Interesting Discovery.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12, 5 May 1914, Page 5

Interesting Discovery.

EXPLORATSON SM PAPUA. NATIVE BOWS AND ARROWS'. [Bit Electric Telegraph—Copyright ■: [United Press Association ,J 1 (Received 9.40 a.in.) Sydney, May 5. Judge Murray, Administrator of Papua, in an interview regarding a recent exploration of the Fly river, jaid the party ascended 530 miles. In one village they found the Natives wearing cuirasses composed of ohickly plaitted rattan cane as a shield against arrows. Additional to the hows and arrows ; l,ey carried as weapons egg-shaped done clubs with long handles. in another place, the party witness,.d evolutions by disciplined men rarely seen in Papua. In the upper reaches of the river they found traces of gold. Judge Murray thinks that if Sir Rupert Clarke finds gold in payable quantities a rush will ensue, which will ■,olve the present problem of the future settlement and development of- the island.

SIR RUPERT CLARKE’S EXPEDITION, Sir Rupert Clarke’s expedition to Papua left Sydney on the 25th nit. The object of the expedition is to discover the source of the Ily River, which is one of the largest in New Guinea, and has already been navigated up to 600 miles. , Sir 1) illiam MacGregor, when Administrator of the British territory in the island, reached the ‘highest point of the river then recorded, and his explorations, which Sir Rupert hopes to exceed, have been described as of a remarkable charac-

With the idea of eventually tracing the Fly River to its source. Sir Rupert mas had built in Sydney a special river boat, which he has christened Kismet. The Kismet will make her journey up the river prepared for peace or war. She has been fitted with ten 12-inch portholes for offensive or defensive purposes, and all her open spaces are fitted with arrow-proof netting. On the top of her cabin she will, carry a 250 candlepower electric lamp. No pains have been spared to make her as comfortable and as complete as possible. She will bo painted white. Her dimensions are:— Length, 45 feet; beam, 4) feet; depth, 2£ feet. It will bo seen, that she is especially shallow for the class ot work which she is to undertake. She has a hardwood bottom, and will carry- topsails, while her other motive power will be a 16 B.H.P. oil engine, which will give her a travel 1 capacity of eight and a quarter miles au hour. Her deckhouse is large, being 14ft. long and 9J-ft. wide. In addition to the big electric searchlight, she has been fitted with ten other electric lights. Her interior is fitted with nine lockers, and on leaving Sydney in the Van Cloon she was packed to her ten ton capacity with enough food to keep her explorers going for three months. This boat was designed and built by Messrs Woodley, Ltd., Nortli Sydney.

In the course of a conversation with a “Daily Telegraph” representative, Sir Rupert said that he might never come back, but he intended to try and do something to emulate the deeds of Sir William MacGregor, who was a hard man to follow. In his dealings with the natives Sir Rupert said ho intended to also follow Sir William’s peaceful methods, hut naturally ho has made provision for any aggressive methods which may bo displayed by the wild natives in the interior.

Sir Rupert left Sydney by himself, butt picked up his party at Port Moresby. This party will comprise two or three tried and experienced explorers and a number of friendly natives.