ROUGH COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19813, 28 December 1929, Page 17

ROUGH COUNTRY.

AUSTRALIA'S NORTH WEST. RICH MINERAL DEPOSITS. (raoa ou* ow* comsroKomr > SYDNEY, Decernlwr 19. Amazing stories of the wild northwest of Australia wore told by a party which returned to Melbourne this week after inspecting a concession of more than 3,000,000 acres. The party left Broome in a lugger nine months ago, nnd spent a large part of the time since then in a country rich with mineral deposits, and made many interesting discoveries. Mr I)._ O. Stacy, managing director of the lvinibcrley Exploitation Syndicate, naid that tin. tantalitc, copper, wolfram, load, and a range of titaniferous iron existed in the vast area that was inspected. One of the most interesting discoveries made was a new hay which the party called Toe H Bay. Tim largo expanse of water, which was 30 miles in length, was to the south-east of Yampa Sound, nnd entrance was obtained through a narrow gorge of hill# on the coast line. In the hay there was a rise and fall of the tide of M feet. In one locality on the coast, 50 miles of wild rubber trees were found. It was thought that this forest had heen started years ago by seed* that were ca >t ashore from wmf shipwreck. During their travels the party came across one Samson, a big native who had killed thirteen of his fellow tribesmen. Mont of these murders had Wen committed in avenging the death of others who had been "sung" to death at corroborees. One of the In at murders committed by Kainson aroee from the denth of a native called I*rry. Larry took part in a native ceremony, where h<* was "sung." A fortnight Inter, before he died in hospital at Broome, he called upon Samson 1c avenge his death, fiainson curried out the request and killed the singer. At the trial by ordeal which followed, Samson, who «tood as a target for tb* tribal spear-throwers, wan wounded iri tho leg. At the I*«• rt George Mission, the mission that became world famous when th« Southern Cross was lo.st, they saw tin missioner, Mr Love, and his family As money is unknown among tb® natives who attend the mission, thej each take a piece of stone on theii shoulder. Tho*« stones are used foi paving the mission church. During nr. i portion of their travel did the members of the partv encounter hostili natives. Often they went for weeki without sighting a native, and th« i vastness of Australia was vividly impressed upon them They can under- , stand, probablv better than any, how , it was that t)ie Southern Cross uaj lost. They at t iallv saw the Southerr Cr<*»s in difficulties. and even wher ' the natives had told them of a "hi( bird nesting" they were unable to approach the spot where it wp* thoughthat the aeroplane may hjv# beer ■ forced down. When they visited th< place three months after the crew n. the aeroplane had been rescued, thi wheel marks made bv the mirhinc u the mud were still visible Mr Stacy will leave for New Zealanc this week and will return next yeni for another tour of the wild and neg lerted north,