New Guinea

The total native population is estimated at 426,329, excluding territories not yet under control and also excluding 30,595 inden tured labourers. Of the above population c. 200,000 are on the mainland. The non-native elements number 5,453 including Chinese, 3,026 British and 404 Germans. The area of the mainland mandated territory is 68,50o square miles. The area under culti vation includes 113,481 ac. of coconuts, often with cacao between the trees, and 2,478 ac. of rubber under the control of the Expro priation Independently managed are 55,490 ac. of coco nuts and small plantations of rubber, cotton and cacao. The exports for 1925 were valued at £858,990, the imports at £537,940.

Dutch New Guinea.

Dutch New Guinea, which lies between 1o° S. and the equator, comprises practically half of the entire island of New Guinea. The boundary line between it and British New Guinea starts from the south coast and follows the line 141° E. up to the Fly river, which river then forms the boundary until 141° E., is reached, when the meridian becomes the boundary again, right up to the north coast. The area is 151,789 sq.m., and the population is estimated at 195,460, of whom 237 are Euro peans or Eurasians. The territory is practically undeveloped, save for the extreme western coastal portion opposite Ceram, and parts of the northern coast, its coasts are imperfectly charted, and there has been little systematic exploration. The northern half is mainly hilly, with a very high range of mountains traversing it east by west, though along the northern coast and on either side of the Mamberamo river, which flows into the sea at Cape d'Urville, are great alluvial tracts of land ; the extreme west is almost wholly hilly; the south very flat, with vast swamps near the coast, espe cially in the south-west, where Prince Frederick Henry island, separated from the mainland by the narrow and tortuous Princess Marianne strait, is perfectly flat and marshy, and covered with dense forest. Into McCluer gulf, which divides the western por tion of Dutch New Guinea almost into two, flow several rivers, including the Seljar and Ketero, the former navigable, for small vessels, for 34 and the latter for 23 miles. Along the south-western coast stretch, in succession, from north to south, the Mimika, Utakwa, North-West river, Lorentz, Utumbuwe, Eilanden, Digul and Merauke. Some of these are situated so close to each other that they are connected by channels navigable for small, light draught boats, several are navigable for distances of from 25 to 5o m. for steamers of 12 ft. draught, and the Digul the largest,

is 6 m. wide at its mouth and has been ascended for nearly 40o m. by a steamer of 6 ft. draught. The south-western coast is flat and fairly even, until the Charles Louis Mts. are reached, where it becomes high and much indented, Nautilus strait running far inland, between hills. Flat tracts alternate with high ground along the western coast, very much indented after McCluer Gulf, and the north coast, from Cape Sorong along Little Geelvink bay, to the middle of the coastline of Great Geelvink bay, is generally high, especially where, near Manokwari, the Arfak Mts. come very near to the sea. The remaining shores of Geelvink bay, to Cape d'Urville, and beyond, as far as Sarmi point, are low, flat and alluvial, but from here to Humboldt bay it is mostly high, rugged and rocky. The entrance to Great Geelvink bay is blocked by several islands, the northernmost being the Schouten group, Suk, or Supiori, to the west, and Biak, or Wiak, to the east. The former is 17 m. long and has hills reaching 1,6o0 ft.; the latter is 45 m. long and 23 m. wide, with a hill 800 ft. high at the southern end, otherwise it is only so ft., above sea-level. Farther within the bay is the important island of Jobi, or Jappen, no m. long and 15 wide, with a ridge of mountains 2,500 ft. high running along the centre, the south coast being indented with deep creeks, fronted by wooded islets and reefs. Between Ceram and the north-west coast of Dutch New Guinea lies Misol, so m. long and 23 broad (narrow in the west, wide in the east), with numbers of very small islands to the north and south of it. It is flat in the north and hilly in the south, no point being over 1,800 ft., the coast is rocky, but swampy in places, and there are three rivers, navigable for a few miles. Separated from the north-west coast by the narrow Galewo straits is Salwatti, a round island, 3o m. across, with regular coasts, and limestone hills on the north coast, 1,000 it. high, but low and swampy in the east, and no rivers of note : east of Salwatti is the small island of Popa. North of Salwatti, separated by Pitt strait, is Batanta, 40 m. long and only from 4 to 8 m. wide, densely wooded and mountainous (highest point 3,676 ft. ). Due north of Batanta is the large island of Waigiou, 28 m. wide, nearly 8o in length, and separated from New Guinea by Dampier strait, 3o m. in width. It is covered with dense forest.