Seeking

Planters Go Gold

Experienced Men from Ramu and Sepik, N.G.

From a Special Correspondent.

RABAUL, March 20.

THERE has just left, on the “Mirani,” for Vanimo, Aitape, Mr. V. B. Penne father, of Tokua plantation, Kokopo, a former D.O. of this Territory.

Now that copra is languishing, the planters are making in numbers for the western end of New Guinea —gold-seeking.

Mr. Pennefather is following Messrs. Eric Randahl and Obi Hertz, who went off by the m.v. "Enuk” a few weeks ago. They plan to go up the Sepik—to the very upper reaches.

Mr. Pennefather will go inland from Vanimo, and hopes to join them. Each party will prospect the inner valleys—and as Pennefather knows Aitape district (as D.O.) pretty well, and was a great bush patrol man, they should be able to bring back some useful information about the auriferous possibilities of the Aitape-Sepik hinterland.

Mr. George Naess, former Government police master at Wide Bay and now the owner of a fine young plantation there, is also aboard the “Mirani,” bound for the Upper Ramu —Purari. His plantation is just bearing fully, but he hopes for gold fields success to help him over. Mr. Naess was one of the earliest on Edie Creek in the big rush, and he tells some good yarns of Harry Darby and the early hands. He is accompanied by Mr. Johannsen, former engineer of the “Duranbah,” and recently employed on the Bulolo Gold Dredging Coy’s property. These two ought to do some good combing in the Ramu-Purari region—where Bernard McGrath was killed recently.