Interesting Memories of Papua

and Polynesia.

[To The Editor .] Sir,—I should like to congratulate you on your excellent publication, and, being an old “South Sea Islander,’’ I find that every page is of interest.

My connection with the Islands goes back to 1904, when R. H. Sharpe was the manager of the Cook Islands Trading Co., and “Watty” Taylor was (before that time) purser of the “Corinna.” When “L. & M.’’ bananas from Fiji had a good name, and Mr.

Griffiths owned and ran The Fiji Times.

Since those days, I have lived in British New Guinea, etc., and was Collector of Customs in Daru, when the Rupert Clarke party in the “Kismet,” left for the source of the Fly River. They discovered it, as Mr.

Leo. Austen states. The party was composed of Sir Rupert Clarke, Archi bald Mac Alpine, the Pryke Brothers, and M. McKay, the engineer (who is now in charge of the Sir John For rest, running out of Suva to the outer districts of the Fiji group). They had a smaller launch, and Sir Rupert, with Archie, returned ahead of the “Kismet.” During the interval of the arrival of the small launch and the “Kismet,” R. M. Ryan was sent to try to locate the main party, and—I think —got stuck in one of the rivers which feed the Fly.

The Pryke Brothers brought back a native dog, which they caught at a place named (by them) Maungatta, on account of the natives who, as the “Kismet” drew to their village, called out, “Maungatta! Maungatta ” What it meant is not really known, but what the Prykes thought it meant, would fill a book.

Eventually, they reached Daru, and Frank Pryke had a very bad arm, where part of a spearhead penetrated.

Mr. Baxter-Riley, the L.M.S. mission ary, who had studied medicine at Owen’s College, Manchester England, attended the injury. The whole party —both Sir Rupert’s and the “Kismet” —stayed at my house whilst in Daru.

Professor A. C. Haddon was also there, and he reaped a wonderful harvest of antiquities, etc., by being on the Island when the expedition returned.

Regarding the photographs, Mr. Leo.

Austen mentions, I believe I am the only person with these, because I got copies from the Prykes, and had—with their permission—plates made from them. One of the photographs shows what they considered was the very source of the Fly, and, if my memory serves me correctly, the picture was taken in what was then German ter ritory.

Other photographs show huge piles of turtle eggs and a tribe of natives, who were exceedingly docile, but had the most peculiar at weird manners and habits.

With best wishes for the success of your magazine.

I am, etc.,

J. E. Nixon Westwood.

P.O. Box 995, Bulawayo, Rhodesia.