FLY RIVER HORROR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 99, 17 December 1931, Page 2

FLY RIVER HORROR

WOMEN INCITE NATIVES TO - ;!MASSACRE 17 OF' RIVAL TRIBE PORT MORESBY, Saturday. Urged on by their women-folk, the black-hearted Amazons of the Fly River, the Sukis massacred, in cold blood, 17 members of a rival tribe — - natives of'the villages of Weraidai and Sumai. As the Sukis paddled down the river, they attracted little attention; but it was seen that they had a number of women with them. After they had landed, the Sukis proffered tobacco and other goods by way of exchange for various articles. It was not easy to drive a bargain, and the matter was debated for many hours, native style, over friendly pipes.- - Wild Women The women,* it seemed, became restless at the delay. They began to shout and call to their menfolk. As the men smoked "on, the women became more and more incessant in .their demands. They danced round and round, and finally seized tomahawks and placed them in the hands of their men. Then, * without wariiing, the slaughter began." Of the 22 villagers who had sat down at the peace meeting, only five escaped alive. - One of those who escaped had four tomahawk wounds in his back, and the 'other had b'een piereed -" by hn arrow. ' A similar massacre occurred in 1927, but none of the natives was punished. Nohody could identify them, and no one could speak their, language.