WEST OF DARWIN

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1926, Page 4

WEST OF DARWIN

SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION. SYDNEY, Aug. 12. Some exciting experiences befel a party which recently returned to Alelbourne from a scientific expedition in the far north-west of Australia. The party was led by Air Douglas Stuart Wylie, of Auckland, the other members being Alessrs D. B. C. Ryder and AY. 1 E. J. Alarden, of Auckland, E. ,T. Stuart, of Perth, and AV. Sully, of Sydney. About three months ago they set cut to investigate the possibilties of developing the deep-sea fishing industry off the northern coast of AVestern Australia on behalf of an Auckland business firm, of which Mr AAylie is the managing director. This work involved the examination of thousands of marine specimens. The party was exposed to many hazards and hardships in this sparsely-inhabited portion of the continent.

The party left Broome in a 15-ton lugger, and for most of the lime was sailing up and down the coast collecting specimens, penetrating as far north ns"tlic Prince Regent River, near the northernmost extremity of 'Western Australia. Here Alessrs Stuart and Wylie left tlio others and travelled overland to Hie McDonnell Ranges, a trip which entailed numerous hardships, although it was undertaken at a favourable time of the year. At one spot, between King Sound and Yanipi Sound, where the lugger liad to proceed through a narrow passage between the mainland and an island, they were caught in a fierce whirlpool, which whirled the small craft round foi about an hour and a-lialf. They were fortunately not much worse off for the experience, although most of the stores wore lost and tho cabins flooded out. Only the day before this they liad been humped on a reef pretty badly. Another time the party found itself in such perilously shallow water that if a strong wind had not held the lugger over at a steep angle the bottom would have been ripped out of her on the rocks.

Voyaging up and down the coast, landing every day or so, the party covered about 1000 miles. Over 1000 photographs wore taken, in addition to about 10,000 feet of cinematograph film. Numerous cases of specimens have been dispatched to New Zealand, while the party has with it several tanks of live specimens.

Speaking <*f his experiences after liis arrival in Melbourne, Afr Wylie said that he had been much impressed with the mineral wealth of the north-western part of the continent. He did not think that it would he ever largely populated, owing to the inhospitable nature of tbe country and the lack of natural facilities.