On Sepik Tour

General McNicoll Near Dutch Border

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, Nov. 2.

THE Administrator (General W. Ram say McNicoll) left Rabaul by the last Macdhui and travelled by that vessel as far as Wewak, on the northern coast of the mainland, where he transferred to one of the small Government schooners.

After making an inspection of the new station at Wewak, he proceeded up the Sepik River, accompanied by A.D.O.

McCarthy and an amateur wireless ex pert, Mr. Weldon.

This is His Honour’s second trip up

the Sspik River, and there is speculation in some quarters as to the necessity which requires the Chief Executive of the Terri tory to make such long tours in this out of-the-way district. Some of the more optimistic miners hope that after the Ad ministrator has made the trip and found the natives to be tractable in areas which are at present proclaimed as being “un controlled,” an order may be issued re scinding the original proclamations, thus enabling experienced miners to enter dis tricts, which were previously explored by them many years ago.

The journey up the Sepik to October River (450 miles from the sea and about 15 miles from the Dutch border) was made by the Hermes. There General McNicoll left the schooner and continued his voyage on the launch Osprey. Near the Dutch border the river grew narrower and shoaled rapidly. A strong current and temporary engine trouble resulted in the launch colliding with a submerged snag and almost capsizing. The A.D.O. and one native fell overboard, but man aged to swim to a snag and were assisted back to the launch by river natives.

Through the efforts of the native ser geant, Nadu, most of the cargo, which also fell off the launch, was recovered next day. The anchor and cable were lost and the launch was leaking slightly, but a more serious situation was averted by clever handling of the craft by the engi neer, Andrews. The party later returned to the October River.

One of the features of this tour has been the contact maintained by His Honour with the civilised world through the medium of wireless. From time to time he has despatched to Rabaul details of his observations, for promulgation further afield.

It is something of a coincidence that the present tour of the Administrator is just 50 years after the Sepik was discovered by Dr. Finsch in 1885, and 25 years after the explorations of Dr. Schultze, who was the leader of the Dutch-German boundary expedition in 1910. Little did those pioneers think that science would make such progress as to enable the inhabit ants of the Sepik to “listen-in” to a musical programme, broadcast from America, or hear the latest war news from a coloured nation in Africa fighting against a European Power. Such, how ever, was the case during General McNicoll’s tour in the few weeks he has been in this area.