Newly-Discovered New

Guinea Official Descriptions of Ramu — Mt. Hagen Region

TWO papers of considerable interest are contained in the issue of the “Geo graphical Journal” of November, 1934.

The first, illustrated with striking and unusual photographs, is entitled “The Central Ranges of the Mandated Terri tory of New Guinea —from Mount Chap man to Mount Hagen,” by E. W. P. Chin nery, who is the official anthropologist in New Guinea and head of District Services and Native Affairs. The second, “Map ping the Purari Plateau, New Guinea,” is by K. L. Spinks, who is an official sur veyor, and recently examined this country.

These two papers constitute the first authoritative publication describing the remarkable new country that has been discovered in Central New Guinea during the past 20 months.

This region is certain to receive a great deal of attention in the future. It is a series of vast park-like plateaux, table lands, and well-watered valleys lying at an average height of 5000 feet, southward of the Bismarck Ranges and the Ramu River (which run parallel with the north ern coast of New Guinea). These mighty natural barriers had defeated for a cen tury the best efforts of exploration parties; and, although this vast central region was marked on the maps as un explored, it was assumed that it com prised the broken, rocky, jungle-clad wilderness that is characteristic of the

southern Morobe district and of the mountain chains which lie along the bor derline of New Guinea and Papua.

But in 1932-33 parties of Government patrol officers and gold prospectors began to push steadily westward from Wau, into the very broken country along the border; and north-west from the Bulolo end of the Morobe goldfield, down past the head waters of the Ramu River; and, in the latter country particularly they found densely-populated districts of astonishing beauty and fertility. Instead of impass able rocky crags, they found wide smiling valleys and great grassy plains watered by innumerable rivers. Instead of the semi-nomadic Kukukukus treacherous and elusive jungle tribes —they discov ered comparatively well-ordered com munities and natives of magnificent physique and unusual intelligence, whose well-planned and irrigated gardens and farmlets proved them to be agriculturists of no mean order. Instead of steamy jungles and malarial swamps they found healthy wind-swept uplands, lying at an average height which, although close to the equator, gave them a climate of sub tropical quality.

Goverment officials and prospectors dur ing 1933-34 pushed rapidly into this as tonishing country and their exploratory activities were greatly aided by aero planes. The skilled aviators of Guinea Airways, Ltd., Holden’s Air Transport Services. Ltd., and other companies did work of incalculable value. As the ex ploring parties advanced they cleared landing grounds, and thus the aeroplanes constantly sought them out with supplies and mails, and maintained communica tion.

More or less incomplete accounts of these discoveries have been published, and throughout the world intense interest has

been manifested in this fascinating new country, the existence of which was hither to unsuspected. The demands for further information have been insatiable; and for this reason the papers by Messrs. Chin ery and Spinks will be gladly received.

The two gentlemen named have not sought to provide anything like a detailed de scription of the new country and the new people; but the facts they have published are the results of the careful observations of trained and experienced professional men; and for that reason they are of value at the present time.

Together with the papers there is pub lished an exceedingly valuable map show ing in considerable detail the river sys tems, the villages, and the principal mountains in the region between the Ramu headwaters and Mount Hagen. A number of these river systems disappear into unknown country, and junction somewhere in order to form the head waters of the great Purari River, which later emerges in Papua.

It is most interesting, also, to note that on this new map, on the southern limits of the newly explored country (and there fore not far from the border between Papua and New Guinea), three new mountain peaks have been marked Mount Leahy (14,270 ft.), Mount Daniel (13,420 ft.), and Mount Spinks (12,500 ft.).

So far as we are aware this is the first time that these peaks, of such notable height, have been shown on any map.

Mr. Ray Mansell, a young aviator of Bathurst, New South Wales, departed from Sydney for Salamaua, New Guinea, by the Montoro on February 20. He in tends to take up a position as pilot with one of the major goldfields aerial trans port companies.