REPORTED MASSACRE IN PAPUA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1072, 10 March 1911, Page 5

REPORTED MASSACRE IN PAPUA.

A CIRCUMSTANTIAL STORY. Pj Telecrapb-Presß Association-Copyright. Melbourne, March 9. A story from Thursday Island is in circulation. It states that the Administrator of Papna, Mr. Smith, and party, reached the Furari Biver, built rafts, and had begun to descend towards tho coast. On tho way tho natives went in search of food, but did not return. Others followed, but were mot by a tribe of natives and were killed. Littlo is known of these natives except that they behead their victims'and wear tho heads as trophies of valour, on a string round the waist.

It is believed tho authorities are aware of the fact that all the party are dead except two natives, who ran away and reached Goaribari,

There is absolutely no official news available,-however, in -'Melbourne. This story appears to be a repetition of that told by the Goaribari pilots, except that the scene of tho disaster has been, transferred from the Kikori to the l'urani River, which is not in the direction in which the expedition was proccedmg. To reach it tho expedition would have had to turn right about, and go 150.miles in a coursa it had never contemplated.

TITE REPORTS DISCREDITED. (Rec. March 10, 0.55 a.m.) Melbourne, March 9. The Department of External Affairs places no reliance on (he reports, pointing to the wiping out of Mr. Staniforth himtn s party. No definite official news is yet to hand.

MR. SMITH'S EXPLORING METHODS

Some description of Mr. Slamfortk bnutlis exploring methods was recently 8n en ru.\ of the Sydney Herald by Mr. G. S. Heme, a director of the Papuan Rubber and Trading Company, who had returned from a visit to the territory last week. , •"-*,•, ,? mitu wanted to do everything himself,' said Mr. Heme. "He said ho did not want 100 many in tho partv, as numbers would hamper tho expedition's movements. His idea was to travel light and after sending Messrs. Murrav aud Hennelly bad;, he went on with Messrs Pratt and Bell, with only H bovs, 11 of whom wore police, carrying rifles'. They could not carry nearly enough luggage, and (hey had only one change of clothes no extra pairs of boots, no tents, only blankets and mosquito net*. *You fellows don't know how to get through the country,' Mr. Smith used to shv. TU show you how to travel through the country.' Most travelling parties take, changes of clothes and plenty of provisions, but when Messrs. Murray and Hennclly left Mr. Smith he was eating tabloids, so that there is a big chance of him having starved. On tho other hand, he may only be delayed. The weather in Papua has been about the same as in Sydney during tho past few weeks, rain incessantly, and the country may be quite impassable."

Mr. Heme said the affairs of Papua were in a chaotic state owing to Mr. Smith's absence:—

lho business of tho country is simply upside down," he said. "It is absolutely impossible for anyone who has not been there to realise the state things are in. The position is this: When Mr. Murray loft Mr. Smith was appointed ActingAdministrator, and ho went away without appointing anyone in his fplacc. The council which does all the business of the country is therefore absolutely powerless lo do anything but routine work. There has not been a council meeting for over thre3 months, and everything is iu a state of confusion.