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Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1923, Page 2

ihi F. Kingdom W.uin, the naturalist., has long boon under the sway of the Far East, and these twenty years fens travelled Tibet and Chinese remotenesses in seal eh of tiio blue poppy and other botanieal rarcties. Recently in London lie described to the Royal Geographical Society what he called one of the most romantic regions of the world, a “Paradise of flowers.” This is the o-sseuro, mountainous region lying lietween the Irrawaddy, and the Yangtze River, China. Alter exploring passes and glaciers at a height of 18,000 feet, and counting nine glaciers about which nothing is known, he crossed the Si La, and dropped down into a deep ice-worn trench called the A alley of Hail. The journey which lasted five weeks, was over a series of rivers and gorges, the crossing of which was not without peril. One place, called the “Marble Gorge”, was very difficult. It was choked with semitropical forest, tern and orchids, and owing to a flood the Salween River had risen 40 feet. Just above the gorge the powerful glacier torrent from the Gomba La comes booming in over a chaos of boulders as big as cottages. We now left the river and started up the cliff, climbing high above the torrent. The ledge along which we trod gingerly passed through a deep slot in the high granite cliffs, and a false step meant a violent death. It was easy enough for me, for the porters with their loads it was another matter. Hence the method of carrying them by means of a strap round the forehead, leaving the hands free to clutch. Two Kintzu came along. They were almost naked dwarfs, and they offered to guide the party through the dense growth of grass, bamboo bracken and alder trees which clothed the mountain side. The party had to scrcss « river by a rope bridge. “It is composed of our separate ropes of twisted bamboo, each about the thickness of a skipping rope i iij tile second the rope is not inclined, 1

but merely sags in the middle, so that instead of sliding across, you have to haul yourself hand over hand. The Nung (or Kintzu) hangs underneath the rope attached to a runner, and pushing with his feet and hauling with his hands skims rapidly across. I might never have got across at all if I had not been attached to a ropo and pulled by a brawny Nung like my own baggage.” After marching for days through luxuriant forests the party reached tho left branch of the Irrawaddy.

The well-planned and completely successful operation which resulted in the capture of the ancient walled town of 1.0 Quesnoy and an advance to the western edge of the great Forest of Mornial. on November 4th., 1918, was the last major action of the New Zealand Division in the Great War. The memorial which has been erected on tile wall of the town, which was scaled by tile New Zealanders, represents the united efforts of Mr A. It. Fraser, the New Zealand sculptor, and M. Dcsnielles, the eminent French sculptor. The townspeople of Le Quesnoy have cooperated with the Nw Zealand authorities in making tho memorial n worthy one. In setting apart- the “Garden of Memory”, at the foot ol the wall the townspeople have done their share, and the sculpture which is to be unveiled next month will complete a very beautiful conception. A winged figure oT Victorious Peace stands boldly out oil the right band of the foreground : she breaks the sword of war beneath her feet, and holds in her right hand the wreath of Victory, in her left hand the Palm of Ponce. On the left hand of the foreground—among rough reekwork—is a small cross in memory of those who fell in the action. On the recessed background is the representation of the scaling of the wall in low relief. Surrounding the marble sculpture will he dark stonework acting as a graduation in colouring Iron) the brick of tlie wall to the marble. On this will lie carved the inscriptions; on tlio left will be the words: “En I’honneur des homines de la Nouvolle Zelande grace a la valour dosptiels a la France, T.-e Quesnoy fut rend tie a la France. f.e 4 Nnvcmbrc, 1918.” And on the right-: “In honour of the men of New Zealand through whose valour the town ef las Quo-noy was restored to France, 4th. November, 1918.’ Over 'the French inscription is to be carved in low relief the oak trees which are the arms of 1.0 Qitosnoy, and over the English the tern leaf. Inside the balustrade of the terrace (below the sculpture in the line of vision') will be inscribed the words: “From the uttermost, ends of the earth.”