sentences:  He had discovered some gold in the upper reaches of the Strickland River, and in 1936 he resigned from the Papuan public service to lead a private gold prospecting expedition up the river in February 1937, with the backing of investors in Sydney.His companion David Lyall became seriously ill on the journey, and they were forced to retreat to the coast, where Lyall died in September.He also lost a number of carriers from beriberi.