FIERCE TRIBES OF NEW GUINEA

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1931, Page 8

FIERCE TRIBES OF NEW GUINEA

"INHOSPITABLE LAND "

NATIVES SELDOM SEEN BY WHITE MEN.

WELLINGTON, September 4

Some information regarding the fierce cannibal tribe found by an exploration party in New Guinea, as rel--in recent cables, was supplied a "Dominion” reporter by Mr H. T. Castaing, managing director of New Guinea Gold Exploration, Ltd., who has just returned from a two years’ stay in New Guinea. Most inland territory in the island he said, was virgin and inhospitable but the coining of the white man, and particularly the miner was driving the hostile natives into the interior. Very little .was known of the Kuku Kuku, the name applied to the inland tribes, for the simple reason that they generally attacked about an hour before daylight, and were thus seldom seen by white men. Though it was unwise for white men to travel alone, there was little danger of well-armed partie s being molested. Occasionally a prospector lost bis life through a skirmish with inland tribes. Mr Castaing said that an expedition financed by New Guinea Gold Exploitation, Ltd., was due to arrive in New Guinea this week. The expedition, which comprises three white men, is going in to report upon the fields acquired by the company, which are inhout 80 miles from the coast. As the company’s fields are not in hostile country, he does not anticipate any molestation of his party. " "The prospects generally in New Guinea are enormous, and if tiny turn out even half as well as represented, they should be a good investment for the shareholders the majority of whom are, New Zealanders,” he said. "The company’s asset s consist .of alluvial fields, and an enormous body of ore, wh’ch promises to work out in the vicinity of 40 million tons of good payable ore, all of which will be worked by open cut operation. Already preliminary arrangements are being made to place tlie property on the London market. "The alluvial property is situated some distance from the ore body, and will be worked by the company at some later date.” ; Question about the prospect of other fielYs being found, Mr Castaing said New Guinea had only l>een scratched as yet, and not 10 per cent of its area had been traversed by white men. Now fields were being made every few months, and the discovery of gold was attracting world-wide interest. To warn adventurous people against rushing to the island, Mr Castaing stated that his company last week had had to deposit £SO per white man with the shipping company, and a further casli credit of £250 per white man for the party.