Tugeri.

Memories Of The

How They Besieged a Magistrate.

[Letter to the Editor ] CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs. Mollie Lett for her article on the Tugeri, contained in the April number of the “P.I.M."

The value of such contributions lies partly in the loosening of other people’s tongues; and from one of the old hands in Daru, who lived there at the time when the Tugeri were something more than a legend, further information of those well-nigh forgotten times was ob tained, which will probably interest your contributor.

Mr. Cameron, first official R.M. of the western division, was himself besieged in the Government station at Mabu dauan, where he was surprised by a wandering party of Tugeri. He and his handful of men had to retreat to an improvised fortress, which they held for five days before the savages gave in to the white man’s superior defence and removed their unwelcome presence.

Probably, this is the only instance in Papuan history where a Government official has been invested in his own stronghold. Had it not been for the

stubborn defence, which undoubtedly prevented a massacre, what a story would have been bequeathed to us— the type of story from which this country, in spite of its savagery, has been fortunately free.

Another raid, one that ended tragi cally, comes from the same source as a reminder of the good old days. The village of Mawatta was the scene of this outrage; the time, shortly after the station had been removed to Daru from Mabudauan.

A man named Martin had a trading store in the village, and, at a time when most of the Mawatta men were away, the Tugeri came down.

Martin and the remnant of the village folk took refuge in the store. But, after the white man’s rifle first misfired and then jammed the trader ran from the house and attempted to get away over a treacherous mud-flat, where he was easily captured. His head was com pletely severed, in full view of the de fenders.

The end of this raid was almost ludicrously stage-managed. One of the Mawatta natives named Kairi (he died there only last year, aged about 60), re membered that an old Arab beche-de mer fisherman, who was then away in Daru, had a gun in his house. Obtain ing the weapon, Kairi ran out towards the raiders, just as Martin was mur dered, and fired. A Tugeri man fell stone dead beside the body of his victim.

This was the signal for these gallant warriors, the terror of the West, to de cide that they had had enough, and one

and all vanished within a few moments, leaving the Mawatta the victors of the day.

This contrasts with Mrs. Lett’s description of the bravery of these bloodthirsty savages—the only point in her tale from which my informant differed from her.

Scores of natives came from the sur rounding villages the next day to view the body of the hated Tugeri. One and all performed the last act of dishonour by shooting an arrow into the corpse as it lay on the beach. This shows in what estimation these raiders were held by their neighbours.

The “P.I.M.” is performing a public benefit by recording these old tales, which might otherwise be lost to his tory. Perhaps someone else cherishes a few unrecorded deeds of the Tugeri and will make them public, now that Mrs. Lett has led the way.

I am., etc.

G.H.V.

Daru, Papua, 1/6/1933.