OLD-TIME EXPEDITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20263, 24 May 1929, Page 15

OLD-TIME EXPEDITION.

NEW GUINEA SETTLEMENT

ONE OF THE SURVIVORS

[from our own correspondent.] SYDNEY, May IC. The famous Marquess do Ray expedition to Papua in 1881 was recalled tho other day by tho arrival in Sydney of one of tho survivors, Mr. J. O. Mouton, who described himself as the oldest of the Papuan planters. For 48 years he has been a "copra man," his plantation being near Ivokopc, which he has since sold to the Roman Catholic Mission.

The Marquess do Ray's company of colonists was originally intended to form a settlement in iNew Ireland, the second island in tho New Guinea group in size and importance. New Ireland lies to the north of New Britain, from which it is separated by St. George's Channel. _ The Marquess de Ray, by means of a widelydistributed prospectus, painted a glowing picture of the possibility of tho islands. The prospectus would have made even a doubting Thomas believe that heaven on earth awaited anyone who joined the expedition. Struggling vignerons and pov-erty-stricken labourers of Northern Italy to the number of 300 put all the money they could find into the Marquess do Eay snares. The enthusiastic marquess, having purchased and fitted out a suitable vessel in 1879, landed the first batch of colonists, consisting of 40 Germans, 25 French, 11 Swiss and Italians, and five Belgians on tho south-west coast, opposite New Britain—one of the worst spots on the island. The place was called officially La Nouvello France. At the end of four months the colonists called it L'Enfer. Eventually the Italian portion of the expedition was brought to New South Wales. Tho Government of the day granted the Italians a stretch of poor land, a few miles outside Woodburn, a town on the Richmond River, on the north coast. To this day "New Italy," as it is called, is a place where Italianate houses may be seen, and excellent light wines may be drunk by curious visitors. Of the Belgian members of the expedition only one survives. This is Mr. Mouton. He surely has no regrets for having joined tho party, for ho lias sufficient money to live in retirement in Sydney for the rest of his life.