42 Natives Lost

Tragic Wreck in North New Guinea

From Our Own Correspondent.

WEWAK, Sept. 30.

A HEAVY loss of native life occurred recently, at night, when a huge native canoe was lost between Tarawal Island and Matapau (a village on the mainland about midway between Aitape and Wewak). Tarawai and Matapau are about 20 miles apart.

The canoe was one of the largest of its kind in these waters, and had taken the Matapau natives about a year to build.

A native named Karapau, from an island near Aitape, was the captain of the craft and the one with the biggest interest in it. The crossing from Mata pau to Tarawai was successfully accom plished and then the natives, having completed trading and paying their res pects, set out on the return journey. The personnel on the craft, as near as can be at present learned, consisted of 38 Matapau natives and 13 Islanders, a total of 51 souls.

These natives, by reason of their call ing taking them on many such trips, be come very good weather prophets and, thinking the night to be very suitable, they set off. However, not long after leaving, one of those heavy south-east squalls came up black, full of wind and rain.

The canoe, with its heavy burden, be ing overladen, soon became waterlogged.

The terrific strain on the canoe and lash ings soon told, and the canoe and out rigger parted company.

Natives were soon all struggling in the seas, holding on as best they could to the wreckage. Some selected pieces of the wreck, and swam on it. Soon the chil dren, of which there were many, began to disappear. Later, the wreck was broken into smaller pieces and the vic tims were tossed about like flotsam in the sea, and became separated.

After two nights and days, seven men and one woman came ashore on the mainland coast, about 20 miles from the scene of departure. Among these was Karapau and his wife, clinging together to a part of the wreck.

Some five days later, another two women came ashore a few miles north of Aitape. One of these, however, despite attention, later succumbed.