IN WILD NEW GUINEA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 April 1926, Page 10

IN WILD NEW GUINEA.

UNIVERSITY EXPEDITION

NEW TERRITORY MAPPED

Last December there left Sydney a party of four venturesome Australians, comprising a Sydney University expedition, for the mandated territory of' New Guinea to probe the mysteries of the heart of that little-known land. In two ' months the expedition explored a large tract of the Sepik River Valley, placing on the map 60 villages and completing the course of two rivers. A valuable film record was secured, particularly of phases of native life, mariy of the tribes having previously never seen w’hite men. The first of the party to return w r as Mr E. A. Briggs, lecturer in zoology at the Sydney University.- His three colleagues are pushing through the territory, and intend to cross into Dutch _ New Guinea, where they are to join a steamer for Java. The expedition landed at Aitape, a small outpost on the north-east coaist of New Guinea, and, heading inland, scrambled over the Toricelli Ranges, w'hich have a.n altitude of t 6000 ft. After establishing a base camp many excursions w r ere made into the Wapi district. The courses of the Wini and ICifunga rivers were completed, the junction of the two forming the Yellow river, -one of the important tributaries of the Sepik—the _ mystery river of New Guinea. “The Wapi warriors are the bow and arrow men of the mountains,” said Mr Briggs. “They carry large wooden shields, which cover the body from head to knees. The outer surface of the shield is deeply incised into a curious spiral design, which also _ appears in various forms in the carvings and paintings in the ‘devil-devil’ houses. On crossing the _ Toricelli Ranges, one steps straight into the Stone Age. Beautifully constructed find balanced st-one axes are used by the natives, and one realises that one is face to face with men of the stone age. The axe heads, when not in nse. are detached from the handles, and nlaced in specially-constructed baskets for nrotection mid preservation. As primitive as they are, the natives have an elaborate method of drum talk, signals being broadcast on the drum or garamut. This is constructed from a hollow tree tru.nk. tapered at the ends. The signaller heats out his message with a stout piece of wood, not on a code system, hut hy an attempt to mak® the drum boom out its message. The drums can he heard a great distance, and the Wapi warriors are able to drum-talk with scattered villages. But the secret of the garamut remains the secret of the black man.” In a vivid description of the native dances. Mr Briggs said that the bright splashes of light from torches' of burning bamboo stabbed the darkness and illuminated a fantastic background tio the swaving mass of wild humanity. The thud of pounding feet and the pulsating beat of hands on skins tightly stretched across drums resounded, as the warriors danced on into the night. Dominating the weird noise was the deep, reverberating boom of the garamuts. Above the wildly tossing heads and waving plumes swayed the mysterious “tambourin,” or “devil-devil,” carried on the heaving shoulders of a wild dancer. A curious phenomenon was experienced in the Sepik valley each evening. Shortly after sunset a wind blew with gale force for about two hours. The winds were probably caused by the rapid cooling of the heated air over the huge drainage system of the Sepik river. “It was nothing to see a native hut flying in our direction,” said Mr Briggs, “and cooking utensils flying before the gale often led to a lively chase, when we often felt more inclined to rest after a hard day’s trek.” The young explorer added that salt was an open sesame in the Wapi tribes, who were cut off from the sea by the Toricelli Ranges. Consequently it was found that the inland natives craved for salt, with which carriers were paid and food was bought' for the natives who accompanied the expedition. Altogether, Mr Briggs estimated that 300 square miles of country previously unknown were traversed, while the total area covered was 800 square miles. This was regarded as exceptionally good travelling in the rough, mountainous countries. Manv of the specimens brought back by Mr Briggs will be employed in the new school of anthropology at the Sydney University.