. No natives had been Hear "fort." His the iutentiou o£ the miner~ to leave a quantity of their stores in the fort, and the whole of them to push on inland and try and get oyee the first high ranges. l'hey have requested me to have a look at the fort uow ami again to gee that all is well. I will do this as well as I ean, still I consider it a rather risky thing to lenve a quantity of their stores behind unprotected. \Ve have been worl,iug hard at our ;,:tore, and it iR now almost complete, only requiring a few more cocoanut fronds for the roof. l'he old man will bring them on the morrow.

The steam launch arrived thi~ evening at 7 p.m.; ~<110 came up without any mishap. I am very well plea~ecl with the ten police who form my contiugent; they have behaved themselves

very well im1ecd, and havn befHl most indnstrious aml obc••lient. Some native~:~ were coming to call on 118 this but when they saw the miners they turned

back and would not come. JOIIN GREEN,

Government Agent, N.E.C.

APPENDIX E. DESPATCH REPORTING EXPEDITIO~ "LNDERTAKEN TO EFJ<'ECI' 'l'HE ASCENT OF

THE :iYIUSA IUVER. No. 60.] S.S. "l\ferric England," :HRt October, 1805.

Sm,-I have the houonr to report that on the 25th J:\ ugust I begun the ascent of the :Yiusa River, some three dozen miles of which I was able to examine more than a year ago. The Rix in number, that were waiting at the mouth of the JHawbarc for the arrival of ;;tores from Samarai, and who could not return to the "Upper lHambare without the~c, accompanied the party on the :&fusa to fill in the time thev "·ould otherwise have had to 'rait at the scnsidc.

I"had a boat's m·ew of six conf<talmlary, and five Taupota the "Merrie England" was lent to the miner,:, and the accompany the steam launch back to the eoa~t.

men as carriers. The smallest boat of was also taken in tow up the river to

The sea was breaking on the bar at the west entrance of the Musa, but the boats got in;~ide without any mishap. Some five or six miles from the ~ea we met three or four small canoes, the inmates of which were apparently coming <lown the rirer to fish and hunt. On catching "ight of the bnnch they shot their canoes to the bank and started into the forest. All the inhabitants Jled fl'om the first two small and poor on the river, some score of miles from the sea; hut a little further on we were able to communicate .with twn men wlw hrul JH'nh<lbly met n~ last year and were brave enough to come

23

near us now. During the first ascent we found the river in flood, and running over its banks on all sides. It was now six m· eight feet lower, so that had one not then soon all the alluvial .flats submerged one would have probably regarded them now as weli suited fur cultivation by Europeans.

On the second day we passed in the forenoon the little villages o£ Giojiwari and Difoda, on the right bank. Tltc inhabitants had all fled, and as it was llesirahle that the launch should return at once to the steamer we did not then lose time in trying to communicate with them, as we knew that this rould be done in returning.

\Vo were able to communicate w·ith two or three men of the Euda tribe, who were friendly and not suspicious. live in :<cattel'ed of two or three house.~. At midday we halted at two small hou;;;es on the bank, where waR able to obtain position from solar observation. 'rhe owners had fled, w we left a small present for them :md continued up stream. 1 n the afternoon we came to the village of Haruga, on the right hank. It ha~ some sixteen houses, most of which were not good, having permanently open ends. ;\.Jl ~wore badly anange•l so fM as defence was concet·ned. Some half­Rrore men remaitwtl there, but the women and chiltlt·eu were hurried off into the scrub. They cart·ied no arms, aml were friendly. 'l'hey were so poor that they could sell u~ only some s:1go, a little sugar-cane, and one or two j<tde mhos. They live clticliy on sago, but they grow bananas and some taro, the lnst of which they cook in conical plain of elay of the form of n laboratory crucible. They bury in the village, and plant O\'er the gr:wes such orwtmental shrub8 and flowers a" they have, chiefly draeenas, croton:<, and beh'l palm::<. 1Ve saw no canoe::; there, aml it appeared that they used rafts or catamarans instead. They were ill-nouri:>hed, and mo::;t of them looked thin, amemic, and are affected by ringworm and ulcers. It was clear 1 h:1t they were a broken and decaying tribe. On the return journey, after seeing the vigorous means of defence po~se~sed by the Rtrouger villages above them, I pointed out to the principal old man the ab~ence of tree-houses and the weakness of the palisade. He gave me to understand they ran to the bm;h ,\·hen thl'eatcned, where he seemed to indicate they had some shelter prepared. Their rai'ts are made of the form of n,n hosceles triangle, of small logs, sufficiently large to carry each two to four men. They ru·e the handiest and most nmnageable rafts we have seen anywhere. We tmvelled ,:omc two dor.en miles during the dny, and camped in latitude 9 degrees 20 minutes 16 seconds by oh~enation. to this poiHt no g-ravel wns seen in the bed of the rivet•. The stream was evidently very low, and on banks the ground wns extremely dry. It was noticed that the forest soil was peculiar in being almost free of ~and. It consisted of very fine alluvium mixed with a certain amount of humn;:, forming, no tlonbt, very fertile phteaws; but whether they are nt times submerged or not it would at present be impossible to say.

For the first half-dozen miles on the morning of the 27th we saw no trace of human occupation. A m:1n waR then noticed on the right bank, but he darted at once into the forest. Soon afterwards we pas:-;ed the sites of old gardens, and then reached others in cultivation on the left bank, and in a Rhort time we arrived at thP important village of Gewaduru, on the left bank of the river. 'l'here are there altogether about two tlor.en tlwc1ling-house~, all with open emls, small, nearly square, built on posts about {) feet high, and thatchetl with :mgo leaves. Nearly all of them were situated inside of two palisades about 10 feet l1igh, with intcn-ah of ~everal inchef' between the stakes. The palisade surrounded !,he group of houses on three side8, the river front being proteeted hy the bank only, whieh was nearly or quite pel']Jemlicular, and 1U to 15 feet high. The special chm·actm·i11tic of this village, however, was its excellent trce-hon~es. A dozen of these, all on 1·ery high :md nnusnally strong trees, were seen from the bnnk, placed where mitable trees could be fouml, some of them nearly half a mile from the dwelling-houses.

Only two or three of the tree-home~ were aecessiblo by lrtdders from inside the palisade. 'l'he ladders were all of the very useful and hand~omo kind de~cribed iu my Despatch No. 19, of 30th April, paragraph lS. A mile further up the ri<rer one could st'e a house or two on the ground, with two or three tree-houses near to them, lmilt on un n8nallv lofty trees, which would seem to indicate that they chiefl.r apprehended the approach of invaders from that direction. Evidently these villagers were awaiting our arrival, for they speedily brought us a pig already killed and singed, and they hurried to offer us i'Ome bm1anns, taro, and sugar-cane. To my surprise they asked at once for "kilam" (axe), "kuku '' (tobacco), oto (tomahawk), and" boro-dimdim" (beads). lt was at once supposed that they had learned these words from the people of Oollingwood Day. 'l'heir costume was like that of the Trafalgar and Collingwood Ba.r natives; bnt most of the younger men wore the hair like the men of faRhion in Clourl.v Ray, otJy mueh more elrtborntely prepared. It is made up in many c11ses into a dor.en or more plaited tailii, fl'Om :.!} to ;; feet long, and these are each neatly and carefully coverC'd o\·cr by paudanus leaf wound ~pirally round it from en(l to end. The mass of tails, stiff and straight, is then eollected i ntu a bundle which hangs down the back, and the whole is enveloped in a llieeo of native eloth wl1ich covers all from the forehead to the lower end of the collected queues. The cloth is fa~tened on its lower aspect, and its outer surface is usually smeared over by gum resin or greasy matter, so that it must he lJl'actieally impervious io water. None of them appe11red bearing arms. They offered for sale some jade-stone adzes ami some stone clubs. 'rho women and children had been sent away before our arrival.

