MR MORRISON IN NEW GUINEA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1785, 13 December 1883, Page 4

MR MORRISON IN NEW GUINEA.

Mr Gkoboe KiixitaT Morrison, who w.vj despatched by the Age to evploic and cross the continent of Now Guinea, has returned to Cooktown, after undo! going Bovoro hardships and buinji wounded by the mtives. From Cook- ■ t)\vn ho despatched u telegram to the Age, in which he says : — I have failed in my attempt to crosi the continent of New Guinea, and have returned to Queensland. Our party hnd to turn back when on the point of success. Pursuing a north-easterly ciiree tiou from Port Moresby we had, with much labour and difficulty, taken hoi-M-over the mountains, and where tli-j diggers turned back from want of gnu*, we, by keeping a different track, got mt) country splendidly grassed right up to the main watershed. Latterly we had kept bearing to find a place low enough to cross. We had reached the foot of the dividing lange, and a day later expected to be across it. For a few hours we were going to camp there. The range ran into a spur at the top, far less steep than many w e bad previously surmounted. Once across wo intended as soon as possible lo bend round to the west, and to str ko for the great land belt. We could not, however, get on with the natives. They saw the weak ness of our pirty and took advantage of it. The count) y wps thickly popnhted, and the natives of each distiict lesortud to every means but open \ iolcncc to pievent our moving finther. Our camp was always more or less surrounded by natives, waiting an opportunity to make a raid. ]Jy day and night we had to keep watch, and scarcely a night passed but we had lo fire shots to f lighten the natives, who weio heard in thenoighbomhood of the tents. The work was most fatiguing, for there weie only tlnee of us to share the watch, as we could not ti ust the black boys. In «spite of all our vigilance, we had axes and tomahawks stolen, and a native sneaked off in open daylight with one larjre red blanket. Our party wasv ci y weak . The old d lggur who swore to go with me to death gave in at the end of lo miles from the start, and only one man could bo obtained in his place- This was a worthless half-witted new chum, who becm.e a const mt eouice of danger to us. The two black boy<s could never be taught to fire a gun. iViy other man, Lyons, gave unqualified satisfaction, but when he went forward to prospect the tiack I was never certain but that I might find the camp wrecked on my return. As we got further ml. n I the countiy became densely populated, and the natives increased in boldness. One came quickly down to wlieie three of us were paekingthc labt horse, picked tip a tomahawk, and daitcd for the scrub. I coald have shot him easily, but, instead of doing this, one of the party chased him, caught him, punched his head, and let him go, though the «avagc had turned round half, way and flung the tomahawk at his piusucr. We decided next time to use the gun, The oppoitnnity came on the 2nd October. On that day I w cut out with four natives to cut the tiack, all the otheis but a new ehnm being sick w ith fe\ or. I ga\ c the nativ es a valuable scnio-ftmfc, wdic/me took turn atiil tuui ah'iut in using As we proceeded with our woik the natives increased in number till four had become 40, most of them cairjing spears. When about thice miles fiom the. camp, one of them suddenly seized the knife ami bolted with it. This stealing was getting a farce, so I w aited until the nun bad got such a distance that abbot would not inflict much injuiy, and I then gave him one charce in the back. Evciyone declares that I made a mistake in not shooting the man dead, as I might then have effectually frightened the natives and given them an idea of our supenor power. As it was, they inferred > that the worst our arms could do was to inflict but a temporary pain. That afternoon we could hear the news travelling eveiywhere, ami see ciowds of men collecting with piles of spears, and intently watching us. In the moining when I loaded up early, intending to shift the camp, warriors with heavy bundles of speais gathered in crowds nt'some points which '"-worliad to "pass, until the long glass where they stood fully bustled with spears. Ljons was at this time very ill with fevci, and could haidly walk. We went on, however, e\eicising extreme caution till we reached the last rise we had to go up. I was leading the horse some distance ahead of the rest, and was just taking |a step fiom the scrub into the long grass at the top when I was stiuck by two speais, one in the hollow of the right leg and the other in the stomach. The steep step saved me. I pulled the spears out, and fired a shot from my Winchester. I saw no men, though they must have been within four or five yards when I was struck. I had then to lie down, as Wood was flowing from mo freely, and my stomach ga\e me great pain. When Lyons came up he thought Jt wna mortally injured, for I was lying in ft pool of blood, vomiting large qiuintitica of blood, nnd suffering frightful pain. To save my life he resolved to abandon everything and bring !ne down to the coast. We w ere then bvor 100 miles from Port Moresby, but we Could not ictiirn by the way we had tiavclled, M we knew the natives were waiting for us. O\ l er 30 speais in bundles weie picked up near wheic I was won ml ed, showing the attack to have been picmeditatcd, but bully planned. Lyons, when packing the horses, could get no help from the new chum, who was paralysed with teiror, and in consequence we retreated, leaving our stoics behind, and escaped from the natives to nearly perish from staivation. For eight days I had not a morsel to eat, but the change of air healed my wounds, which are now quite well. Lyons, by the exeicise of cxtraoidinary courage and enduiance, brought us safely into port. The first 20 miles of our return journey was thiough new and very rough country. For nine days Lyons was entirely without food, and but for his marvellous stamina I should now be rotting in the New Guinea bush.

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