HIHIAURA, BRITISH NEW GUINEA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 25, 21 June 1890, Page 1

HIHIAURA, BRITISH NEW GUINEA.

LTHOUGH the Western world has been aware of the.existence of New Guinea since 1526, when the Portuguese voyager, De Meneses, discovered its north-western extremity, the greater portion of the ‘ Dark Island' —the largest in the world—still remains a blank page in our book of geographical knowledge. It is to-day the only country on the globe the majority of whose aboriginal inhabitants—fauna and flora —are still free from the transforming touch of the outside world of commercial enterprise. Much interest attaches to Daude (the native name for New Guinea) from this fact alone ; but the numerous exploratory expeditions of late years, by partially revealing the marvels of the country, have further increased the anxiety of the public to learn more of this wonderful land. Hihiaura is a picturesque-looking native village in British New Guinea, situated not far from the East Cape. It contains a considerable number of large stately-looking dwelling-houses, one of which forms the subject of our illustration, surrounded by a dense tropical vegetation of

cocoa palms and bamboo trees, which the artist has faithfully pourt rayed, with a group of native women busily employed in the preparative of food near a banana tree. East Cape is a projection of a woody range of hills, some 500 feet high, extending toward the west into the mountainous country at Goodenough Bay, with an elevation of 5,000 feet. The scenery along this part of the coast is probably the most beautiful of the whole" line of the east coast. The characteristic features of these landscapes are. close to the seashore, abruptly descending mountains, thickly wooded along the ridges, and otherwise covered with sward of fresh green grass, intersected by deep ravines and dark-looking crevices and fissures, with innumerable waterfalls and cascades. The area of level ground being but limited, most of the native population are living on the mountains. Some of their plantations, which are all exceedingly carefully cultivated, are situated as high as 4,000 feet above the sea level. In 1884 Germany was seized with a colonising tever. and an attempt was made by her to appropriate that part of New Guinea east of long. 141 deg. To Sir Thomas Mcllwraith, the Queensland Premier, is due the honour of having saved to England half this valuable track of country ; and in consequence of his representations the Home Government reluctantly proclaimed a Protectorate over the same, which

has an area of about 90.000 square miles. The western half of the island l>elongs to the Dutch, who have had small colonies along the coast since 1775, and have an annual export of about £40,000. The German portion—about one quaiter of the island—was placed under the aegis of the German New Guinea Comjiany in November, 1885 : but in spite of strenuous efforts, it was found quite incapable of founding a colony. In April of 1888 its administration was transferred back to the Government of the German Empire. In the English portion, however, eveiy day finds good strides in advance being made : and there is a strong probability of onr having a second Borneo in the till lately despised Daude. The great mass of Silurian rocks, over 10,OCO feet in height, whose south-eastern portion is known as the Owen Stanley Range, has been found, as prophesied by Coutts Trotter before the Royal Geographical Society in England in 1834. to Ire auriferous in many places; and at Sudest. an island continuation of this range, and at Milne Bay, ami other places payable gold is still being worked. The richness of the soil and vegetable products of the island is proverbial. But ]>erhaps the most valuable discovery in British New Guinea is that a considerable portion of the country has a far more healthy climate than it was formerly supjx>sed to possess. The East Cape is one of these especially favoured parts; and it seems piobible that the future Eurojiean population of our youngest colony will first take root there.