Sketch Map of Cloudy Bay British New Guinea Showing the Rivers explored and a Rough outline of the Coast 1889.

Mapmaker:

Henri Stanislas Verjus (1860-1892), 

Verjus was an Italian missionary appointed to New Guinea under Fr Navarre. He arrived at Thursday Island on 24 February 1885. He was obstructed by magistrate Henry Chester until the piratical ‘Yankee Ned’ Mosby, discharging obligations to the bishop of Cooktown, brought him and two Italian religious Brothers to Yule Island, Gulf of Papua, on 30 June. 

He named Port Leo after the reigning Pope, said the first Mass on 4 July and bought land, but was asked by Sir Peter Scratchley to leave in September to avoid possible conflict with the London Missionary Society. 

After Scratchley’s death, Verjus returned to Yule Island in February 1886. The Polynesian catechist of the LMS withdrew but Verjus and his companions suffered badly from famine, fever and overwork. With Fr Louis Couppé he explored the Roro and Mekeo hinterland in 1886-87, named the St Joseph River and explored as far as Rarai. In September 1889 he was consecrated bishop in a hut at Yule Island by Archbishop Navarre.