TRAILED BY CANNIBALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24251, 17 April 1942, Page 7

TRAILED BY CANNIBALS

EVACUEES FROM ISLAND NERVE-RACKING EXPERIENCES SYDNEY, April 9 A nightmare trek through cannibalinhabited jungle was made by a party of civilian evacuees from an island north of Australia. The country traversed had been penetrated only once previously by two white explorers, one of whom was killed by head-hunters, and island residents warned the party against the journey. The evacuees have now reached NewSouth Wales, and their adventures were described by a member of the party. "There were 34 white men in the party and 120 native carriers," he said. "We had not been on our journey many days when the cannibals commenced to trail us. It was a nerve-rack-ing experience when you remember that, in addition to guarding against them, we had to watch our native carriers closely for fear they might make a bolt for home at the first sign of danger. "After following us for days t however, the head-hunters came hesitantly into our camp and offered to trade green bananas, cucumbers and sugarcane for string beads, white cloth and penknives. We had eaten only rice for days, and were quite willing to barter. But all the time we had to watch them, although they appeared to be a shy, mild people who allowed us to take photographs of them with great reluctance. "When the party came upon a river where progress was possible only by canoe, camp was made at, night in native huts built on stilts 12 feet from the ground. You could not sleep on the ground without the danger of being 6eized in your sleep by crocodiles," he said. "Ultimately we arrived at a mission station, where we remained several weeks, and later we reached a port from which we caught a steamer for Australia."