NEW GUINEA WILDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 March 1939, Page 5

NEW GUINEA WILDS

AN ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY PATROL’S EXPLORATIONS. ATTACKS BY HOSTILE TRIBES. A native boy was killed by an arrow from a hostile tribe which attacked an official patrol in New Guinea, and the tribe attacked twice more within an hour, but was driven off by native police and carriers, according to an official report released in Canberra recently. The report was based on information received from Mr J. L. Taylor, an assistant district officer in the New Guinea service.

Mr Taylor has just completed through the Hagen-Sepik area one of the most colourful patrols made since the last stages of the exploration of New Guinea were begun. His report resembles an adventure story from a boys’ magazine. “Crossing the head of the Western April River early in October I nearly met with disaster,” he says. “There was no bridge, and it became necessary to cross on a rope and pulley. The police and carriers used an improvised chair arrangement after the manner in which a breeches buoy is used in rescuing people from shipwreck, and the stores and equipment were transported in slings. "The pulley, or traveller, used was a pair of handcuffs. A strong rope of cane was suspended across the river and it became necessary to test it. 1 then travelled over it hand over hand and leg over leg, lying horizontally under the rope. FORCED TO DROP INTO TORRENT “To my utter dismay, when over midstream, I discovered that I could not go forward or backward. For a few moments I hung by my legs in order to allow my arms to regain their strength, but my'*oiled top-boots soon caused me to lose my grip, and I dropped like a stone into the torrent. I knew that my police would risk their lives to get me out, and that I should not go without a struggle. “Being used to turbulent water, I held my breath and instinctively made for the opposite side of the stream from which I had come. I was still under water when my hand struck someone. It was Constable Karo, who had dived almost on top of me. When he came to the surface I had reached shallow water and had come up for air.”

Mr Taylor found communication with the people of the grass tablelands easy, as they were peaceable, but he could not establish relations with those of the forests, and he was attacked several times by them. In one of these attacks the native bearer was killed. ATTACKED BY HOSTILE NATIVES.

“Early on the morning of December 17, a clever surprise attack was made on us,” he says. “A fine young man. Kwinjil, of Mogei-Kwivi, received an arrow which penetrated Ilin, and entered the region of the heart. He died almost instantly at the door of my tent. Four others were wounded. Two more attacks were made within the next hour, but the police and carriers remained perfectly calm and the attackers were driven off.

"After resting the wounded for a day or two, we pushed on to the head of the May River. We made friendly contact with the first of the low country people, whom we found to be steel hungry, and bought a number of canoes and made barges. Every care was taken, but one barge collapsed and nearly ended in disaster. Fortunately no one was lost.

“We proceeded by water and by land. Both parties, keeping pace with each other, out-manoeuvred a party of highly-decorated and heavily-armed warriors, and camped lower down, where it was found possible to buy more canoes and improve the barges. CONFLICT NARROWLY AVOIDED. "The next community met with attempted to prevent our passagedownstream. Terrific excitement prevailed in the village. Heavily-armed men roared defiance and shouted for action and some beat the water with canoe paddles, cheering as showers of spray rose and fell with each stroke. “However, after some parley, we succeeded in passing without conflict, in spite of the fact that one, more bellicose than the rest, wished to make a naval engagement of it and attack us from canoes.”

Mr Taylor suggests that in controlling the area contact should first be made with the people of the, plains, from whom the sphere of control could extend slowly to the forest dwellers. He described the discovery of a new lake, "which may rival Killarney for beauty,” and the finding of thousands of new native people living about it.