For Fly River
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
American Scientific Party Will Use Amphibian
THE advance party of the expedition sent to Western Papua by the American Museum of Natural History sailed from Sydney at the end of January for Port Moresby. They were Dr. Alvin L. Rand, ornithologist and assistant leader of the party, Mr. G, H. H. Tate, mammalogist, and Mr. L. J. Brass, a botanist on the staff of the Arnold Arboretum, Queensland.
The leader of the expedition, Dr. Richard Archbold, mammalogist of the famous New York Museum, will arrive in Australia shortly. He is bringing with him a large Fairchild Amphibian ’plane.
Dr. Rand and Messrs. Tate and Brass will go on from Port Moresby to- Daru Island (at the mouth of the Fly River), where the expedition’s main base will be located. From there the party will con centrate on the Fly River and the moun tains beyond, collecting mammals and birds for the Natural History Museum, and plants for the New York Botanical Society.
Collections of cold-blooded invertebrates and insects will also be made, and the party will try to secure living palm seeds so that an attempt may be undertaken to grow indigenous species of Papuan palms in Florida, U.SA. In addition to the land fauna, Torres Strait porpoises and sea turtles will be collected by Mr. Archbold.
The ’plane, which carries about eight passengers, will be unloaded at Brisbane, according to the Vacuum Oil Co., which has arranged for fuel and oil to be sent
to the base in Papua. The machine will then be flown to Daru by Mr. Russel Rogers, and on arrival there, reconnais sance flights will be made over the head waters of the Fly River to discover the most promising and accessible areas for field work.
The inland party, led by Mr. Rand, will then be flown 550 miles up-river with 30 native carriers to a place where the Fly is wide enough to allow for an emergency base for the big ’plane. From this point the expedition will go on on foot, attempt ing to reach hitherto unattained altitudes, keeping in touch with the aeroplane and the Daru camp by means of a portable wireless.
While on the march, the exploring party will be supplied with food from the aero plane by parachute.
The four scientists worked for a time in Papua for the American Museum of Natural History early in 1934. Their finest achievement on that occasion was the climbing of Mount Albert Edward (13,100 ft.), the second highest peak in Papua.
Mr. A. Young, Islands Traveller for Messrs. Sargood Gardiner Limited, left Sydney for Papua and New Guinea by the January Macdhui, on one of his periodical business trips to Rabaul and the outports.
Recent movements in the British Colonial Service: Mr. C. J. J. T. Barton, lately senior assistant colonial secretary, Kenya, to be colonial secretary, Fiji; Mr.
A. W. L. Savage, recently assistant trea surer, Northern Rhodesia, to be deputy treasurer, Fiji; Mr. C. S. St. Julian, pro moted to comparing officer, Customs De partment. Fiji.