Germanica, ii, 273, "My cause is God's, and I am still"). See Fechtus, Hist. CuUoquii Kinmendingcnsis (Rostock, 1709) : Kittelraeyer, Die evanyeL Kirclien- lieder des Elsasses (Jena, 1855, in the Btitrdgen ziir theiilog. Wissenschaft, by Reuss u. Canitz, G vols.) ; Melch. Adami, Vitw Germ, theologorum ; Thtologisches L'nivtrsal-Leodhm, s. v. ; Koch, Gesck. d. deutschen Kirchenliedes (Stuttgard, 1867), ii, 176. (B. P.)
Papremis, the god of war among the ancient Egyptians, who was worshipped under the figure of the hippopotamus. At Heliopolis and at Butos sacri- fices are said to have been offered to this deity ; and at Papremis, which was called after him, there was a festival celebrated every year in honor of him.
Papua, or, as the Dutch navigators called it, New Guinea, from a fancied resemblance of its inhabitants to those of the coast of Guinea in Africa, is, if we except Australia, the largest island on our globe. Papua lies in the Australian Archipelago, in 0° S0'-10° 4' S. lat., and 131°-151° 30' E. long., and is about 1400 miles in length from the Cape of Good Hope on the north-west to South-east Cape. In outline it is very irregu- lar, the western part being nearly insulated by Geel- vink Bay, entering from the north, and the Gulf of M'Clure from the west, while in the south it ends in a long and narrow peninsula of lofty mountains. It is indented bj^ numerous gulfs and bays, besides the two already mentioned, and a large number of rivers, none of which have as j'et been much explored. In- deed the country is still largely closed to the whites. Our knowledge has only in verj' recent times become definite even of the coast lines (see below). Papua is very mountainous, except certain tracts of swampj' land which have been formed by the river deposits. The southern part is hardlj' anything else than a mountain range. It has peaks far surpassing those of Australia in altitude, Mount Owen Stanley being 13,205 feet ; Obree, 10,200; Yule Mountain, 9700; and many others of the same range approaching similar elevations. The south-west coast is chiefly composed of lofty limestone hills. Along the south-weft shore are many coral-banks. Nothing is accurately known
Qp Astrolabe Bui isL^
NEW GUINEA
FredciuU*^ llu,i>l/ i
THE ISLAND OF
NEW GUINEA
Knglisli Allies
0 100 200 300
LoiiKilii.il- E. 110 Ironi Gi-i-fiiwiLli
Map of the Island of Papua.
PAPUA
641
PAPUA
of either the mineral or vegetable wealth of the interi- or, the hostile and retirinji; nature of tlie mountaineers having hitherto closed it to the naturalist. It has heon said that Papua produces gold, but it is as yet uncertain, and the natives possess no ornaments or tools, except of wood, stone, and bone, but what are brought to them from Ceram. Papua is clothed with the most luxuriant vegetation, cocoa-nut, betel, sago, banana, bread-fruit, orange, lemon, and other fruit-trees that line the shores; while in the inte- rior arc reported to be an abundance of Hue timber trees, as the iron-wood, ebony, canar3--wood, the wild nutmeg, and the masooi, the fragrant bark of which is a leading article of export from the south-west coast. In some districts sugar-cane, tobacco, and rice are cultivated. The flower -garlanded and fruit -bearing forests are filled with multitudes of the most beautiful birds, of which are various kinds of birds-of-paradise, the crown-pigeon, parrots, lories, etc. Fish are plen- tiful, and are either speared or shot with the arrow, except at Humboldt Bay, where tliey are caught with nets made from vegetable fibres, with large shells at- tached as sinkers. The larger animals are unknown, but wild swine, kangaroos, the koesi-koesi (a kind of wood-cat), are plentiful, as also a small kind of domes- ticated dog used in hunting. Only in the tracldess wilds of Papua and the adjacent islands are found the Lirds-of-paradise, with their marvellous development of plumage and incomparable beauty'. The exports are masooi bark, trepang or beche-de-mer, tortoise- shells, pearls, nutmegs, birds-of-paradise, crown-pig- eons, ebony, resin, etc., which are brought to the islands of Sirotta, Namatotte, and Adi, on the south- west coast, where they are bartered to the traders from Ceram for hatchets, rice, large beads, printed cottons, knives, earthenware, iron pans, copper, tobacco, sago, and other necessary articles. The produce is carried to Singapore and the Arroo Islands. The climate of Papua, so far as it can now be determined, is not very unhealthy, though the temperature varies greath^, the thermometer sometimes indicating 95° Fahr. by day and falling to 75° at night. On the south-west coast the east monsoon or rainj^ season begins about the middle of April, and ends in September; tlie dry sea- son is from September to April ; and on the north coast they are just reversed. Fever-and-ague abounds all along the coast, especially in the southern portion. The most healthful place thus far found is Port Mores- by, now occupied as a mission station. It is said to be free from malaria. Papua is surrounded b}' countless islands, some of which are of considerable size. Towards the south is the Louisiade Archipelago, stretching over several degrees of longitude, out of which Aignan rises to the height of 3000 feet, and South-east Island to 2509. Near the Great Bight is Prince Frederik Hendrik Island, separated from the mainland by the Princess Marianne Strait. Nama- totte, a lofty island in Speclman Bay, in 3° 50' S. lat. and 133° 56' E. long., having good anchorage on the west side, and one of the chief trading-places on the coast ; Aidoena, at the entrance of Triton Bay, in 134° 20' E. long. ; and Adi, or Wessels, to the south- cast of Cape Van den Bosch, are the principal islands on the south-west coast. On the north, at the mouth of Geelvink Bay, lie the Schouten Islands, in 135°- 137° 50' E. long., IMafor, Jobi, and many of less im- portance. Salawatti is a large and populous island to the west of Papua, and further west is Batanta, sepa- rated from Salawatti by Pitt Strait; west and south is the large island of INIisool, or Waigamnie, in 1° 45'- 2° 3' S. lat. and 129° 30'-130° 31' E. long., having an area of 780 square miles, and a large population. It is highly probable that at no very distant geological period the Arroo, Misool, Waigion, Jolji, and other isl- ands formed part of the mainland of Papua, banks and soundings reached by the 100-fathom line connecting them with it.