J:falf a mile above Gewaduru the launch took the bottom, and it was decided at once to not take her any further up the river, a decision that it was found nfterw11rds had been tnken at the right place. \Ve accordingly camped on the right bank, and 8Cllt the launch down the river next morning to join the steamer.

On the 28th we continued our way up the river by bont, and, principally by dragging her with a rope, trarellcd nearly half n down miles. The natives came early to vi;,;it our camp, using for this purpose the first e:1noc we hacl seen in thPir possession. They were q uitc friendly, and did not appear to be suspieiou8 of us. Some three or four men followed us up the river, keeping on the left bank. At one place they notice(l tlw footprint~ of some men in the sand, and the ashes of a fire; they said these were the marks of the DugaTi, and that this tribe would not fight.

'l'h(" miners followed us in the stoan1C'r's dingy. \Ve camped at a place called Saumoto, where there is the first rapid we had seen ou the river. The bed of the stream was full of large trees, and woul•l be quite impassable to a ~team launch. It is in the territory of the Gudari people.

1\ ext we were met about a mile above our last camp by three men of Gewadnru, accompanied by the Baniyant ( ~hief) of the Dugari. W c reached his village about 11 in the forenoon. It stands on a little knoll on the left bank, allfl luts f<Ome twelve or fifteen dwelling-houses. They are of the small sqnnre type seen el~cwhcre in this part of the eountry, but are peculiar in so far that they are built on a

24

large number of posts about 2~ inches thick and 8 to 12 feet high, so that there is ample room for the platform that is always built on one side about halfway between the floor of the house aud the ground. Tb~y bad th:ce ver.v good tree~bous~s in or close to the village, and a palisade like that at Gewaduru ?m!t round 1t except on the river s1de. The women and children had been sent away, and we were mv1ted by the men to land. They ~old us a small pig, and offered us in trade their jade adzes (which, I understood them to say, came from the J\ianeao Range), taro, sago, and small ornaments. They bad a number of dogs, some bbck, others yellow. The cl1ief seemed to assure me there were no natives on the ri,•cr above that point.

In the afternoon we reached the llC'nrest low l1ills that lie at the west end of the Didina Range. 1Ve had nlrt'ady tra,·eri:!ed several difficult rapids, but we soon met with others after entering the hills. On the forenoon of the 3flth we remained in one for half an hour, quite unable to move the boat up the str~nm, uutil we succeeded by an expedient in hauling her up. In the afternoon we came to a rapi<l nt wlncb we found it nece;;;sary to discharge the boat and to ea IT~' the luggage to a point above it, aml this compelled us to <>amp there for the night. The minerR dPciderl to not go any further for the pres<>nt, but to make ROme examination of the hill~ in that district. \Ve saw no trace of natives on this day. ~ome of our nativeR became feverish, owing no doubt to wading in the river on the tow-rope. Next forenoon we reachel a point beyond which it did not appear to me advis:Lble to rislc the boat, even if it had been possible for us to dmg her up the powerful rapids. It was therefore· decided that we should leave the boat thNe with most of our stores in charge of three of our small party. On all sides we were now surrounded completely by steep forest-clad hills, though the height of thnse nearest to us did not exceed some 1,500 feet.

It was very desirable that the river Rhould be traced further than this point. In the first place, 1t sti11 retrtincd its original sir-e; the miners found fine coloms of gold at every place where there Wlts a depo~it of shingle; and from the top of Mount Victoria I had, in 1889, seen what appeared to me to be a larg-e Yalley or plain, and there was n considernblc probability that this river· reached that rountry. It ~as ch•ar tl1at one could proceed only on foot. Our travelling party consisted of five constnble~, five 'Iaupota boys as carrier~, 1\Ir. Green, and myself. A con,;table and two boys were left behind to look after tl:e bont, camp, and ~tares.

The first day we pas~ed what seemed to hnve been at one time the site of a village, about which were a dozen coeoanut trPeR, all of whieh were bearing well. Beyond this lay n hill eovered by grass of the same kind as that on the Port 1\Ioreshy hills. On the surface of the ground there was much qnarl z in smnll fmgments, bnt tbe1·e was no schist formation to be Reen anvwhere. Bv midday we found omselveR obliged to leave the river conrsc and to ascend an extremely pre.~ipiious hill to get 1:onnd a cliff more than lCO feci high thnt projected into tl1e stream, which was there very deep and strong. This wai'! only the first of n long succe~sion of similar precipices that occnrred l1ere and there until the whole range was passed t.hrough. The first day we made almost six miles more than double the distance we were able to cover next day. Our jonrney waR continued up country for six successive days in excellent weather. 1V e had only one case of sickness on the march, and that not of a !'erious nature. Our route was rendered infinitely more difficult from the task we had undertaken of obtaining a traverse of the river. 'I'his neceRsitated our keeping so close to it that we should be nhle to make a travelling Aketch of its entire course, whieh could only be done 11y keeping so llt>lll' to it that we had constantly to Aeramble up and to grope our way down some very difficult precipices, and such steep hills that in wet weather they would be simply quite inaccessible. The hilll'l on the cast or Didina side of the river are, with very little exception, covered with trees, except where they are too precipitous to afford them a footing. They rise to nearly ~,000 feet; on the west ~ide the hills are lower, and they present much less forest, many places being thinly covered by eucalyptus trees and by grass, prcsenling something of the appearance of a park. There are no 11ative settlements in these lnlls; indeed, those on the east ~ide are too rugged to provide even natives with planting land. Here and there one could see traces of former lmriting and fishing parties, but even these marks were not at all common. Specimens of the rocl\s met with will be duly forwarded to Mr .• Jacl\ for examination. No slate formation was seen. The river presents a great many rapids in this part of its course, not a few of which are probably inaccessible to any ordinary boat, eYen if well furnished with stout men and dragging gear. On the sixth day out we were obliged to make a long delol!I' to turn a prec1pitiou,; cliff over 1,000 feet high, and which we expected to form the south end of the range. 1V e, therefore, tmned our course to the river as soon as possible. Whilst lunch was being cooked, one of the party fired a shot at a bird, on which we heard di:;tinctly the excited voices of natives between us aud the river. When we arrived at the latter, we found four men sitting on tl1e op}Josite bank, evidently waiting and watching for us. On our· ealling to them they rPplied, using some words we recognised a~ being in use at the vil1ages of Gewaduru and Dngari, and they made signs to us to go further up tlle river to a place where they could obtain the means of crossing it to join us. About hnlf-a-mile further up they met us, but already accompanictl by about a score of men, while others were approaching in twos and threes. They were all unarmed, and had brought a little food for sale. After meeting them, we went nbout a mile further and formed a camp on a small ridge on dry ground and in a good defensiYe position.

