Through Unexplored

Western Papua Route of Mr. Ivan Champion’s New Expedition

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, April 22.

Iitr. Ivan Champion, A.R.M., Left

Port Moresby on April 1 by the Gov ernment vessel Vailala for Darn on the first stage of his forthcoming expedition.

At Darn he will complete the final arrangements for his long journey into the interior of Western Papua with Patrol Officer C. J. Adamson.

Mr. Adamson recently journeyed to Rigo to recruit carriers for the expedi tion. He was unsuccessful, however, and 30 native volunteers have been selected from Koki gaol. They sailed for Daru by the Papuan Chief on April 17, Mr. Adam son having left for that post in Mr.

Archbold’s amphibian ’plane earlier in the day.

The proposed route will take the party up the left branch of the Bamu River to its source, from where they will proceed N.N. West making for what appeared, from the recent aerial reconnaissance, to be a thickly populated valley system.

Thence they propose to strike in an easterly direction for Lake Marguerite— the large sheet of water reported and named by the Government aerial party in their flights from Mt. Hagen.

The party will then proceed N.E., crossing Mr, Jack Hides’s route near the Waga. After passing through the thickly populated grass country to Mt. Gilua, they will strike eastwards to the Kangel River (an affuent of the Purari) and even tually make for the coast down the main stream to the sea.

Mt, Gilua, which the expedition will visit, is a well known landmark to air men. It is situated on the border of Papua and New Guinea and lies approxi mately 15 miles due south of Mt. Hagen.

Lake Marguerite was visited recently by the Archbold Expedition. They tried to land the amphibian there but found it was impracticable.

A close view revealed that Lake Mar guerite is a wide sheet of water approxi mately 10 miles in length, studded with many small islands. On one of these stood a large village and beyond the fir clad slopes of the lake different stages of cultivation were observed which sug gested that the district supported a fairly large population.

His Excellency the Governor of French Oceania (Monsieur H. Sautot) left Papeete by the Ville D’Amiens on April 5 for a tour of inspection of the Marquesas Is lands, and returned by local schooner at the end of the month. During his ab sence affairs were taken care of by Monsieur Aumont, Chef du Service d’Administration Generale et des Fin ances.