Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/194

152 of New Guinea, which the Germans call Kaiser Wilhelm's Land.

Baron Miklaho-Macleay, a Russian, came to this port, was by his own desire landed at night on the shore with his goods and chattels and left there alone. When the natives found him he pointed to the sky to signify he had come from At first they there, a heaven-sent gift to them. maltreated him, but eventually became friendly, and he lived for two years amongst them as a sacred person. Meteorites from the sky have been common in the annals of wild lands, but, unluckily, most of them found it boring to keep up a saintly reputation, and soon exhibited signs of coveting his neighbour's wife and all that was his.

Stephansort was founded I888, and is the largest and oldest settlement. Before that, under the Astrolabe Bay Co., predecessors of the Now Guinea Co., were founded Finchhafen, Hatzfeldthafen, Konstantinhafen, and Butaneng; but these were eventually desorted on account of natives and fever. The mountains at the back of Stephansort rise to a great height and are wooded to the summit. Here they say they are 14,000 ft. high, but I think a few thousand feet must be cut off that! There are, I believe, no less than twenty-two species of birds of paradise found in this district.

Really, New Guinea at last, and one of my ambitions was attained! I could gaze my fill on those huge mountains of the Mysterious Land where never has the foot of white man trodden. Behind and beyond the mountains is an unexplored, unknown region. Stephansort from the ship appeared merely a fringe of palms backed by this coast range tree-clad to the top, and with here and there a gigantic tree rising above the others against the skyline.