Gold Quest Epic

"Lasseter’S Last

Ride”

OF outstanding interest to gold seekers the world over, but of much interest to all, is “Las seter’s Fast Ride,” by Ion F. Idriess.

Mr. Idriess is well-known on the New Guinea goldfields, where his latest book will be eagerly read. “Las seter’s Fast Ride” tells of gold pros pectors and their trials in the heart of Australia, of the efforts to use planes for survey purposes in this unmapped, arid country, and of natives, who, from the author’s des criptions, are as truculent and un tamed as the kanakas who roam the country in the hinterland of the New Guinea goldfields.

Many stories have been written of the hardships endured by pioneers endeavouring to open up new gold fields, and this book will stand comparison with the best of them.

A goldfield in Central Australia is on the brink of discovery. Indeed, according to Mr. Idriess, F. H. B. Las seter, the prospector of the Central Australian Gold Expedition, rediscov ered the reef, which he had found 30 years previously, but the desert was loath to let the secret reach the out side world. The prospector was unable to return to civilisation, and perished, after wanderings through the wilderness with a tribe of stone age aborigines.

The author describes Lasseter’s finding of the reef in this tense way: “Lasseter found his reef. As he gazed upon it a feeling came over him that he had done his life’s work. He sat down by the greenish-white quartz staring across the hill where the reef outcropped like a yellowish-brown cap, and for two hours never moved.

These blobs of dull yellow in this quartz had been the magnet drawing his thoughts for thirty years. This reef, he felt, was his life. . . .”

The book has been written from the related experiences of members of Lasseter’s expedition, from the let ters of Lasseter —some of which rep resent mere fragments buried by him beneath the ashes of his camp fires- — and from the records and correspon dence of the Central Australian Gold Exploration Co. Ftd. The author had no easy task in piecing all this infor mation together. He has, however, succeeded admirably and has com piled a story of absorbing interest, full of stirring adventure.

“Lasseter’s Fast Ride,” which is published by Messrs. Angus and Rob ertson Ltd., Sydney, has met with a large sale locally. The first edition was published on September 1, 1931, and the second edition is already off the press.