Untouched Natives
p. 75 · Read in the full issue
Noted By Ward Williams Beyond Upper Fly
PUSHING far up the Fly River, and over towards the Star Mountains (near the place where the borders of Dutch New Guinea, Papua, and the Man dated Territory are joined) the pros pecting parties directed by Mr. Ward Williams have met interesting native tribes who have not previously been in contact with Europeans.
The gold-seekers’ main problem, in that isolated, primitive place, is how to get supplies; but the matter was simplified when they found that the chief desire of these hitherto untouched natives is salt. For salt, they willingly brought in large quantities of foodstuffs.
These natives are of splendid physique, and live in houses whose widely-spaced walls of odd timber barely keep out the rain and offer no comfort in that cold and raw climate, at 6,000 and 7,000 feet.
Their chief occupation seems to be trad ing, and they trade with foodstuffs for salt, and the greatly prized cowrie shell.
Pigs, also, are of enormous value. These are looked after by the women, who sleep with them in houses separated from the men.
Sir Ernest Davis, Mayor of Auckland, who received his knighthood in the Coronation Honours in May, will leave New Zealand for Fiji by the Monowai on June 15. At Suva he will join his 80-tons yacht Morewa and cruise for several weeks among the islands.