Sepik Gold.

New Prospectors Extend the Search.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Madang, Sept. 16.

THE Sepik River region of New Guinea has again attracted new men and new capital.

This time, and for the first time, some thing more extensive than the dish is ben attempted. The people concerned in the matter, however, have picked upon the worst time of the year for the trans portation of their mining gear. This period, in common with these parts, is known as the “dry season”. With no rain of any consequence and nothing but a hot sun to parch everything, all the watersheds become almost dry, the small streams feeding the main depending only on seepage, underground channels and springs.

The company is known as the Yuat Alluvial and gets its name from the river Yuat, which is the third tributary on the left bank of the Sepik River, with its confluence about eighty miles from the sea.

The Yuat runs many miles back, first through low, undulating scrub and sak sak (sago palm) country into the moun tains that also form part of the water shed of the lower portions of the Ramu River. Its higher reaches are not navig able owing to many obstacles, as fallen trees, bars and boulders. In the “wet season” it is regarded as one of the Sepik’s fastest streams and carries down with it floating logs and debris that make it difficult and dangerous to nego tiate.

Prospectors who have tried out its headwaters have always got specimens of good colour; but, apart from just

prospecting- with a dish, have not at tempted any other means.

In 1931, Mr. S. Green, in company with the late Mr. Exton, followed out one of its fountain heads to its end, and over the mountain ranges towards the Bis marcks, eventually crossing the Ramu, west of Madang. This trip proved valu able to them, and it was the latter’s in tention to return later to certain parts to further prospect. To provide capital to equip himself with the necessary labour and gear he, whilst recruiting, was un fortunately killed in Aitape, at the hands of seemingly quiet and peaceful natives.

The benefits then, if any, of this long and tedious trek were lost.

Of late, however, Messrs. Leahy Bros., in the interests of the New Guinea Gold fields, Ltd., have been prospecting in and about the same areas, with a certain amount of success.

The new company now operating have as their manager, Mr. Turnbull, a geolo gist and mining engineer, and three as sistants. The plant consists of a full kit of boring tools, a considerable quan tity of stores, and a 36-foot launch for transport work. Owing to the low state of the water in the river, only about 30 miles is at present navigable. From there to their objective is a long, tedious journey, which has to be accomplished by canoe travel against a current which, at the present time, is about a knot.

The transport of heavy gear and stores in canoes is a very difficult undertaking.

Every care and constant attention has to be exercised. In some places rapids are met with and an upturned canoe may mean a loss of gear and stores that take time and money to replace, to say nothing of the inconvenience. Swarms of fever mosquitoes breed and live on the lower reaches but diminish and be come more bearable in the mountain areas.

The company have the best wishes of all and we hope that the honour may lie with them to show their predecessors that, at least, one part of the Sepik does possess gold on a working profit.

That indefatigable prospector, Alf Bel field, is again venturing to the reaches of the Upper Sepik, towards the border lines. For the past six years he has travelled and prospected over thousands of square miles of Sepik country, some times and sometimes not finding colour; but not up to the present has he discovered anything that to his way of thinking would be called payable.

On this trip he is accompanied by Mr.

“Dick” Glasson, one of the “Big Six,” of the Edie Creek days, and Commander Wauchope. They intend to further try out some more of the small streams and feeders that lie right at the head of the river. Before reaching this coun try some 500 miles of the Sepik have to be negotiated. This is done by a small launch. The party then make a base and secure their vessel safely and the rest is accomplished by canoe or foot to where ever their fancies turn them.

Thousands of pounds and many months of labour under a hot tropic sun, in fever-stricken areas, have been spent so far in a fruitless search of Sepik gold of a payable nature. All hope that the day is not far distant when at least some of the pioneers and investors on this quest will be suitably rewarded.

Lady Murray, wife of the Administra tor of Papua, left the Territory for Syd ney by the “Macdhui” on September 28 and will spend some months in Sydney before leaving for a short visit to South Australia.