houses into distinction, while sinking him self below the level of the animals he painted with such truth and vigour. Morland's obsequies were celebrated in 1804; and Wilkie Collins relates, that his father, William Collins, joined the funeral train. Then, there is a monument to a certain Charles Rossi, R.A., who died in 1839, who might have been well known in his day, but who has left little impression upon ours. At least, one distinguished musician, too, is buried here --George Smart, the composer of many excellent old-fashioned songs and glees. A giant, too, was of the company, whose grave was long shown as a curiosity to the frequenters of the cemetery, but whose record has somehow slipped into oblivion. Then there are famous old brick vaults beneath the surface of the ground, where sleep some of the most respectable of the trading community of Saint James's-warm bankers now cold enough; lords of vats and drays; with others of more courtly connection, such as the Fitzroys, Barons Southampton, the Earl of Rosse, whose THE FUTURE OF NEW GUINEA smoke-corroded monument still remains to testify to his worth and celebrity otherwise in danger of oblivion. Here, too, lie soldiers who fought in the war of American Independence; others who were the heroes of combats, the names of which are almost forgotten; an Admiral or two, with valiant sea Captains; and even the little midshipmite has here found a place. yet every one of these has lived and, perhaps, loved, has rejoiced and sufferedtears have been shed over their graves; while the mourners themselves have been mourned for in their turn; and the pangs of bereavement, and the woe of separation, have been handed down, perhaps the only heritage, from one generation to another. All that there is of gloom, however, and despondency attaching to a graveyard, seems to have passed away in the continuous stream of life which now passes about it. The autumn sunshine brightens up the gay flower-beds; children shout and scamper about; and old men smoke the pipe of peace in calm contemplation. The roar of London sounds strangely afar off, although in reality so near; while trains running in and out from the great terminus, give a gentle tremor to the earth that contains the dust of a century's harvest of the dead-a place of rest for them and for us too, who still live on. Among the other notable characters who hereabouts found a resting-place, the Chevalier d'Eon deserves mention, the real history of whose extraordinary life has perhaps never been fully revealed. Whether he were man or woman, noble or "roturier," diplomatic agent or spy, man of honour or adventurer, has never been definitely settled; but the Chevalier lived to be old and poor; the Revolution had deprived him of his possessions-as doubtful as the rest of his belongings; and he, or she, survived even into the present century, a teacher of fencing, a giver of entertainments, and a pensioner on the bounty of former friends. But what shall we say of the undistinguished dead who here found a resting place with no monuments to record their names and lineage, or only the plain headstone with a half-obliterated name or date. Here is one who came from Long Melford, which seems to give him or her a certain distinction-connecting the name with the patter of the gipsy in Lavengro. And SINCE we gave in these columns, some three or four years ago, a summary of what was then known of New Guinea,* the island has come to occupy a prominent position in international, as well as in imperial, politics. Its name, as well as its destiny, has undergone change, for we no longer hear it spoken of as Papua. It is New Guinea, as far as we and the Australians are concerned; but the Germans have rechristened their portion of the island Kaiser Wilhelm's Land, and the chain of islands to the east, Bismarck Archipelago. This archipelago includes New Ireland (renamed New Mecklenburg), and New Britain (re-named New Pommern), islands which the Australians think should certainly have been annexed to the British Empire. The names would naturally lead to such a supposition; but on the other hand, as far as these addenda to the more important island of New Guinea are concerned, there is not much known about them to render them attractive or desirable possessions. Without going back upon the old story of Australian fears, Queensland pretensions, and German competition, the position today is that New Guinea has been appropriated by, and amicably divided among, three European nations. The Dutch, who had a *See ALL THE YEAR ROUND, New Series, vol. xxxi., p. 534, "New Guinea." sort of prescriptive right to the northern end, although they have not now, we believe, a single settlement upon it, have been granted a boundary line coincident with the one hundred and forty-first degree of east longitude; all to the eastward of that line being divided between Germany and Great Britain. Dutch New Guinea is believed to be the finest portion of the island, although it has been as yet even less explored than the other portions. It is curiously indented, or intersected by Geelvink Bay on the north, and McClure Inlet on the west, which form a double peninsula. These inlets afford several good harbours; and there are some considerable rivers, the Amberno, in particular, being of great size. In the interior there is a range of mountains, some points of which reach a height of ten thousand feet, and are the only instances in tropical Asia where perpetual snow is found. It is on the slopes of these mountains that the Dutch hope some day to see plantations which will rival those of some of the rich islands of the Indian Archipelago; but as yet the plantations are only among the things which may be. At present there is not a single trading settlement in the Dutch possession, for a station, which was established some sixty years ago, at Triton Bay, was broken up after a few years on account of the unhealthiness of