TREACHEROUS PAPUANS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 18, 15 July 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

TREACHEROUS PAPUANS

AN ALARMING EXPERIENCE. A party of three white men and twenty native carriers recently had an alarming experience in the 'wilds of Papua. They marched into the interior for the purpose of locating and inspecting some coal seams which were discovered two years ago, and thev had a most arduous journey over rough country thickly covered with bush. They had to cut a track for themselves through dense scrub and undergrowth, and their rate of progress was only about two miles a day. They had been travelling on foot for a fortnight when they fell in with natives belonging to the almost unknown tribes which inhabit the interior. The appearance of the white men and their native "boys" created tremendous excitement among the Papuans, and a large number gathered in a circle round the visitors, blowing conch shells and stamping their feet as if they wished to alann the white men. These demonstrations were disregarded, however, and the natives approached the camp of the explorers and made friends with them. A guide was provided for the travellers when they continued their march, and on the following day more natives appeared and Bhook hands familiarly with the white men, though it was probably their first meeting with Europeans. Some forty Papuans, all armed with clubs and bows and arrows, accompanied the expedition for some considerable distance, being apparently entirely friendly, as they gave bananas, yams and other fruits "to the visitors. After a hard ma.rch the whole party reached the bank of a stream and sat down to smoke and rest, the Papuans joining in the'smoking. When a move was made, however, the natives suddenly became hostile. As the carriers were picking up their packs the Papuans rushed at them, knocking some of them over and smashing one boy's skull with a stone club. The white men opened fire with their revolvers, killing two of the natives, and the rest dropped their arms and fled. During the remainder of the journey the explorers were not molested, but after one alarming experience of the treachery of the Papuans they were able to realise that there will he great difficulties in the way of opening up the resources of Australia's valuable territory.