WRECKED AMONG CANIBALS.

Grey River Argus, 11 April 1912, Page 8

WRECKED AMONG CANIBALS.

DASHED TO PIECES IN .RAPUDS. Three months and moro spent amid ceaseless danger in the wild, unknown parts of Papua, were described at the Royal Geographical Society, by Mr. Staniforth" Smith. Te lecturer is the Administrator of the British territories in. Papua. Early in its life the expedition might have ended abruptly in disaster and death for all. The party thought "or going down the Sambugo Creek in rafts, but for some reason decided otherwise. It was as well that they did, for they found that the river became a roaring torrent which plunged into the base of a mountain and did not come out again until some four miles further on. Another adventure which nearly ended in disaster to all was a voyage down the Kikor River- in rafts. Before they had >gono 200 yards Mr. Smith's raft was upset in a whirlpool, but all those on it managed to chng on. For lour : or five, miles the raft dashed down the river, the pace 1 increasing every yard, and then the explorers saw" ahead a huge timber block spreading right across the river. The 100-tpn raft struck the obstruction with a terrific crash, leaped six feet out of tho water, and then piled iself into logs. All food, clothing, and baggage was lost, and one of the porters died next morning- of his injuries. Then followed a period of extreme privation. They could make ho fire and for five days and a-half Mtr. Smith had no food- although his native companions ate a little pitch. After the fifth day the pary fell in with some natives, who gave some baked sago to the exhausted travellers. While Mr. Smith and his companions were eating the food provided by these savages they heard a shout, and Messrs Bell and Pratt, who formed a second party, emerged from the jungle. "The. great care we had exercised,'' said Mr. Smith, "in seeing that those we had previously met had been justly treated and not robbed by our carriers now stood us in . god stead, and instead of killing my small and exhausted party they gave us all the food they had, although we had nothing- to give in return.'? Gorges and rapids lay in the path of the explorers for many' miles, and it took twenty-nine days to travel 100 miles by" river, during- Which time the party never had a decent meaL There followed another seven days with nothing at all says "a few handfuls of soup powder and some tins of cocoa." But all ended well, although ! Mr. Smith walked over 100 miles barefoot, and theylinished a journey of 524 miles . through totally unexplored country. The average rate of foot progress through the jungle was three miles a xJay. - All the natives among whom they travelled Were cannibals, but they proved to be the nicest-mannered people. One of their customs is to wear necklaces of human hands belonging in their past "clients."