the climate at that place. There is still, we believe, a mission station at Dorey, or Dorei, in Geelvink Bay, a place which may be remembered in connection with Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace's explorations; but, with this exception, there is not, as far as we know, a single Dutch establishment in the large territory now known as Dutch New Guinea, and comprising one hundred and twelve thousand three hundred and fifty square miles. German New Guinea, or Kaiser Wilhelm's Land, has for western boundary the one hundred and forty-first meridian of longitude already mentioned, from which a line drawn at the fifth parallel of south latitude and continued obliquely to Huon Gulf on the north-east shore marks the division. Including Admiralty Island, New Britain, New Ireland, and the other islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, German New Guinea comprises some seventy-eight thousand square miles. Not much is known of the territory; but it will not be like the Germans to leave it long unexplored. In fact since they have taken possession, they have sent out several expeditions, and have given special privileges to a large trading company. The coast also has been carefully surveyed, and reports of the surveys have from time to time appeared in the Imperial White Books published at Berlin. Several useful harbours are said to have been discovered in Huon Gulf, and also the mouths of several considerable rivers. The Germans seem to have formed a low estimate of the character and qualities of the aborigines, and they have not as yet penetrated much into the interior. Of British New Guinea rather more is known, and it is this portion of the Dark Island which is most attractive to us. In area it comprises some eighty-six thousand eight hundred square miles. It includes the D'Entrecasteaux Islands to the north, and the Louisiade Islands to the east and south of the extremity of the southwestern peninsula of New Guinea. Some of these islands are thickly populated, and the inhabitants have the reputation of being cannibals. For what is known about British New Guinea, beyond what we indi cated in our former article, the world is chiefly indebted to the Revs. W. G. Lawes and James Chalmers, missionaries; to Mr. H. O. Forbes, who had charge of an expedition promoted by the Royal and Scottish Geographical Societies to Mount Owen Stanley; and to Sir Peter Scratchley. When the German occupation took place, the claims of England only extended to a Protectorate. But at the recent meeting of the Colonial Conference in London, it was arranged that the Queen's Sovereignty should now be proclaimed over the protected territory; that the Governor should be appointed by, and be responsible to, the Imperial Government, but under the guid ance and instruction of the Governor of Queensland; and that the several Australian Colonies should among them contribute fifteen thousand pounds per annum towards the expenses of the new administration, the rest to be borne by the Mother Country. The arrangement seems a fair one, for except to guard the Colonies and to afford them a possible outlet for their surplus energies, there would be little inducement for Britain to trouble herself with so distant and doubtful a possession. It was in April, 1883, that Mr. Chester, the Magistrate or Governor of Thursday Island under the Queensland Government, hoisted the British flag at Port Moresby, and assumed possession of all that part New Guinea, with the adjacent islands, between the one hundred and forty-first A chief called Boevagi was formally recognised as head of the district, and was instructed to refer all matters of dispute and trouble to Sir Peter, as High Commissioner, who further entertained some score or so of other chiefs, and taught them to look upon white men as their friends. Then he had to arrange a scale of Port and Customs dues, a system of registration of coasting vessels, the establishment of mail service, a supply of fresh water to ships, and other matters of practical business. There were also higher questions to consider and arrange, such as the sources and nature of revenue; the rivalries between the Protestant and Roman Catholic missions; the various unsettled land claims the appointment of subordinate officials ; while the alleged murders of white men by natives had to be enquired into. and one hundred and fifty-fifth meridians of east longitude. That Act was annulled by the British Government; but, when in the following year, it was announced that the Germans had taken possession of Kaiser Wilhelm's Land, General Scratchley was appointed Special Commissioner to go and assume jurisdiction "over the southern shore of New Guinea, and the country adjacent thereto, from the one hundred and forty-first meridian of east longitude, eastward as far as East Cape, including the islands adjacent thereto and in Goshen Straits, and southward of these Straits as far south and east as to include Kosman Islands." The line of demarcation was afterwards arranged with Germany. General Scratchley arrived in Melbourne in the beginning of 1885, but it was not until the following August that his arrangements with the Colonies were so completed as to enable him to sail for the new territory. On the 13th of that month, he left Sydney with his staff on board the "General Blackall," a steamer chartered for the purpose from the Australasian Steam Navigation Company. Calling at Brisbane, Sir Peter picked up Mr. H. O. Forbes, who had lost most of his outfit at Batavia, and was waiting in Queensland for a chance of getting across to New Guinea, which was duly reached on the 28th of August, 1885. In the following December, Sir Peter died at sea, from the effects of "New Guinea fever," and a valuable and faithful officer was thus lost to the British Crown. What he did, and what conclusions he came to during his mission, we are now enabled to gather from his papers and