Possibility Of A Dredging

Prospecting In

Dutch New Guinea.

Possibility Of A Dredging Scheme.

THE gold prospecting expedition sent out to Dutch New Guinea by the Netherlands New Guinea Mining Company (holders of the gold-seeking monopoly in D.N.G.) h,as returned to Ba tavia, after an absence of nine months .

It is reported that gold was discovered in the Lorentz River (south-west coast), but that it was patchy. Better results were obtained in the Eilander River, in the same district, and there are possibilities for a dredging scheme there.

The expedition arrived in Dutch New Guinea by the chartered K.P.M. vessel “Kampar” (600 tons) in April. 1937. It was under the command of Captain Becking, formerly in charge of the Government camp for exiled Communists on the Digoel River, D.N.G., and it included geologists, mining engineers, radio experts, and 40 soldiers.

Included in the expedition were 80 Day aks (natives from the island of Borneo.

Dutch East Indies), who acted as carriers on the rivers and in the jungle. For the river transport of stores, the Dayaks had a number of their native proas.

The “Kampar” went up the Lorentz River (which has its source in the Nas seau Mountains) for about 65 miles At Bivouac Island the first depot was made in no time, this island was turned into a small township.

After getting things into order at the depot, the expedition proceeded up the river by motor boat, towing the native boats, which are capable of loading two tons of stores, besides the rowers and sol diers for escort. At the end of four days’ travelling, the motor boats could go no further on account of the rapids. The final portion of the trek took another four davs per native proas.

One of the first objects of the expedi tion was to discover a lake called the “Violet Lake” where, it was purported, two years ago an American flier discov ered gold in nuggets in sufficient quan tity to warrant forming this expedition.

This lake was not found, and it is sus pected that its location was reported in correctly.

Owing to heavy rains and the snow melting on the mountains, the tributaries and the low lying flats of the Lorentz River became flooded in July. The flood waters spread over an enormous area, ow ing to the strong winds and tides banking the water at the river mouth. At Bivouac, the flood rose two metres above the is land, causing extensive damage to stores, gear, etc., belonging to the expedition.

The personnel in charge of the depot had to live on hastily-constructed rafts for more than six weeks.

Gradually the flood waters, subsided and in the middle of August it was de cided, partly on account of the floods, and partly on account of the prospecting part ies having worked over towards the head of the Reiger River (a tributary of the Lorentz), to move the depot to a point nearer the place of operations. The Rei ger River is navigable for about 20 miles above its junction with the Lorentz, and as its upper portion has fewer rapids, the transport problem was easier than when the previous base was established.

Later, the gold-seeking parties explor ed and tested the Eilander River, with the results already mentioned.