ADVENTURE IN PAPUA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1081, 21 March 1911, Page 5

ADVENTURE IN PAPUA.

MR, SMITH'S EXPERIENCES. SLOW TRAVELLING AND SHORT RATIONS. By Telegraph—l'rcss Association-Oopyriclit Sydney, March 20. Further details of Iho adventures of Mr. Staniforth Smith's exploring party in l'upua are now (o hand. It' appears that Mr. Smith and party reached Thursday Island eal'ly on Friday, but owing to St. Patrick's Day being a holiday, they had to wait till next day to get news through. The explorers had a great reception. It transpires that when the party had nearly reached the mouth of the Kikori River they met one of the relief boats. They are in a very exhausted condition on account 'of their long, rough travels and a scarcity of food.

When the raft went over the rapids, the three white leaders had a narrow escape. They were carried a long way down the river. Mr. Smith scrambled out on one side and Messrs. Pratt and Bell on the other. It.was five days before they wire able to rejoin the party. Eleven native carriers were swept off the raft and never again seen. The party lost all supplies, tents, and records of the journey. The only food left was a little cocoa, recovered from tho wreck. Yams, taro, and sago were gathered en route. The party were frequently compelled to stop to recover • their strength and food. They shot some pigs, but refrnined from eating much of the meat for fear of sickness. Another trouble was that there were no means of lighting a fire. Mr. Pratt had a box of matches, but they were wetted when ho was plunged into tho river. After some days they were dried and the party got a light. In order to save tho few remaining matches for a case of emergency, the party carried a piece of burning wood for thirty-four days, wherever they went. After reaching tho relief boat which had been sent out by tho Resident Magistrate at Goaribari, tho party carefully dieted themselves for fear of illness after their long fast. Only the three whites came on to Thursday Island. The native members of the expedition were left , at Dam.