n a few days for that place, I decided to embrace the opportunity, as I should not like to leave New Guinea without having visited

est and most important

ced to the celebra

is an old man, very tall and erect, with a Roman nose, austere looking

est of it the men are absolutely nude, while

facing the sea, and extending the whole le

generally returns successful. The natives of this part speak the Motu l

Koepina, have committed many murders, which

rs been a missionary in the South Seas, and therefore was well fitted for the work. A few years later the Rev. James Chalmers joined the mission, and at the close of the year 1885 the Rev. Dr. Macfarlane severed his connection with New Guinea and left for England, where he now resides. The mission has been established sixteen years, and taking into c

ged in the work of the mission falling victims to malarial fever. The health of the pla

ng-houses of the leading missionaries, school-houses, a large building in which the services are held, and two or three smal

these a general store kept by Mr. Andrew Goldie, a lock-up under the charge of Messrs. Belford and Gleeson, and the dwelling-house of the Judge (Mr. Winter), in

ive town, "Hanuabada," which contains abou

uch from a scarcity of food. The women are very skilful manufacturers of pottery, tastefully ornamented and designed. At certain

he valley of the "Laroki" is reached, when a

Laroki River is about 17 miles from Port Moresby. After crossing the "Laroki" the country again

z., July 1st, 1889, Sir Wm. Macgregor had returned

tered somewhat. He had lost two stone in weight and h

and has scaled the highest mountain in British New Guinea, the following ab

we entered one of the mouths of the Vanapa River, which opens into Galley Reach on its eastern side, about five miles from Manumanu. We got some seven or eight miles

es. During the afternoon we began to approach the first low hills in

pids, the current being very strong, and the river, though falling, still deep

nd ourselves with hills on all sides of us. We passed a large rock on the right bank of the river, which seems to be quite

ed to a tree not sufficiently large or strong to receive the whole of this end of the bridge, and is therefore supplemented by a post put into the ground, and this again is strengthened by a cross-bar to the live tree and fixed by stays extending backwards to trees behind. The material employed is rattan cane. Of these, fifteen are used to form supports, but as they have not all been long enough to cross the river, some of them have been joined by knotting. The floor of the bridge is formed of four of these canes, but as two appear to have been broken, the second pair have probably been laid down in effecting repairs. About two feet six inches from the floor there are two rattans on each side, and about two feet three inches above these again are three rattans on the lower, and four on the upper side. They are not plaited or tw

narrower as we advanced, and we

of the river. This place became our principal dep?t for the expedition. By our estimate it is 40 miles from Manumanu by water, 35 miles of this being on t

from the camp reached by me, was between six and seven miles. Many of my party suffered from ill-

ine view of all the mountains of the interior, right up to the summit of the Owen Stanley Range, could be seen. It was named, and is known to us a

upplies. The whole of the next few days were spent in prepar

ropeans, including myself, George Belford (a Samoan half-caste, a man of excellent cha

th, and had at the start some very steep ridges to cross. We passed several creeks in slate and quartz formation which looked, especially one, very promising for gold. The 20th was memorable as being the first time our native carriers

t of which we camped, on the right bank of the Vanapa River. A small native village was

r inland. Several people suffered here from fever. Between one and two o'clock a raft was

approaching the main range, it was deemed well to follow further along the crest of Mount Belford, whence it was hoped a spur might be found which might lead us to Mount Musgrave, and our march was therefore continued along the top of Mount Belford during the whole of the 24th. On the 25th we descen

rth and led us towards the main crest of Mount Musgrave, which was reached on the next day's march. It was determined that we should proceed eastward along the crest of Mount Musgrave until nearly opposite Mount Victoria, and then look for a ridge on the north side of Mount Musgrave, leading down in the desired direction. On ou

r, salt, beads and cutlery. Tobacco they do not priz

along which we proceeded about two miles on this day and camped at an altitud

prise, we found it to be composed of slate and quartz right to the top. Our path was cros

