THROUGH PAPUAN WILDS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 22 August 1927, Page 2

THROUGH PAPUAN WILDS.

HARDSHIPS OF EXPEDITION'

AMONG PRIAUTIYE NATIVES. SYDNEY, Aug. 11. One of the senior magistrates in 1 apua, Air, 0. H. Karins, was, with Ins patrol officer, Air. Ivor Champion, a young man, of about 26, who is now in Sydney, instructed to eros-s New Guinea at its wildest pant, over the Victor Emanuel Ranges—a feat wliich had -not been accomplished before. While they were about it, they were asked to discover the sources of the Ily and Sepik Rivers; and also to •report on native settlements. The two investigators took 11 native police, 37 native carriers, and another magistrate gave them a lift up the Fly, as far as Maorossan Island, in a 30-ton Government ketch. After Maorossan, the river jus not navigable, for ismiaLl rapids are frequent. At Maorossan Island the party crossed to the mainland, and hacked* a path through thick jungle, following the course of the river. Progress was terribly slow, and the system adopted was to maintain two camps, one iincler each white man, and move them forward one ! by one, like draughtsmen, over each new stretch of territory as it was painfully won. In April they reached the first of the mountains, Bulcher, 5000 ft high, on the border of Papua, and the Mandated Territory, and then Alount Donaldson. The mountains were of coral limestone, jagged and sharp as razors, and devoid of water. The river flowed through a deep gorge, and it was impossible to cross the mountains. Air. Karins took .six native police, 21 carriers, and throe weeks’ supply of food, and started out to find the source of the Sepik. Meanwhile, Mr. Ohantpion’is job was to take the rest of the expedition home again. He was 615 miles above the mouth of the Fly, but he brought the party back to the river without accident, and then set them, to work building three rafts, each consisting of four logs 18ft long and about 12ft wide. RAFTING DOWN THE RAPIDS. It took .a week to cover the first strenuous 25 miles. Air. Champion and a native policeman took charge of one raft, and two native police looked after each of the other rafts. Rapids were encountered frequently, varying from 4ft to 61t deep, but big enough to bo a menace to a clumsy raft. Two of the raffs took the first rapid in style, but the third was smashed. The food was saved, and the raft taken ashore and rebuilt.

When, the navigable part, of the liver was reached at Al across an log houses were build on the rafts. Navigation continued for 22 bonus a day, with, two natives at the paddles and a helmsman. Six-hour watches were worked, but even then it was 27 days before the party reached a propertygoverned native settlement, 100 miles above the mouth. Here canoes were borrowed, and, still working day and ngbt, the party reached the coast. They were behind schedule, and they found Air. Karius getting ready an expedition to come to their rescue. In the meantime Air. Karius had had to give up his l project of tracing the source of the Sepik. After very heavy work in the mountains, he had come upon, the Strickland River, and followed it through the roughest country yetencountered. Landslides were frequent, and the party’ narrowly escaped being buried alive by half a mountain which came away.

OANOBS SECURED FROM NATIVES. Once Mr. Ivarius climbed a 7000 ft mountain, and. saw another pass through, tlie mountains, -and in this pas® was what he believes to be the Sepik; but food was running too low to permit investigation. -After many hardships the party secured canoes from the natives, at the unite of one dug-out canoe for a knife, and followed the StrikLand to- where it flowed nto the Ely. He was coming down the Ely in advance of his junior partner, although, .of course, he could not know this. Many native settlements were encountered, and all the inhabitants were friendly to the expedition, though the plains tribes lived in fear of the mountain ones. Steel instruments were unknown among the natives, who live in a, stone age . The whole expedition was accomplished without- casualty. The jungle is not a fever-strcken pant, anti the only dangers it contains are snakes. At Maeros-san Island, 500 miles from the coast, the river is only 57ft above sea level.