Papua And New Guinea

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30390, 14 March 1964, Page 3

Papua And New Guinea

Patrol into Yesterday. My New Guinea Years. By J. K. McCarthy. Published by F. W. Cheshire. 244 pp. Illustrated and index. Papua. Beasts and Men. By Andre Dupeyrat. Published by Mac Gibbon and Kee. 188 pp. Illustrated. Translated from the French by Michael Heron. For a part of the world that is as relatively little known as Papua-New Guinea, it is an odd coincidence that two books on the same territory should be published at the same time and at opposite ends of the globe. Both books, too, form good companions mainly through their complete contrast, one being written by a government officer and the other by a missionary. J. K. McCarthy, now Director of ttie Department of Native Affairs and a member of the Papua-New Guinea Legislative Council joined the New Guinea Administration as a Patrol Officer in 1927. “Patrol into Yesterday” covers the author’s experiences in New Guinea over most of this period of nearly 40 years. During this time New Guinea has gradually evolved from savagery to the beginnings of civilisation and this transition is clearly seen in this book through the changing attitudes of the native peoples as well as in the gradually shifting emphasis of the administration towards self-determination. Much of the book is concerned with the author’s patrols into the interior. J. K. McCarthy’s life-long habit of keeping a detailed daily journal has obviously paid dividends since his tales are full of minor incidents, each of which individually might be considered trivial but together they make, from what might otherwise be a rather boring account of rugged travel from A to B, a travelogue which is as fresh and alive as if undertaken yesterday rather than several decades ago. In these stories of routine patrols and, sometimes, punitive expeditions we are told something of - the barbaric customs of the more primitive peoples, of their beliefs in the super- ■ natural world of devils and spirits, and of their methods of sorcery and waging war. Opening up new country has ever been a hazardous business and Mr McCarthy has had his full measure of narrow escapes from death at the hands of treacherous tribesmen.

The famous volcanic eruption of Rabaul in 1937 has a chapter in tills book, the author being on the spot with his newly-arrived bride when it happened. Another equally interesting first-hand account is the Japanese occupation of New Britain. Mr McCarthy was one of the many who stayed behind enemy lines and helped to save hundreds of Australian troops from captivity after the fall of Rabaul The book ends when the story has turned full circle with the recent*., opening, by the

author, of a centre for the training of native patrol officers. It is perhaps a valid criticism that in this book, like so many others of similar type, the constant reference to native place names demands a virtually continuous check, on the part of the reader, of the several sketch maps included if he is not to become bushed rather more frequently than the patrol he is following. How much simpler it would be if a single map could be included as a fold-out insert at the back of the book. Keeping a finger between pages 42 and 43 becomes a little tiring. Father Andre Dupeyrat’s “Papua. Beasts and Men” is concerned rather more with the animal than with the human inhabitants of Papua and as such contrasts with Mr McCarthy’s book since, apart from the odd crocodile or two, Mr McCarthy ignores the unique zoology of PapuaNew Guinea. The author was a Roman Catholic missionary in Papua from 1929 to 1951 and is obviously a scholar of some repute. His earlier books, “Festive Papua” and “Mitsinari” have covered his missionary activities and local customs of the people. The completion of the triology should make a notable addition to our knowledge of this part of the world. The “Papuan Bestiary” has close affinities with that of Australia. All the land mammals, with the exception of an ant-eater, are marsupials and over a hundred species have been recorded. Birds and insects abound in vast numbers, the brilliant plumage of the former contributing much to the colour of the tropical bush. Unfortunately the splendour is offset by a not so decorative collection of spiders, snakes and crocodiles. Father Dupeyrat has something of a crocodile fixation since he devotes nearly half of his book to a remarkably detailed account of their habits, few of which are particularly pleasant. Much of the author’s “fascination of the horrible” is conveyed to the reader however, since the style is light and often humorous. One could perhaps even grow to like crocodiles, but the reviewer draws the Une at the local method of catching them —by tickling them into a state of paralysed ecstasy so that they may be trussed and bound. As interesting as the author makes his tales of personal observation of the Papuan animals, the influence of animals on native culture and superstition makes even more interesting reading. The translations of representative Papuan songs in the last chapter, all with predominant animal themes, as well as being unique, serve to underline the closeness of animal and primitive human societies. If Father Dupeyrat’s powers of conversation have been as great as his powers of observation his mission should have been crowned with success. This is truly both a fascinating and ;nformaitive book.