THROUGH PAPUAN WILDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19718, 18 August 1927, Page 6

THROUGH PAPUAN WILDS.

r AN ARDUOUS JOUBNEY. HARDSHIPS OF EXPEDITION. AMONG PRIMITIVE NATIVES. 9* STILL IN THE STONE AGE." [from otte own correspondent.] SYDNEY, Aug. 11. One of tHe senior magistrates in Papua, Sir. C. H. Karius, was, with his patrol officer, Mr. Ivor Champion, a young man of about 26, who is now in Sydney, instructed to cross New Guinea at its wildest part, over the Victor Emanuel Ranges—a feat which had not been accomplished before. While they were about it, they were asked to discover the sources of the Fly and Sepik rivers; and also to report on native settlements. The tSvo investigators took 11 native police, 37 native carriers, and another magistrate gave them a 520-mile lift up the Fly, as far as Macrossan Island, in a 30-ton Government ketch. After Macrossan, the river is not navigable, for small rapids are frequent. At Macrossan 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 under 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, Blucher, 5000 ft. high, on the border of Papua and the Mandated Territory, and then Mount 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. Mr. Karius took six native police, 21 carriers, and three weeks' supply of food, and started out to find the source of the Sepik. Meanwhile, Mr. Champion's 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. Jong and about 12ft. wide. Rafting Down the Rapids. It took a week to cover the first strenuous 25 miles. Mr. 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 6ft. deep, but big enough to be a menace to a clumsy raft. Two of the rafts 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 river was reached at Macrossan log houses were built on the rafts. Navigation continued for 22 hours 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 properly-governed native miles above the mouth. Here canoes were" borrowed, and, still working day and night, the party reached the coast. They were behind schedule, and they found Mr. Karius getting ready an expedition to come to their rescue. In the meantime Mr. Karius had had to give up his 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 yet encountered. Landslides were frequent, and the party narrowly escaped being buried alive by half a mountain, which came away. Canoes Secured From Natives. Once Mr. Karius climbed a 7000 ft. mountain, and saw another pass through the mountains, and in this pass 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 rate of one dug-out canoe for a knife, and folio wed the Strickland to where it flowed into the Fly. He was coming down the Flv 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 ag The whole expedition was accomplished without casualty. .The jungle is not a fever-stricken part, and the onty dangers it contains /are snakes. At Macrossan Island, 500 miles from the coast, the river is only 57ft. above sea level.