New Britain herald., 1926-11-09
PIERCING JUNGLES
 0F CANNIBAL ISLE
American Leads Expedition Into
 Dutch New Guinea

Tho worlds greatest unknown land" is slowly being conquered. In spite of hostile cannibal Papuans, the Dutch-Au1erican Expedition to explore Dutch New Guinea, under the auspices of the Smithsonian In- stitution, has pierced the coastal jungles and thrust its head into the Snow Mountains and the land of the pygmies.
 Dr. Matthew W. Stirling, the American who inaugurated the expe- dition and who gained the coopera- ton of the Dutch East Indian Gov ernment, with MT. Le Roux of the Batavia Museum, finally reached the mountains the middle of August, while the remainder of the expe- dition--officers and soldiers, Dyak carriers, Malay and convict laborers, totalling nearly 400 - maintained communications and food supply along the jungle banks of the Memberamo and Rouffaer river to the sea. Word to this effect and copies of sections of his diary were mailed to the Smithsonian by Dr. Stirling before his thrust into the mountains.
 During the months In which the expedition wormed its way through the jungle, establishing g. chain of hytp pevy, Of Va serve. stores to the base from which Dr. Stirling and his Dutch companion entered the mountains, the expedition mapped territory and river routes where hitherto there has been blank space upon the map; it collected specimens of rare plants and animal life of the region. much of which will undoubtedly prove new to science, and it stud jed and collected quantities of i'm plements and other materials from the Papuan tribes who inhabit the coastal jungles and who are probably the most primitive people in ex- istence. A considerable part of all
 
 to the Smithsonian Institution for study, when the expedition with draws in December.
 Plane Overcomes Obstacles
 The success of the Dutch Ameri- can expedition represents a triumph for the flying machine and for care full organization. In the four hun dred years since Europeans first came upon Dutch New Guinea, ex- petitions of many nationalities have attacked the secrets guarded by the forty miles of coastal jungle which separate the mountains from the sea. But the labyrinth of treacherous rivers, coupled with torrential rains, levers and insect pests, have met them with failure and sometimes with death. Dr. Stirling's first in- novation was an aeroplane. He took with him from America an all- metal Yackey Transport plane. He had planned to supplement this with small force of Malay and Dyak carriers, but when he reached Batavia, the Dutch authorities were so fayorably impressed with the possibilities of the plane that they volunteered to cooperate with the expedition. They furnised soldiers, carriers and convicts, motor boats and supplies. besides photographers, botanists and medical men, thus making the expedition one Of the largest ever sent into the country.
 In April the government trans- portet the expedition as far as a large vessel could go up the Mem beramo River. which enters the sea at Cape d'Urville on the north coast From this point the aero plane, piloted by the American, H. H. Hoyte, with Or. Stirling as ob- server, flew over the Memberamo to the junction of the Rouffaer and then followed the latter stream into the mountains mapping the route to be taken later by boats. Suc- cessful landings were made we'll in the interior of the country.
 Altogether the plane spent 30 hours in the air, admirably fulfill ling its purpose as the eye of the expedition. In July the pontoons, from daily rains, steaming sun and high water, gave way so that they could not be repaired and prevented furtheY use of the paine. 'The re- malnlder of the plane is in as good shape as the day she arrived in New Guinea whote Dr. Stirling in his diary. Tt is like having fine new automobile but no tires. The Ern is perched on the bank about 200 yards below Batavia Camp-her final resting place after as eventful a career as any plane ever had" The engine and propeller will be brought back to America.
 Dyak Boatmen Invaluable
 However, with the knowledge gained from the air. the expedition could advance along predetermined route by water-a tremendous ad- vantage over the blind groping to which all previous expeditions have had to resort. The vital element in the success of this phase of the work was the boatmen. The fol- lowing description by Dr. Stirling Of Edi-Falls on the Memberamo River will indicate why:
 Great upended strata project from the water here and there. The river makes a sharp angle at this point, the full force of the con- stricted current dashing against the east cliff and then being abruptly turned by the vertical wall, making