pleasant. Another custom is betel-nut chewing. They chew the nut, then place the end of a small stick in their mouth. The moistened part is then dipped in lime and again transferred to the mouth. Dr. Knappe was urgently invited to participate, but not having a cast-iron tongue, declined the request. The costume of the natives is rather primitive. The men go about entirely nude and the skirt worn by the women is remarkably scanty. Iron, which is generally so highly prized by savages, found no favour in the eyes of the natives there, but turkey red had not lost its power to charm, and the native that secured an empty bottle was an object of the greatest envy to his fellows. The prize was at once filled with lime and surrounded by betel-nut-chewers who in ecstasy dipped their lime-sticks in it and were happy. During the trip many geological specimens were obtained, including quartz, but as Dr. Knappe confessed that he was entirely ignorant of such matters he was unable to state whether the country was likely to be auriferous. After a very pleasant and instructive trip of three weeks the party again reached the sea, and on their way to Finschhaven inspected the stations at Feldthaven and Hatsfeldt Harbour. Both were found to be flourishing, especially the latter, which had experienced entire immunity from sickness for the past six months. Dr. Knappe spent a few weeks at Finschhaven as the guest of the Governor, Baron Schleintz, and expresses his belief that there is a great future before German New Guinea. The German New Guinea Company have been so far most fortunate. They have had no trouble to speak of with the natives, over 100 of whom, men and women, they have now working for them, the sole payment in return being an occasional donation of turkey red, scrap iron, or beads. The Malays, too, are working well, but, as is almost invariably the case, have to be ruled with a firm hand. It is intended by the Company to establish stations all along the magnificent stream opened up by Dr. Knappe and his companions, and in order to do so speedily an officer of the Company, Mr. Graboffski, accompanied Dr. Knappe to Cooktown, where he is now waiting the arrival of a British-India steamer. He will then proceed to Batavia, and engage 150 more Malays for this Company, who will employ them on the new plantations. The outlay of the Company up to the present has been considerable, without taking into consideration the loss of the Papua, but Dr. Knappe is of opinion that the privileges they have obtained will be of enormous value in the future. By their charter they have possession of all land not actually claimed by others, and as the natives do not care a rush for the land not comprised in their plantations the company practically own all the German territory. He also believes that the foundations of a prosperous colony have already been laid. Fortunately for Dr. Knappe, the "Ottilie" arrived at Cooktown just in time to catch the "Alexandra," which
