THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 111, 10 April 1929, Page 7

THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

REPORT OE DISCOVERY. NO MENTION OF THE CREW. NEWS GIVEN ’PLANE AT DRYSDALE. (Unietd Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received April 10, 9.15 a.m. PERTH, April 10. Pilot Woods, one of the aviators out in search of the Southern Cross, has arrived at Derby from Wyndham, via the Drysdale Mission Station. At Drysdale Pilot Woods received word that the mission had news of the Southern Cross. The report was to the effect that the Southern Cross was 30 miles south-west on the coast. A mission boat was reported to be standing by to pick up the crew. This may be only a native rumour, and should not be hurriedly believed. Pilot Cliater, another of the searchers, is sceptical. The Daily Telegraph states that, in answer to questions put by Pilot Woods, the monks at the mission signalled that the Southern Cross was between Drysdale and Port George, and that a boat had been sent down the coast. There was no answer to the question as to whether the crew were all right. Lieutenant Keith Anderson has arrived at Alice Springs and is leaving for Daly Waters, en route to Wyndham, this morning. Pilot Matheson’s Goulburn Moth ’plane has arrived at Cunnamulla. The next stop will be Charleville.

SEARCH IN KIMBERLEY ARSA. SYDNEY, April 9. The result of the search by iour ’planes in the Kimberley area to-day was entirely negative. The Canberra, piloted by Mr xiolden, operated from Wyndham base and covered a lot of country. Air isruce announced to-day that the Federal Government would share the VVesc Australian Committee s expenditure on the search tor the missing airmen. The Government had aiso granted permission to suspend the air mail service in West Australia in order to release the machines for the search. ’PLANES ON AIRCRAFT CARRIER. MELBOURNE, April 9. The Minister ot Defence, Sir William Glasgow, stated to-day that if any useful purpose could be served the air-craft-carrier Albatross would be dispatched to aid in the search for th» Southern Cross. Eight thousand gallons of spirit anu 25UU gallons ot oil are now being placed on board the Albatross. The planes on board have been filled with petrol. RELIEF ’PLANE WELL EQUIPPED. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. April 9. A wireless broadcast front Sydney gives the following message from Pilot Cliater, describing the aeroplane search carried out from Wyndham:—“Our ’plane is thoroughly well-equipped. We carry food, fishing lines, spares, guns, extra supplies of petrol for the Southern Cross, and so on. If we should find the Southern Cross we would be able to drop them food at once, and if we should crash we could last for months. Although we have no news to give of a definite nature, there is every reason to think that the Southern Cross landed somewhere in the vicinity of Drysdale Mission.” IN NORTH-WEST TERRITORY. WORK OF MISSION. Founded by the Spanish Benediotine Order as an off-shoot of the parent mission at New Norcia (the superior of which is Abbot Catalan, who visited Sydney for the Eucharistic Congress), the Drysdale Mission is in charge of Rev. Theodore Gil, 0.5.8. He is assisted by Rev. D. H. Sousa, 0.5.8., Rev. D. S. Cubero, 0.5.8., and Rev. D. B. Gomez, 0.5.8. The natives, of whom there are several hundred on the mission, are taught farming and trades. There are also schools for the girls and boys. An area of several hjmdred square miles is reserved for the mission. On this a considerable number of cattle is run. The mission also has spiritual charge of the hinterland country. The natives of the back country or East Kimberley are fierce and warlike. Some years ago Father Alcalde, of the Drysdale Mission, was speared by them. The spear passed through his lung, and though he is still alive he has never recovered his health. The natives round the mission are peaceful.

H.M.A.S. Geranium brought the news in September, 1920. A . warrant-officer had been lost during a kangaroo hunt, and the searchers, led by natives, were taken to the mission. The priests were overjoyed to learn that tile war was over and that the Allies had triumphed. POSSIBLE LANDING GROUND. “There is one possible landing ground at the Drysdale River Mission, as far as I remember,” said Mr A. Nesbitt, formerly of H.M.A.S. Geranium to a Sydney newspaper representative the other day. I have visited the station several times, the last occasion being in 1927, and I noticed a fiat about a quarter of a mile from the mission building, whicn might serve the purpose. “This fiat is half a mile long and about 300 yards wide. It is covered by grass about three feet long, and one couid not tell, therefore, whether there were any stumps or boulders in the ground, it looked even and safe enough. ; “ilie cultivated ground is not suitable for landing on. It is divided into small paddocks of a few acres each, which are separated by post-and-rail fences. “The country round the mission station is mostly fairly open bush country. There is a thick jungle along the rivers, and it would be hard to find a landing place even in the more open country, owing to the trees:” The Director of Civil Aviation in Australia, Colonel Brinsmead, who has flown over the country between Darwin and Broome, is firmly convinced that the Southern Cross made its landing at Port George, 130 miles north-east of Derby. He, therefore, thinks it certain that the rescue ’plane, piloted by J. A. Woods, would miss the Southern Cross. “From a careful study of the messages received, and of the map, andfrom my knowledge of the country, I feel sure that the Southern Cross did not come down anywhere near the Drysdale River Mission,” said WingCommander Wackett. “My belief is that the ’plane descended somewhere in the region of the Port George Mission, but probably many miles away from the mission. Wyndham is an easy place for an airman to miss. The town covers only a small area, and is situated right on the coast at the foot of a hilL about 800 feet high. “NATIVES NONE TOO GOOD.” “The country in which the Southern Cross appears to. have landed is as bad as anything in Australia. It is practically terra incognita. The hills in this country vary from about 800 to 1200 fet high, and many rivers are fairly big. There are few settlers, and the natives are none too good. However, I don’t think there is any danger from them. The ’plane will impress' them, and there is a Presbyterian mission at Port George.” Replying to a question, why there was not in the Air Force at present a machine with sufficient flying range to enable a search to be carried out from Sydney, states an exchange, AirCommodore Williams said that the force at present was being re-equipped, the first unit to be replaced being that at Richmond, New South Wales. New machines would arrive at the end of this month. In the meantime, all the old machines and parts had been taken away, and the only aircraft left were Moth light ’planes. “Had this emergency arisen in a month’s time,” said Air-Commodore Williams, “the Air Board would have been in a position to order a machine to leave on a search almost immediately.”

The Drysdale River Mission is not self-supporting. Its expenses are met by the parent mission at New Norcia. The loneliness, of the country in which the airmen landed is indicated by the fact that the priests at the mission did not know that the Great War had ended until the survey slooj»j