Governor Flies Over New Lands Visit

New Lands Visit to Beautiful Lake Kutubu, in Central Papua

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Dec. 1.

THE Lieut.-Governor of Papua, Sir Hubert Murray, K.C.M.G., made his first visit of inspection by air to the newly-established police camp at Lake Kutubu, in the uncontrolled Central area of Papua, on November 18.

Leaving Kikori in Guinea Airways Stinson seaplane (Pilot K. Garden), His Excellency reached Lake Kutubu in the morning (after a flight of little less than an hour) and, though clouds cut off the view during the greater part of the journey, it was possible to obtain a clear view of the lake, and of the villages perched on the heights along the shore, before landing.

The camp is on a hill near the shore, and the view is described by Sir Hubert Murray as different from the ordinary landscape to which one is accustomed in Papua.

“The Papuan interior generally pre sents us with a beauty which is like that of Caledonia, ‘stern and wild’, but Lake Kutubu offers a quiet loveliness which one associates rather with the scenery of the English lakes”, said Sir Hubert. “Such, at any rate, was the manner in which Kutubu scenery ap pealed to me. Whether or not the scenery resembled that of the English lakes, the effect was very beautiful, and the roughness of the surrounding coun try only served to accentuate the beauty of the lake itself.

“The surrounding country is very rough. Mt. Bosavi (Leonard Murray mountains), which is close by, rises to a height of 8,000 feet, and the plane, coming from Kikori, reached 5,000 ft.

The lake itself is 2,700 ft. above sea-level.

The ruggedness of the surrounding country may be imagined from the fact that, though the plane does the jour ney from Kikori in an hour, the over land journey takes between two and three weeks”.

Sir Hubert noticed that taro, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and other food stuffs grew well, and even luxuriantly, about the camp; but he considered that, except for a few pockets, the soil of the country around the lake was rather poor. It appears that the native planta tions are neither extensive nor fertile, the usual food of the inhabitants con sisting of sago, and an inferior fish which is found in the lake.

“Judged by Papuan standards”, stated Sir Hubert, “the natives of the lake seem to be a fairly peaceable lot of people; though retaliatory murders to pay back for alleged sorcery are, I un derstand, not infrequent. Mr. Ivan Cham pion, the officer in charge of the camp, has alreadv succeeded in preventing sev eral of these murders, and he has hopes of being able eventually to sup press the more serious forms of crime without recourse to arrest and punish ment. If he succeeds in this —and I per sonally believe that he will—he will have done a great service to the method of peaceful penetration which it is our ambition to establish in Papua”.

On the return flight, the same after noon, owing to a much clearer and al most cloudless atmosphere, it was pos sible to have an excellent view of the

overland route to the lake; of Beaver Falls, where the waters of the Mobi River tumble in a cloud of spray over a precipice many hundreds of feet high; and of the Samberigi Valley: and of other landmarks of interest.

In describing his impressions after the flight, Sir Hubert Murray said he was struck by the boundless expanse of land, with so little trace of human occupa tion.

Mr. and Mrs. Ken Frank left Pori Moresby by the “Guba” at the end of November on six months of well-earned leave. He has been officer-in-charge at Port Moresby since 1934; and, with his exceptional mechanical skill and capacity for hard work he has done a very great deal to develop wireless communication in Papua. Officially and socially he will be badly missed. Mr. C. E. Searle, who was transferred from Port Moresby to Sydney a year ago, is in charge during Mr. Frank’s absence.

Dr. K. Washington Gray, chief geolo gist to Australasian Petroleum Co., in Papua, was suffering from malaria re cently, and spent a few days in Port Moresby hospital. He was sufficiently re covered to leave for Daru and the Fly River by Guinea Airways Stinson plane on November 19.

The M.Y. “Crusader” (380 tons), which has already called at Papeete and Apia in the course of a world cruise, arrived in Fiji in November.

With the owner, Mr. J. McComber, there are five guests on board. The “Crusa der’s” master, Captain J. Evans, served at one time in the Fiji Group as chief officer and later master on the Govern ment yacht, “Pioneer”.