On .getting through to the south side of the ehain of hills traver:;cd by us, the Musa enters a great long and broad valley, which might almost be called a plain. Hardly has it entered on this when it divides into two nearly equal tributaries, the names of whieh are res[Jective1y the Moni and the Adaua. They are in appearance each as large a' the Mmm itself, a deception that r:rises from the fact that their current in the nearly levelJ>lain is much slower tl1an that of the fa~t-running :Niusa. 'l'he water of the l\foni was Y•!llowish, that of Adaua was hal'diy discoloured. 'I'he lV[oni p:roceeds south-west for hnlf-a­dm:en miles and then strikes away towards west and north of west in the direction of l\fonnt Victoria. The Arlana goes a.t first for a few miles east of south, when, as far as I could ascertain, it receives the Domara brauch, and then turns eastward towards the great GoropnUange. The Yalley traversed by the 1\foni is fifteen to twenty miles broad. At a distance of twenty-five to thirty miles towards south and we~t we could see the blue ontlino of the central main range, and trace it up near to :lYiount Victoria, which, unfortunately, was always covered by clouds. On the north side this l\Ioni valley has at first the Obei hills, and then the exte11sive Mount Parkes, so named by me when it was first seen from tl1e top of the Owcn Stanley Uange. Jn the l\loni valley are seYerallow, long, rounded hills, some of them probably 1,000 feet high; all of them so. thinly wootlC'd tlmt they 11resent a .greyi~h appearan.ce. 'l'h~ grea,!cr portion of the rest of the valley IS covered by grass and reeds. The village of 1);1ongorJ, the clucf native

25

settlement, as it would appear, in the district, is on the Moni, about half-a-dozen miles from its junction with the Adaua. The namt> of this tribe, which npparcntly would philologically mean the village of Moni, is oftt>n given to the ]}fusa river by the people of Guda a11d Gewaduru. 'I'he smoke of villageR and of land-clearing could be seen at many places iil the valley, right on to the spurs of tl1e central main range.

In the valley of the _>\daua the first hills arc two Yery remarkable one's, lying towards the south-cast some ten or twelve milrs from the junction. Roroboro, the more Pastt:rly of the two, rises almo~t llerpcndicularly out of the plain, alHl sc>cms to be 1,000 to 1,200 feet high; it appeared to be nearly level on the top, nnd to be one to two miles acroNs, but of an oval sh:tpe. In the perpendicular side wore traces of horizontal striation. Two or three miles south-west of l~oroboro rises Goidami, which much resembles Boroboro, but is larger and higlJCr. hnve no f01e~t on them. 1'he nntivei' wore umlerstood to say that the Adaua come" through between these very rcnmrlmble bilk Due south lny tl1e mountain of Uj:mru, cloHing in the valley of tl1e Ad:nm on the south, at a distance of fifteen or twenty milrs from the junction. 'l'hiR mountain is 5,000 or 6,000 feet hig-h, and is generally forcst-elad. To the south-east of the Adana a high central range could be traced ton di;,tance o£ thirty or forty miles. '.rhe Past cud of the Adaua valley was cut off from view by projeeting i'purs of the 'l'evam and Didina hill ranges. 'I'he width of the Allmw valley iR apparently abont a dozen miles. The oast end must be met by the great Goropu Range, just as the Owen Stanley Range closes in the west end of the M oni vallev.

" Although the Didina-Tevarn Range, which lies between .Mount Goropu and the .lVIusa, and the Obei hill, which :tre situated between l\fount Parkes and the Mnsa, seem to be uninhabited, the valleys of the ]\{oni, Domara, and .Adnu:t are in the pos~es~ion of :t considerable population of very interesting people. Among the first natives to visit us after our arrival, an event which clearly wa~ expeeted, wns the ~o-callcd ehief of Adaua. He is alwa.fi' styled offici:tlly "Adaua-Bani '' (chief of Adaua). He i:< a tall man of about sixty, with a bene,·olent, contemplative face, 11nd of a quiet, dignified bearing. On the forr1won of Sunday, the one day we :;~pent in camp, the chiefs of Doumra :tnd of l\Ion12:ori visited 11s. The former is a large m:tn, and is obese, a very unusal condition amongst Papuant<. His f:tce is pitted as if pock-marked, but this ha~ apparently been c:tused by ~omo other disease. No other person wns ~con ~imilnrly mnrked. Ilc was remarlm.bly good-natured, nnd wished to be both friendly and hoRpitable. The Bnni of Mongori was a man of more 11ervous temperament, energetic, and, amongst his own people, authoritatin•. Jt was clear tlHtt ihc;.;e inlnnd chiefs r<>n.lly enjoy some of the rr;,pect and authority of their positiou. They tried to betray neither such sul'prise or emotion as would compromise an attitude of J'eserved di~nity. A second 1\dana chief was, on tasting sugar, greatly perplexed how to maintain befitting deportment and at the same time to give expression to his astonishment. Fir~t, hC' hit the end of his left thnmb nml clucked like :t fowl; then he Rpre:td out hi" p:tlms, put his thnrn b"' to~ethcr, laid both hands flat on thC' ~boulder of the friend sitting 1war to l1im, and pus heel him away, while his fnce was radiant with a ~mile of plea~nre awl ~urpriRe. I saw only one woman.

