PLEASURE CRUISER VISITS NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20978, 5 October 1933, Page 17

PLEASURE CRUISER VISITS NEW GUINEA

WEEK-END AT PORT MORESBY The people of Papua, black and white, gave a wonderful welcome to the pleasure-cruise passengers on the Peninsular and Oriental steamer Strathaird, when she visited Port Moresby recently. The vessel spent a week-end in the port, white residents of New Guinea coming from all parts to greet her, and native representatives of many tribes coming from the inferior to show the passengers something of native life and customs. Villages from as far away as the Fly river tooic part in the ceremonial dances of welcome in the town of Hanuabada, the princjipal rativewl: la re of Papua, and the 1200 P?ssen gers on the liner watched with the greatest interest a superb exhibition of native art. Later the passengers were driven to Pari and to the landing field of Guinea Airways. Many went for flights in the company's machines, enjoying fine views of the jungle and of the coral reefs round the coast. Other passengers took part in a grea.t canoe race, for which the Strathaird acted as flagship, and on the last night a ball was given on board the vessel at which 300 residents of Port Moresby were the guests of the company. Port Moresby christened the visit "the Strathaird week-enrl, and when the vessel had sailed and the last of the circling aeroplanes had landed, a delightful and memorable page in its history had been completed.