PLENTY FOOD AVAILABLE, SAYS GEOLOGIST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18772, 30 May 1929, Page 5

PLENTY FOOD AVAILABLE, SAYS GEOLOGIST.

AIR INQUIRY INTO SOUTHERN CROSS LANDING CONTINUES. {United Press Assn.—By Electrlr Telegraph—Copyright). ADELAIDE, May 29. At the Air Inquiry, a declaration wa's read from Edward Francis, a mining engineer and geologist of North Western Australia, who claimed to have an intimate knowledge of the country where the Southern Cross landed. Francis was camped about thirty miles east of Port George when the Southern Cross flew over in the early hours, heading in a northerly direction. Francis explained that he could not understand why the crew of the Southern Cross experienced difficulty in obtaining food when they were forced down, as there were mud-fish four hundred yards from where they landed, also oj-sters and 'crabs. It was only a matter of digging them out by hand. Goannas, wallabies and scrub turkeys were equally plentiful, though perhaps difficult to catch. Dingoes and crocodiles were numerous, and not dangerous. Francis described .the precise spot where the aeroplane landed, and said it was between eighteen and twenty-five miles walk from the mission station. It was what he called plain gravelly country. He had travelled that country without instruments. There was also plenty of dead wood in the vicinity of Coffee Royal with which anyone might reasonably make a good fire. Reports were also read from Colonel Mansbridge regarding the search for the Southern Cross. He declared that erratic solo flights over wild country were not conducive to safety. Smith and Ulm had offered, after their rescue, without rest or recuperation, to begin a search for the Kookaburra.

The inquiry was adjourned.—Australian Press Association.