NEW GUINEA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20318, 28 January 1928, Page 14

NEW GUINEA.

STORY OF MASSACRE. The story of the massacre of four whits men by natives in the Nakanai jungles, New Guinea, in October, 1926, Vfas related to the Legacy Club recently, by Dr Cilento, director of public health in New Guinea. He was the first man to volunteer to form a punitive expedition to trace the murderers. Dr Cilento said that the massacre was not due, as reported, to the result of depredations by recruiting and " blackbirders.” For 12 years the territory had been closed to recruiters. Nor did it represent a revolt on the part of the natives against the authority of the Australian administration, which was now working so well. It was partly caused by the inexperience of a young official in the control of native police boys. These boys were frequently allowed to rob native gardens and kill the domesticated pigs when the inhabitants of villages were away in the bush, and no other food was available ; and it was impossible to injure a native more than through his property. Consequently, they held a grudge against this official, and some time afterwards, when, with five other men, he traversed the territory to a copper field which ha had discovered earlier, they set an ambush for him. Four of the party were speared after a vain stand, and their bodies were shockingly treated. For 50 miles across the country, from range-top to range-top, we could see tne smoke signals of the natives, when we set out to round up the murderers,” Dr Cilento said, in his graphic description of the “ man-hunt ” by the punitive expedition, which was despatched to the jungles after the news of the massacre was brought by a half-dead native “ boy,” with a spear through his body and a deep gash from another spear on his face. “ They knew we were coming, and they fell back to their closely-defended villages on the most inaccessible razorbacked ridges,” he continued. ‘We followed the sound of their drums, and when we eventually located the hostile tribe on a lofty pinnacle, surround by spear pits and other defensive works, we called out to them that we wanted only the murderers, and that if they were delivered np everything would be all right. Their only reply was a defiant message, saying: * Come up. We have killed four of your skin, and we will be only too happy to add you to the number! ’ “ Some time later, following further demands for the murderers, two naked savages came to the brown of the pinnacle, and, performing a wild, repulsive dance, made offensive gestures We turned a machine gun on them, wounding them, and immediately the whole of the tribe, numbering between 200 and 300, left the village, and made for the almost impenetrable scrub on the other side of the mountain. We established a medical station on the site of the village, and some days afterwards, when the bulk of the tribe realised that they -were beaten, the natives returned and eventually handed over those concerned in the massacre, who were made prisoners. They realised that it was the only thing to do.” Dr Cilento made an appeal for the development of New Guinea, which, he said, was Australia’# only war le£»qg»