NOR’-WEST EXPEDITION

Shannon News, 3 August 1926, Page 1

NOR’-WEST EXPEDITION

—-— 4 —. - AUSTRALIA’S UNKNOWN EXCITING ADVENTURES CREW IN DANGER. •A cable has been received by Mr. W. J. Keyes, literary representative of the geographical expedition to the Australian Nor’West, from D. S. Wylie, managing director of Smith Wylie and Co., Ltd., who is leader. The expedition party arrived back at Broome headquarters, West Australia, on Saturday morning, after an arduous trip to Lacapede Island. At the latter place giant turtles were caught, and some unusual cinematopraph films w'ere obtained of the fishing industry. The party proceeded to Cape Leveque, and thence to Cygnet Bay in King Sound, where the expedition schooner encountered tremendous tide rips. Mountainous seas caused serious. concern, and two members of the crew narrowly escaped drowning when , a dingy overturned. The schooners were hove to in. the teeth of the gale, and a half hour elapsed before the two victims of the adventure were rescued from their predicament. The gale continued without abatement for three days, and the lugger containing the stores of the expedition ran on. a reef at the entrance to the harbour when departing in the evening. For some time it was thought that the fate of the party was sealed. However owing to the capability of the navigator and the flood tide, the lugger floated from its precarious position with only minor damage. Crossing King Sound, which is dreaded by fishermen in the winter season, tne expedition schooners proceeded through Whirlpool Pass in Yampi Sound, where further navigation difficulties were experienced. In Whirlpool Pass the schooners were turned round many times, and finally after over an hour in one of the whirlpools, one of the luggers was forced on another reef, but the party managed to gain the shore with the assistance of a “boatsmain chair” and guide lines. The party camped on the mainland till the next day, when the lugger again floated off and the crew spent some in repairing the damage caused by the coral reef.

The party suffered severely through their stores being damaged by the sea water, and it was a comfortless trip owing to the sleeping accommodation having been flooded out, and all bunks being thoroughly soaked. The damage inflicted on the principle schooner, after Its last experience on the treacherous reefs, was discovered on the home run to be more serious than was at first expected, tand ail hands had to man the pumps.

The party made extensive marine investigations and surveys in the unchartered portions of Collier Bay to-Brecknock Harbour and the little known Augustus Water. The expedition made territorial investigations, inland as far as the Point George Mission Station. Mr. D. S. Wylie and Mr. E. J.. Stuart left Mr. W. J. Maiden in charge of the mineralogical work, and proceeded over the famous MacDonald ranges, which have previously been crossed by only six white men. For a short period headquarters was established at Augustus Water, and a section of the expeditionary party visited Sheep Island, and then proceeded to Montgomery Island. At the latter location, only ten aborigines were found as compared with several hundred -when .Mr. Stuart visited the place ten years previously. * The party camped for two days and nights at Montgomery Island, and an exciting time was spent in shark and dugong fishing. The dugong is a huge fish peculiar to nor’western waters. The party also went crocodile hunting in the infested waters of the great swamps on the Island, and Mr. Wylie obtained two of the largest crocodiles that have been obtained for ma,ny years. They were shot in the vicinity of the camp on the morning after the first night the party had camped on the Island, ana had evidently been attracted by the dugong meat baits which had been laid out.

Hall’s Point was then visited, which is an extreme outpost of civilisation in the nor’-west and dragnets were put out and some extraordinary specimens of marine life were obtained. The taxidermist with the expedition is preserving the specimens and tney should be appreciated by the museum authorities.

The party returned to Broome on Saturday morning, and the official cinematographer had despatched an unusually fine series of motion picture films which will be exhibited

throughout the world. The party has now completed the first stage of its investigations, and arrangements have now been completed for the members to leave by the steamer Centaur for Point Cloates on the nor*western seaboard, which will be a base for the second stage of the expedition Investigations.