Rossel Island

Native name: Yela Island
Rossel as seen from space.
Rossel Island
Geography
Location	Oceania
Coordinates	11°21′S 154°09′E / 11.350°S 154.150°E / -11.350; 154.150[1]
Archipelago	Louisiade Archipelago
Adjacent to	Solomon Sea
Total islands	1
Major islands	Rossel
Area	292.5 km2 (112.9 sq mi)
Length	34 km (21.1 mi)
Width	11 km (6.8 mi)
Highest elevation	838 m (2749 ft)
Highest point	Mount Rossel
Administration
Papua New Guinea
Province	Milne Bay
District	Samarai-Murua District
LLG[2]	Yaleyamba Rural Local Level Government Area
Island Group	Rossell Islands
Largest settlement	Jinjo (pop. ~900)
Demographics
Population	5553 (2014)
Pop. density	19/km2 (49/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Papauans, Austronesians, Melanesians.
Additional information
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
ISO code	PG-MBA

Rossel Island (named after de Rossel, a senior officer on the French expedition of d'Entrecasteaux, 1791-1793; also known as Yela) is the easternmost island of the Louisiade Archipelago, within the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Tree Islet is situated 1.5 miles (1.3 nmi; 2.4 km) to the north-west, while Wule Island is situated 1.5 miles (1.3 nmi; 2.4 km) westward.^[3]

Geography

The mountainous island measures 34 kilometres (21 mi) east-west, and is up to 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) wide. With an area of 292.5 square kilometres (112.9 sq mi), it is the second largest island of the archipelago, after Vanatinai. The higher parts of the island are almost constantly cloud-capped during the southeast monsoon.^[4] The mountain ridges form short, narrow crests, with occasional peaks; their outline is smooth, and the ridges are covered with vegetation. Most of the shoreline is either bordered by mangroves, with occasional sandy beaches, or covered with jungle. From the bluff to the island's north point, very steep hills slope down to the shore. Between the north point of the island and Cape Deliverance are some well-wooded valleys. The south side of the island consists of numerous points and bays, with steep hill ridges descending to the sea from the high mountain range above.^[3]

Mount Rossel

The highest elevation is Mount Rossel, near the eastern end of the island, which rises 838 metres (2,749 ft). This precipitous peak has steep ridges extending to the north and west, but it descends in more gentle slopes southeast to Cape Deliverance, the eastern end of the island. The southwest ridge has two conspicuous peaks each 549 metres (1,801 ft) high. The eastern peak, Mount Mo, is flat-topped. The western peak is conical. At the western end of the island is a conspicuous conical peak 347 metres (1,138 ft) high.^[4]

Reef

The fringing coral reef encloses the large Rossel Lagoon in the west and a smaller lagoon one in the east. Rossel Lagoon extends almost 40 kilometres (22 nmi; 25 mi) from the northwestern point of the island to Rossel Passage at the western end of the fringing reef. The barrier reef encircling this lagoon is narrow and has four passages through it west of the island. The barrier reef on the south side of the island is unbroken east of Rossel Passage. General depths in the lagoon range from 37 to 64 metres (121 to 210 ft), but numerous scattered shoals lie in it. Few of these shoals dry and the larger ones are usually awash. Since the water is so clear the shoals can usually be distinguished in good light.^[4]

Climate

Yela island has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round. The following climate data is for the main settlement of Jinjo.

History

Rossel Island was first sighted and charted by Europeans on 14 July 1606 by the Spanish expedition of Luís Vaez de Torres. Together with Tagula Island it was charted as Tierra de San Buenaventura (Land of St. Bonaventure) as it was first sighted on the feast of that saint.^[6]: 24

It was named after Elisabeth Paul Eduard de Rossel (1765–1829), French astronomer and Master-at-arms. He was on the frigate Recherche with Joseph Antoine Raymond Bruny d'Entrecasteaux on the search for the missing La Pérouse expedition, which was later written in 1809.^[7]

In 1858, the island became notorious after the French ship Saint Paul transporting over 300 Chinese coolies destined for Australia was wrecked on the island. According to the testimony of survivors, the majority of the Chinese were killed and eaten by the native islanders.^[8]

Flora and fauna

Rossel Island is thickly wooded and nearly the whole south coast is a dense forest.^[4] Grassy patches are occasional.^[3] Guioa plurinervis (Sapindaceae) is endemic to this island.^[9]

Rosselia, which is a genus of plants in the family Burseraceae and native to New Guinea, was named after the island.

Demographics

In 2014, the population was 5,553, spread across 31 villages. The main village is Jinjo, on the east coast. The indigenous people speak the Yélî Dnye language, whose relation to other languages remains uncertain.^[4]

References