THE PAPUAN EXPLORERS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 March 1911, Page 5

THE PAPUAN EXPLORERS.

AUSTRALIAN.

A TALE OF GREAT HARDSHIP.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.] SYDNEY, This Day: ' Later details show that Mr Staniforth Smith's party reached Thursday Island early oil Friday. Owing to St. Patrick's Day being a holiday they had tp wait until next day to get the news .through. The explorers received a great reception. f ; ; It transpires that' when 'the' - , party had nearly reached the mouth of the ivikbri river it met one of the relief boats the occupants of which were in a yery exhausted condition" after their long and rough travels and scarcity of food. When the raft went over the rapids, the three white leaders had a narrow escape of being carried a long way down the river, Mr Smith scrambling out on the side with Pratt and Bell. It was five days before they were able to rejoin the others. Eleven native carriers were swept off the raft and were never again seen. They lost ai] their supplies, tents and records of the journey. Their only food was a little cocoa, recovered from the wreck and yams, taro and sago gathered en route. The party were frequently compelled to stop to recover their strength ' and gather food. They shot some pigs but refrained from eating much meat for fear of sickness. Another trouble was that they had no means of lighting a fire. Pratt's box of matches were wetted when he plunged into the river. After some days they were dried and they got a light. In order to save the few remaining match is for a case of emergency, they carried a piece of burning wood for thirty-four days wherever they went, after reaching the relief boat, which was sent out by the resident magistrate at Goaribari, the party carefully dieted themselves for fear of illness after the long fast. Only three whites came on to Thursday Island. The native members of the expedition left at Daru.