THE EXPLORATION OF NEW GUINEA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1695, 26 October 1887, Page 3

THE EXPLORATION OF NEW GUINEA

■ _ 1 Mr Walter R On hbertson, the leader of the Koyal Geographical Society's exploring party to tho highlands of British New Gaiuea, returned to Brisbane on the 9 ill lilt., by the s*o«mer Blrksgate, m company with f*tr W. A. Sayer, the bctauiat of the expedition. A representative of the "Courier" waited upon him aoon after his arrival, and had a long conversation with htm with reference to his trip. Mr Cathbertaon, who la m excellent health, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and, to use his own words, " although somevrhst thinner, ia better, health and atrength than when we starred fcr oar long tramp," waa very willing to give a general outline of his doings, reserving, however, a full account for the society. Mr Outhberteon arrived at Port Moresby on July 1. After making inquiries he decided to undertake the aicent of Mount Obree, one of the leading heights of the Owen Stanley Range, this season, and then trust, if successful, to have better support to further extend the work m the direction of the rest of the range next session. After making due preparations, Mr Oathbertson aay« :— •• O« the 2nd of August weetartedfor the Owen Stanley Range, with over ft hundred carriers, a number which increased as we passed through the various Tillages- The country between Kappa Kappa and our first stopping place, Mount Douglas, wbloh la about 17 miles Inland, is of limestone formation, and consists principally of beautifully grassed flats, and large hills, also well grassed, the timber about being stun'ed gum. The olass of country extends far to the northward, and also to south, and is, m my opinion, especially suited for horse and cattle breeding, and it is plentifully supplied with water by the Kemp Welsh river and o.her streams running into it. The jangle lands which cover the river banks, and also many of the hills, are suitable for the growth of nil classes of tropioal produce, and are mostly of rioh black loamy soil. Sugar oane of very good quality Is largely grown by the natives for their own consumption Passing Mount Douglas easterly and northerly, as our course touk as, the coantry changed considerably, the formation being oh it fly ■late and granite. The hills beame moaotains, and instead of being either bald and well graced or timbered with gum, as on the southern, on the southwestern stde they proved to be mostly covered with thick jungle, though the soil is mostly of a dark and a loamy description The natives, after clearing the jangle away, form their gardens on the mountain Biopes. They seldom till the ground, but plant away just; as they fine* it. The ci«tr(ot is largely populated, m«Dy villages being eoattered about the mountain tops. It was at these villages that we purchased most of our native provisions as we passed on our way. The same class of country ountlnues right away up to the main ranges, All the intervening ranges ran north- westerly and eouth-eattarly, ao that the tra<*k to the high mountains is a very hard one. You have to so up 2000 ft on the one side and down 1500 ft on the other side, one range after another, til daj long. When not doing this we were up to our waists m water all day. following up the bed of the Margaret, a fine creek, which leads up to the base of Mount Obree. Running m rapids at the rate of about from 10 to 11 knots an hour, this creek and its tributaries would, I should think, be well worth prospecting, for there is evidently abundance of elato and granite with qajttz veins. On breaking these stonee, metals of a white and yellow color were discovered, the latter being nuundic. On the 30 h August we successfully arrived at the summit of Mount Obree, having experienced terribly wet weather during the whole journey. Mount Obree I found, to my great regret, to be only about 8000 ft m height, instead of 10,000 ft as given on the chart. From the Bummit I could see nothing but the tops of c-ouds m every direction. The only exebption was Mount Owen Stanley, which towered up among them to a great height, but shortly after sunrise the mist and the clouds obscured even that. la every direction we seemed surrounded by low bills. The Bides of Mount Obree near the summit were perpendicular cliff*, but we found very fine pine trees at from 6000 ft to 8000 f t; also rhododendrons and other plants. The natives have great fear of this mountain, believing it to be inhabited by the spirits of their departed relatives. They also believe that on its summit the Devil's villages are to be seen. Still they came along very well until within about 1000 ft of the summit, when | they were too frightened to go any further. They picked up everything we possessed, everything wb had token up the mountain with the intention of camping there, and cleared away to the foot again as hard as they could go. Having no food or water or blankets left, we were, after epsndlng one night on the summit, forced to retrace our footsteps after them. Even then we could not keep them fn the vicinity of the dreaded mount, their euperßtltione had snoh pow6r over (horn Sayer and I collected all that we could under the olrcnmetances, but we returned very much disheartened at not being able to stay longer. We found on reaching our camp at »he bBS 9of the mountain that all thf? villagers who had joined us after the start had cleared out, leaving only the boys brought through from the coast to pack us back down the creek. They, too, were In such a harry to ltave the big monntain behind them that we could not see the way to Bort our plants until wo came to our next camp We at once returned by the same track we had taken on the OQtward journey, feeling satisfied that, although we had not got Buoh n good collection of Bpecitmna as we could have wished, we had m every other respect made the most successful trip ever performed overlxnd m New Guinea, We reached Port Moresby again on the 10th September. Oar health was good throughout," I