These men arc in size somewhat ahovc tho :tverage Papuan, and with fairly well-formed leg~. Thry are a shade darker in colour thnn the l)ort JHoresby average native, alHl ne:trly of the same tinge as tlw people of Cloudy Bay. '!.'he nose is longer and strong(·r. 1han at Port l\iorcsby, bnt tl1e face, although eYideneing greater power, i" of the f'ame typf', though with an approach towards the fpaturcs of the Hwn of Toaripi. Thf'y do not tattoo. A number of _young men wore the hair do~1e up in qneneN siruibr to the style common in Cloudy Bay. In ru:tny c:tsC's it ~eemetl to be quite nC>glocted, uneonibed, and unplaited. 'l'he chiefs and eld('rly men arc fond of wearin:.; a piece of native cloth on the head, a use to which each of the three great d1iefs at onee put the bit of red cloth given to them. All wear a girdle, :tnd a ]lerineal band of B:ttive cloth. "\Ve saw no ~pear~, and it is almost certain the.v rlo not know the bow and arrow. At Gudari tht"re were shield;, five feet long, like thoNe of Orangerie Bay. .A few had n stone club, of the ordinary disc kind, mndo of a dnrk ~tone lil>e basalt. They use stone adzes made of jade, of the revolving kind that can be usell at any angle. They wore e:trrings formed of a ring cut out of a cocmmut-shell by traverse section, or made of the seeds of Coix lacr.ynue. 'I.'hey have necklaces of dogs' teeth and of small white cowrieH; finger-ring;; of the skins of wallaby and enscuR, or cut in one piece out of the Hhell of the coeoanut Ol' of other nuts. 'l'hey e:tt lime and betel·nut, but they do not seem to much of the latter. The lime awl betol they carry in a net-bag on the a,rm. One or two ha<llime spatulas of ebony, but they snitl hatl come from a di~tant country. The son of the chief of Domara wore a ~tring of glass beads in the septnm of the nose, anil tlwsc they s:tid, had come from the south coast. They make and u~e dny pots. They brought us two ~mall pigs of the ordinary hind, tnro, ban:tnaH, potato ya.ms, long tllin yam,., and sugar-cane, the latter of 1<eveml different varieties, hLlt affected by borer. Tobacco they do not lmow, but they :tre very desirous of learning to smolw. are, perhap<~, the politest Papuans we have met. I was invariably addres~ed as "Mmnbu" or "Tom:t," words which appear to correspond to friend. "Ero" iH ~- word that was constantly U8ed by the natives before approaching us, ami which seemed to h:wc the meaning of peace :Lnd salutation. Jf one struck one's foot a stone on the path, one of these men woLdd say "Ero" in nn apologetic tone. }~very nmv :tnd then it was 8btrtlinf{ to !war them use a word or a whole phrase that one had been accustomed to in Fiji or at Port ::\[oresby, but wnwtimes here the word or phrase had a totallv different signification. The method of enumeration apparently is on the same system a~ at Orokolo, at the mouth of the Pururi Hiver. They begin witl1 the little finger of the right hand, use the finger;; of tlmt side, then proceed by the wrist, elbow, shoulder, Par, and eye of t1mt side, thence to the left eye and to the left shoulder and down the left arm aud h:lild to the little finger. .1\fany of them in countirw become greatly coufnse•l on reacl1ing the faee. Only :t fe;y carry it on to the other parts of the bodv t~ finish with tlw toes. 'rhis system of enumeration is found at all the lmvcr Yillages on the l\IuRn, ·and wa" lu:own to the nal iYeR of 'l.'mfa1~ar. 'l'heir langu:tge is clearly one belouging to the common Papuan stock, but differing much iu voeabulary from any we have hitherto beeome acquainted with. It is nearly related to the dialecl;; ~pokon from Collingwood Bay to the l\Iamb:tre Hivor.

It waR manifeRtly imposHilJle f01· us to examine the great valley and extensive mountain chains surrounding it. 'l'o do this will be the most in tcresting work of the kind ever unJertaken in the PoRseHsion, It is at too great a distance from the 8ea and of far too difficult aacefls to be of anv use as an ordinary agricultural district; but lying as it does in the very heart of the cmmtry, and ttt the foot of the greatest mountains in the colony, it will present a fine field for the pro,;peotor, of large extent and very varied. Traces of fine gold were found by the miners in the gravel of the Musa at Gew:tduru,

26

and at pl~ces above that. The metal in all probabilit.v comes from the interior, for there does not seem to be ordmary gold-bearing strata in the Didina-Tenmt Hills. It v;ill apparently be easy to travel for many miles on the :\foni and Adaua, in boat or eanoc. It did not seem. to be the case that canoes are common there, but the nativeH use rafts instead. The best plan woul(l probably be to organise a strong partJ: to ascend th9 rive1· next .June, to form a central camp near the junction of the Adaua and M om, at whieh half a dozen men would remain to look after stores, while half a score of men went to examine the M oni watershed, and a similar number gave theit· attention to the Adaua and Domara. They should be provided with all nece8SIHies for a of about three months. If possible, this will be carried out next dry season. As far ns eonld be jn•lged from such a hurrietl visit the country is healthy. The natives of the valley suffer mttch fmm the tHual ring-wonn. Several have large swellings in the groin, and sometimes in the snotum. These arc not due to elephantiasis; ulcers awl other maladicR were not observed.

On the }Ionr]ay fore11oon the Domarn chirf was, ns we learned on Sunday evening, to return to ~m· enmp with food for u~. l"eVf'l'Hl men offered to aecompnny us brwk to GtHlnri. l\Iost of them adv1sed us to go down the river ou ntft~. 'l'heir cmmsel was not adopted. In the fir:;t place it was very dcsirnble to iind n better road onr the hills tlmn the extremely diffieult one we harl eome by; ami in the second place, ns the pr~r!:y w~R so smnll aml we were nnncquaint£:'d with the river, it was not deemed advisable to 1rm't all our tH'n1s and ammunition to the many accidents incidental to the use of rafts on our fa'lt rirers. \V e left our c;unp on 1 he Adaua at 7 in the morning, before tl10 arrival of nny nntivo visitors, who would of necessity have caused us much delay. At that hour the whole valley of the Adaua nnd Moni wa~ covered by n tlen~e wl1ite fog, through which we conld see nothing. \V~e were f01·tunato in fillding a way back that was ~o gi'C•at an improremout on the outwHrd journey that we had !tmch on 1he same da_y we st:uted back in the \'amp at which we siept two nights before we rcaclJcd the Junction of the A daua and Mongori. \V e found that we coulll by exertion travel in two days from the junction of the Moni :Jll(l Adrma to tbe place where we had left our boat 011 the :YluRa. There we found all well, and that no Hntives had visited the camp in our absence.

On the 12th September we ;;tartcd down the riYer in the boat, whieh had an extremely mtrro1v e;;eape of being da::~herl to piece~ in the first mpid on a concealed rock. We found the diggers a few miles lower down. They had not discorercd any trace of gold in the Didina Hange. At midday we reached the village of the Dugari, whrre \\'O remained and had lunch. There wore forty or fifty men in ihe village, but no womeH or children. They did not carry arms, and were quite friem!Jy, but greatly more excitable and uoiRy than the people of the vnlley. A 8 the prospectors wished to examine the east end of the Didinn Hange, it was decided that we should remnin two dnys at the camp at Saumoto Rapid, where 1 thought it might be possible to learn something of the language from visitor:; from the villages of Gewaduru and Gmlari. The first day of our stay there we were vi~ited by a V('l'Y old man, apparently the father of the Bmti c.f Gndar·i, who wns accompanied by about twenty men. They ealled him "Kapusi" and treated him much more tenderly than is the lot of old people elsewhere iu this country. One man, after selling a taro, was found ab~tracting it with the object of selling it a :<ccond time, one of the vulgar manipulations of Jlapuan dishoue><ty. Next day the Bani himself was among the visitors. He wished so make me a present of two very small taro, for which I was to present him with a new tomalHnYk. Re seemed to be much di~appointf'd that I refused to enter into the transaction. Soon after this Gudari company had left us two men arrived from Gewaduru, anxiou~ to know when we would go on to their place. \Vhilst they were with u~ another company arrivcrl on the oppo!<ite bank, from Gndari, and shoutt;d to us to so11d the bont for them. The Gcwaduru men said the new arrivals were bad, and that I should not let them crosR. I replied that they y;ere friends as they were from Gudari. 'They then said they were from .Mongori, to which 1 replied that .Mougori also was very good and friendly. When, howerer, they met, the Gcwatluru men profcllscd to be extremely glad to meet the others. It was clear that under ordinary eircumstanees they are not on good terms. On the 16th September we camped 11ear to Gewaduru village, tlte men of which came at once to our camp and were friendly and hospitable. In the afternoon I went to the vilhgc with them. I wns invited to Kit on a small squam-roofed platform in front of a group of houses. There were no women or children in the village. No one had arms in his hand or rtea1· to him. 'They brought u~ ltlittlc food, bnt vegetables dill not seem to be very abundant with them. There is but very little ~ago on tl1is part of the river, nnd their yam~ nre very ,;mall and the bananas arc very iuferior. \Vhcu about to leave I found that a nmn of the ri!iage bad stolen one of the rowlocks. I asked for it, anrl it waH at once brought back and delivered up. After snn:>et there was a loud and warm debate among the men of the village as to whether the women and children should return to the houses to sleep. It ended in their eomiug bac!k. Apparently they had made up their minds that we meant them no harm. One circumstnnce that muBt have tended to give them confidence in the party was the fact that we unconsciously put up our camp within a few yards of their yam garden. They used to come to our camp, go into the garden, which was 110t ten yards away, and bring a few yams each for sale. Of course none of our people took a single root from their garden. The ehief, although very friendly, would not accompany us down the river to tl1e next tribe. There were people >raiting to receive us at all the villages below. 'I' hey were uniformly fl>iendly. The first village below Gewaduru is t:allcd Baruga. It was dear that at Bamga the villagers apprehended no harm from us, as nearly all of their men had gone down the riYer to hunt and make sago.

