Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

800 AUSTRALASIA.seawards by a chain of reefs and islets which terminate 300 miles farther onin the Louisiade groiip. All these lands are disposed from west-north-westto east-south-east in a line with the main axis of New Guinea itself. SoutheastIsland, the largest member of the Louisiades, is surrounded by reefs also disposedin the same direction. In the north the Calvados rocks run parallel withSouth-east Island towards Rossel Island, whilst Saint-Aignan is similarly disposedin the north-west.The Entrecasteaux group, lying north of the terminal peninsula of the mainland,has the same conformation, and serves as the base to a semicircle of reefswhich encloses one of the largest lagoons in the tropical seas, oftenknown by thename of the Lusencay Lagoon, from one of its reefs. Above this reef rise theTrobriand, Grandiere, and other clusters of islets, all of which lands probably atone time formed part of the mainland. The peninsula now terminating at theeastern headland of the Finisterre range no doubt formerly extended through theintervening reefs eastwards to the island of Muyu or Woodlark.Rivers and Islands of Neav Guinea.Although lying so near the somewhat arid Australian continent. New Guineabeing situated in the equatorial zone and traversed by lofty ranges, which interceptthe moisture-bearing clouds brought by both monsoons, receives a rainfall sufficientto feed several large rivers.Of these the most copious appear to be the Amberno,or Mamberan, and the Fly. The former, to which the Dutch have also given thename of Rochussen, drains the snowj^ Charles Louis range, and reaches the coasteast of Geelvink Bay, where it develops a vast delta with numerous branchesfringed by the nipa palm and casuarina.For a long distance seawards the wateris white or greenish, and the mouths of the Amberno are avoided bj^ shippingthrough fear of the surrounding shallows.On the southern sloj)e the chief artery is the Fly river, discovered bj' Blackwoodin 1845, and named after his vessel. This voluminous stream has beenvisited by Jukes, MacFarlane, and d'Albertis, the last of whom ascended it for adistance of about 500 miles to a point within sight ofthe lofty highlands where ithas its origin.All the branches of its delta have not yet been explored, and it isstill doubtful whether the numerous channels flowing south of the Fly exactlyoppositethe York peninsula, Australia, are independent streams or only branchesof the delta.Islands of alluvial formation project seawards at the mouths of the rivers, but inmany places the coast is fringed by coral islands, for the most part clothed withvegetation. Jlany of these being eroded by the waves look at a distance likemasses of verdure suspended in mid air. Off the seaboard are also several largeislands, which should be regarded as forming part of the mainland. Such areKorrido, Biak, and Jobie in Geelvink Bay, and on the south side Frederik Ilendrik(Frederick Henry), which is little more than an island in appearance. It isseparated from the Klapper-Kust ( " Cocoa-n\it Coast ") merely by a narrow