Notes From New Guinea

From Our Own Correspondent

RABAUL, April 2.

The Durour was successfully slipped at Carpenter’s Slipway recently, which proves that the construction is capable of carrying any average-sized vessel ply ing in these waters. The Durour’s gross tonnage is 817 and net 461 tons, while its length is 817 ft., with 36 ft. beam.

The latest tobacco tender accepted by the Administration, c.i.f. Rabaul, was from an American firm, and the rate was 40 1/8 cents per lb.

The total rainfall for February was 3.9 sin.—the second lowest on record. The lowest was 3.38 in. in February, 1921.

This dry season has brought with it a great deal of sickness.

Rabaul was shocked recently when Mr.

William Baker, a well-known planter of the Witu group, died from septicaemia.

Mr. Baker arrived in town only a few days before his death, and, while on his schooner, his arm was scratched.

This rapidly developed into blood-poison ing, and he passed away in the evening of March 5. He was buried in the Botanic Gardens, where Rev. H. Thompson read the service. He leaves a widow, to whom everyone extends sincere sympa thy. Mr. Baker was a member for sev eral years of the Papuan Public Service, and arrived here to take up Langu Plan tation in 1926.

Bullion exported from this Territory in January was 25,182 ounces, valued at ap proximately £ 129,788 (Australian currency).

There was a jolly cocktail party at the home of Mrs. Philip Coote, the wife of our local B.P. manager, on March 13, in honour of Mr. F. E. Furley, one of the Head Office officials, who has been visit ing New Guinea and Papua recently. Mr.

Furley returned to Sydney by the m.v.

Malaita.

Rev. J. F. Goldie, Chairman of the Methodist Mission Society in the British Solomons, arrived on the m.v. Malaita on March 16. Mr. Goldie praised Rabaul’s live Planters’ Association, which, he stated, was badly needed in the Solomon group, where there are many matters which require attention of such a body.

There was a luncheon party on the m.v.

Malaita on March 17 to mark the vessel’s first call at Rabaul on its present schedule. His Honour Mr. Justice Wan liss, Acting Administrator, was present, with a number of members of the Legis lative Council, and business and profes sional men.

Mr. B. B. Perriman, M.L.C., had a nar row escape when returning from town to his Toma residence. Near Ravuvu, his car struck a wandering pig on the main Kokopo Road; the impact damaged the steering apparatus, with the result that the car swerved off the road, and struck a coconut palm with such force that the car was telescoped. Save for scalp and facial lacerations, Mr. Perriman escaped uninjured. A native servant, who was also riding in the car, received a frac tured thigh. This accident has brought up the question of preventing pigs wan dering at random along the well-fre quented motor-roads of the Territory.

An “Aufwiedersehn” Dinner.

On March 12 a dinner was held at The Palms Restaurant, when a number of the friends of Mr. and Mrs. Mainka fore gathered to say “Aufwiedersehn,” prior to their departure for a lengthy holiday in Europe.

The majority of the 22 guests were old residents of the Territory. Many nice things were said of the departing couple, and their health was drunk many times.

Among those present were; Mr. and Mrs.

H. L. Clark, Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Perri man, Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Holmes, Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Murray, Mr. and Mrs. Rund nagel, Mr. and Mrs. Furter, Mr. and Mrs.

Gordon Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Ahearn, Messrs. Wolff (who has been for over 42 years in the Territory), Kirchner, Uechtritz, and Paatzsch.

N.G. Goldfield Notes

Mr. Dave Lyall, Jnr., one of the early Edie Creek pioneers and certainly the youngest, is at present holidaying in Sydney. “Young Dave,’’ as he is popularly known to folk on “the fields,” walked in from Salamaua to the Creek when only 15 years of age.

Mr. J. Parer’s hotel, being built at Wau, is to be called “The Ritz.” Mr. Parer holds the record for the highest break at billiards in the Morobe district, so that there may be a few billiard tables shipped from the south to add to the big aerial transport cargoes of the future.

Miss “Jo.” Parer has left Wau and gone out to the “Black Cat” goldmine to stay with her brother, Bob, and his wife. Miss Parer was in New Guinea about six months, and has evidently succumbed to the lure of the tropics and the “gold veins.”

Mr. Jim Whittaker, of Bulolo, having just re covered from an illness, had the bad luck to get in the way of a falling plank on No. 4 Dredge. At present he is in bed with a broken leg.

Mr. de Latore, manager of New Guinea Goldfields, Edie Creek, returned to the Creek by the last “Macdhui.”

Mr. Shepherd, of Melbourne, has joined Mr.

Mick Leahy’s party on its way to Mt. Hagen. Mr.

Shepherd has been in many countries and this is his second trip to New Guinea. Exactly twelve months ago he made his first trip to New Guinea on behalf of the Parer brothers, who have a claim on the Watut.

Mrs. W. Dupain, of Port Moresby, who has been in Sydney for some time, has left her flat and taken a house at Hopetoun Avenue, Vaucluse, in preparation for her husband’s holiday. Mr. Dupain arrived in Sydney by the “Montoro.”

Mrs. Robert Dugan, who went south on last Macdhui, was very relieved to know that her husband was not murdered, when Captain Bernard McGrath lost his life. The uncertainty and sus pense were so nerve-wracking that Mrs. Dugan has been ordered a complete rest.

Miss Dot Blackley has returned to Rabaul after six months holiday south. She is the lady golf champion of Rabaul.

Another race meeting at Wau at Easter time provided festivities similar to those of Xmas and New Year. This second meeting of the Morobe Turf Club was a two-day affair with the committee’s slogan, “bigger, brighter, and better,” explaining in a nutshell that Wau would certainly go gay again. Mrs. Jim Stewart, popular proprie tress of the Bulolo Hotel, Wau, on behalf of the ladies of the district, challenged the Edie Creek cricket team to a match, with one stipulation— that body-line was barred. On the goldfields, both men and women work strenuously, but when play time comes along, just when it is needed, there is always plenty of amusement.

About nine months ago, visitors to Bulwa, the baby Bulolo, could see another of the company’s huge dredges being built. These visitors would be very surprised to learn that this dredge (No. 3) is now well on its way up to Bulolo, scooping up the gold-wash in bucket loads; and in its place yet another dredge (No. 4) is now under con struction. It all sounds like a dream of Midas.

Talkies in the wilds of New Guinea! Ultra modern progress! Bulolo Gold Dredging Co. are making negotiations to instal a talkie apparatus at Bulolo, the programme to be changed every week.

•S.L.