Cart. Cook Said

It First

A COUPLE of years ago when there was a certain amount of interest in what the natives on The Other Side should be called to distinguish them from Papuans, the two native NG members of the P-NG Legislative Council, plumped for “New Guineans”.

A hideous appellation, we thought', but apparently they were in good company.

In August, 1770, when he was on the Australian east coast, north of 26 deg., Cap tain James Cook wrote this in his journal: “When one considers the proximity of this Country with New Guineay, New Britain and several other islands which produce Cocoa-nutts and many other fruits proper for the Support of Man, it seems strange that they should not long ago have been trans planted here by its not being done it should seem that the Natives of this Country have no commerce with their neigh bours the New Guinians it is very probable that they are a different People and speake a different language', for the advantage of those who want to clear up that point I shall add a short Vocabulary of a few words in the New Holland Language. . (This extract comes from an interesting small book, “Sources of Australian History”, edited by M. Clark, and produced by the Oxford University Press. It is reviewed in this issue of “PIM”.)