Drums Of Mer.

Idriess’s New Book About Torres Islands.

ION IDRIESS, whose extraordinary faculty for clothing historical fact with the delightful trappings of romance has established a new school of Australian literature, gives us a new book, “The Drums of Mer.”

The book introduces us to the Torres Strait Islands —a fascinating part of Australia whose existence hitherto was not suspected by one in a thousand.

Between Cape York and the coast of New Guinea, there are scores of coral line and volcanic islands, very beauti ful, fertile and fruitful; and here, for a thousand years, there flourished a race of splendid savages, with a kind of civilisation of their own. They were mighty sailors and fighters; they were craftsmen of extraordinary skill, as was shown in their houses and weapons, and their huge sailing-canoes; and they were successful agriculturists.

They were not ordinary savages.

Some of their chiefs and high-priests were men of remarkable personality and ability. Life on those rich islands was easy, and so the islanders, having much leisure between fighting and voyaging, developed priestcraft, secret societies and tribal ceremonies of a very striking character. Some of their practices were extremely horrible; but they certainly did commend an efficient social order, and produce magnificent fighting men.

Torres Islanders were not affected by the European migration until com paratively recent times. The first ships lost in Australian waters, 300 and 400 years ago, were cast away in Torres Strait; and it is well-known that many Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and Eng lish relics have been found there, and that some of the islanders display European characteristics, the result of

lost sailors having intermarried with the tribes. Yet, until late in last cen tury, life went on in the big islands of Mer (Murray) and Eroob (Warnley), Tutu (Warrior) and Ugar (Stephens) as it had done for a thousand years.

Magnificent chieftains held sway; grim conquerors led well-drilled legions to the subjection of neighbouring tribes; head-hunting proceeded in a spirit of relentless savagery; gangs of painted priests swept into the villages at mid night, to seize and carry off a selected number of screaming virgins to indescribable sacrifices. Then came the European seekers of pearl-shell, in in creasing numbers; and the Christian missionaries; and in a decade or two the Torres islanders’ institutions had gone, for ever. They became peace able, harmless beach-dwellers, and regular church-goers. The terrifying “drums of Mer,” which once summoned the priestly orders and eager initiates to portentous conference or cruel rite, were heard no more.

That is the story that Mr. Idriess tells, in his inimitable fashion the magnificence of the Torres Islanders’ exploits; the cunning and cleverness of their dreaded priesthood, and the horror and cruelty of their human sacrifices; their fear and hatred of the whites; and, finally, the collapse of their social structure. Mr. Idriess, in the telling of his story, displays sheer genius. There is something here for the scientist, the historian, the geographer, the beauty-lover and the student of the occult. And, withal, it is a rattling good tale. The author presents to us a white youth and a white girl, cast away among the fascinating savages, and, through their adventures and love-story, we are in troduced to a marvellous little world of colour and romance, which existed until quite recently right beside Aus tralia’s front door. A very large pro portion of the material that is woven so cleverly into the story is historically and scientifically correct.

It is one of Mr. Idriess’s best books, incidentally, how does he do it?

Within about two years, we have had five or six books from his tireless pen; and in craftsmanship and literary quality, each one seems to be better than its predecessor. “Drums of Mer” is not only a story, it is an in valuable addition to the historical records of the Pacific Islands, and the work of its compilation must have been immense! There is a notable foreword by the Rev. W. H. MacFarlane, who has done famous work as a mis sionary in the Torres Islands, and as a student of their conditions and his tory. (“DRUMS OF MER,” by Ion L. Idriess. 6/-.

Our copy from Angus & Robertson, Ltd.)