Papua

Exploration Of New Guinea And

Rapid Penetration of Hitherto Unknown Areas

By R. W. Robson.

AN American explorer, Commander Dyatt, who is best known for his expedition in search of Colonel P. W. Fawcett (British explorer, who disappeared in the jungles of Brazil in 1925) has announced that he is seeking the permission of the Australian Government to carry out a year’s exploration work in New Guinea. He says he proposes to cover an area of 10,000 square miles, and will be accompanied by a geologist and a surveyor. He would make some study of minerals, but his chief work would be anthropological and geographical.

If Commander Dyatt does not make haste in carrying out his plan of explora-

tion in New Guinea, he will find very little country left to explore.

The Australians have done a creditable job of work. Two or three years ago there was a very large area in Central New Guinea and Papua, eastward of the Upper Fly and south-westward of the Sepik, which had never been penetrated by white men, and which is still shown on most maps as a complete blank. But during the past two years a good deal of this territory has been opened up, mainly as a result of the enterprise of gold pros pectors who are constantly pushing west ward from the Morobe goldfield.

It is almost two years since a combined

expedition led by Assistant District Officer J. L. Taylor, representing the Adminis tration, and Messrs. Mick and Dan Leahy, representing gold-seeking interests, got through to Mount Hagen from the upper reaches of the Ramu River. They tra versed a magnificent park-like valley or plateau, lying between mountain ranges, over 100 miles long by 50 or 60 miles across. The plateau lies at a consider able height—averaging, I understand, at least 3000 feet—and it carries a thick population of natives who had never hitherto been in contact with white men.

These are a particularly fine type of people, who engage in intense agriculture and have a remarkable system of irriga tion. The valley or plateau is very well watered by two river systems, which ap pear to combine to form the headwaters of the Purari River. These streams dis appear in a southerly direction, into the unexplored central range between Papua and New Guinea; but there is little doubt that they are part of the mysterious Purari, which flows into the Gulf of Papua on the southern coast of the great island.

The announcement of the discovery of this beautiful land and attractive people has aroused great interest all over the world. It was stated only a few days ago that an American expedition is hurrying to what is called the Mount Hagen area to make films and gather anthropological data.

There is some reason to believe that this region was penetrated by Captain Detzner, the German officer who escaped from the Australians into the interior in 1914 and who wandered there for years in an attempt to get across the unknown central region into Dutch New Guinea.

Detzner’s book in which he apparently described this Mount Hagen area was discredited; but since we have obtained details of the region, during the past two years, there is a tendency to believe that Captain Detzner’s claims were un justly treated.

When Messrs. Taylor and Leahy Brothers reached Mount Hagen, with the assistance of aeroplanes, early in 1933, they secured, from the aeroplanes and from the slopes of the high mountain (over 13,000 feet), a glimpse of the coun try to the westward —an absolutely un known territory, 100 miles wide, which lies westward and south-westward of Mount Hagen. They described it as even more attractive in appearance than the Ramu-Mt. Hagen region, and said also that it appeared to be densely populated.

At this very moment, an expedition equipped by one of the gold companies and led by Messrs. Mick and Dan Leahy is away out in this country westward of Mount Hagen; and when the Leahy Brothers return we may expect that some very interesting material will be pub lished. The Leahy Brothers are some

thing more than prospectors—they are keen observers, possess considerable scientific knowledge, and they are expert photographers.

The Papuan Expedition.

Meanwhile, another expedition has set off. The Lieutenant-Governor of Papua (Sir Hubert Murray) has selected one of the ablest of his young officers. Assistant Resident Magistrate Jack Hides, to lead an expedition up the Fly River to its junction with the Strickland, thence to ascend the Strickland River for at least 100 miles; and then to branch off in a north-easterly direction, in an attempt to penetrate the unknown region that lies on the border of Papua and New Guinea, between the upper waters of the Strick land and Mount Hagen. Mr. Hides was to leave about November 20 on the small vessel “Vailala,” which has been specially prepared for the expedition and which will take them up the Strickland as far as she can. Mr. Hides is accompanied by 14 specially selected native police and 25 native convicts from the Port Moresby gaol—the latter being all hillmen from the north-eastern division of the Territory who are under long sentences, and who have learned something of discipline.

Such convict-carriers have proved very useful and reliable in expeditions in the past. It is estimated that the Hides expedition will be absent for five or six months, and it is hoped that it will tra verse about 300 miles of hitherto unknown Papua and will come out somewhere in the vicinity of Mount Hagen in the cen tral portion of the Mandated Territory.

An expedition led by Mr. G. Massy Baker several years ago discovered a great tributary coming into the Strick land River about 70 miles above its junc tion with the Fly. This river has never been explored—but it is assumed, appar ently with some reason, that it drains some portion of the large unknown region south-westward of Mount Hagen. Mr.

Massey Baker’s report laid emphasis on the fact that this river apparently comes through markedly auriferous country—he found in it impressive traces of gold. It is understood that a part of Mr. Hides’s task is to take a look at this river and if practicable to secure some indication of where it comes from. It is quite possible that the course of this river, if north eastward, will be generally the track that Mr. Hides will follow Mr. Hides already has carried out some notable exploratory patrols through prac tically unknown territory in Central Papua and he has almost ready for pub lication a book describing some of his more interesting experiences, for which Sir Hubert Murray has written a special preface.

Dutch Activity Just westward of the Dutch New Guinea- Mandated Territory border is another un known region and at the present moment extensive plans are afoot for the investi gation of this country by a Dutch expedi tion. The “official investigation,” as it is called, is under the direction of that in fluential body of Dutch citizens formed last year in The Hague and called the New Guinea Committee. Its representa tive in Australia is Colonel J. G. Koop man. The Dutch Government, with the assistance of the New Guinea Committee, is now giving very active attention to a survey of the mineral and oil resources of Dutch New Guinea; and the expedition that is now going inland, into the north east section of Dutch New Guinea, near the Mandated Territory border, is part of a general plan which embraces the use of aeroplanes.

It is interesting to note in this connec tion that Colonel Koopman is seeking to

co-operate with the Australian authorities and with such institutions as Guinea Air ways Ltd., which has provided the gold fields section of New Guinea with an extraordinarily efficient transport system, and whose aeroplanes co-operating with the various expeditions, have assisted so much in the rapid contraction of the area hitherto described as “unknown New Guinea.”

Papuan Customs revenue is still falling.

For the first quarter of the financial year to September 30, receipts were down £942.

Post office receipts were £439, and Gov ernment plantations revenue decreased by £716. Altogether there is a total decline of £2688. The public debt stood at £65,621, all due to the Commonwealth- Government.