UNKNOWN AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1922, Page 8

UNKNOWN AUSTRALIA.

EXPLORING THE INTERIOR. EXPEDITION BEING PREPARED. Sydney, November 8. In the centre of Australia there is- a vast area of country that is still virtually a mystery land. It may be said that practically only a -strip around the coast is really known from a geological viewpoint. Five years ago the North-west Australia Scientific Expedition explored a portion of the land and secured valuable data. Now a group of British and American explorers is preparing to sail Troon San Francisco to penetrate further into Australia’s- land of mystery. This is to be known as the BritishAmerican Exploration Syndicate, and two of its members are now in Brisbane, waiting for the arrival of the other explorers. One of the former is Mr. Charles W. Rogers, of San Diego, who is organising and heading the lexpedition, and the other is Sergeant Arnold A. Waelly, an overseas veteran who served with the American forces in the 18th Engineers in France. Both* of these young men have travelled over a great part of the world, and are keenly looking forward to the day when they shall set off into the unknown parts of this continent.

The original intention was to fit out the expedition in Sydney, and later to have secured the use of a pearling lugger in Broome, thence working from the coast inland. Since that arrangement was made, however, advice has been received from San Francisco that a new member of the party is providing an auxiliary lugger of from 40 to 50 tons, which will sail from Portland, Oregon, and proceed to Townsville. After a month or six weeks in Townsville to make final arrangement for the trip the party will embark, sailing round Cape York, across the Gulf of Carpentaria to Port Darwin, where final stores will be put aboard.

It is then intended to endeavour to make a landing between that port and Broome, and what transpires there in regard to the arrangement to be made will largely depend upon the local conditions. The party will not only follow the route of the 1917 expedition, but also anticipates exploring the country further in, and inhabited by blacks of a more or less hostile nature, endeavouring to obtain authentic knowledge of this unknown area.

It is realised by the members of the expedition that it is a dangerous mission, requiring careful and thorough organisation, particularly so far as a supply of water is concerned. There iff no intention to meet the wild blacks other than on a peaceful footing, and it is hoped that, if the advances of the party are met by the natives in the right spirit, much valuable assistance will be secured from them as guides for securing the explorers a satisfactory supply of water. It is- the intention of the party to carry a small wireless plant, with which it is hoped to keep

in touch with some of the cattle stations on the north-west coast. A cinematograph plant will also be carried, and pictures will be taken of various features of the country, and also, if possible, of the wild blacks in their natural state. One of the factors that has inspired the explorers is the record of Lopis de Rougement, who, while exploring, was wrecked 23 years ago off that coast, and who for four years lived amongst the blacks before he was able to get back to civilisation. It is estimated that the present expedition will be away from eighteen months to two yearc, and, if it is at all possible, they will work right across Australia to the south. Whatever ttey secure in the way ot geographical or geological records they will pass cn to the Federal authorities, and no matter what their success may be they will undoubtedly -secure information that will definitely decide that the centre and north-west of the continent are by no means as marked on our present maps. Every member of the expedition is an experienced traveller.