UNBEATEN PATHS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1932, Page 2

UNBEATEN PATHS

EXPLORER AND NATURALIST. REVISITS NEW ZEALAND. CHRISTCHURCH, March 14. “I did not intend to go to the South Island at first, but I had to s.ee my pjd friend Major L. G. Acland, of Christchurch. He and I were together in New Guinea over forty years ago, when he had a close call at the hands of the cannibal tribes!” said Mr H. Wilford Walker explorer, and naturalist, who is visiting Wellington at the present time. “Forty-four years ago, you know, New Guinea was a closed book to tlio ordinary traveller, and the tribes were not always under control. I was there after birds, one of my bobbies, and Aeland was with me. The natives took a dislike to us, and got so ugly on one occasion . that we actually contemplated killing as many of them as possible and then -shooting ourselves, as they were all man-eaters. It was a close shave. They - approached our camp, which was unfortified, in the evening, and when the end seem to he approaching we opened fire. At the same time down came heavy rain, and with that the natives—some ioOO of them—went scampering off into the hush and oUt of sight. The next day some native police and others came to ottr rescue, and we fortified the camp properly, and stayed on to do our job. I learnt afterwards that the natives made off, first because they could not quite understand their people being shot dead in the dark, and secondly w was against the tribal practice to fight during rain. Acland was a great man on that trip, and 1 was awfully glad to see him again. He had an arm torn off in an affair with a tiger in India.”

KNOWS SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. Mr Walker, who is leaving to-day for Sydney, has a far-extending know- ! ledge of the South Sea Islands. He knew Hawaii when it was ruled over by a queen; he toured the Phillipines when William Howard Taft (afterwards -President of the United States) was governor, and knew him personally. He knew Samoa when it wa-s all German, and remembers very well having a scene with Dr. Solf, the German governor. There was a New Zealand Chemist named- Swan living in Apia, a very decent chap, who was being boycotted by the settlers, for what rea-son 'Swan' did not know. Swan asked Mr Walker to mention the matter to Dr. -Solf, as it was affecting his livelihood. Mr Walker did so, and was told by the German dictator not to interfere in matters which did not concern him. Warm words followed. Not long afterwards Mr Walker was out riding with a party when in a ticklish place one of the natives gave hi s horse a prod, which very nearly unseated its rider, Mr Walker complained tp Dr. Self, but got no satisfaction out of the German governor. “In Japan there is a law against taking certain birds,” said Mr WalKer. “I was there for three months without seeing a white man or hearing English spoken, but I got on very well with the Japanese. As a matter of fact, when they supplied me with a list of the protected birds, they ivere all set out in Japanese, ana 1 did not' know what the Avords meant, so I Avent on with my collecting. Then one day Avord Avas conveyed that an inspector was coming doAvn to have a look at my bag. This rather alarmed me, as I kneAV the governor of the district envied me, my shot gun, and would not he above confiscating it if he found me- out. But my Japanese friends rallied round me so that AA’hen Mr Inspector came along they made him so drunk on sake that he never saAv any birds at all.” Mr Walker knoAvs Borneo and Java like an odd book- he lias grown cocoa in Trinidad; fished and hunted in the Celebes, roved over Mexico, knows the Central American States intimately. and made a collection of New Zealand birds as long ago as 1901, These are included in his very fine collection, which is stored in classfied glass cases in England.

BEAUTIFUL HOME. For the last 'nine years Mr Walker as resided off and on at “The Limit, a very, beautiful home at Flaxton, in the Blackall Ranges, some 75 miles to the north of Brisbane. “I have been told by many authorities that

the view from iny place is the finest in all Australasia,” said Mr Walker. It is situated, on a promontory commanding a view of the coast for 110 miles, and is opposite a couple of picturesque islands, Avhil.st away round the back are the wooded slopes of the Blackall Ranges. I gi’OAv pines, oranges, and bananas there is splendid A-olcanic -soil 50 feet- in depth. I have groAvn oranges in California, hut no oranges groAvn in irrigated soil can ■compare Avith those I groAv in Queensland. The juice content is 100 per cent, greater in the Queensland orange. We as groAvers have suffered in the past from indifferent grading and packing, but that is being overcome noAv. My place is a show one. It was visited by the- members of the Empire Press Conference Avhen they came to Queensland, and by General WaAicbope, like myself an old Rep-ton-ian, avlio was sent- out to report on places for settlement on behalf of the public school boys moA r ement. Mr Walker said there Avas nothing like it in Australia. The rainfall is about 90 inches in the year, and the temperature is invariably about 10 degrees beloAV that of Brisbane. The heat of summer i-s too much for Mrs Walker, and if he leaves Queensland Mr Walker Avill probably settle in NeAV Zealand, Avhich he considers to be one of the most favoured countries iii the world climatically, iknd from the standpoint of the variety of scenery and interest readily available to everyone. “1 am really amazed Avith the progress NeAV Zealand lias ltlade -since t was here thirty years ago. It seems incredible —Ave been almost everywhere, iand have not yet seen a bad road. That is really a wonderful thing in so young a country.” Incidentally, Mr Walker is the author of thh book “Wanderings Among South Sea Savages,” published in 1909.