The Rivers’ Source

Discoveries In Central New Guinea

From Our Own Correspondent.

Port Moresby, April 8

INTERESTING discoveries have been made in the interior of this Terri tory, in the mountainous regies be tween Papua and New Guinea, by Patrol-Officer Hides, who was accom panied by Mr. Garbutt. They carried out patrols through new country and, on his return, Mr. Hides made the fol lowing interesting report: “The Tauri River (Papua) which flows north, and the Bulolo River (New Guinea) and the Watut River (New Guinea) which flow south, all have their sources within a few hours’ march of one another.”

This is most interesting, as it shows that the new Tauri goldfield is practi cally within the same line of country as the more developed goldfields on the Bulolo (Edie Creek) on the other side of the border.

The Patrol Officer states that the country through which his party trav elled was very thickly populated—they estimate that they saw about 6,000 natives in 40 or more villages. The natives were very friendly, but shy, and it was apparent that they had never before come into contact with Europeans. There were no traces or previous visits by white men.