THE QUEST FOR GOLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20024, 14 August 1928, Page 6

THE QUEST FOR GOLD.

NEW GUINEA'S RICH FIELD. KLONDYKE OF THE PACIFICJUNGLE AND ITS PERILS. NEW ZEALANDER'S EXPERIENCES. No. I. Never since the great Klondyke rush of 30 years ago has the world been so thrilled by the'quest for gold as through the discovery of a great valley of the precious metal in New Guinea—a valley rich enough in gold to make a king's ransom. Conditions in this island of the Pacific furnish a direct contrast to the perils and hardships of the Alaskan fields, but, like that famous discpvery, have caused one of the greatest tragedies in the history of gold rushes. Between the golden valley and prospectors lay a long stretch of deadly jungle and menacing mountains; a jungle where death from loathsome things that crawl and spring was one of the minor horrors. There were devilish savages—headhunters addicted to cannibalism—and the perils of starvation to overcome. Yet men won through—such is the human lust for gold—and survived the dangers of the trek, but the jungle is Btrewn with the bones of scores of hapless gold-seekers, and many who set oat with high hopes of reaching the Eldorado found death in sight of the promised land. Others struck it rich and extracted gold from the virgin soil in sufficient quantities to make them rich for life, while around them was enough of the precious metal to buy up all London Yet they had died, their heads resting on piles of pure gold, simply because for all their wealth they could not obtain sufficient food, nor combat the dread tropical diseases which were rampant on the goldfields and took heavy tolL

Territory of Head-Hunters. Since the original discovery of the Klondyke of the Pacific, prospecting has been carried out with success in the hinterland of New Guinea, as far back as the fastnesses of the cannibal headhunters who inhabit the interior. Among others who have ventured to the new Eldorado is Mr. Ivan Paterson, of Oamaru, who recently returned on furlough on a short visit to his parents after a ten months' sojourn in the heart of New Guinea. Mr. Paterson, a typically self-reliant New Zealander, gained an extensive experience of goldmining on the Shotover. in Central Otago, where for eight years he was employed by the Shotover Dredging Company as mine manager. When a Melbourne syndicate sought the services of a mine-manager to investigate and work a claim on the Upper Watut, New Guinea, the New Zealand Mines Department had no hesitation in recommending Mr. Paterson as the man for the job, with the result that he was promptly engaged. Mr. Paterson, who is returning to the goldfields this, month, has some interesting observations to make regarding the conditions prevailing in the mandated territory of New Guinea, and, as he is one of the few white men who have penetrated into the headhunters' territory, also of the customs and habits of the natives. Eichness of the Field.

A couple of years ago the opinion was freely expressed that the New Guinea goldfields were the richest in the world and the easiest to work. Only those, it was said, who had actually seen them could believe the truth, and when the news was broadcast in Australia the gold rush set in with renewed intensity. Civil Government was established in the mandated territory on May 9, 1921, and the District Office, which was also the warden's office and post office, was first established at Morobe, a small settlement on the coast near the* mouth of the Waria River, on the head waters of which it was thought in 1921 that gold would be discovered. The head waters of the Waria are near the source of the Lakekamu River, in Papua, where gold was discovered, and a rush took place in 1923. The District Office was, however, removed to Salamca about August, 1926. Salamoa, the chief port of call for the New Guinea goldfields. is situated on Bayern Bay, about 54 miles in a north-westerly direction along the coast from Morobe. A Plague of Mosquitoes.

The village lies close to a large swamp, where the mosquitoes are of an especially virulent type. The climate on the coast is very trying, the temperature being in the vicinity of 90 degrees night and day, while in the heat of summer the mercury rises considerably higher, with the humidity up to 87 degrees. The Sepik River, one of the largest in New Guinea, is described as " No Man's Land." It probably offers a dredging proposition, as the rivers are full of gold, but living conditions, as on the coast, are rendered well-nigh unbearable owing to the deadly mosquito. Schooners navigate the Sepik for a distance of 600 miles, but the vessels are netted in to afford the natives protection from the malariacarrying mosquitoes, and the natives living on the rivor crawl into baskets at night, covering the opening for the same purpose. Communication is established with Salamoa from Rabaul, the capital on the island of New Britain, bv the Burns-Philp steamers Montoro and Marsena, the former maintaining a regular service, while the latter plies to and fro at intervals. Formerly the journey, when not made by mail steamer, had to be made as best it could when opportunity offered in local schooners or privately-owned craft, both generally of limited power and capacity. A Florence Nightingale. It is recorded that Mrs. Booth, one of the women pioneers of the goldfields, took three months to do the journey owing to unfavourable weather conditions, and, including waiting for the prospect of a voyage, it has often taken even longer. The heroism of Mrs. Booth is an epic of the mandated territory, and her wonderful work among the sick was greatly appreciated by the gold prospectors. She sot out with the first batch during the big rush, despite her husband's insistence that it was not a woman's job. Mrs. Booth roughed it with the rest and during the worst experiences of the jungle she proved a better man than most of the sex. Disease was rampant, and when the epidemic came the burden of nursing many European and native patients fell to her lot at her homo on the Bulolo. Her previous training as a nurse and her capability and sympathy enabled her to render invaluable service. She pulled many of the gold-seekers out of the jaws of death, and there are a number who owe their lives to her.