At Enda Ol' End:tri-for the termination" ri" may or may not be added to these names-we fc.und about thirty or forty very fine, strong men. It was noticed that eaeh man at work in his garden had his spear di8posed so as to be easily within reach of his hand in a moment. At Endari there is the lnrgest cocoanut plantation on the river, consisting of about a score of tree~. This smrcity is not because the trees will not thrive, for the large~t nuts I have seen in the colony are those grown on this river above our furthest boat camp. It is doubtless one of the results of eternal intertribal warfare. The lowest dwellers on the river bank at Giojiwari and Difoda were rem>trknbly kind and hospitable people, eager to do a little trading. They were also weak in strength and numbers.

On the 18th we seleettd a camp 011 the right bank of the river :tt the point that seemed most convenient for trving to find an approach towards the mysterious Mount Victory. 'l'he miners had gone on down stream to the sea, so that we had here parted company definitely. Next day the constableH and J\'Ir. Green went out from camp in several directions, and from their reports it would seem to be only a question of hard walking to reach the spurs of the mountain from where wo were encamped. At about 7 o'clock on that evening, it being then very dark, we heard quite distinctly the sound of pnddle01 propelling a single canoe up the river towards us. Some of the carriers were in our boat fishing

27

alon(J'side the bank and those in the canoe must have seen the lantern these had in the boat. The noise of the paddles cea~cd, and we heard nothing further. This did not cause any surprise, especially as at a place further down the river we met four or five small canoes equipped for hunting and fishing as we were ascending the stre:un. But the time, the travelling in deep darkness, and the fact that I had already found by experience that it i:;: the usual custom of a great Papuan exp~diti~n to send one sc~uting cmwe ahead, made the occurrence notable, and a double guard wa~ kept all mght m our camp. 1,1 the great surprise of the men on duty next morning, there suddenly began to appear in sight with the first dim, grey dawn of the day the leading war cnnoes of a powerfnl native armada. They came on up the river out of the semi-da1·kness with swift and steady stroke' of the paddle, with a silence and regularity that was almost Rpectral. So great was the astonishment of our people at the ~udden and stealthy appearance of the gaudy and ghostly host that half the Jleet had paRsed us before ih0y thought of calling me. \:Vhen I reached the bank the foremost canoes were aleeady disappearing swiftly round the first bend of the river out of sight, and there were not more than a dm:en gliding np the river to pass ns. The rivet· was :tbout 80 to 100 yards wide, and they were going up close to the bank opposite to us. In one large canoe near the middle of the flotilla were two big men, ench standing erect in the hull of a fine war canoe, one at eaeh end of the square platform. They were in complete martial panoply, covered by paint and plumes, and each, as he renmined in an attitude as stiff and silent as a pillar of stone, held his right hand on a great tall war spe:w, which he held erect, the lower end resting on the bottom of the canoe. These two spears were nearly covered with white feathers fvom end to encl. Every other person in sight paddled as regularly, as indm;trionsly, and as silently a~ if he had been a piece of machinery; all faces were turned steadily up the river. It appeared tlmt hardly an eye was diverted in our directiou. One single voice said to us once, in a low hollo·w tmw, "01·okaiva." Nothing could be more mysterious and impressive than the sudden appearance at such an hour of this great force of men, evidently so eagerlv intent on some high purpose of their own that they had neither a moment of time, a word, nor a look to devote to two solitary white men and a boat's crew of Papuans. \:Ve counted twenty-eight war canoes, containing on an average about ten men. :\fo~t of these canoes were new. There were besides this a few small ones. There \re re no wom<'n, no children, and no dogs. Every man was decorated as if for war; each canoe had a Hupply or arms, shields, "Pe:Jr~, stone clubs, and stone adzes. 'l'here could be but little doubt that it was a great war party iumding the river. Wlu:n I saw them first it was already far too late to attempt to stop them, as quite half had then got above us. Then I was afmid to send them back down the river, lest they ~hould smpri~e nnd overwhelm the miners, as to the exact whereabouts of whom I was then ignorant. To follow them in a boat was hopele~s, as their canoes could go up Btream at two or three times our ~pcccl. Tlw " Merrio England" was expected next day at the mouth of the river. It was therefore tlccirle,l to 11roceed thither at once, and to follow the invaders with the steam launch at the eal'licst po~;<ible moment. By noon we reached the mouth of the river, ltnd fort una lel v found the steamer a I read v there.

