“Papua’S Wonderland” From The Air

What Government Officials Saw in Flight From Mount Hagen

From Our Own Correspondent.

Port Moresby, Feb. 20.

ON February 1 and 2 Pilot C. R. Gur ney, in a Guinea Airways single engined Junker, from Mt. Hagen, New Guinea, made two of what might be called the most sensational flights that have ever been undertaken by Guinea Airways, when he flew with the Papuan Government party over the recently ex plored country of the Tari Furoro, and south over the great limestone barrier to the Leonard Murray Mountains and the waterways of the Kikori.

These flights, made by the Papuan Government party (consisting of Messrs.

Jack Hides, Ivan Champion, and F. E.

Williams, accompanied by A.D.O. J. L.

Taylor, of the New Guinea Service, and Mr. Lewis Lett), were for the purpose of checking Jack Hides’s geographical data, made on his recent successful expedition from the headwaters of the Strickland to the Purari; and to find the best possible route for Ivan Champion’s coming patrol from the Turama to the Strickland, fur ther south.

The first flight took them south-west, almost in a direct line over the border — over a series of valley systems, enclosed by high mountain ranges rising to 13,000 feet, until they reached, through a gap between two peaks, the Tari Furoro val ley—loo miles distant by time from their base, Mt. Hagen.

This huge area, approximately 1,000 square miles in extent, stood out clearly as the ’plane swung above, and Jack Hides, without difficulty, recognised the salient points of his journey last year— Mt. Jubilee, Ryan’s Gorge and Mt. Cham pion, which he encountered in April and May.

Then, surprisingly, they came upon a beautiful lake he had not observed, set among mountains that rose to 7,000 and 8,000 feet, pine covered to the water’s edge.

Very clear were the detached farm houses, cultivated gardens, and groves surrounding the dancing enclosures, which extended from one end to the other of the huge valley, which was w r atered by numerous streams that flowed eastward towards the Purari and without doubt carrying a very large agricultural popu lation.

Further unexplored valleys could be picked out, running south and south-east, stretching far away into the distance, unknown to the world and apparently holding as large and as unusual a popu lation as that encountered in the Tari Furoro.

A description of this flight, given in the words of one of the party, illustrates the flight clearly: “For half an hour we flew over this series of valleys, then saw ahead, and

right on our course, a gap between two sharp peaks that towered to 11,000 feet.

Hides passed back a note from his seat beside the pilot and we learned that this was the barrier that shut off the Tari Furoro tribe from the other communities.

“We passed through the gap, and descended a little, to obtain a closer view.

We were towards the southern limit of a great flat valley, oval in shape, and measuring, as nearly as we could judge, 40 miles east and west and 30 miles in breadth. Round the edge of the valley rugged hills rose abruptly to a height of from 0,000 to 10,000 feet, except where, to north-west and south-west, wide open ings in the mountain wall showed big extensions of the valley in those direc tions.

“The floor of this great valley was flat, and broken only by deep creek-beds and smooth undulations. And the whole of the 1.000 square miles gave the effect of a vast park. Great stretches of open grass were interrupted by innumerable cultivated areas, copses of casuarina, and the close-set ornamental trees that marked the ceremonial dancing grounds.

At first sight no houses were visible, but later one could see that they were half hidden by the plantains and sugar cane that surrounded them. As in the Mt.

Hagen district, there were no villages, the houses being scattered in loose groups, each conveniently placed near the cul tivated areas which belonged to it.

“Away to the north-west stood the dominating mountain that Hides had named Mt. Jubilee, a majestic mass whose appearance justified the name as com pletely as did the date on which it was discovered. Although its peaks and shoul ders were shrouded in the thick cloud that already was gathering fast, its mag nificent lower slopes, the proud upward

sweep of its flanks, and the high-banked pillar of billowy cloud that hid its sum mit gave an effect of vastness and finality not easy to forget.

“The population of these valleys, from Mt. Hagen to the Tari Furoro, was astounding. Not only were the valley floors densely inhabited, but far up on the mountain slopes columns of smoke showed that habitations were in exist ence or that more ground was being prepared for cultivation. It was amazing to gaze down upon so great a number of people, unknown to the world for so long, who seemed to be even in excess of the estimate given by their discoverers.

“After flying for ten minutes across the southern extremity of the valley, clouds were observed to be gathering heavily to the east. Gurney banked steeply and rose to 11,000 feet and made for Mt. Hagen, which he reached before noon after run ning through rain, dense clouds and swirling mists. Half an hour later the hills round Mt. Hagen were obscured completely.”

Though the morning of February 2 was not very promising, the party took off from Mt. Hagen at 10.30 for the second flight and flew west-south-west on a compass course calculated to strike the Leonard Murray Mountains, which had been named by Jack Hides last year.

After fifteen minutes’ flight, they were over Papua and, passing the Waga Furari country, they were soon over the limestone barrier, with its gruesome chasms, serrated peaks and ridges which threatened them with destruction. Reach ing its wall, which rose almost perpen dicular for 4,000 ft., they skirted the edge and flew south and east over the Beaver Falls, and Mobi, of the Upper Kikori, with the Susamiro creek well in view, and the course of the Turama from its source to the estuary. The Leonard Murray mountains were easily recognised —a symmetrical mass that rose in sharp peaks from the lower country, and the great central plateau which took Hides 45 days to cross from the Rentoul River.

A vast panorama stretched before them, from the heights of the Carrington Gorge, leading to the Strickland in the north west; to the Papuan Gulf in the south.

The flight was triangular in formation and was estimated to be approximately 230 miles—loo miles to the Leonard Murray Mountains, 30 S.E. along the base, and 100 miles home, and was of intense interest to those who knew the country and had traversed it on foot.

Mr. Ivan Champion’s route lay clearly exposed, the limestone ridges, valleys, and ranges, he must cross on his way from .'the Turema to the Strickland, but whether these districts contained a large

population it was impossible to say.

In order to get above the clouds, which were banking heavily, and to avoid the high mountain peaks, Gurney was forced to rise above 14,000 ft. on his return flight. Mt. Hagen was reached about noon, after descending gradually from the clouded heights of Mt. Gilua which, rising to 11,000 ft. stands on the border of Papua and New Guinea.

On their return flight to Wau the following day, February 3rd, Messrs. Jack Hides, Ivan Champion and A.D.O. J. L.

Taylor proceeded to Salamaua, to com bine their different geographical data.

Those of the party not concerned with mapping (Messrs. F. E. Williams and Lewis Lett) returned to Port Moresby, the same day.

While at Mt. Hagen, the party were entertained by Fathers Ross and Meiser of the Roman Catholic Mission and Mr.

Dan Leahy, brother of the well-known explorers, whose mining claim lay not far distant.