[?]E Drama In Jack

[?]ond the Kubea

[?]Des Last Journey

fHEN I read an appeal in Column 8 of The Sydney Morning Herald, for a copy of late Jack Hides’ Beyond the I yea (1939), sought by film per allty Chips Rafferty, I turned up copy of the book —and revived ie memories. his is an account of an expedi l up the Fly and Strickland ers of West Papua, by Jack es and Dave Lyall, to seek gold, ly were financed by Investors , formed in Sydney for that pose by J. R. (now Sir James) :Gregor and Brendon Dowling.

March, 1937, they radio’d that r had found a very rich gold [ on the Upper Strickland, was commissioned by the Com y to go to Port Moresby, get a out, and sew up the leases. I just that —but what a task it hired a seaplane from Guinea /ays; Aubrey Koch brought it from Lae to Moresby; and one l morning in early April, 1939, i flew off, somehow located and arked the prospectors, and got i back to Moresby as the sun sinking. ie story of that plane journey issing from Beyond the Kuhea. lould come in between chapters md IV. licitor J. I. Cromie and I had iree-days struggle against the ements of Moresby, before we ced them to apply for the ssary gold leases; and another ;gle to persuade them to return plane) to the Strickland. They happy, irresponsible, hospit . lads—great fellows to know, it was an experience I shall r forget.

August, Investors Ltd. sent an rt from Sydney to investigate - “dredging leases”. He spent a time in the area (even now, jars later, it still is a difficult : to reach) and he reported while gold was there, it was le and so thinly scattered that leases were worthless, lanwhile, Hides and Lyall, ed on northwards, up the ffy-jungled southern slopes of central mountains, and across high limestone barrier, the ia, that lies between Papua and Guinea—described by Hides other explorers as a region of dible savagery. led by former Papuan native smen —there are one or two anding characters here—they through to the northern slopes. were out of supplies, and ;lly gazing down on inhabited, ul valleys, when Lyall became erously ill—the result of

privations suffered on the Kubea.

Hides remained there for a time, frantically wirelessing for aerial help. His radio failed, and no plane came.

In desperation, he turned back, into one of the gorges through the Kubea, constructed rafts, and somehow they rode the torrents back down onto the quieter waters of the Fly.

Aided by native chiefs, they were going well —although Lyall was incapacitated and blind —when the Fly River tidal bore overwhelmed them. They were practically starv ing when an up-river planter rescued them.

Lyall died in Daru, and is buried there.

Jack Hides never really recovered —he died from pneumonia in

Sydney, a few months later. A most lovable felow. I encouraged him to write his first book (Through WiLdest Papua), edited his manu script, found a London publisher for him—and presented him with a copy in 1935 when he returned from a long expedition. He was a natural writer, with a fine sense of drama —he produced three books after that. Savages in Serge went into two or three editions.

Could it be that Chips Rafferty is going to play the part of Jack Hides, explorer? I salute his per spicacity—he is the first to see the tremendous drama and tragedy in Beyond the Kubea —although Jack was 31 when he died, and Chips is just somewhat beyond that age.— R. W. Robson.