Th~ Commandant and a detachment of nearlv a score of constabulary had been sent for to visit the Mambare. \Vith these we were ready to start llp the river next mornir~g. Such good use was made of time that we sighted the nearest of the invaders by 1 o'clock on the afternoon of the same da,y. 'l'he river was there so crooked that we could not see more than a third of their party at one time. They were all on the right bank with tlJcir canoes dr<~wn close in shore. They had probably heard our approach and made some arrangement for our arrival. Behind them the ground was covered b_v low thick pandanus bushes, or by tall dense reeds. \Vhen we came within sight of them, nutny of them stood on the bank, which was 5 or {i feet high, with shields, spearx, a11d stone clubs in their hands. Numbers began to shout to us, " Orokltiva" and " \Vera," aml to make friendly demon;.;tmtions. As we kept towarcls the other side of the river and said nothing, while the con8tnbulary got their arlll8 ready, not a few of them grarlually diRappcnred into the "bush." On thA platform of the first canoe we passed, but partially concealed by a mat, there lay the dead body of a full-grown native man. As it was not yet absolutely clenr wl1at was the nature of this expedition, which, nfter all, might be proceeding to some great feast up the river, although we had seen no preparations there for anything of thP. kind, or might be a great hunting expedition at which a mau had died or been killed by accident, we continued our way up the river, while I carefully examill(:d with the each canoe we pa~ssed. I3efore we reached the highest canoe I lmd seen four dead human hodie,; on tl1em, and, what wae more decisive, p~u·ts of dead bodies. It was clear they had already ;:;urprised and massacred at least oue community on the river. As this became npparent it was also to sec that the most p1·essing and important consideration was to save the other tribes on the lower aml tlmt the only certain way to do this was to get above the invaders in order to drive tlJem down the river. The style of eanoe, the shield, the dress and ornaments of the warriors seemed to show that they wore from Collingwoo<l Bay. This opinion was confirmed by some of them ealling out " W era, wera," and by a man saying they were from Jl:fakimaki. They were evidently desironR of peace, and prepared to be friendly. ·rhey certainly knew perfectly well who we were, a>< I had already several times visited all the coast villages in Oollingwood Bay and round Trafalg:1r, and had been at least twice at ::\Iakimaki with the steam launch. I was in hope that by getting quite above them and forcing them down the river, we should not only completely clear the district of them, but that they would tight stoutl_" when all were forced together. 'J'hey manned their canoes in a moment aml fled at top speed down tl1e river, a clear start of us. About a mile down a dozen canoes were drawn into the left bank and made there, their occupants taking to the bank in group~, bnt retiring into the forest behiml as we approached. Had it been possible to do so, wo would have ~ent all tlHl canoes intaet down the river, but this could not be done as the outrigger is at a great distance from the canoe, and the canoes were ve1·y long. In this way the canoes constantly becanw impeded and entangled by the numerous snags in the river. H:td we left them thus, the invaders, as ~oon as we wore gone, would have resumed their canoes ~wd continued their devastations. There was, therefore, on l.v one course open to us-a~ we could not capture the natives by openly chasing them in the bmh, we had to destroy what cn.noes we could not carrv off. A~ there were 300 well-armed men on the hi:,;h banb, which were. coven:d by scrub, and tre~s, the work of destruction had to be performed with all the preeautions necessary to prevent a surpri;;;e from such a horde of savages now being reduced to a stnte of desperation. \Vith much Revere labour oc t1le part of the constabulary, the first division of canoes was cut up so as to he useless; and we continued our way down the river in pursuit of the others. The Commandant, with half of the constabulary, remained in the upper part of the river to seeJhatjthe

28

can?es left there were all thoroughly diEtabled, whilst I went down strenm at full Etpeed with the lnunch, towmg the Recond boat, to overtake nnd cut off the other canoes. At on1· cnmp at the foot of Mount Victory they had drawn into a creek half a score of canoes, three or four of which seemed to be captlll'es they had made up the river. \Ve tied them altogether, end to end, and drew them out of the creek by the steam launch, nnd took them down the rh·er. A mile or two fu1·ther on we found seven fine war canoes tiecl up to the right bank, the occupants of which hatl taken tu the bush. This last division, we found, completed the totnl number of the war cnnoes that had passed us as they ascended the river. These we sent adrift down the stream, and, pas:<ing tl1em with the launch, we ca.mped about half a dozen miles from the mouth of the river, so that we could intercept anything coming down stream. .From what was found 1n the canoeR it "1\"0uld appear that the marauders had already eaptnred probably some ten or twelve people. There were, on as many separate canoe~, foul" adult tmdivided dead bodies; on anotlwr there was the body of a little girl of seven or eight, still tied by the hands and feet to the pole on which her tender litt.le body had been carried to camp. Some of th~ other;; had similar lashings still on their limbs, and one was bound on to a strong flat uo:ml laid under the b:wk, and which had been used as a vehicle of transport. On the platforms of all the canoes wel'e pots of day, stone adzes, stone clubs, spears, matR, betc] and lime gear, pig nets, and ~ome of the new plane irons we had given to the people of Endari only two days previously. But in the mid~t of the~e miHcellaneous articles, on a canoe platform, one could see here and there a human foot projeeting from the mass, or it might be a hand an<l arm, on which there still remained the rings of shell and other materials that were worn as ornament>< during life.

A nearer examination wou]d then show that the member was detaehed, thn,t it had been clumsily and unskilfully hacked from the body by an unexperienceu hand, atHl that it was already half-cooked, probably in order to keep it longer sweet. On the platforms of the canoes were alw little neatly macle-up parcels and packets of human flesh, deftly etwelopecl in leaves and tied with bark. On some of the platforms were large and small uncovered pieees, some cooked and ready for the tablt', others apparently the remains left over from an interrupted meal. One of thel'e \\as a large portion of the back of a child half-cooked, and corresponding exactly to what is known to the cook a~ <L '' 8add le." ln the holdK of some of the cauoes were coils of human intestine, ><ortcd as one folds a fishing line, n·ith a stick through the coil supporting it by resting on the edges of the canoe, so as to let the coil fall into the bold, but without the lower end reaching the bilge water in the canoe. When we approached them first the invaders made no attempt whatever to conceal the dead bo1lies, or the parts of them that were lying about. ·when thev abandoned the canoes thev left the unbroken oueR and tbe whole limba; but they carried off many ::<n1aller portions, to which they clung with such tena~ity that when a party of them were encountered by the police next day they still bore with them some of thc8e small pare eh of human flesh, one of them dropping the breast of a woman only at the last moment when he wa,; on the point of being captured, and had to put fm>th all his strength in order to escape. .Everything on the first division of canofs went to the bottom of the river. From the canoes that got away down stream the occupants were able to remove the greater portion of their property; but pots, drums, nets, adzes, &c., could be found along the paths by which they had fled. There waR little 1n·obability of our ever being able to get near those that had landed on the right bank of the river, but all those (nearly half) that had hurriedly and unwisely taken to the left bauk, thuH putting the river between themselves and home, were in some difficulty, as to cross the river by swimming jg very dangerouR on aceount of the great number of crocodiles in it. A detachment of the constabulary was sent up the river with the steam launch on the following morning under the orders of :M:r. JVIoreton. '!'hey met and hnd a short conflict with a strong band of the fugitives, two of whom were ~:<hot dead on the ::~pot. A third one they brought into camp in the boat. A bullet from a snider carbine had hit him on the right thigh, smashing the bone into n quantity of small fragrants. He was taken on board the" Merrie England" on the 22nd September, where hiR terrible wound was attended to by l\fr. Symomls, the put'RCr, until the 25th October. ·

