New Guinea
pp. 23-24 · Read in the full issue
“A Second Kenya” In Central
Return of Hagen-Sepik Exploring Party
INTERESTING new data about the hitherto unknown upland region of Central New Guinea, lying between Mount Hagen and the Dutch border, were supplied by Mr. J. L. Taylor when the European members of the Hagen-Sepik patrol (Messrs. J. L. Taylor, Assistant District Officer; J. R. Black, Patrol Offi cer; and C. B. Walsh, Medical Assistant) arrived in Rabaul by the “Macdhui” in mid-July.
This patrol commenced early in 193 d, and its operations link up with the earlier work of Behrmann and Thurn wald, Karius and Champion, and Hides and O’Malley, of the Papuan service, and the prospecting operations of the Leahy brothers, the Fox brothers and Ward Williams.
On March 9, 1938, the party, number ing about 250, set out from Mt. Hagen to find a suitable base for future work.
Equipment included an Amalgamated Wireless teleradio set and communication was maintained throughout the whole period.
In May. 1938, the party encountered very difficult country, rugged and unpopu lated, about the 143rd meridian, and might have had to return for supplies had it not been possible to replenish stores from aeroplanes. Fragile goods, benzine and the like were delivered by parachutes, while heavier goods were dumped from the ’plane when flying at low level.
The party was divided into three, each in charge of a European. Patrol Officer Black took one party towards Telafomin, following along the southern side of the main cordillera, crossing the Victor Emanuel Range at 11,500 ft. above sea level and discovering the pass which leads to the source of the Sepik River.
Mr. Taylor took the second party towards the Dutch N. Guinea border, contacted with Black’s party at Telafomin and re turned down the May River to the Sepik River and thence back to the base The third party, under Mr. Walsh, established a base camp at Wabag on the Lai River one of the sources of the Yuat River (a tributary of the Sepik) and did much in tensive patrolling of the area surrounding the base.
During the course of the patrol many thousands of new natives were discovered, and some fine country seen. The area ex amined covers nearly 20,000 square miles, and much of it is a continuation of the
central plateau discovered in 1933 by Messrs. J. L. Taylor and the Leahy brothers.
WHILST bringing this area under con trol will necessarily be a long pro cess, Mr. Taylor is of the opinion that when the work of consolidation has been completed, and road access from the coast is available, these healthy uplands will absorb many European settlers who could make a second Kenya in Central
New Guinea, and at the same time assist the native to a higher state of civilisation.
It is noteworthy that the people of the highlands are of a superior native cul ture and have a real admiration for the white man.
Mr. Taylor says that the soil generally is of good quality. This was evidenced by the density of population in the Wabag area, and the ease with which large sup plies of sweet potatoes and cane sugar were purchased from the people. The patrol carried a large quantity of the small cowrie shell, the native currency of the area. Due to this, the problem of supply was solved. Salt, too, was extra ordinarily valuable in some parts.
APROPOS of the famous journey by the late Mr. Jack Hides in the country south of that crossed by this patrol,
Mr. Taylor, in a report, says; “It was my privilege to look down on the Tarifuroro country in Papua, from the mountains to the north. What a journey Hides made! It will always rank as one of the great feats of New Guinea exploration.”
Mr. Taylor pays the highest tribute to the work of Mr. Black, whom he de scribes as an expert in making contact with, and pacifying wild natives; also to the medical work of Mr. Walsh, to whose efforts the good health experienced by the native personnel was mainly due. The police and carriers acquitted themselves splendidly.
One of the most interesting features of the patrol was that the carriers, to whom the success of the expedition was largely due, had not seen or heard of white men before 1933; now, in 1938, they materially assisted the Administration in bringing the news of peace and the new era to the remotest tribes of all.