Climbing Mount

Albert Edward

Fine Achievement of American Expedition in Papua

THE members of the American Natural History Museum (New York) ex pedition to Papua recently arrived at Daru in the Western Division, where they remained for two or three months collect ing birds, mammals, and plants. A special survey of the life habits of Papuan ani mals and birds was made, a field in which very little research had been done. The expedition had already done similar work in other parts of Papua, and crowned their achievements by an ascent of Mount Albert Edward, where some weeks were spent in investigations. The leader, Mr.

R. Archbold, of New York, had with him Mr. A. L. Rand, Ph.D. (Cornell), as Or nithologist; and Mr. L. J. Brass, Queens land botanist on loan from the Arnold Arboretum, who had already made col lections in Papua, the Solomons and Northern Australia.

The party arrived in Papua last Feb ruary and at once started their work at Rona on the Astrolabe Range, behind Port Moresby. But it was the ascent of Mount Albert Edward (13,100 feet), the second highest peak in Papua, that en gaged their attention most of the time.

Although breaking no new ground as far as exploration goes, they were the first well equipped party in this field, and the publication of their results should make a notable addition to the records of Papuan fauna and flora.

Captain C. A. W. Monckton, of the New Guinea Service, was the first to ascend this tremendous peak, and no less than six other parties have followed him, as the summit is occasionally included in the routine patrols of Papuan Govern ment officials.

Yule Island was selected as the start ing point (of the Archbold expedition), and here the expedition was joined by Mr. C. J. Adamson, an experienced mountain traveller in Papua, who was placed in charge of transport. With a large number of carriers and a team of mules, the mountain road, made and maintained by the Sacred Heart Mission, was followed as far as Ononge, the most distant station of the mission, 100 miles from Yule Island. From here on the mules could go no further, and carriers were depended upon for the transport of food and scientific gear.

After establishing bases en route and recruiting fresh carriers from the moun tain villages, the Wharton Range was crossed by Murray Pass, and the ascent of the higher mountains begun. From Murray Pass, the route followed the wide grassy range west by the track taken by Mr. Middleton, a patrol officer, on his ascent of Mt. Albert Edward a few weeks previously. This led to a plateau which covers an area of about fifty square miles and is well grassed. Carriers for the ascent of the mountain itself were ob tained from Kuama, on the head waters of the Chirima, said to be the highest village in Papua.

Tents were pitched amid thick mist and chilling rain. Everyone felt the cold, and mountain sickness became a common experience until the party be came acclimatised.

The vegetation of the plateau proved

very interesting, the grass land being thickly dotted with low timber and stunted tree ferns. On the trunks of the latter, beautiful red and pink rhoden drons were found growing as epiphytes, and numerous orchids, some of which may be new varieties, were discovered.

A further move was made to Mr. Mid dleton’s top camp where a month was spent collecting the Alpine flora and in vestigating the bird and animal life. This camp, at an altitude of 12,250 feet, was in an ideal spot on the edge of a moun tain lake, sheltered by low forest. The central and south-east peaks, on the slopes of which heavy frost lie on the grass every day till noon, were both ascended. From the summit both the south and north-east coasts were visible.

and the whole tail of Papua, with its mighty ranges arranged like the back bone of some prehistoric animal, lie before them.

The return to the coast was made with

out any serious difficulties, and the expe dition left for further work in the West ern Division where hill climbing cer tainly did not figure in the programme.

Great assistance was afforded by the Fathers of the Sacred Heart Mission, the name of Father Dubuy, who had pre viously ascended Mt. Albert Edward, being especially mentioned.

The party did not include a geologist, but the actual mountain is considered to be formed of schists. No traces of gold were found, and so far as could be dis covered, there was nothing to indicate its presence. Though not very distant from the border, as the crow flies, the range is separated from the goldfields of the Mandated Territory by a deep valley.

It is, however, from the slopes of Albert Edward that the Mam bare and Yodda Rivers rise, and in the past large yields of the precious metal have been won from those rivers. No one can yet say that Albert Edward may not yield it too.

Papua has reason to b© grateful to the members of this expedition for their ar duous work in the mountains. The dis covery of scientific facts concerning the interior of the country has lagged behind exploration and pacification, and much that is interesting and possibly of econ omic value may be brought to light.

G.H.V.

The Aorangi left Suva on August 3 with 3400 cases of Fijian bananas for the N.Z. and Sydney markets.