ns. After a succession of steep cliffs and gorges, we, by ten o'clock, reached a clearing, and after great difficulty in descending the steep rocks at the foot of Mount Musgrave, we reached the Vanapa River at about noon, at the foot of Mount Knutsford. We had consi

our ascent. A temperature of 69° F. was marked before sunrise. We camped for t

irst came into contact, at an altitude of 9,000 feet, with an undergrowth of bamboo. At 2 p.m. on 6th of June we reached the summit of Mount Knutsford, 11,100 feet hi

rossing we began the ascent of the central ridge of the Owen Stanley Range. Early in the afternoon we reached the top of the great ridge at the point named Winter Height, which has an altitude of 11,882 feet, and about 5 p.m. we camped on the lowest part of the great central ridge, forming the lowest part of the central portion of the Owen Stanley Range, to which has been given the name of Dickson Pass. Its height is 10,884 feet, and it divides Mount Douglas from Winter Height. In our camp a

that a few hundred feet from the top of the highest crest I saw the largest vein of quartz I have seen in the 'Poss

s season at least, emphatically a dry mountain. The crest of Mount Victoria runs from south-east to north-west, and may be described as composed of six different peaks, but they might be divided differently by different observers. The north-west one and the south-east one are a few feet higher than any of the others. The distance between the two is from a mile to a mile and a quarter in a straight line. I ascended to the top of all the peaks, the c

height of Mount Victoria 13,121 feet, an estimate that

ia. This mountain is some 15 to 20 miles nearer to the south than to the north coast. The country ly

nt Gillies and Mount Parkes. They are probably from 7,000 to 8,000 feet high. A valley, some two or three miles long, lies between Mount Parkes

north coast, a great extent of comparatively flat country; and there is much more population there than on the south side. It was impossible to see which way the rivers ran. Mr. Belford left a powder-flask on the top of the north-west peak of

f great strength. He began life as a ploughman on a farm. He was mainly self-taught,

also took an active part in the administration of that colony. In

ergy is untiring, and by his dogged determination he manages to

ld and rugged country like New Guinea. Shortly after his ar

been engaged in exploring differ

pwards of six hundred miles, and reached the bou

a short resumé of

ound the river divides into two branches of equal size. One of these, named by him the Palmer, he followed up for eight days to the frontier. The

de. The average day temperature in the shade has been about 85° Fahr., but of course it is a mois

ence of the tide was not observed above 120 miles from the mouth. As a waterway he says "the Fly river will supply excellent means of transport. After proceeding 100 miles the river is very monotonous, and continues so for the next 80 miles. The fore

and of Kiwai, in the delta, Sir

re create a considerable export trade. The cultivation of the banana receives from them much attention. They have no fewer than thirty-six different varieties. They also plant and cultivate sago trees, of which they distinguish twenty-five varieties; of yams they grow twenty kinds, three of which are remarkably

of Cloudy Bay, South coast. Both men were well-known to me; one of them

hly prospecting the mainland for gold, and intended to start from the head of Milne Bay, which is on the south-east coast, and make their way overland to Port Moresby, and determine, on

fortunately, as events proved, I was suffering from feve

t Moresby. I suggested that it would be as well to wear a suit of armour, as in their journey they would meet with thousands of savages. They considered my suggestion a good one, so we

ell, but whether they carried o

they be against thousands of hostile natives? Nothing, however, would prevent

-bye, with the fervent hope that they would meet

d constitutions, accustomed to hardships, and who would sell their lives dearly. The start wa

d had passed safely through many dangers, commenced th

seen of the unfo

circumstance alone we know. When they had reached the country at the back of Cloudy Bay, they were surrounded by hundreds of savages and treacherou

e England to proceed to Cloudy Bay, with an armed party on board, who were instructe

illage, near which they found the two skulls (or rather what was left of them) of the unhappy victims. Th

lusively proved the

would destroy the village and its inhabitants. Two more good and true men have been added to the long list of those who have met with a tragic deat