Fresh Beef!

Stock Reaches N.G. Goldfield

Horses Earn 30/- Per Day

Aeroplane pilots up in the New Guinea goldfields boast of their mixed freights. When they arrive back in civilisation they are always ready to tell of their varying cargoes. The car riage of natives is quite common—even live sheep have made the trip.

But the problem of landing beef in eatable condition has not been solved.

That is one thing they admit. The tropical conditions have a say in the matter. Refrigerated aeroplanes have still to be built.

The distinction of transporting the first cattle to Wau, on the Morobe fields, belongs to Messrs. Simpson and Lumb. But the animals travelled “on the hoof.” A few months back, the Mirani brought a mixed lot of cattle, horses and goats, collected from around the Territory, and landed them at Sala moa. The two residents named then drove the stock overland to Wau, via the Bowang Mountains. The trip took many weeks, but only one horse was lost.

It was a red letter day among the goldfield camps when the first slaugh tering of beef was notified.

A proud native, decked out in a pair of bull’s horns, and with a placard on his back advertising the killing, strut ted around among the huts. Orders were quickly received, and the first beef killed at Wau realised 2/6 per pound.

At that price, it paid the owners hand somely.

So successful was the venture that Mr. Simpson has now set out from the ccast with a further mob of cattle. This time he is taking them from Madang, along the plains of the Ramu River, to the mountains. His arrival on the field is eagerly awaited.

The horses brought in are thriving on the pastures available. They were a poor-looking lot, suffering from tropical sores, but now they have picked up, and are in good condition. A charge of 30/- per day is made for rent ing them out to prospectors, and good business is being done.

The return of population for the British Solomon Islands for last year shows whites 461, aliens 256, natives (incomplete) 150,000.

The horses and cattle, photographed just after they arrived at Wau, after their long trip.

Mr. Lumb, with his horse, is in the background.