Admiralty Islands

Admiralty Islands, a group of 40 islands, to the NE. of New Guinea, about 2° S. lat., and 147° E. long. They were discovered by the Dutch in 1616. The largest is above 50 miles long, and is mountainous but fruitful; their total area is 878 sq. m. Some are volcanic, others are coral islands. They abound in cocoa-nut trees, and are inhabited by a race of tawny frizzle-headed savages, of the Papuan stock, about 800 in number. Together with New Britain and some adjoining groups, they were annexed by Germany in 1885, and now form part of the Bismarck Archipelago.