NEW GUINEA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4, 5 January 1903, Page 2

NEW GUINEA.

TALE OF A BIG DROUGHT.

MURDER AND CANNIBALISM

After a cruise of over three months amongst the South Sea Islands and to New Guinea the London Missionary Society's yacht John Williams returned to Sydney on December 30. She has been absent since September 10, and has visited Rarotonga, Penrhyn Islands, Samoa, Savage Islands, Gilbert and Ellice Groups, and New Guinea.

Although everything was very quiet in the islands, yet a bad state off affairs exists in New Guinea. Some shocking tales of cannibalism, as the result of a- very severe drought which was spread over New Guinea, come by the mission yacht. Mr H. M. Dauncey, who has had 15 years' mission experience in New Guinea, and who wa-s brought to Sydney from Delena, a port about 60 miles west of Port Moresby, by the John Williams, states that the natives are suffering terribly through no rain having fallen in that district this year. The season is the worst the Papuans have experienced for than ten years, and they are faring very badly all over British New Guinea. Early in the year, he says, there was a little rain, but none has fallen since. The native crops are all dead, or dying, and they have but little food, and are subsisting on almost nothing. At many places, and especially on the N.E. coast, the natives are eating ravenously green wild fruit' which immediately bring on dysentery, and from, this complaint the natives are dying in dozens. The other half-starved unfortunates are eating their dead tribesmen, and resorting to cannibalism to keep themselves alive. From Normanby Island, on the north-east coast, comes the same reports. The worst, too, has to come yet, as they are only in the middle of the dry season, and hundreds of natives are dying at present.

At Woodlark Island, 170 miles east of New Guinea, where there is supposed to be gold deposits, everything is at a standstill. There is no water to feed the big crushing mills, three of which had been started there, and they have had to close down. The mines, too, have all stopped work, and many miners are idle. The inhabitants say nothing has been experienced like it before.

Speaking of the murder of the two miners, Brackenburg and "Jimmy, the Austrian," as they were known, in the gold district of New Guinea, a passenger from, that part said that, the tribe who did the men to death intended to murder a good many more. These two men were many miles apart when murdered, and the Austrian was found with a pick driven right through his head into the ground. His body, which was thus pinned down, was badly mutilated, while all belongings were stolen.

Brackenburg was discovered in a valley with his brains battered out, and there were many signs of his having been murdered in the most ■ghastly fashion. The natives had secured big stones and rushed the unfortunate fellow while he was digging, bashing his brains out with the Stones. These fearful murders, and ninny others, had been committed just for the sake of stealing their belongings. A punitive expedition was Kent out to sear-h for the tribe, and, finding them, taught them a severe lesson. It is stated that many were shot, while others suffered in other ways. In their village were found innumerable miners' dishes, pannikins, pans, and other miners' utensils, which the bloodthirsty wretches had stolen from prospectors and murdered men. Some anxiety was being felt when the mission yacht left New Guinea over the prolonged absence of a party of three men who went prospecting into the interior. They bad been absent, a long time, and no news had been heard from them. The gravest fears were entertained for their safety, and it was supposed that they had been massacred. Two_ other parties were out prospecting in the Mambare, Kamusi and Yodda Valley districts, and good 1 reports of gold finds were -expected from them on their return. The massacre of 25 natives is reported from Kerepunu. One of the Hill tribes swept down on a party of friendly natives and Wiled ss, jus-t a little while before Christmas. One missionary had a narrow escape of Veino- massacred. He set out for a village one day just before the natives 0 were massacred, but lost his way, and after wandering some time was brought into the village of Kerepunu He afterwards heard that the natives of the village he had set out for had come out to attack and kul him: before he reached their village, hut he luckily lost his way, and turned up among a friendly tribe. In Dutch New Guinea settlers are reported to be dying off faster than others get there. They are raw hands direct from their native country and cannot stand the climate, the first attack of fever they get carrying them off. It is said that the Dutch are anxious to get the Britishers in to open up their country, but are afraid they will never get them out once they get there.