journals, which have been compiled by Mr. C. Kinloch Cooke, and recently published in a volume by Messrs. Macmillan and Co. We find that Sir Peter Scratchley, with untiring energy, personally visited eighteen districts, twenty-seven islands, thirty-four inland and sixty coast villages, in the new territory, so that, short as was his term of office, he saw more of British New Guinea than any single individual before him had done. First of all he fixed upon Port Moresby as the seat of Government, and purchased a considerable area of land from the natives. This area comprised the best sites in the harbour, and nearly the whole of the sea-frontage. Upon a portion of it a site was marked for Government buildings, another for a township, and the rest was held as a native reserve. In September we find him writing in the diary which was kept mainly for his wife's information : ; "I see my way clearly about this whole New Guinea affair. It will not be unpleasant, and I find that I came here at a very good time. The S.E. trade wind is certainly a blessing. I begin to think I shall be able to stand it for two years, but not for longer. There are more chances of getting letters over than I expected. In time I shall have my own schooner, and establish regular communication." A fortnight later he again writes: "I am making a good start in New Guinea, but must devote next year to it. I do not now fear the climate. As for the blacks, they are easily met by firmness, justice, and caution. I am more than ever convinced that all the outrages are justifiable. I have heard horrible stories about the doings of the whites, and, please God, I shall let the light of day into them. A righteous cause I am engaged in, and that gives me zest in working it." As to the outrages, one example may be cited. On the fifth of October, 1885, a Captain Miller landed on a small island off Normanby Island, having with him some four men, with the object of erecting a "smoke-house" and fishing for bêche-demer.* The natives appeared to be friendly, and collected stones for him; but suddenly two approached him from behind and killed him-one braining him with a tomahawk, the other cutting his throat. Sir Peter Scratchley at once instituted A sea-slug exported to China, where it is highly esteemed as an edible. I whom a title should accrue; but in any case he determined that, to ensure fair play and prevent further disputes, no purchase of land from natives should be allowed or confirmed without the intervention of the Government. an investigation on the spot, but could discover no motive for the murder, as Miller had never been to the island before. The affair thus appeared to be one of sheer bloodthirstiness, until afterwards, at Port Moresby, it came out that relatives of the two murderers had been carried away in a labour-vessel some years before, and had not been returned. These two men, therefore, determined to kill the first white man who came to the island, and having done so, offered what they believed to be fair value for the life they had taken-a few shells, a native basket, and some tobacco Sir Peter Scratchley explained this offer as due to the low value placed on life among the natives, and to their recognised custom of receiving payment as compensa-ial transactions are necessarily restricted by tion for murder. He wrote: "I am satisfied that these white traders are often reckless, unscrupulous, brutal, and piratical. They cheat the natives, and are apt to appeal to their revolvers. I cannot feel any sympathy for such men. They go where they have no business to; they are a thorn in my side, and I do not think the life of any white man should be risked in avenging their deaths." He was determined also to prevent the indiscriminate influx of speculators and adventurers, and so proclaimed that no person should be allowed to land in New Guinea without a permit. The officials at Queensland ports were also directed by the Colonial Government to prevent any vessel, without a permit, from clearing for New Guinea. And, with regard to explorers, Sir Peter rejected every application for a permit to explore where he was of opinion that the attempt could only result in ruin to the applicant, or might cause a breach in the relations with the natives. He favoured the opening up of the country by large companies, on a basis like that of the British North Borneo Company, and he granted special permits to a few private companies under certain conditions, which kept the parties well within the control of the Executive. The disputes with reference to various claims for land put in by Europeans who had gone through some unintelligible form of purchase from natives necessitated the enactment of very rigorous rules to prevent further abuses. The ownership of land in New Guinea was very obscure, and it appeared to be divided among groups of individuals who might or might not be related by kin. Sir Peter Scratchley's idea was to establish recognised tribal chiefs through Sir Peter Scratchley, indeed, found the natives of New Guinea without either social or political organisation, and he sought to give them both. Although superior in physique to the Australian blacks, they have no such defined tribal system as the Fijians and the Maoris; and,b moreover, the difficulty of dealing with them is enhanced by the great variety of dialects among them. Every village appears to have its own dialect, and thus commer the difficulties of language. But the people do a considerable inland trade among themselves-the tribes from the interior bringing food products to exchange with the coast tribes for fish, salt, and so on. The agricultural work is all done by the women, the men as a rule being indisposed to, and perhaps incapable of, systematic labour. For food they rely upon bananas, yams, sweet potatoes, taro, cocoa-nuts, sugar-cane, bread-fruit, and other native fruits, and fish. It would be wrong, however, to conclude