Getting Expedition

Two"Lugs “ In

Papua

Dromgolc's Merry Story of a Film- Getting Expedition

I HAVE just read “Two Lugs on a Lug ger”—the long-awaited book by George Dromgold. It is a delightful and diverting volume and I think that it will be read widelv because of its intrin sic merit—especially its colourfulness its clever portrayal of tropical scenes, and its rich humour; and I also expect that it will become a cherished possession of 95 per cent, of Europeans in Papua, who will want to read Mr. Dromgold’s pleas ant descriptions of themselves and their neighbours.

George Dromgold and James B Shackleford went to Thursday Island and thence to Papua to secure a high-class scenic film, which was to form the back ground of an important Hollywood film The equipment they carried probably was the best ever seen in the South Seas.

They hired the old “Veimauri” from Cap tain Pitch, in Port Moresby, and loaded their gear on the little ship at Thursday Island, and thence set out on their me morable expedition.

To any prosaic person, it would have been simply a job of hard work in a filthy climate, wherein one is beset by every kind of pest from tireless cochroaches to cranky officials. But George Dromgold has made of it, in this book, a truly delightful adventure.

Frankly, I do not know what a “lug” is, used in this sense—l heard it first from my Scottish grandmother, who in this word indicated an ear. and later from sailormen, who thus described a sail.

However, in American slang, Dromgold and Shackleford were “lugs”, and we shall have to let it go at that. There was a third member of the party—Mel Ward, the famous Sydney “crab-ologist”—who apparently was not a “lug”, although a darned good fellow. Why the distinc tion? Cannot an Australian be a “lug”?

Anyone who knows Papua must ad mire Dromgold’s powers of observation, in that he notices all sorts of little things that the average person sees only sub consciously, and his cleverness in lining up all these little things to provide an interesting and delightful narrative. Be hind a whole series of discouraging in cidents and setbacks, Mr. Dromgold found a background of rich humour, and there is a laugh on every page. One forms a high regard, too, for the grim and industrious Shackleford, who was determined to get a film, even though the heavens fell; and one learns to love Mel Ward, whom they made “President of the Department of Science and Strange Goings-On”—which was their charming way of describing his huge col lection of jars, in which he pickled high ly malodorous crabs.

All Papua’s well-known residents walk across the pages and take their part in this merry story of a successful adven ture—Sir Hubert Murray, Leonard Mur ray, Captain Fitch, “Bill” Dupain, John Boileau, “Ma” Vessieux, Ben Hall. Capt.

Clay, Mrs. McGrath, G. Stewart, Secret ary Champion, A. C. English, E. A. James, Rev. Short. W. G. Saville, E. C, Skelly, L. E. Austen, and dozens of others.

The book contains probably the finest collection of photographs ever made in Papua—about 100 of them, full-page.

The book has been published by Hut chinson and Co., London, and may be purchased in Sydney bookshops for 14/6.

R.W.R.