More Piffle About
pp. 67-68 · Read in the full issue
New Guinea
A TISSUE of inaccuracies, exaggerations and general rubbish is a fitting descrip tion of New Guinea Gold, a book that has just been published in London. It is a translation of a work by a Frenchman.
Edmond Demaitre, who visited New Guinea in 1934. He writes entertainingly, but without any real regard for truth; and his book, as a contribution to serious litera ture, is quite useless.
Of all the territories in the romantic Pacific, New Guinea to-day offers to writ ers the best material, in overwhelming measure. The place is big, and vital and colourful. There, one may study life from many angles—the pussy-cat tameness of Rabaul and Kavieng, the raw, harsh con
ditions of the new goldfield, the extra ordinary culture of that newly-found quarter-million of people in the Chimbu *Mt. Hagen region, the restlessness of a huge native population, the romance of the amazing aerial transport industry.
There is material here for innumerable fascinating and truthful books. Yet one finds publishers prepared to issue piffle like Neio Guinea Gold, at 10/6 (sterling) per copy!
Monsieur de Creisquer, general manager of Messageries Maritimes in Noumea, ar rived in Sydney by the Van Rees on Octo ber 13.
Mrs. George H. Murray, wife of the Director of Agriculture in New Guinea, arrived in Sydney from Rabaul by the October Van Rees to spend a month’s holiday.
Mr. George Penman Wylie, assistant at Wangaramut Plantation, died at Rabaul, New Guinea, on August 29.