LORD MOYNE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 23 January 1936, Page 9

LORD MOYNE

EXPLORING NEW GUINEA CATCHER OP "DRAGONS" SYDNEY, Jan, 1(5. Advice has ))een received from the Administrator of New Guinea, Bri'ga-dier-Geneial McNieoll, thai Lord Aloyne arrived at Rabaul late in December, 'prior to n ii'ip of exploration up the 'Ranm River, New Guinea. Lord Moyne's luxury yacht, the Rosaura, which was formerly the cross-channel steamer Dieppe, paid :i short visit to Sydney early hisr year. It is a vessel of 122;" tons gross and 832 net and carries a complement of 34. Included in the exploratory parly are Lord Elvcden, son of the Earl of Iveagh, the lion. Anthony Chaplin and Mrs Chaplin, Lady Broughton, and Miss Broughton. The commander of the Rosaura is Commander Laidla.w, K.N.R.

Mr E. J. Wauchope, of-Awar Plantation, Madang, will assisl in tin navigation of the New Guinea rivers.

When Lord Moyne visited Rabaul last March ho was on his way lo the island of Komodo, in tin* Dutch East Indies, to obtain specimens of the Komodo "dragon," for the London Zoo. On that occasion, he was accompanied by Mrs Winston Churchill and Lady Broughton, who acted as photographer. The "dragons," which vary in size, are frequently of 12ft or more in length, and hold themselves well clear of the ground. They have scalloped croups and (ails, and Lord Moyne has suggested that their habits of protruding long yellow tongues, curving their tails into a question marl;, and retiring into caverns al night may indicate that a now extinct relative of theirs might have been the inspiration of the Chinese dragon of legend. The trap used for their capture was very strong, and of a simple principle. The bait, pig or game in an advanced slate (they paid no attention to fresh meat), was placed in the cage, the dragon would enter, tear at it, and release the heavy spring door, which would drop into position. Many dragons 'were caught, but,, complying with the instruction of the Dutch Government, only three were kept. One of these broke from its box and escaped, while the Rosaura was crossing Ihe Red Sen on its homeward journey. The other two are in the London Zoo.

Lady Broughton, who is an intrepid sportswoman, often lay behind a screen only a U<w yards from these monsters, cautiously photographing them, as they tore savagely at a dead pig. Her photographs caused great interest in England when they were published in the Times. Lord Moyne, who before his elevation to the peer age was Waller Guinness, is keenly interested in the possibilities of new discoveries in New Guinea.