THROUGH PAPUA

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 140, 14 June 1924, Page 11

THROUGH PAPUA

LADY'S ADVENTUROUS WALK

PICTURESQUE SIDELIGHTS.

(FROM OUn OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, sth June. A much-tVavelled lady, Miss Philippa Bridges, a sister of Sir Tom Bridges, Governor 'of South Australia, has just completed a iong walking tour in Papua and ex-German New Guinea, and is now in Australia. She was greatly impressed by what has been done for the natives by the Papuan Administration, and by their intelligence and orderly mode of life. ' ■

Miss Bridges, who is particularly fond of unbeaten tracks and simple folk in. their native surroundings, said that the' party, which was specially arranged for her benefit by Judge Murray (the Lieutenant Governor), who.se guest she was, left Port Moresby and went down to Buma. The country was difficult. Otio toiled up and up the razor-back hills, crossed narrow ridges, and climbed down to streams over which they had to be carried; when they could not be crossed upon slippery logs. "I was the only white woman; in fact, everyone in the large party was a native, except the Lieutenant-Gover-nor s son-in-law, who had charge of the expedition," said Miss Bridges. "All the provisions had to be carried with us, also our sleeping tents and all accessories. We only touched the border of civilisation once, when we passed through the village of Koda, where we were entertained by tha only white man, the resident magistrate I cannot speak too highly of the native police —the armed native constabulary. to <nve them their full title. A party" of them travelled with us as escort. No matter how small the native village there is always a policeman in charge' j and tney are regular martinets. Every village 1 saw was a model one." Miss Bridges has a wonderful collection of photographs taken throughout the trip. "Some of these were, taken by the natives," she said, "I would get the camera in position, and they would just touch the button. Some things are difficult to describe. Look at this bridge, lor instance. It is a narrow strip of matting made out of a fine grass, and is slung between poles. It is not so fragile as it appears, "but the majority ot bridges over wide streams are simply a single log, or sometimes two, very mossy and slippery. The construction of the country is a series of razor rooks You spend your time going up one side and down the other. I suppose I must iia-Ve a good sense of balance, because I never fell. I always made a point of | going straight ahead. I think holding j.a stick or moving your arms is quite | useless. It was wonderful to watch the native women we had with us They not only carried their own share (141b) but half one of the men's share as well. Ihen they worid put the baby on the top and carry a native pig in their arms, ana still cross a running river on a single log. The Papuan men and women are very keen on flowers. Of course, their hair is-awfully frizzy and stands straight out. Papua- means frizzy hair. They stick the hibiscus in it, and also in the bangle they wear on their arm just as a flapper puts a- handkerchief in her slave bracelet. The birds 'are beautitul; parrots, hornbills, and birds of paradise.

, Asked if leeches had proved troublesome, Miss Bridges said the natives suffered a good deal, : .but she found a cotton sku-t kept them off most effectually , Alter leaving Papua, Miss Brides went onto Rabaul, and later-wink through the ex-German territory. She sajd that the condition of the natives T&r ; mPl"°, ved ,?**« «»e present rule. For food they had taro, bananas, pawpaw and of course, coconuts; and a considerable amount of work went to raising then- crops. As to the management of the tribes, although it could Sot t>e said that (cannibalism was effaced from the whole of New Gumea-for tiieie were inaccessible, heavily timbert£ ,m? u"tams' w]»cli 'ran up to 16,000 ft that had never been explored by white men yet-there was little, if any in Papua. Tribe by tribe the people were coming under control.