The natural productions of these islands are little known. The only animals are dogs, wild cats, and hoes, which are rather plentifuL Fish and turtle abound, and the inhabitants of the coaat subsist chiefly on them. The ground appeared to Captain Stanley to be well culti vated, and the villages numerous. Lemons, limes, bamboo, and rattans seem to grow spontaneously. It is supposed that gold is found in the interior.
Papua is inhabited by two or perhaps three nations. The Papuas are rather stout, ao I not so short as the Australians. Their eyes are small and dark ; the nose somewhat curved and projecting downwards ; the lips thick, the mouth large, and the teeth exceedingly white ; their hair is woolly; and their colour resembles that of the native Austra lian. The men wear a thin stuff, made of the fibres of the cocoa-nut tree tied round their middle ; and the women wear blue Surat cloth. The lfarafora. live in huts, built between the branches of high trees, to which access can only be had by a ladder, which is drawn up during the night. They are said to be distinguished from the Papuas by a lighter colour, straight hair, and greater strength and activity of body. They are cannibal., and no person is permitted to marry until he can show the skull of a man whom he has killed. In this they resemble some tribes of Borneo and the Battas of Sumatra. They seem to have made some progress in agriculture, and they raise provisions, among which are plantains and kalaransas.
The Chinese and the inhabitants of the Ceram Laut and Gomm Islands appear to carry on a very lucrative trade, the former on the northern and the latter on the southern coast. The Chinese import
into Papua, iron tools, especially chopping-knives and axes, blue and red cloths, ChIna-beads, plates, basins of China, and other similar articles, and take in return, slaves, ambergris, trepang, tortoise-shell, small pearls, black loories, large red loories, birds of Paradise, and many kinds of birds which the Papua.' have a peculiar way of drying. But the principal article of export is a bark called masoy bark, which is taken to Japan, where the powder made of it is extensively used for rubbing the body. In Japan a pecul of this bark fetches thirty dollars. The harbour of Dory, near the western side of the Bay of Geelvink, is the most frequented by the Chinese.
The Portuguese discovered the western part of Papua soon after they had settled in the Moluccas, between 1512 and 1530. The Spaniard Saavedra visited it in 1528. Several other navigators dis covered other part. of the coast. Our countryman Dampier discovered the strait which divides the island from New Blitain, and sailed along the whole extent of its northern coast. In 1792 MacCluer surveyed the bay which beara his name; and In 1802 Flinders examined the country adjacent to Torres Strait, which was discovered by the Spaniard Torres in 1606. In modern times Kolff, a Dutchmau, has discovered and surveyed the south-western coast; and on his report respecting the advantageous trade which may be carried on with this island, the Dutch government founded a colony, and erected, in 1828, a small fortress on a spacious bay, called by the Dutch, Tritons Bay. The fortreu, which is called Dubus, is situated iu 8° 42' S. lat., 134' 16' E. long.