NEW GUINEA

Evening Post, Issue 66, 15 September 1936, Page 10

NEW GUINEA

A PARTY ATTACKED

RECRUITER KILLED

THE NATURE OF THE LIFE

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, September 10. C. A. Gough, a New Guinea recruiter, and four natives were killed and four other natives were slightly wounded, when Gough's party was attacked recently by hostile savages in New Guinea. The Minister .'in Charge of Territories (Sir George Pearce) said that, the Acting Administrator of New Guinea had received reports of the affair from the district officer of the Sepik district. It had been reported that wounded native employees of the recruiter arrived at the administration station in the Sepik district and stated that their party was attacked by natives near the village of Umbrum, south of Suein in grass country in the valley of the Sepik River. The village at which the attack took place is not within the boundaries of the area in the Sepik district which has been declared an uncontrolled area. The district officer is conducting a.patrol to the area to ascertain the facts, but he is not likely to return for another week.

It was only a few days before the report was received that- Mr. Charles Bate, a district officer in New Guinea on furlough in Sydney, gave an account of the life of officials at lonely outposts. Among his many stories was one of how he was able to settle a tribal fight by appearing on the scene in an aeroplane. , . '

"One day,", he said, "I went out on patrol. There was a big fight on. I warned the warriors.on both sides that if it happened again I would take seriDus measures. Soon after I left they started again. I heard of it; arid, abou* the same time, Kevin Parer arrived in an, aeroplane. I .told him I could see a tribal fight over the hills. We set out. It was a thrilling sight. About 600 warriors were lined up in a valley. I said to Parer: 'What about swooping down?'. He swooped over the field of battle. The warriors stopped in astonishment, and then ran for their lives. It was 'Government.1 They never fought again.

PATROL WORK DESCRIBED.

"That's how the work is carried on. If I hear of a fight somewhere I go put to it with some of my boys. We are 'Government.' We have to stop the fight. Occasionally the young bloods scoff; then we have to face them and show them that the Government is in authority."

"There are about 60,000 natives in the Chimbu Valley, -which is about 100 miles in length and where I spent fourteen months,".said Mr. Bates. "When I went there the natives were fighting. Every day.: there would be a fight. I persuaded; a number to attach themselves to my station. When I went on patrol I would take one from each group. We would set off at daylight, crowds following us, and at midday we would make camp. We would put up a line of tents, and put a line of rope round and sign to the natives that they must not. break it. Sometimes they, would dance around, shouting, milling, and brandishing their spears. When ; it's like that, if you show;the slightest sign of nervousness, there will be trouble. They have 14ft spears and bows and arrows. As soon as I visited a place I would get in touch with the 'big' man of the group. We would talk in signs. He would find I was friendly. We would trade for food, and then I would induce some of the people to go back to my station. They are a wonderfully intelligent people. They would stay at the station, and in a little time the police boys would have them talking pidgin English. There were two of them who had never seen a European utensil, and in a few weeks they were cooking for me." ■