Mr. Ward-Williams

Papuan Gold Search Abandoned

\ FTER spending a year in the interior of Papua, conducting one of the most ambitious gold prospecting projects of modern times, the Ward-Williams Expe dition has abandoned the search.

The leader of the expedition, Mr. J.

Ward-Williams, and one of the prospec tors, Mr. W. T. Korn, returned to Aus tralia by the Montoro on August 8.

Mr. Ward-Williams told the Sydney Morning HeraUl: “We decided to abandon our original plan to spend two years prospecting in Papua, as the chances of finding sufficiently large areas of gold are remote. We are satisfied there is no gold there is large quantities.

“I spent 13 months in the interior of Papua with two other white m<?n. Joe Bourke and Wallace Kienzle,” Mr. Korn said, “and we are all satisfied that it is useless to prospect any further. We thoroughly prospected all the upper reaches of the Fly River to the boundary of New Guinea, and feel confident that no gold will be found this side of the border. We washed up numerous colours in the headwaters, but there was nothing payable.”

Mr. Ward-Williams formed a syndicate overseas to finance the expedition. Aus tralian, American, and English interests were behind the scheme. The head of the English group was the Selection Trust Ltd. The head of the American group was the Pardners Mines Corporation.

Mr. Ward-Williams is returning to the United States by the Mariposa from Sydney on September 6.

Captain Philip Samuel Jones, an old pioneer of Fiji, died recently at Waiyevo Hospital, Taveuni, at the age of 77. A New Zealander, he was well known in the 80’s as master of several vessels in and out of the port of Levuka.

Major Frank Hewitt, managing direc tor of Lever’s Pacific Plantations Pty.

Ltd., departed from Sydney for Suva,

Fiji, by the Aorangi on August 5 on business. He will return to Australia by

the Mariposa in September.