EXPLORATION IN NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21732, 14 March 1936, Page 22

EXPLORATION IN NEW GUINEA

1 ■■■ ■ w *"-"" >j i PRELIMINARY AIR SUKH

REPORT OF "WONDER CONFIRMED

——— , _(* £•■_ (fbom oub own cobbespohdeot.) '-ri

• SYDNEY, March" C| An important reconnaissance fllg§| was made early this month overfull explored central New Guinea, :Wm reports now sent to Sydney fromJ%i| Moresby show that the data gatfcerMf have much scientific value. \:M The primary purpose of the fliggl was to confirm the geographical. €eM ture of the country, supplied by, sm Jack Hides last year, after ids notabji exploratory patrol. The -Papuan i Gds| ernment has arranged that. -anotheE expedition led by Mr Ivah jChanipi« shall leave immediately, and try-sS get through the unexplored regiM from the Turama river; s on\the ,r Gw| of Papua, to the upper waters of vm Strickland river (which is a .tributary of the Fly). The course.to be followed by/ Mr<.Champion in. this #xpeditiJoi .yisjll take; him .along the southern edge of. riyer system traj VersedTby Mr Hides, and ,dessrib<?d' hi him as the.Papuan "wonderland-" I Three expeditions in recent times have penetrated this magnificent &m hitherto unknown plateau,'which: -Sag right in the centre of .New fGuinegj astride of..the;triangJe,,iormed"-by,Hi meetings of the borders "of the,msuw dated territory, of New Guinea,,Pjapos and Dutch New Guinea. The firs V-jg 1933, was»led by. Messrs J.. 1,. TayK| and ML and northern (New Guinea) portion of .the plateau as, far westward ,as,-.Moup| Hagen, discovered the upper watera of the Purari, and revealed, a--fiwarml ing agricultural population and.a.call ture whose presence had . not >prev]| ously been suspected. Little.hafe:ibeej| publishedabout the second. It was led by two -prospectors,; Mess** T. A., and Jack Fox. It ward from Mount Hagen 'un,*&Nn| Guinea) in August, 1534;. traversal absolutely unknown country;, crtissei the border into Dutch .New.\ Guineas passed thrpugh the almost ; mjlmM Star Mountains; came out on *'«sm great Digoel river; and returned _Am December to Mount Hagen, throufl the northrwestern corner -of. .Papffi| Messrs Fox, in their march, |H*ss|l along the northern edge of Jhe - riv|| systems discovered by Mr Jack Hioji only a few weeks later. The third £k| pedition was that led by Messrs' Hug! and O'Malley (January-June,;. 3s||| which penetrated the southern .POrfijf| of the great central plateau. :.: ,*>-'■ ;jj|| Members of Party -' , ; J$M The party which made-the plane flight included Mr. Ivan ChMSj pion (who with Mr Kariuv.mwef|| famous trip from- the Strickland'*rigjj| across to the Sepik river, ago, and who is now. about' to-leass on another expedition), Mr' Jack HittSS Mr J. L. Taylor, and.Mr F. E.->]|l| liams '(Papuan Government afltß3|E| pologist). Reports received - shoj| that, r during two flights out-from Hagen (southwards to Jffl the Gulf of Papua, on the first and south-westwards, right down yjp the terrifying limestone the second.day), the observations m&M by Mr Hides were fully .coruTrmfep The party saw a series of great tiym systems enclosed by high ranges, --.am they found and identified the tJ Tjijf Furoro Valley—so graphically- aftjj scribed by Mr Hides—-Mount Jufcugjl Ryan'? Gorge, Mount Champion, ail other outstanding features which. |f| had named. \ ■ "Jl The men in the aeroplane could sji many unexplored valleys, running south and south-east, stretching Sm away into the distance, and apparent®; carrying a very large population;'" Bs| ferring to a large valley, 40 miles earn and west by about 30 miles and enclosed by rugged mountains! one observer said: "The floor of *&*£ great valley was flat, broken only bK deep creek beds and smooth undufc| tions. It was like a vast park.- Great stretches of open grass were intefi rupted by innumerable cultivawl areas, copses of casuarina,' and the close-set ornamental trees that niarkwj the ceremonial dancing grounds. There were no villages—the innumerabw houses of the people were scattered in loose groups, half hidden among the trees and sugar cane, and eacli placed conveniently near its cultnra? tion patch. The population of these; valleys, from Mount Hagen right down to the Fari Furoro. was astonishing* Not' only were the valley floor! densely inhabited, but columns .■s* smoke could be seen far up on the mountain slopes showing further habg tation. . It was an amazing expert* ence to gaze down on so great,a nuim ber of people, unknown to the woni for so lung, who seemed to be eves in excess of the estimates BE Messrs Hides and O'Malley." £j