THE MISSING PARTY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10192, 20 March 1911, Page 5

THE MISSING PARTY

CABLE NEWS

United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

RETURN TO THURSDAY ISLAND.

EXTRAORDINARY AD VEN-

TURES

(Received Last Night, 6.40 o'clock.) THURSDAY ISLAND, Mar. 19.

Mr Staniforth Smith, Administrator of Papua, and party, who were on an exploring expedition, have been discovered.

The party, after extreme hardship and privation, and extraordinary adventures, ascended the river Kikori for 50 miles. They struck northeast over unknown country and crossed three large rivers. t .. ,They followed one two .* hundred ancl fifty miles up from the" coast, and encountered many rapids. Their food supply was short, their only mealas of sustenance being palm, pith.

Mr Smith and party turned back and constructed rafts to make the downward journey. While shooting rapids several carriers were drowned.

Filially they came to rapids extending for one hundred:, /and fifty miles",. and they. were forced to abandon the river' and make their way through rough country. Food was supplied by the natives, and the party again readied the river and utilised: rafts in completing the journey. With the exception of those who perished, all are., well. SYDNEY, March 19.

Mr Smith believed that the river he was ascending was the Strickland,;, snd was mucli ; , surprised on arriving at his. old: camping ground to discover that he had been on the Kikori all the time.

He found the food depot of the search party, and secured a boat, and travelled to Daru, from where a lugger brought him to Thursday Island.

The search parties are unaware of the safety of the explorers.

MR' SMITH'S ACCOUNT.

FOLLOWED THE WRONG RIVER.,,

(Received Last Night, * 5 o'clock.) SYDNEY, March 19. Mr Staniforth Smith, in a message, to Mr Batchelor, states that,.in the early part of: January he crossed a' high mountain range and pushed down, expecting to reach alluvial country drained by the Tumari and Mamu rivers. On January 24th he reached what he beiieved to be the upper waters of the Strickland river. "We had walked 254 miles through exceedingly rough jungle and scrub, through which we lost

our way, and, found that the river was impassable. With rapids running .-.through; gorges 1200 feet liigh, it ■'•was'.impossible' to.ctrdss.- Proceeding along ithe. banks, we made a raft and started down the river. The rapids became worse, and the raft was dashed to pieces, some of . the carriers being killed, and we lost our food supplies, tents, and baggage. After five clays, the expedition, who were, scattered; , on. both' •sides of the river, were got together. After that, being* foodless, we .decided to travel by the river. bank until the rapids ceased. We continued to travel', but covered only 120 miles in 34 .days. • -Frequent stoppages were necessary, as the supplies of sago were very precarious. We thon made and reached, the const, finding iiie river was the Kikori, which we had followed 300 miles. Owing to privations we ■could not have got through without tlia splendid co-operation of Messrs .Bell-'"and Pratt.". :

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES

FORMATION OF THE COUNTRY.

(Received Last Night,- 5.5 o'clock:)

SYDNEY, Last Night

Mr Smith, in a further message to Mr Batchelor, says the expedition returned to Goaribari on January sth, from where they crossed Thursday Island, and visiting the upper waters of,.t*he Strickland river, returning ajong the north-west of the Kikori, travelling 374 miles oh foot and 150 miles by river through totally unexplored country. They completed the major portion of the exploration of the territory, and most important ' information was gathered. They found a small coal creek near the lower Kikori, and a large field of excellent coal at the upper Kikori. The western division instead of being low-lying and alluvial, -consists of a- greater portion of elevated plateaus. The lowest valley is 2000 feet above sea level. The country, is a vast upraised mass of coral, the upper waters and watersheds of great rivers emptying into a gulf now fairly defined, completing the knowledge of the. river 'systems of the territory. Mr Smith now has data for estimat'ng the population with some accuracy. The party established friendly relations with the bushmen everyAvhere, and they encountered no fighting. Sago was foxind to be growing inland at an elevation of 3500 feet.