HAZARDOUS MISSION OF NEW ZEALANDER.

Northern Advocate, 18 December 1911, Page 6

HAZARDOUS MISSION OF NEW ZEALANDER.

WILL, PHONOGRAPH NATIVE

CHANTS.

WILD NEW GUINEA.

The Manuka, 'from Wellington (N.Z.) arrived at Sydney recently, carrying as a passenger Mr Jenness, a young New Zealander, who; is going on an anthropological expedition among the wildest natives in wild' New Guinea. '■'•• . Mr Jenness is a native of Wellington (N.Z.). He had a brilliani;j,career at Wellington. College, where he graduated with first-class honors in classics, and proceeded to Oxford in 1908 as the holder of several scholarships from New Zealand. At Oxford >he gained the diploma of anthropology, and second-class honors in classics.

The expedition which;, he is making is.under the auspices of the University of Oxford* as represented by the Committee of Anthropology, the money required for the purpose having been made up out of grants of equal amounts furnished by the Common University Fund of Bailiol, Magdalen

and Brasenpse 'Colleges, "w\liilst,,- r con.tributions have been given by Exeter, Lincoln, Corpus Christy and Jesus Colleges. Sir William Anson and Dr. Arthur Evans have likewise in 4 private capacity afforded help to the expedition fund. BASE OF OPERATIONS. V The Committee of Anthropology selected Mr Jenness for the missioi, and he left Sydney for Papua by /the Matunga last Friday week. The base of operations will be Bwaicloga, on

Goodenough Island, which is' one of th 6 least-known parts, the interior of the island having been quite unexplored. There is a Methodist Mission station on a corner of the island in charge of the Rev. A. Ballantyne, who will render Mr Jenness all the assistance in his power, and the help of the other missionaries in that region is similarly assured. Judge Murray, the, Lieutenant-Governor of Papua, has also given his full approval of the expedition as thus arranged, and has accorded it his official support. So

that Mr Jenness will enter upon his work under the most favorable auspices. , NOT AFRAID OF CANNIBALS. ' "My plan is t6 begin with a general survey of the D'Entrecasteaux Group" ho said to a press representative, "and as soon as I get through in touch with the natives I have to be able to settle down to a detailed study of. those of Goodenough Island in particular. I "expect to be there about 12 months, but I may stay longer. It is possible that I may enter the Government service afterwards, in order to continue my work, but I cannot say yet precisely what my plans will be. Very little is known to the outside world about the natives of Goodenough Island, but I know that cannibalism still exists in the interior. , "No, I'm not afraid. I'm one of Pha roan's lean kine, and they wouldn't get much of a meal off me. But I am sure from all I have heard that I will find them kindly disposed and friendly. It depends very largely on the way you treat them. If you give kindness you get kindness. Human nature is the same all the world over." Mr Jenness hopes that his investigations will r.hrow light on many ethnological problems. He will study the habits, customs, and religion of these primitive people, and when his work is completed will send a report to th.c Oxford. . University authorities. He is taking, a phonograph to secure records of songs, but says that the phonograph has not altogether proved i a success for this purpose in tropical countries, where the records get mouldy. v