Companies' Activities

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby. Jan. 20.

members of the staff of the J. Muir (chief geologist), N. Osborne and

W. Chawner (assistant geologists), and E. Lius (accountant) —left Port Moresby on December 2 by the vessel Maira for Daru. The Maira has recently been char tered by the company for transport work on their concessions in the west, together with another vessel already at work, and in use by Messrs. H. Prentice and E.

O’Driscoll (the two geologists who some time back arrived on the field).

It is understood that the company have already commenced oil prospecting on Concession or Permit No. 3. an area of 9,062 sq. miles to the N.W. of Daru, and that Messrs. Muir, Osborne and Lius are proceeding to Concession No. 4, an area of 10,711 sq. miles on the Upper Fly, where work is progressing. Concession No. 2. an area of 1,577 sq. miles, which includes the waterways of the Turuma, is to have immediate attention. These three widely senarated areas occupy ap proximately 21.000 sq. miles in the West ern Division of Papua.

The total staff, to date, of Island Ex ploration Co., working in Papua, number eight Europeans. The Company besides holding these concessions in Papua, have further areas in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea, and, by the last Macdhui from Australia. Messrs. H. Lumus and B. Jones passed through to commence work on these areas.

Oriomo Oil Co.

Messrs. K. McKinnon and J. C. and M.

Pratt, additional members of the staff of the Oriomo Oil Co., who arrived in the Territory on December 30, left for Kikori, tbe company’s base depot, by the vessel Olive on January 5 to commence work on the company’s concession in the west, which extends from the west of Kikori (in tbo Delta Division) through the Gulf to St. Joseph’s River in tbe Central Division; an area of approxi mately 12,000 sq. miles.

Mr. Hakon Mielche, the famous Danish artist, who was in the Pacific with the Monsunen expedition in 1934, writes that he has completed his wanderings in Tierra del Fuego, Chile and Peru; and that the book he wrote, based on his journey, was published in December and is enjoying an excellent sale. Mr. Mielche says he still has “that South Sea feeling.’’ so we can expect to see him here again under the palm trees fairly soon.