A correspondent furnishes us with a few notes of the recent cruise of H. I. R. M. 8, Izoumrood, which it will be remembered sailed last autumn from Shanghai for a part of New Guinea almost unknown to civilization, to pick up a gentleman named Micloucha-Maclay, who had been set down there about a year previously, by another Russian man-of-war, to investigate the fauna and for the region on behalf of a Russian Scientific Society.
Leaving Shanghai in September, the Lzounsrood called at Hongkong; next at Manila, to take in coals and stores, and thence steamed through the Philippines, the monsoon being adverse to a direct course from Hongkong. After anchoring a short time in Cebou, she next brought up at Ternata, in the Moluccas, where it was hoped news of the naturalist might be heard by whalers coming from the New -Guinea coast, and where Papuan interpre. ters and a pilot were also to be obtained. cumstances limited their range, and much Phe season being unfavourable for going time was lost through the sickness of the by mid-ocean, the Izoumrood, leaving Ternata on the 26th November, by Pitt's Channel, skirted the north-east coast of New Guinea till, on_Ist December, the Dutch settlement of Doré was reached. The settlement consists of afew missionaries, who have been resident there since 185% and who have succeeded in gaining the con: fidence of the natives and forming a vocal bulary of the language of the district. The expedition touched at this point in consequence of orders to look out for two Italian naturalists, named Alberti and Bicardi, who had been pursuing their investigations among the islands, but who on account of the serious illness of one of them, had left in anative boat for Amborneh. At Doré the Izowmrood received a supply of coal, the embarking of which had chiefly to be done by her own crew, because the Papuans, simple children of nature, placed no value on money, and a great deal on liberty and idleness. Under the inducement of presents of cloth, beads and trinkets, purchased for th pose from the missionaries, they were in-ited to occasional fits of industry, but
ring to barter their weapons for bottles or always gave up after a few hour, prefer-buttons, to the irksomeness of earning the same articles. After a week's stay here the expedition sailed for Astrolabe Bay, in the beginning of September 1871, the Russian corvette Vitiaz had left Mr. Maclay—a place s0 thoroughly a terra in ita that the Vitiaz was the first foreign hip, and her crew thetirstforeigners, the natives had ever seen. The Bay is named from the vessel in which the French Admiral, Dumont D'Urville, sailed along the coast in 1855. As, however, the Astrol abe did not enter the Bay, it was left to the Vitiaz to survey it, and find out a safe anchorage Mr. Maclay's experiences on the island seem to have been of an exciting, and not always satisfactory nature, for no sooner had the Vities withdrawn than the natives showed a disposition to kill him and his servants. Their distrust was fortunate to largely mixed with superstitious dread, however, that they did not at once dare to carry out this intention, and only secured themselves from the possible
as far as possible from the little house onl effects of his presence by. retiring
But as Mr. Maclay had only four months that had been built by the Pitas crew.
visions, all landed from the ship, which he hoped to eke out with native produce, this conduct was rather embarrassing; an' without guides or opportunity of acquiring the local dialect, he could do little. To add to his troubles, a native of Tahiti, (who witha Swedenamed Wilson remained in his service), died in the second month, of the virulent fever which attacks the stranger in that pleasant clime, and the same insidious enemy brought the natural list and his other servant so near the brink of the grave that Mr. Maclay deemed it prudent to arrange his papers and place them in a spot pre-arranged with the Russian Admiral. Happily, the danger was passed, and in about six months the natives overcome their fears so far as to approach the house; communications were established, and a friendly feeling cultivated. These relations were rapidly improved by Mr. Maclay—the holder of a medical diploma—giving the natives the benefit of his knowledge of the healing art and of the contents of his medicine chest, and in return they assisted him to make excursions in the neighboring country to a distance of 50 miles from the coast. Further they declined to go, and this reluctance, taken in connection' with the thickness of the jungle, obliged Mr. Maclay to abandon an intention he had formed to penetrate from the Northern to the Southern Coast. The results of his observations are to be published, but as cit-various members of the party and in acquir~ ing the language, it is probable that Mr. Maclay will renew his visit to the place. During the early part of his Mr. Maclay refrained from using his firearms, the dread inspired by a salute from the Vitiaz, which had driven the natives into hiding for a week, recurring when anything of the same nature fell upon their astonished ears. But after a term of intimacy, he ventured to use his revolver and rifle; and as the cupidity of the native mind overcome its fears, (the Papuans are notorious thieves), he found it sometimes advisable at night to fire a blank shot, to warn off the evil disposed. The solitary house with its two powerful tenants soon came to be regarded by the natives as a tower of strength, and during conflicts with neighbouring tribes, Mr. Maclay's friends sent their wives and children there as tu a fortress, for protection, So far from being cannibals, as some of the New Guinea tribes are believed. to be, the people live on simple vegetable diet, and their only animal is a small kind of pi. They donot ran up heavy tailors? bills—the women wear a small bark cloth the men realise the description—te lires fu for thee, When Mr. Maclay had been some 15 months in this secluded spot of earth, the Tzounrood came to his relief. Her' appearance in the Bay renewed the alarm the natives felt at the visit of the Vitiaz, and which they had shown in the interval by frequently asking Mr. Maclay whether the corvette likely to return—an enquiry prudently met by an assurance of that event, and of the probability of disaster to them if their visitors fared badl, at their hands, When the vessel drive Mr. Maclay endeavoured tu persuade some natives to accompany him on board, but not even the confidence they had learnt to repose in him could for some time overcome their dread of the monster which moved by unseen power and thundered paling. civilities, They expressed their willingness to trust themselves on board if hostages were meanwhile sent to their friends on shore, but ultimately ding the officers of the ship freely ing the country under Mr. Macla; ance, they ventured as freely to the ship, and great was their wonderment over what they saw. There was nothing in their possession to show that they had before come in contact with Europeans, not so much as a knife, and the novelty of their surroundings overpowered them. Liquor they didn't care for, but tobacco they were extremely fond of, and it is possible that they acquired taste for the weed from natives of more sophisticated parts of the island. Of their weapons, made of iron wood and stone, the officers of the ship secured a few in exchange for presents,
returned under sail to Ternata, a native Alter a stay of five days, the Z: ounreod youth consenting to accompany Ix. Mac Jay. When she was ten days out on the return voyage, the fever from which Tr. Maclay and his servants had suffered broke out among the officers and crew, oareeatis contingency had been taken, by although precautions against such " dis-
not allowing the men to go far from the shore, and by receiving no water on board, as it was supposed the latter might be cause of the malady. In three days 70 out of 170 men were down with it. The symptoms were chill, succeeded by fever, and severe prostration, lasting three days,
intervals and with decreasing force. At and recurring at gradually increasing Ternata, which is the sanatorium for the missionaries stationed on the New Gumes Coast, and is believed to be the healthiest
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.