Jungle

Through Papuan

Heroic Night Journey by Two White Women to Save Sick Neighbour

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Oct. 27.

DEEDS of heroism by white women have become a commonplace in Pa pua, so much so that they are treated with a certain indifference by settlers, and seldom do those who perform them suffer from the embarrassment of a thunder of applause. Occasionally an outstanding incident occurs which by its exceptional character startles the residents from their composure and calls forth a loud tribute of praise.

Such an incident occurred early in Oc tober in the eastern end of Papua, when two white women, Mrs. H, R. Glanville and Miss D. Irwin, travelled throughout the night on foot for 35 miles over ex tremely difficult and treacherous country to attend a sick neighbour.

The wife of the manager of Mamai Plantation, Port Glascow, fell dangerously sick, and her husband, Mr. W. G. Blun dell, hearing of a trained nurse at Mo gubu Plantation, off Amazon Bay to the west, sent in haste for her assistance. The message arrived late one afternoon, and without hesitation, the nurse, Mrs. Glan ville, and the daughter of the manager, Miss Irwin, set off in the gathering dark ness to cross Amazon Bay for Milport Harbour and Port Glascow with two na tives and some food for the journey.

Unfortunately, high tide forced them to cut inland to scale the steep cliffs that fall sheer to the water’s edge, and to climb the rocky heights behind, which are the chief features of the coastal district.

Thick jungle and broken country lay be yond and for five hours they struggled through, until by midnight they were faced with a 1,300 ft. bluff which they climbed, only to descend later to swamps.

These they scrambled through with only the light of a hurricane lantern to guide them, and again entered jungle.

Two and a half hours later, nearing Port Glascow, they passed through villages, whose bewildered inhabitants turned out to gaze in astonishment at the two white women as they pushed off in canoes into the black darkness of the harbour on the last lap of their journey before crossing the hills to Mamai. They reached Mamai at five in the morning, after eleven hours’ hard going, and were ready to attend im mediately to the patient. Happily they arrived in time to save her from the dreaded disease of Papua—blackwater fever.

This deed of heroism is certainly one for which these two white women have deservedly earned the admiration and congratulations of all residents through out the Territory.

Patrol Officer J. O’Malley, who accom panied Mr. Jack Hides, A.R.M., on the recent successful expedition through the unknown north-west country of Papua, returned to Port Moresby by the Mac dhui from Sydney on October 24. Since August last he had been in Australia on special leave, recovering from the effects of the hazardous trip through the lime stone area. Mr. Hides will return to the Territory in December.