that the Papuans are altogether devoid of enterprise. Near Port Moresby they make a kind of pottery. The future of New Guinea largely depends on the native question. As Sir Peter Scratchley says in his notes: "The only hope of making New Guinea pay is by the employment of natives, who can, by patience and care, be trained. If they disappear, others will have to be imported. Putting, therefore, the protection of the natives on the lowest ground, it will be seen that it will be cheaper to preserve and educate them. New Guinea must be governed for the natives and by the natives." In this respect, the duty of a humane Government and the interests of capitalists coincide; for if the natives are corrupted or made hostile, the island will become the happy hunting-ground of unscrupulous adventurers; while if they learn to repose confidence in their rulers, settlement will be possible; European capital may with advantage be introduced; and New Guinea will become the permanent and regular source of supply of tropical products to the Australian markets. This, then, is why Sir Peter devoted himself so persistently to win the goodwill of the natives and to establish some sort of political organisation among them. He found, in several instances, two or three rival chiefs in a single village; and he en deavoured to render the people more capable of self-government by appointing a tribal chief in each district, who should not only be trustee for the lands and responsible for the conduct of the inhabitants of his district, but should also be vested with some Government authority. The scheme which he proposed, and which it is to be hoped his successor will complete, was "a modified form of the Java system, making the Governmentelected chief the recipient of a fixed annual payment, and responsible for the safety of foreigners, as well as for the maintenance of law and order within his district." Then, by means of the official chiefs and native teachers, he proposed to introduce the cultivation of rice and maize, so as to give the people an inducement to labour and to systematic cultivation. It One reason, of course, for assimilating and employing the natives is the climate, which is unsuitable for Europeans. is hoped, however, that, as the country becomes settled and the soil broken up and cultivated, the pestilential qualities will be modified and, perhaps, in time disappear. Contrary to former belief, it is found that fever prevails also in the interior, although of a less severe type than that of the coast; but on the highlands the atmosphere is at times invigorating. With the exception of the district named Port Moresby, the whole of British New Guinea is well watered, and, besides the Fly River, which D'Albertis explored, there are several other important rivers. A range of mountains, running north and south, forms a sort of backbone to our territory, the highest point being Mount Owen Stanley, some thirteen thousand feet high, which Mr. H. O. Forbes is bent on exploring. There is a great deal of tropical forest along the slopes of this range and its spurs, and the valleys are full of deep, rich soil. In many parts of both highland and lowland the natives have cleared, fenced, and cultivated large tracts. Near the coast the vegetation is Australian in character; further inland it is more tropical. As regards minerals, Mr. H. O. Forbes, who has made many careful geological observations, is of opinion that gold will not be found to the westward, but may be found in the high country above Milne Bay, at the extremity of the peninsula; for the pebbles and fragments brought from thence indicate a similar formation to that of the New South Wales gold-fields. Plumbago is reported to have been found at several places along the south-east coast; but the mineral wealth generally of the island is as yet only conjectural. The labours of the London Missionary Society have certainly prepared the way for such a scheme as that we have indicated. They have some forty stations where native teachers are employed, and at their head-quarters they instruct native students in the industrial arts. At Murray Island, for instance, students have built a schooner for mission purposes, under the direction of an English boat-builder. The efforts of the missionaries and their native assistants have opened up communication along most of the coast-line of our new territory, and also far into the interior, so much so that confidence in white men is beginning to be established, and a European can now go alone and unarmed for fifty miles inland from any point between Port Moresby and Hula in perfect safety. That is a stretch of about one hundred miles along the sea-board, which The forest wealth, however, is considerdoes not seem much in the vast area of our able, and, for some time, cedar has been new possession; but it is something gained, cut for the Australian markets. There and is more than can be said of any has been a good deal of waste in the section of Dutch or German New Guinea. operations, and a Government forester has The Roman Catholic missionaries have now been appointed to prevent the felling been endeavouring to establish themselves of all trees under a fixed girth. Some two in places where the London Missionary or three firms are now also employed in Societies have been for years; and Sir Peter the cutting and export of india-rubber, Scratchley regarded these efforts as ex-massoi (the bark of which has a medicinal tremely unwise from a political point of value), sandalwood, ebony, and hardwood, view, since confusion of creeds is produc- all of which are abundant. tive of disturbance among primitive races. He persuaded some of the Catholics to leave, and to turn their attention to districts where there are no other missionaries. Along the shores and islands the bêchede-mer fishery is prosecuted, but not apparently with so much success as in the South Sea Islands. The Papuans, in some |