Tropicalities

THE remarkable achievements of aviation in New Guinea were commented upon with enthusiasm by Mr. S. J. Moir, Presi dent of the Aero Club of New South Wales, on his return from a visit to the Terri tories. He said that the transport work done by aeroplanes in New Guinea was aviation’s greatest commercial achievement.

The great aeroplanes travelled as safely as suburban railway trains and their service now was an accepted thing. This form of transport has allowed the rapid develop ment of the goldfields, where already a considerable European population was settled down with all the amenities of civilisation. He described Bulolo as "a small city with a future.”

IN the June issue of “Oceania,” the anthropological journal of the Aus tralian National Research Council, will be found much that is of interest to residents of Melanesia. The special features include an account of the work done on Manam Island by Miss Camilla Wedgwood during 1933-34; and an interesting account of Fishing Rites (and magic associated there with) at Tabar Islands by Mr. W. C.

Groves. A preliminary account of the work done at Mowehafen, on the South Coast of New Britain, by Mr. J. H. Todd, will ap pear in the September issue of the journal.

“Oceania” is available at 5/- per copy from the office of The Australian National Re search Council, Science House, Gloucester Street, Sydney.

A SLIM and sun-browned young lady, described as Mrs. Margery Campbell, formerly a Sydney stenographer, arrived in Sydney by the Macdhui on July 31 Papua, and was given much prominence in the newspapers because “she had learned in a month in Papua sufficient about the goldmining process to take it up as an occupation." Mrs. Campbell intends stay-

ing two months in Sydney, and then she will return to Papua to “follow again the life of a prospector. She will stay there until she has made a fortune.” Mrs. Camp bell told the newspapers that she had been six months in Papua. She left Port Moresby in a schooner with Captain and Mrs. Brew ster, and travelled 160 miles along the coast of Papua to “Vila Rupu,” where she found ten men working on the goldfields. She immediately set to work and put in a num ber of sluicing boxes, with six boys to a box.

Papuan mining men will be glad to know Mrs. Campbell’s interesting story received so much attention in Sydney that an exodus of charming stenographers to that attrac tive Territory is quite a possibility.

WHALE-CATCHING details published in

London in June show that in the 1932-33 season 28,668 whales were caught the highest recorded total for three years.

The catch in 1930-31 was 42,874. Nearly all these sea-mammals were caught in the Antarctic, but some 4,000 have been taken in Northern Pacific waters. The production of whale oil in barrels is thus shown: 1930 2,787,673 1931 3,686,976 1932 915,852 1933 2,596,778 1934* 2,500,000 *Estimated.

There is still a strong agitation in favour of restricting this trade and saving the whales from extinction, but nothing actu ally is being done. It looks as if the copra growers must suffer in silence from this form of competition until the unfortunate whales are exterminated.

MR. W. C. GROVES, Australian anthro pologist, sounded a note which the newspapers eagerly seized upon, on his re turn from New Guinea recently. He said

that the missionaries who are working among the N.G. natives should have with them “an organiser of joy.” Mr. Groves apparently has devoted much time to in vestigating the true psychological effect of mission operations upon the natives; and his conclusions generally were favourable to the missions. But he insisted that some thing should be done to restore to the natives their joy in life, which has been destroyed by contact with Europeans.

“The people needed new impetus and new interests,” said Mr. Groves, “and these had to be provided by concentration on the young people. To this end a special non- European form of development. a ‘naturized’ educational system should be instituted, having its roots in old culture, in the making of crafts, music, dances, games, and pastimes. We want to see a, new native who knows how to play,” he said. “There is an absence of that robust expression of joy that is a characteristic of primitive man. I admit that primitive man is dead and the missionaries have pro vided a satisfactory substitute, but a spurt of joy is wanted.”

PORT MORESBY natives have in them the makings of profiteers, was the opinion expressed by passengers who re turned to Sydney on the Mooltan recently after a cruise to Papua.

When tourists first went to Papua on cruises, they said, the natives were will ing to be photographed for a few pence Gradually, as each successive influx of tourists eagerly sought to photograph the comely Papuan belles and the picturesque feather-bedecked warriors, the price rose from 1/- to 2/-, and later to 3/-. When the Mooltan trippers arrived the natives declined to pose for less than 5/-.

The indignant passengers refused to pay this exorbitant price, and boycotted the natives until the fees returned to the 1/- level.