YEAR IN THE WILD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 5

YEAR IN THE WILD

- Press AsBOoiatwU.)

American Expedition to New Guinea STUDY OF PEOPLES

(By Telegrapb-

AUCKLAND, This Day. Describing himself as "a sort of tropical tramp," Dr. Williani L. Moss, for many years on the medical faculty of Harvard TJniversity, and at present leader of the Crane-Peabody New Guinea Expedition, is bound by the Monterey for Australia, en route to Papua, where he will control an ethnological party in the wilds to the west of Monnt Hagen. The expedition is equipped with fire arms, but it is not anticipated that there will be any need to iise them against the hill tribes, amongst whom the party will spend about a year. "Taking our lives in our hands? Well, you do that every time you eross an Auckland street. I know yeu do in Chicago." Eight years ago Dr. Moss accompanied Dr. Crane, after whom the museum is named, up the Sepik River in New Guinea, where they collected 'for the Field Museum, Chicago. The expedition was mainly of a zoological nature, but this time the habits, customs and culture generally, as well as physical anthropology of the people, will be observed. "We don't anticipate any trouble with the natives, but there may be with the languages, as it is all dialectal. "We may take along a German priest who spealcs oue of the languages." The party will inelude, among others, two ethnologists. Dr. Moss, as leader, is going in a medical and anthropological capaeity. Coming down from AmeriCa, he met Dr. Peter Buek, the famous Maori scientist, who is> also associated with Harvard University and working in the Polynesiau islands. For many years Dr. Moss has interested himself in tropical diseases and carried out some valuable researches ra proved highly encouraging. In the van of the expedition, Dr. Moss will probably go to Canberra to secure permission to enter tho New Guinea territory, as it is one of the "uncontrolled areas" and special rights must be obtained to venture there. Later he will be joined by the rest-of the party.