Pitched Battles.

Tribesmen Fight at Port Moresby.

A FEUD between labourers from the Motu-Motu and Goaribari tribes who are employed in Port Moresby broke out into pitched battles in February.

A waterfront brawl between members of each tribe started the trouble. When the Motu-Motus got back to their village that night, the Goaribaris attacked them but the police arrived and restored order.

The following morning the Motu- Motus retaliated and launched a sur prise attack on their enemies in the early hours. A lively affray was the re sult and the attackers were driven off and took to the hills, leaving a number of casualties behind.

Spears, knives, iron bars, stones and pieces of timber were used as weapons, but the injuries were mostly slight, ex cept for one boy, who had a leg broken.

The police were not on the scene of battle as soon as at the fight of the night before and the Goaribaris had gained a decided victory before they in tervened.

Sixty-five natives were charged at the Court of Petty Sessions with having be haved in a manner causing a breach of the peace and with assault, and fines imposed ranged from 10/- to £3, the al ternative being from a month to three

months’ gaol,