Big Feast.

Shackleford-Dromgold Expedi tion Treats its Papuan “Supers.”

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 8.

THE Shackleford and Dromgold Ex pedition has shifted its headquarters to the Eastern Division of Papua, after working for some time around the reefs and native villages in the district of Port Moresby.

It has been impressed with the scen ery and the natives in the Central Divi sion and has taken excellent films to be adapted later for the main features of a spectacular film of the South Seas. Be fore leaving for Samarai, they gave a big feast to the natives of Hanuabada, who had been working consistently with

the expedition since its arrival in Papua.

The feast consisted of two bullocks, one ton of rice, and six hundred loaves of bread.

In order to get satisfactory results, the expedition spent large sums of money in experimental work for the ad aptation of the finer points of their film work to the nature of the country and the natives; and the Hanuabada people received more than exceptional payment for their services.

The danger is that this royal feast, following upon the heels of the easy money for some months past, will have the tendency to render their services prohibitive in these bad times to the re sidents of Port Moresby, and to any fu ture expedition (less affluent) coming this way, for some time to come.

The demands of the Hanuabada will be high and their attitude lofty. Still, the money was a very welcome addition to the currency of Port Moresby, and the natives may have by now reached the age of discrimination and regard the

whole proceedings in the light of a windfall.

Twelve hundred natives from Hanua bada, Baruni, Tatana, Pari and Vabukori took part in the feast.