Papuan News

From Our Own Correspondent PORT MORESBY, January 19.

THE Port Morseby Golf Club held its an nual dinner on December 15, when the various cups won during the season were presented by the president. The Gore Cup was won by Mr. C. N. Perry, the Guttridge and Fitch Cups both fell to the prowess of Mr. Roy Field, while the Club Champion ship trophy went to Mr. E. B. Bignold.

The nine-hole course is improving very rapidly, and has been in good playing con dition during the whole of the season. The grass greens promise to be a great success, and already are a vast improvement on the stony surfaces which were responsible for so much poetic fervour two years ago.

Insect Collector

Miss L. E. Cheeseman, who for the last eight months has been making a collection of insects in the eastern parts of Papua for the British Museum, has completed her work at that end of the Territory, and went west by the “Papuan Chief” on December 2 to investigate the extensive coastal flats in the Gulf and Western Divisions.

Explorer Leaves Papua

Mr. J. W. Vandercook returned from his trip through the Purari Delta early in December, and left for the Solomon Islands via Rabaul. Mr. Vandercook, who was accompanied by his wife, secured a large number of unique photographs and expressed his satisfaction at having examined what he declares to be a unique district.

After seeing most of the delta systems of the world, Mr. Vandercook declares that there is nothing that can be compared with the Purari Delta in extent, in interest, or in the vast number of its navigable water ways.

He hopes to return to Papua after visiting the Solomons.

Native Village Destroyed

The native village of Aluguni, near Hula, some sixty miles south-east of Port Moresby, was completely destroyed by fire. No loss of life is reported, but many rare old carved timbers were destroyed, of a kind that is not produced in modern times.

On Mt. Albert Edward

Messrs. R. Archbold (mammalogist), A.

L. Rand (ornithologist) and L. J. Brass (botanist) have returned from their three weeks’ sojourn on the summit of Mount Albert Edward and have gone west to search for new specimens in the mainland round the region of the Fly River. New specimens were found by each of these scientists on Mount Albert Edward, and the party were delighted by the climate and surroundings.

At an elevation of over 13,000 ft. they experienced frost practically every night, and found the scenery unique in its variety and beauty.