MR MORRISON'S ADVENTURES IN NEW GUINEA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1017, 5 December 1883, Page 4

MR MORRISON'S ADVENTURES IN NEW GUINEA.

Mr G. E. Morrison, the correspondent who was despatched by the Age to explore New Guinea, has made the following interesting statement : —“ I have returned to Queensland. Our party had to turn back when on the point of success, pursuing a northeasterly direction from Port Moresby. We had, with much labor and difficulty, taken horses up inland over the mountains, and where the diggers .turned back from want of grass we, by ‘•keeping a different track, got into country splendidly grassed right up to the main "watershed. Latterly we had 'kepV bearing to the east to find a place e l6wVenpugh to cross; we had reached 'near.the,foot of the divide, and a day later expected to be across it, for, from where we were going to camp, there ran up a spur to the top, far less steep -than many we had surmounted. Once across we intended as soon as possible to bend round to the west, and strike fdr'the great island ; hut we could not '^et'on 5 with the natives. They saw the weakness of our party, and took full advantage of iv The country was thickly populated, and each district resorted to every means but open violence to prevent our moving further. Our camp was always, more nr less, surrounded by natives waiting an Opportunity to make a raid. By day and night we had to keep watch, and scarcely a night passed but we had to fire shots to frighten away* natives heard creeping up to the tent The work was most fatiguing, fojt therefore only three of us to share the'time. ' We could not trust the black boys. In spite of: all our vigilance we had an axe and tomahawks stolen. A native siieaked off in open daylight witlv our large red blanket. We awoke one morning to find our tea showing ; the track for miles. Then they got to regard our firearms as harmless, instruments of noise. Crowds of nien would come with spears, clubs and fields, and motion to us to go back. Theycwould fun with their spears, and pretend to discharge them at us. One day a man brought us down a shield, laid it at our feet, and signed to us that it would be to our advantage to go back,and rah away. Our. only safely lay in-conciliating the chiefs by a liberal distribution of gifts. Whenever we were going to shift camp, a crowd would come down to oppose our further passage. What I did then was to give each of the more stirly-lonking men a i3rpsehtj%hich pleased him, and ere they : bia "recovered from their good feelings we had dodged through their district. Our party- was r very weak. The old digger who swore to go with me tp death .gave in at the end of fifteen miles, and the only man we could get in his place was a new chum, a constant source of. danger to us. The two black boys could never be taught to fire a gun. My other man gave unqualified satisfaction. When Lyons and I would go on to prospect for a track, wej were never certain that we ■ might i not find the camp wrecked on our return. As we got further inland the country became densely populated, and the natives increased in boldness. One came quietly down to where three of US were packing the last horse, picked up <a tomahawk, and darted for the scrub. We could have shot him easily ; but, instead of trying to do that one of us chased him, : caught him, punched his head, and let him go, though the savage had turned round half 1 way : and 1 flung the tomahawk at his pursuer. We decided next time to use the gun. The opportunity came ■ off October:and. :On that day I went 'others - but the new chum being sick with fever), avith four natives to cut the track. I gave them a valuable scrub knife, which they took turn about in using. As 'we went on the natives increased in number, till four bad become forty, most of them carrying spearst| ■ When about three miles from the*camp a native suddenly bolted wiOv the scrub knife. It was getting'to be a farce this stealing. I waited till the man had got to a distance that a shot would not inflict much injury, and then I gave him one charge in the back. Every one says I made> a-mistake in not shooting the mail;dead; I might then have eflectuaßys)frightened' the" ‘natives and given theto?^’ldea;qf : w, superior power. As it was, they would infer that the worst our arms could do- was to inflict t&l.teMpocary* pain. C That afternoon we could hear the news travelling everywhere, and see crowds of men collecting with piles of spears and ,in- • fehtlywatehing hs. In the meriting we loaded up early to shift the camp. Warriors 'wlfh 1 heaVy buhdles of spears were collecting in crowds at some dangerous points we had to pass, till the long grass where they' stood fairly bnstled with them, Lyons was very i|l with ifever, and could: hardly walk. Wc went on, exercising extreme caution, till we reached the>. last rise we bad to go up. I was leading a horse 'some distan'ce ahead of the rest, and was just taking a steep step from the scrub* intp, the long grass at the lop When Irwas struck by two spears—one in the hollow of the right eye, the other in - the abdomen; The steep step saved me; "‘Mji head gave’Withthe blow, and ifeirdtiwri sfr as hot to injure my leg, I. pulle4 ,the ; spear out, and fired a shot .frpna, my Winchester. I saw no men, .thpuglr.: they must have been within •lour or' five yards when I was struck. ‘ I had to lie down, as the blood flowed so fast, and I suffered great Lyons came up he thought it. Was a case with; me, for I was lying jl^ibiopd.and; vomiting large quantities of.blood, with awful pain. To save my life he resolved to abandon everything 'and'bringanie down to the coast. We wej-e then over 100 : miles from Port but we. could, not return by w|y,’weliad <?Qrae.;and we knew the Natives Were waiting for us. Over 50 Spears in bundles were picked up at the scene*of the outrage, showing the attaefe'to have 1 behn badly planried. In T the horses LybnS could get no hsjp. Jpconsequence ofour having no food with us we nearly perished from starvation. For eight .days,, L did not eat a morsel, yet 'file change of air healed the spear wounds, which are now quite, well Lyons, by exercise of excdiitage apd endurance, brought us safely intp ; Port Moresby, the first twenty miles through new and y«JJbK-agh.oountry. ;Eor nine days he was entirely without food. But for his marvellous stamina ■ now be totting in the New Guinea bush.’ V, b c ’ : ’