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[Page 118]
SECOND MILITARY DISTRICT.
INTELLIGENCE REPORT ON RABAUL. (NEW BRITAIN).
RABAUL. The seat of Government of GERMAN NEW GUINEA Possessions, is situated on the East shore of SIMPSONHAFEN (NEW BRITAIN) on a level piece of country at the foot of a range of hills of horseshoe shape from 600 to 2000 feet in height, with broken razor-edge ridges.
The town is laid out in a chess-board fashioned squares, the executive offices being situated in the centre. The Governor's residence is on the hill overlooking the town (600 feet elevation about) from which a commanding view is to be had of the surrounding country and seas through the gaps of the higher distant hills, as, for instance, the sea over PILA-PILA.
The surrounding country is mountainous and consists, in a great measure, of volcanic lands.
The rainfall is about 100" a year and falls mainly during the months of December, January, February and March. The growth of vegetation is rank scrub BUT the coast lands fringing BLANCHE BAY have been cleared for a considerable distance, and well laid out cocoa nut plantations have taken the place of scrub (this clearing goes back from half a mile to 1 mile from the water).
There are also several roads (marked on chart), by which fairly quick communication with different parts of the Settlement can be obtained. The road from HERBERTSHOHE, skirting the Bay, is in good repair and is passable for all arms.
HERTBERTSHOHE, 10 miles by water as the crow flies from RABAUL was the original Official Settlement of New Britain but was abandoned by the Government as their seat of control five or six years ago. The old boat jetty at
HERBERTSHOHE