Late News for Islands

To Explore Unknown Papua

IT is reported that Mr. Jack Hides, A.R.M. at Misima, Papua, has been brought to Port Moresby on special duty. He is now assembling a party of police and carriers and it is understood that he is to proceed immediately to the Strickland River, a tributary of the Fly River, in Western Papua. He then will enter a practically unknown tributary of the Strickland, which joins the Strickland above Lake Murray, and disappears into absolutely unexplored country to the north-east. It is believed that this large, unknown river may enter the Territory of New Guinea south-west ward of Mount Hagen and, possibly, it may drain the great plateaux which are believed to lie westward of the Mount Hagen region, and southward of the Sepik.

Mr. Hides already has a fine reputation as a leader of patrols which have success fully penetrated and explored the hitherto unknown country in the centre of the great island. This, however, is the biggest job he has yet undertaken. Reference is made to this country and its probable gold bearing character in an article on page 50.

Aviators To Fly Pacific

Kingsford-Smith, having been prevented by a series of accidents from participating in the Centenary Air Race, has decided to use his superspeed ’plane in an attempt to fly the Pacific from Australia to America in three hops. He will leave Brisbane on October 20 for the aerodrome near Suva, Fiji: thence he will fly in one hop from Suva to Honolulu —over 3,000 miles; and his third hop will be from Honolulu to San Francisco.

His old associate, C. T. P. Ulm, is plan ning a trans-Pacific flight about the same time from Vancouver to Sydney, his hops being Vancouver-Honolulu, Honolulu-Fan ning Island, Fanning Island-Suva, Suva- Auckland, Auckland-Sydney.

Mission Rivalry

We have some interesting communica tions regarding rivalry of mission enter prises (in the newly discovered country in Central New Guinea) including a letter from Rev. Father Ross. These will be pub lished in the November issue.

The W.R.C. Service

The m.v. Salamaua, which inaugurates the new W.R.C. service (W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd.) between Australia, N. Guinea

and European ports, arrived in Sydney on October 12, having travelled via West Africa and South Australian ports. She is a vessel of attractive appearance; and, as cheap passages to Europe are available in her, New Guinea residents will be in terested to know that her passenger accom modation is excellent. Details of this new service will be found in our advertising columns.

Japanese Again

During the month there have been sharp complaints in Australian newspapers about raids by wandering Japanese vessels in and around Torres Straits. One sampan ap pears to have landed on Haggerstein Island, about 125 miles from Thursday Island, and there the visitors broke into a house and carried off a quantity of goods.

The Australian Government is still being urged to inaugurate adequate patrol services.

A Christmas Box Suggestion

A suitable Christmas Box for friends in Australia, Europe, etc., is a 12 months’ sub scription to the “Pacific Islands Monthly.”

On receipt of 6/- (or 8/- in the case of non- British countries) we will send the “P.I.M.” to any address you give us; and, with the first number so sent, we shall despatch also a nicely-printed card, advising the person named that you have requested us to con vey to him your best Christmas greetings, and that you have arranged to send the “P.I.M.” for 12 months.

Tallow Market Rising

An interesting development in Australia in the oil and fat trade, which appears to have a bearing on the copra situation, is the fact that the tallow market is rising.

Considerable and increasing quantities of tallow are now being shipped from Aus tralia to Europe and America. Dropping from the vicinity of £100 per ton, in 1918, the tallow price fell to around £l5 per ton, and has remained there for the past year or so. Lately, however, the price has risen and is now £23/10/- per ton.