AUCKLAND EXPLORER.

Grey River Argus, 15 February 1927, Page 8

AUCKLAND EXPLORER.

DISCOVERER OF PIGMIES. EXPEDITIONS IX INEW GUINEA. AUCKLAND', Feb. 10. The reported discovery by an American expedition of an extraordinary primitive race of pigmies in unexplored territory in New Guinea recalls the fact that one of the first Europeans to penetrate the interior of - mysterious country and report the existence oi the pigmy races to the outside world is a resident of Auckland. Captain T. C. Kerry, F.R.G.S., who recently returned to Auckland from a tup abroad, has been an explorer and navigator for 30 years, and was the white man to discover the pigmies of New Guinea. That was in the seventies of last century. The revelations of the recent American expedition, therefore, cannot be accepted as entirely .new discoveries, as much of the material gathered was collected 45 years ago by Captain Kerry during the 22 distinct expeditions he has made into the mountain fastnesses of New Guinea.

ECHO OF TRAGIC EXPEDITION. The giant race of Papuans, over 6ft in height, with whom the American expedition had encounters, was identified by Captain Kerry yesterday as one of the most extraordinary of the tribes discovered by him 42 years ago. He considers it identical, in fact, with the ferocious tribe of giants w r ho attacked the famous expedition, of which he was second in command, scut to New Guinea in .1884 by the Melbourne Age. The encounter took place on the Miacassa River on May 24, 1884.

The little party of adventurers numbered only five, and urepfHffi the river in the small vessel, Foy. Suddenly, without warning, they were surrounded by a fleet of war canoes containing 14’00 hostile natives of great stature. A desperate fight ensued, during which the five men managed to cut their way through to the coast. There, in an exhausted condition, they built a raft by tearing every particle of their clothing into strips and lashing some branches of j trees together. PARTY’S TRYING ORDEAL. One of their number, a man named Scott, set out on the raft for assistance, and was never seen alive again. The remainder of the party had a. trying ordeal and, when rescued some time later, were found lying on the shore in an unconscious condition, brought about by starvation. Seven years later, while engaged on another expedition. Captain Kerry came upon the skeleton of a man in a remote part of the country. Close to the remains were a knife and a buckle, the first of which bore Captain Kerry’s initials and the latter the name of Scott. Captain Kerry remembered having lent the knife to his unfortunate

companion seven years previously. No actual clue was •ever discovered as to how he met his death, but it is presumed he fell a victim to starvation. The men who attacked the .Age expedition. Captain Kerry stated yesterday, were undoubtedly the same tribe encountered by the American explorers. They were known as the Duagura tribe, and were extremely ferocious, a regular tribal custom being to engage in annual journeys in search of human victims. They ■were the cruellest of the headhunters. EARLY EXPLORATIONS IN PAPUA. Captain Kerry discovered 12 rivers in New Guinea during the course of his numerous visits to that country, and is the. only explorer who has crossed the island from sea to sea. He, accomplished that great feat of endurance in 188990. He holds the first permit to explore British New Guinea ever granted to a European and, besides conducting expeditions through British territory, has explored . Dutch New Guinea, covering the great mountain ranges that cross the country from Port Moresby to the Dutch territory..

Although born in England, Captain Kerry has lived a great part of his time in Now Zealan . the exceptions being when he has been exploring New Guinea and the islands of the Atlantic, (hi these occasions he, has employed steam yachts, the most famous of which was the Pandora, subsequently sold tn toe Tsar.’s Government. An. expedition to the island of Tristan D’Acunha Was among his most notable exploits. Captain Kerry’s days of exploration in unknown corners of the globe arc now but memories of inc past, but the wandering fever has not yet loft him, and every year or so he makes a trip abroad to satisfy the passion for travel that is ingrained in lhe man. From one of these absences he has just returned, and for the time finds peace and comfort in the restful .solitude of a home, in Basstt Road, Remuera.