THE MISSING EXPLORERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 251, 2 March 1911, Page 5

THE MISSING EXPLORERS

A VETERAN COUNSELS HOPE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, March 1. Mr. Froggatt, Government entomologist, who was a member of the Honito party of explorers on the Fly river in the early (lavs, considers that several more weeks must elapse before the real cause of the anxiety regarding Mr. Staniforth Smith and his party is ended. Fever and the dense jungle are more dangerous than the natives. lie mentions tlint when the Bonito party was there they were given up as lost, and obituary notices were published.

NO NEWS YET. Received 1, 12.45 a.m. Sydney, March 1. The latest official report is that there is no news whatever of Mr. Stanifo.rth Smith and party. Strong and well-organised search parties are at work on different routes. The explorers who are believed to have, perished in Papua comprised a large party. The expedition was arranged by the Administrator of Papua, Mr. Staniferth Smith, who was accompanied by six Europeans, twelve native police, and fourteen native carriers. They sailed from Port Moresby to the mouth of the Kirori river, and on November 18 began their overland journey for the purpose of visiting a coalfield about one hundred miles from the coast. Having accomplished this undertaking, Mr. Smith decided to extend the scope of the expedition, with a view to establishing friendly relations with the little-known natives of the interior. He proposed to travel through some wild country to the Strickland river, and return along the Fly river to the coast. On December 7 Mr. Smith despatched two messengers from the vicinity of the coalfield to the coast, sending word that the Government steamer was to meet the party at the mouth of the Fly river on January 6. When the messengers left, the expedition had enough provisions to last for a month 011 full- rations, and it was understood that efforts would be made to secure supplies of native sago in order to enable the Administrator to extend his field of operations if it seemed desirable to do so. The Government steamer waited at the mouth of the Fly river until January 31 without seeing any sign of the party, and then returned to Port Moresby. Arrangements were made at once to send out three search parties, as it was considered possible that the explorers might return to the coast by any one of the three rivers. Probably it is one of these parties that has received the report of the destruction of the expedition. It wa3 thought that Mr. Smith and his followers were sufficiently numerous and well armed to resist any attack by hostile natives, but their route lay through fever-infested country, so that there was danger of illness reducing their strength. If it is true that two survivors of the expedition have returned to Goaribari, which is close to the mouth of the Kirori river, the explorers must have made very little progress after despatohing their last news to the coast.