NEW GUINEA

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 161, 5 April 1872, Page 5

NEW GUINEA

In our lasr. issue \ve to the expedition to? ew (kmea, .'vv'ii'M sailed from Port Jackson on. board-, the ship Maria, in search of gold—in tact, a prospecting expedition. The telegrams which we publish below will show the unfortunate issue of that illfated enterprise:—

Sydney, Mvrch 16th. The following are the latest particulars regarding the search for the survivors of the New G-uinea expedition: —H.M.S. Basilisk has returned all well on board. On the 12th March she picked up eight survivors from the wreck of the Maria, who are all under medical treatment. They owe their lives to tho kindness of the blacks. Five of the otuers were washed off the raft and drowned, owing to its frequently turning over. Another raft was found SO miles further north, aleo two dead bodies. On the 14th March there was found, six miles to the sonthward of this raft, the body of one of the men, named Williams/ It was quite naked, and bore marks which showed that Williams had been murdered by the blacks. There is still a probability of some of the survivors being in the b"ush,and the Basilisk left her cutter with a crew who will search for them. The schooner Perihas also returned from the search. She reports having found the remains of some bodies, which were supposed to be those of the captain's party, as the clothes and other articles belonging to them were found.

Further particulars state:—lt appears that two rafts left the Maria. One of thern, containing thirteen men, when near the shore capsized, and five of the men were drowned. Those who escaped were hospitably treated by thenatives. Eurther north the second raft was found, together with several bodies strewed about. Some of the men had apparently been drowned, and others killed by the natives. The search for the survivors is Htiil being continued.