Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21
PLANE FALLS into
PRIMITIVE REGION
Southern Cross Strikes Part
of Australia Avoided by
White Men.

The region Of Northwestern Australia,
the Kimberley division of Western
Australia, where. the airplane South
ern Cross was forced down while at
tempting fight from Sydney to Eng
land, is in part of the continent least
touched by white men. according to
bulletin from the headquarters of the
National Geographic Society.
"The region lies within 16 degrees Of
the Equator" says the bulletin, land
Is thus to be compared climatically with
the coastal plains of Honduras or the
coast country Of Southwestern India
The tides are extremely high, often
reaching IS feet. At high tide the wa
tiers sweep far inland along rivers and
creeks and at low tide miles of mud
flats are left. On these Shiny expanses
the tropic sun beats down furiously
All along the coast are magnificent
coral gardens.
AlIigators Plentiful.
cit was not far from Collier Bay and
the Charnley River which flows into 1t
that the flyers were forced down. A
run up the Charnley provides plenty Of
excitement, as here and there huge
undiscovered alligators, with which the
waters swarm, slide down the banks.
The reptiles rise near boats, seeming
to resent their passage.
1.-The country is timbered and ranges
Of hills nearly inclose the river.
"At Port George Mission the two
families of white people in charge have
produced a veritable Garden of Eden,
with tropical fruits, flowers and vegeta-
bles. They have many goats and fowls.
The surrounding country is well grasSed
and fed by fresh running streams.
"The blacks in this section are re-
puted to be uuarrelSome lot, but the
uuarrels are tribal affairs and the mis-
sion residents have never been molested.
These aborigines carry distinct strain
of Malay blood, which IS the case with
many tribes on the northern coast OF
Australia, as Malays have frequented
the northern Seaboard for centuries in
search of pearl shell and sea slugs
(trepang), which find a ready sale IN
markets of the Far East.
Sea Snakes and Pearls.
"Sea snakes are frequently seen
curled I'D asleep on the surface Of the
water. These reptiles are poisonous and
grow to about IL feet in length.
Towns are few in Northwestern Aus
tralia. Broome, near the southwestern
corner of the Kimberley division, is
struggling town of about 1000 Asiatics
and a few hundred whites, each group
occupying its own section of the town.
"The Asiatics are employed in the
pearl fishing under a special clause In
the white Australia act, which other
wise excludes the entrance OF all COL
ored peoples into the commonwealth.
"Fffty-odd years ago there was not
q single European settlement in this
vast section Of Australia. and even now
the census returns give population OF
fewer than 1000 souls, exclusive OF
aborigines.
DERBY, approximately 100 miles north
Of Broome, is a much smaler CON-
munity. It was from Derby that much
Of the news of the rescue Of the flyers
reached the outside world.
Ranches Use Camel Trains.
"From Derby northward no town OF
Importance Is to be found until Wynd-
ham is reached. This town, near the
northeastern corner of the Kimberley
division, lies at the head of deep in
let, Cambridge Gulf. From Wyndham
the cattle stations (ranches) are served
by camel trains, which carry supplies
for hundreds of miles into the interior.
The camels are driven by Afghans.
Camel teams are familiar sights in the
streets of the little township, hauling
in the great wagon loads Of firewood
from the outlying district.
1.-The first camels were brought TO
Australia for the use of the early ex-
plorers. Later fine type Of dromedary
was imported for breeding purposes, and
It is this type of animals that is bred
in Central Australia. It Is considered
by many leading authorities to be the
largest and strongest dromedary to be
found in the world. It proves invalu-
able for pack work in waterless regions.
"Wyndham is a typical Australian
out-back town-it boasts hotel, hos
pital, butchers shop, several stores, post
Office and savings bank. The Western
Australia government has recently built
q fine refrigerating plant there"