AIR INQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 30 May 1929, Page 3

AIR INQUIRY

NEW LIGHT ON THE LANDING (A no era I luii Press Association) ADELAIDE, May 29. At the air inquiry, a declaration wa» read trom Mr Edward i’raiicis, mining engineer and geologist, oi northwestern Australia, who claimed to have an intimate knowledge of the country where .the Southern Crosslanded. He (Francis) was camped about thirty hales east of Port George when the Southern Cross Hew. over in the early hours, heading in a northerly direction. Francis explained that lie could not understand why the Southern Cross crew experienced any difficulty in obtaining food when they were forced down, as there were niuu lisii four hundred yards from where they landed. There also were oysters and crabs. It was only a matter ol digging them out by liandj

-Ur Francis staked that goannas, wallabies, and scrub turkeys were equahy plentiful, though they perhaps were difficult to catch. Dingoes and crocodiles were also numerous, and were not dangerous. Francs described the precise spot where the plane landed, and said it was between 18 and 25 miles of a walk from the -Mission Station. It was what lie called plain, .gravelly country. He had travelled that oou'utry witliDii i instruments. There was also p.onty of dead wood in the vicinity of “Coffee Royal,” with which anyone might reasonably make a good lire. Reports were also road from Colonel Man.sbridge regarding the search for the Southern Cross. He declared that the making of erratic solo flights over wild country was not conducive to safety. He added that Smith and Ulm had offered, after their rescue, without rest or recuperation, to begin a search for the Kookaburra. The inquiry was adjourned.