VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

Radio Record, 8 April 1938, Page 8

VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

Papuan Missionary Tells of the Dark Island-and a Miracle Worked by Modern Radio

Special to the

"Record"

by

C. A.

FORTUNE

IGHTEEN months ago a party headed by two white men, Champion and Adamson, was sent to make a more extensive exploration of littleknown country in the centre of New Guinea. They were away eight months, and then there were fears for their safety. A party was formed to travel to an outlying tribe which, it was suspected, had estallished contact with the unknown people whose country the white men were exploring, in the hope that the fate of the missing men could be learned. Every night while preparations for departure were under way the reluctant relief party listened in to the Australian radio stations, hoping to hear that the missing men had been found-for they knew the outside world would have the news first by radio. On the night before the morning the party was due to leave they listened again, hopefully, only to have those hopes dashed when no word came from the Australian stations. Then idly they tuned into the shortwave station at Daventry. From that station, 11,000 miles away, it was learned that Champion and Adamson were that very moment rafting their way down the river only 60 miles distant from where the relief party was due to set out. What more emphatic instance could be given of modern radio’s annihilation of distance and its influence on life in primitive lands? This, and even more, remarkable stories of adventure in the little-known country of Papua were told me by the Rey. Leonard Hurst, secretary for Australia and New Zealand of the London Missionary Society, who recently couducted 9 several months’ administra-

tive tour of New Guinea, and who is now conducting a similar tour of New Zealand. Referring to the missionary work jn the least explored of all countries, he said: "Some of our keenest support comes from former cunnibals, Through our work, cannibalism bas become almost « thing of the past, but from outlying districts one occasionally hears of an outburst, and someone is killed and eaten. Such cases, fortunately, are few and far between. However, primitive passions are very strong, and murder is still regrettably frequent, the most trivial reason being consid. ered quite sufficient to take life. One man admitted he had killed simply because he was annoyed that the other talked too much!" Communication, even in woderu New Guineu, was a problem, there being practically no roads except in the vicinity of Port Moresby. Commuuication was principally by means of canoe or launch along the seu coast,

or along the banks of the rivers. "There are roads in the forest," said Mr. Hurst with a smile, "but they are the merest tracks, and have been used for generations by tribes seeking overland communication, or, more frequently, on the warpath. Since the establishment of resident magistrates more tracks had been constructed, but it is a constant fight against the jungle to keep them clear. When I was not moving about in canoe or launch I was walking, either through the jungle paths or along the beaches." The native method of bridging rivers is primitiveaud still the one chiefly employed. All that was done was to fell a tree trunk from bank to bank and, as this was not steadied in any way, crossing for the novice was dangerous jndeed. Whereas the sure-footed Papuans tripped lightly over the "bridges," Mr. Hurst was forced to adopt all mau ner of balancing tactics, and on his first attempt at making such a crossing he had to straddle the log and work his way across as best he could.

"Copper and rubber are being extensively exported to-day," he explained, "and the country is progressing well. A not-yery-exteusive trade is ing done in shell, but experiments are being curried out in growing coffee and several species of fibre. An international syndicate is conducting an extensive search for oil in the Fly River area, , "There are several thousund white people scattered through the country, the greater part being in Port Moresby. The natives have accepted their pre sence calmly, and are very kindly disposed towards them. "Health? Oh, Papua is quite a healthy country, much more so thau most people think. In 50 years of mis sion work we have never ouce sent a man home because of ill-health, aud sone of our men have been there for between 80 and 40 years, They Jo coutract fever, and get it pretty badly too. but with ordinary precautions, health (Continued on page 39.)

Voice In Wilderness

ee PAPUAN JOURNEYS (Continued from, page 8). cun be safeguarded much better than in most tropical countries," . Much of Papua is still unexplored. Until three years ago a vast area lying beyond limestone hills had never. heen entered by white men, and a_ party which penetrated at that. time was the lirst white party to come in contact with native tribes. numbering many thousands. eer The’ unknown people, according to Champion and Adamson. (news of whose escape from the interior reached J.ondon before it was known 60 miles away), were remarkable. They ‘possessed well-built homes and had cultivated gardens which actually included tlowers, most unusual things to find in au vative garden. The strange’ people were very friendly and treated the explorers well. One tribesman showed, by pantomime methods, that he khew: who these queer white people were. . Pointing to his people, then falling down on the ground, pointing to heaven; and .. back to the white men, he indicated . they were spirits of the dead returned to earth! Champion caused one warrior to break his bow and arrow in dis- ° gust when with his rifle he killed: a bird well beyond the redch of the native’s urrow. Champion and Adamson entered this unfamiliar, wild country with 1000 rounds of ammunition, and ‘came out with 960 rounds. Forty only had been expended in shooting game. Their departure from the country had ‘been . delayed because it took them 28 days ~ lo cross a flooded river, "I hope to return to Papua before long," suid Mr. Hurst, "I love the country and its people, and I must go back to them."