A speedy visit to the Mambare Rive1• was so urgently necegsary that it was quite impossible to give any further attention then to these Musa invaders. It was decided to re:;tore the wounded man to his tribe. 'l'his was done on the 25th October. Under his directions we entered tbe harbour of Porioek Bay, and ascended the creek that opens into its upper end, for about a mile; we then turned to the left and fouml that his tribe, thP 1Yinpnya, live on JVIouut Trafalgar. Some of his countrymen were on watch on the heights, aud at first all retirecl and kept out of sight, but after some trouble we got into communication with them, and finally induced some of them to come and take over the wounded man. They were very desirous of establishing peace and friendship, although, no doubt, tho8e we met had been participants in the raid on the 1\'Jusa. 'l'hey manifested wonderful self-pos;,;ession, and seemed not to entertain any suspicion of trraehery on our part after they once approached us. No attempt was made to arrest any of them, in comideration of the circumstances under whid1 they met us. No very precise information could be obtained. from the wounded man as to who were in that expedition, but it was totally clear that it comprised the Trafalgar tribes, m1d at least part of Makimaki, in Collingwood B:ty. On the 26th October a hurried visit was therefore made to Collingwood B1ty. It wa.s fQund that certain natives of Maisina have built half a dozen houses on the iflland of Sinapa, in Phillip's Harbour, prnbahly induced to do so as being convenient for trachng with any YCRBel calling there. 'l'hey were not al'ruid or mistrustful, and were, of coursE', quite friendly. \Ve left one boat with the magi><trate and commandant at Maisina while I proceedetl in the other boat to Makim<tki. They found the Maisina people friendly, and not nearly so boisterous, presuming, and unruly a8 formerly was the case. They did not carry arms. At Makimaki, a great part of the men on seeing our approach seated themsclnJs quietly on the f'andy beach to wait for us. None of them had arms near them. We could hold only very limited colloquial communication with these people. 'rhe chief denied clearly and di,tinetly that they had been up, the Mu~a, but he seemed embarrassed and disturbed by the question. It was also noticed that stone club~ were not, as used to be the ease, offered for sale, and they did not seem to be rid1 in stone adzes. Se\'el•al of them were in mourning, and they were making some new c:tnoe~, considerations that in the aggreg.tte woulcl seem to point to their participation in the late expedition. lt will be necessary to arrest amt punish the leaders in th:tt raid; but this will require that one live in Co!li:rrgwood Bay and on 'l'rafalgar for two or three weeks first, in order to learn who they were. This had to be deferred for tbe present.

I have, &c., WM. MACGREGOR.

His Excellency Sir Henry \V. Norman, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., C.I.E., Brisbane.

29

APPENDIX F. DESPATCH REPORTING ASCENT OP KUMUSI It!VER.

No. 58.] Port Morcsby, 18th November, 18!>5. Sru,-I have the honour to report that on the evening of the 18th October I reached the month

of the Kummi River with the intention of a~cendiug it as far as the stc:un launch could go. It was at that time very nec!:'s8ary to make this inspection aftel' tlw occurrences that ha•l so sho1·tly before taken place on the Mambare i'(iver. It was ,·ery probable that some rumour of the collision between the miners and the Mam bare tt·ibes, and of tlw ;;nbscqnent action of the Go,·crnment in connection therewith, would reach those on the Kumusi, and that we woul(l be reprc~ented either a~ timid weaklings or as agg-ressive monsters of eruelty. There was also the possibility that the miners, should they fail to find payable gold on the l\J ambar0, would then direct their attention to the Kumnsi, and that they would at on<.:e create there not improbably some serious trouble, w·hich was all the more likely to be the case if they had been heard of by the Kumusi people and were the first thereafter to vi;it them. One of the chief objects of my visit was to teach the Kumu~i people to not bring their arm.s with them when they approach Europeans.

:.!. On the 1-4th the .sea was breakin<>· w heavilv on the bar of the Kumusi, and the water was at oue spot so shallow that the ~team lau1~h eould 1iot enter the river until thl) afternoon. ·~,cv e had eonsequently to camp there and wait for next morning to begin Olll' journey. .A. number of natives came along the beach on the north side of the river, but as they had proved themselves to be tron blesome thieve~ on former occa~ions, we did not encourage them into camp until everything should be arranged there. 'l'hese nativPs have often been vi:sited :md are always friendly, bnt they are :sueh adroit thieves that they formerly stole the ric:e of a com:>table at the moment he was ac:tually it as a pillow under his head.

On the 15th we ascended the river about a ~core of miles from the sea. T:'ormerlv there were several gardens on the banks about half-a-dozen miles from the ;:;ea; these and fill of oeeupation have now di~appeared. "\V c did not sec a native on the river on this day's jourucy, though we passed se,·eral places where formerly there were a few hou8c;; and people. 'l'he hou;;es were all in ruins and the gardens eompletely overgrown. \re eamped opposite a small grove of eoeoanut trees. It was found that rats or the flying-fox: had destroyed most of the nuts.

3. At about two dozen miles from the sea we earne upon a party of nearly a ~core of natives -men, women and ehildren-camped on the right bank of the river. 'l'hey were quite friendly towards us, and seemed to be par·t.ially engaged in making ·Hago. They lutd a few temporary huts a~ shelters. A mile or two further on there was another and much larger party on the same bank, in which there must have been quite fifty fighting men.

They had with them many canoes and large numbers of women and chiloren. They had erected a few shelters for themselves, but had no houses there. The chief man amongst th0se at once claimed me as an old friend. Unfortnnately, although I recogr..iscd his face, I could not renwmber where I had previously met him. In their canoes and shelter~ they had their pots, neb.;, and all the general odds and ends that a migrating people would carry with them. All the hou;;es that at my first viilit to the 1·iver had been seen below this point had either been burned recently ot· had completely collapsed, and all gartlens were becoming jungle. It uppearcd as if there had been :;ome ;o;ocial or political convulsion on the river; but whether the people now camped there were aggrei:\sors or fugitiyeg 1 could not then a~ecrtain. Most probably the two parties were only divisions of one tribe, and if eombined they 11·ould seem to be too strong to fm·our the idea that they were fugitive~.

Their arms, (lress, personal appearance, and language showed them to belong to that distrid. It was clear that they wished to be on good term" with us. X one of them carried arms when we were near them. A number of young men came rushing out of the forest io join the second party. On my directing them to put down their arms they promptly eomplied.

We camped the same day right oppo:site the fir~t little hill on this river, which on the former a~eent of the K umusi I found to be in btitudn south 8 dct;rces 3;') minutes, and longitude east 14·8 degrees l minute. Here we were visited by a few mtti\·es who did not appear to he mistrustful of us. 'l'hey returned next morning to search the eamp for empty tins, &c., after our departure.

:;rrauy natives were met with in the forenoon of the 16th. At first all app('ared at·med with spcaN, shields, and ;;tone clubs of the pineapple paitct•n. They were always speedily inducecl to lay a~ide their weapons. Sometimes one man carried two or three spears ; but when we wore near the first large villages on the right bank it was noticed that it was u~ual there for many warriors to be "shadowed, " each by a woman, probably his wife, who either bore the spare spe.Irs or, when the wanior ~aw that there would be no appeal to arms, receh·cd from him his weapons au,t shields either to take them away or to follow behind with them at a convenient distance. At lunch time we were visited by a number of men. All appeared to be quite friendly; but they are not trustworthy, and would doubtless plunder or attack a weak, cttreles~, or inexperienced party. vVhen we reached the phce at which the o;team launch grounded, and at whic:h we turned back on the !irst ascent of the river, the rmtive,; neeompanying us from the villages on the right bank were brought face to face with tho"e that approaehed us from the villages on the left bank. It was noticed that the former Rhouted "Orokaiva" to the latter jw;t as they had done to ourselves. It seemed very probable that the parleying that took was directed to a temporary composition of their existing differences, with the view of jointly us and of taking advantage of favourable opportunity of plundering our eamp. But the new arrivals did not seem to respond to the advances, whatever they were, of those on the right bank, and the result was that the latter soon left us. These men wore a girdle and a small apron. On their heads were so many ruffs of fibre and cassowary feathers that in front the outline was that of a heacl in a. judge's wig. Hut in addition to this they wore behind a great buneh of feathers partly obtained from the uative fowl. This bunch of feathers is so large and solid that it would be a serious inconvenience were it not that it rests in tho hollow of the neek between the occiput and the shoulder~. 'l'he women wore a piece of native bark cloth.

