770 Captain Cecil G. Rawling [May 16, 



small people, uut those who wish to study the matter will find much 

 information iu the chapter of Dr. H. S. Harrison, which has Leen 

 incorporated in the above-mentioned account of our attempt to pene- 

 trate to the heart of New Guinea. The photographs which will now 

 be thrown upon the screen will give you a better and more accurate 

 idea of these people than it is possible for any words of mine to do. 



It was soon seen that no advantage would be gained by forcing a 

 passage due north by the valley through which the Kapare flowed, 

 for besides the difficulty of clearing a path along the almost precipi- 

 tous sides of the valley, the only goal to be reached would be the foot 

 of the great precipice lying twelve miles to the north, and many 

 marches to the west of the snows. This line was therefore abandoned 

 and a path cut eastward to the Tuaba, a great and often impassable 

 river. An advance by this waterway was likewise purposeless, and 

 the line was continued across to the Kamura, then for two marches 

 up its bed and on to the Wataikwa. In addition to the want of 

 transport, the expedition was much hampered by torrents of rain and 

 flooded rivers and jungle. So great were these rivers that the line 

 of communication was liable to be cut for days at a time, an awkward 

 event in a country where local food supplies are nil. 



All forward work was done entirely by the Europeans, Gurkhas 

 and those few natives who could be induced to work. In addition to 

 the total breakdown of the imported labour on two occasions, the 

 steam-launch lent to us by the Dutch authorities and the motor-boat 

 l)ought in June, w'ere quickly rendered useless, the former on account 

 of its not l:)eing of sufficient power to draw canoes against the 

 current, the latter by being wrecked when returning down the river 

 during a flood. All supplies had therefore to l)e man-hauled up the 

 river, an operation which had no end. Progress was consequently 

 extremely slow, as, in addition to the cutting parties, two collectors 

 and their staffs had to be at the same time maintained in the field. 

 Goodfellow was forced to leave the expedition in the early part of 

 October, suffering from fever and beri-beri, and Shortridge in 

 November. Mr. C. Grant, who had arrived in the country in July, 

 was now the sole representative of the collecting section, for Mr. W. 

 Stalker had lost his life in the forest soon after landing. From Good- 

 fellow I took over command. 



During the months of July and August the road was pushed on 

 to the Iwaka, a deep and rapid river four marches to the east of 

 Parimau, and in the direct line to the snows. At the same time the 

 clearing at Parimau was being regularly worked at, fourteen acres 

 being finally cleared in five months, and a fine view obtained of the 

 whole of Carstensz and its neighbouring ranges, their positions being 

 fixed and heights obtained, including a new snow-capped mountain, 

 now called Mount Idenburg, after the Governor-General of the 

 Netherlands India. 



No further progress, with the exception of sundry journeys into 



