Through Unknown

N. Guinea

Papuan Prospectors In An Unexplored Region

From Our Own Correspondent.

Port Moresby, March 22.

A JOURNEY through the unmapped and unknown central area of New Guinea is reported by a party of gold prospectors,.

Messrs. Westhoven, McCabe and Minahan. who arrived in Port Moresby on March 19 after five months spent in the region west and north-west of the Lakekamu River.

In November, the party, after visiting the Lakekamu goldfield, pushed on farther west, up the head waters of the Kikori River, in the Delta Division. Then, from the Samberigi Valley, they reached the Erewa River, flowing from the Sir Arthur Gordon Range; and eventually they got into the unknown valleys running west from Mt. Hagen (in the newly-discovered region, in New Guinea, north-west of the Morobe goldfield).

They found the districts inhabited by virile tribes, continually at war with one another, who became extremely friendly to the party, after the first shock of con tact. These people had not previously made contact with white men.

An interesting collection of stone axes was made.

The continual line of limestone the party encountered was disappointing. In not one instance was gold bearing country met with on the trip.

Preparations for further investigations

in other unexplored districts are in hand.

While camping on the banks of the Erewa River, the party saw with the aid of field glasses what appeared to be a large canvas tent on the side of a distant mountain which they thought might pos sibly be that of the Hides and O’Malley patrol. But it is generally understood to have been the face of a limestone cliff, for the country to the west is closed by high limestone ridges. Messrs. Hides and O’Malley’s route from the Fly and Strick land lies more to the north, near the boun dary.

Mr. Ward Williams has arrived here with six men, including Messrs. Corn, Gwilt and Anderson, ready for the ex pedition up the Fly River on behalf of Oroviole Company. He will have a police escort, led by Patrol-Officer Cowley. It is said that this expedition will use an auto gyro machine, capable of landing on sea or land, and two pilots.

There is no further word of the Govern ment exploring expedition led by A.R.M.

Jack Hides, which disappeared into the in terior beyond the Fly River in January in an attempt to get through into the Mount Hagen district, in the Mandated Territory.