On the third day we camped on the left bank at about a mile from the to11 of the nearest hill. The natives followed us up to thi~ point alld were very demonstrative in their shouts of "Orokaiva," but when a gun was discharged at a duck near the CMnp they all fled and did not return till next morning,

30

when a l~rge number of them brought food, weapons, and ornaments for sale. The article most coveted ~y tl;em m barter, and by all natives near them, was red cloth. Many of them were painted in fat~cy ~g~h~g .colours when they appeared first, but before they approached us this form of decorahve mtumdatwn was washed or rubbed off. They brought no spears for sale, and no women appmtred. . At about fifty miles from the sea we found ourselves in front of a rapid that seemed to bar all further progress by the steam launch. It was therefore decided that we should camp on the high right bank, which was 40 or 50 feet above the bed of the river. 1Ve were now right at the foot of the hills. T~ere were no villages near, and no appearance of any permanent settlement by natives. Less than two mtles below us there was a newly planted ganlen. ·within an hour or two a party of a score of young men came to visit us, conducted by a cunning-eyed, loquacious, elderly tnan. rrhey wished to sell betel­nut, ~tone clubs, and sugar-cane. The leader had a small piece of bamboo tied to his neck, in which there was some substance that he prized so greatly, on account of its aphrodisiac properties, that he would not sell it. It seemed to be a gum re~in.

On the Mambare River a small aromatic seed carried in the umlaked lime for the betel-nut is in use for this purpose. 1'hcse men did not appt'ar to like the taste of table salt. One of their commonest ornaments was a pendant made of a pair of boar's tusks, the two having the root ends placed in contact, generally formi11g nearly a circle. rl'his ornament is common among all the tribes of the north-east coast, but at some places there are one or two tusks, each one of which forms a complete circle. At \V cdau they s~Y: they got them .from Fergusson Island, and that they are the teeth of a large snake. In all probabil1ty they have m the course of ages found their way from the Solomon Islands to the D'Entrecasteaux Group. rrhey had many necklaces of small white cowries mounted in a close row. JYiany wear the hair in matted tags, into the ends of which they plait pandanus leaves. Perhaps h;tif of all their ornaments is made up of the seeds of the Ooix lacrymcc. Dogs' teeth necklaces are not rare. '.['he girdle usually consists of plaited matwork. Their earrings are elaborate-made of turtle shell, white cowries, red seeds, and dogs' teeth·. 'l'hey have shell armrings of t]Je l>ind and make common on the south coast, and they have numbers of large white cowries. They chew betel-nut, lime, and pepper. rrhe elderly men often wear a piece of cloth on the head ; the young dandies never do so. The tight lacing so eharacteristic of the fop at ~nany plnces on the south coast seems to be qnite unknown on the north-east coast. The shield they carry is similar to the small Gothic one of Collingwood Bay. The stone club is generally disc-shaped; the bow and arrow i:::: unknown to them. The septum of the llOHe is pierced, but only to carry a small plate of ground shell or n modest ornament made of a few bright­coloured seedf!. 'l'heir handsomest ornament is a necklace of the seeds of the Coix lac1·ynue, arranged with red seeds o£ nearly the same size. They do not tattoo, but have small ornamental raised cicatrices on the shoulder and back. Many suffer from the wor~t form of ringworm.

4. On the 20th we were visited by about a score of people-men and women-from a bush tribe that probably dwelt on the right bank of the river but at ~ome considerable distance from the stream itself. They brought no arms with them. One woman carried a young child slung in a bag net on her back, with the strap crossing het• head, exactly as they carry vegetables or firewood. They dress the hair like the tribes on the river, and resemble them in personal nppeamnce, but were not in such comfortable physical condition. Their approach was announced by a young man from one of the lower villages, who preceded them, and in all possibility had warned them to visit us without their weapons. They did not know iron, and did not care to have any; but a. keen old woman suddenly ;,aw that a ~mall knife would be of use to her. They brought a few coeoa.nuts with them. CuriouRly enough one of the young men of the party wore in the septurn of the no;;e a few gJas; beads, apparently the same patteru as those we had given to the people on the Musa shortly before. They would not sell all the articles that went to form a complete male lJead-dress. 1'hey had ot•naments of cowrie shells similar to the river tribes.

5. The shingle in the upper portion of the river contained such a large quantity of quartz that it was confidently expected that gold would be found there without difficulty. .Much to our surprise, it was very difficult to find a single "colour" of that metal

Whil~t I remained in camp to find roughly the geographical po8ition, Mr. Oameron and Mr. Moreton ascended the river to the foot of the hills, there 2,000 or 3,000 feet high, in the whaleboat. They had no better success there. J<'rom the prospectors' point of view, both the river shingle and that of the small creeks was a great disappointment. There is good agricultural land on this part of the river, but its remote position and the difficulty of access render it valueless. No timber of superior lluality was noticed.

G. On the 21st we descended the river, starting at 7 a. m., and reaching the st'a at 5 p.m.; but we were favoured by a rise of 3 or 4 feet in the river. 'l'hc natil'es were all friendly as we revisited them, and none of them carried their wEapons. They should, however, not bn truste'd by any party visiting them for the first time, especially if they are not made to leave thei!' weapons at a distance. So far they do not know from experience the fo1·ce of fir<>arm~, a;; no ;.;hot has ever been fired at a native on this river.

I have, &c., W:YI. ~lACGHEGOR.

His Excellency Sir Henry W. Norman, G.C.B., G.C.JVI:.G., C.I.E., Bri;;bane.

APPENDIX G. 11ESPATOH REPORTING VISIT OF INSPEC'riON TO THE LOUISIADES .AND

NEIG HBOURl NG GROUPS. Government House, Port lioresby,

No. 61.] 4th Decem bet·, 18HG. 8m,-I~have the honour to report that I left Samarai on the l;;t November, to pay a hurried vi:;it

to the Louisiades and ncighbom·ing groups of islands. ~nt day I visited the island of Pttnaietti, where all seemed to be 'luiet and orderly. The Rev. Mr. J.'letchet• had left about a month before this for Dobu, and had not thm returned, but several teachers were present. No planting of any kind seemed to be carried on at the 1\Iissiou St11tion, and tho cocoanuts formerly put in by the Rev. :Mr. Fellowes wore aadly overgrown by weeds, and the handsome little church had lost a considerable part of the roof.