Where Rich Gold

May Be Found

Unnamed River In Unexplored Western Papua

FROM a friend in Papua: “Gold is still booming in Eastern Papua. Five companies on Misima

alone are preparing to operate on a busi ness-like scale.

“But I am firmly convinced that Papua’s great possibility of a big gold field lies in that unexplored country drained by either the Strickland or Purari watershed. If you care to look up the Territory’s Annual Report for 1910-11, you will find where Massey-Baker dis covered the mouth of an unknown river, coming into the Strickland (the great tri butary of the Fly) just above Lake Mur ray. Baker, who explored this river only for a few miles, reported it to be a sand stone area and with wide gravel flats, about ten miles from the mouth, carry ing gold.

"This river has never been visited since Massey-Baker’s time; and that unex plored region has still to be explored.

The unknown stream, which is reported to be seventy to eighty yards in width, and navigable by a small launch at the point where Baker turned back, comes into the Strickland from the N.N.E. and.

N.E. Of course, in those days aeroplane transport was unthinkable, and dredging possibilities were also not thought of.

“It is my firm opinion that this un known river drains all. or nearly all, of that unexplored country S. and S.W. of Mt. Hagen (New Guinea). District Of ficer Taylor and Leahy Bros, report gold in the vicinity of Mt. Hagen (not in paying quantities, of course), and I gather that the existence of gold further to the south is undoubted.

“But to return to Massey-Saker’s river.

This former officer reported this stream, a large one, as carrying gold on large gravel flats, on both banks, and not more than ten miles from the mouth; I am certain that this river drains all that country S. and S.W. of Mt. Hagen; so what are the dredging possibilities on the watershed of this river ? If it carrier gold all the way up its course, and the flats do not entirely fade out among the mountains, it is quite logical to say that one could throw about ten Bulolos into it.”

This is believed to be the only all-cedar bridge in the world. It was built across the Watut River, just below its junction with the Bulolo, by Bulolo Gold Dredging Co. Ltd., a few months ago. There is a great deal of valuable cedar in this region, but its transport to the coast would be too costly to make its export a commercial proposition; so it is used, as shown in this handsome structure, for building purposes in connection with the rapidly expanding gold industry.