Tropicalities

EVERY Papuan would be glad to read in recent newspapers that Mr. J. C.

H. Waldron was called to Admiralty House. Sydney, on August 10, and there was invested by the Governor-General of Australia (Lord Hunting-field) with the Imperial Service Medal in recognition of good service in Papua. For many long years, in storm and calm, in river and lagoon, in season and out, Chief Engineer Waldron kept the engines of the Gov ernment steamer “Laurabada ” turning smoothly, and brought Sir Hubert Murray and staff safely home again from the most remote comers of the Territory. With Leonard Murray on the bridge, and Wald ron in the engine-room, the Governor slept soundly o’ nights, no matter how cyclonic the weather. Mr. Waldron re tired from the Papuan service last year.

This writer, however, thinks of Mr.

Waldron mostly in terms of fish. He is an expert salt-water fisherman and, one night, he took me to a comer of the reef near Port Moresby where we gathered a fine bag—mostly big, buil-nech.ed fellows who were landed with brute strength and a No. 10 line. As a fisherman, and a good host, Mr. Waldron deserves the best medals in the Imperial repertoire.—R. • ♦ * A FORMER administrator of what was once German South-west Africa, now held by the Union of South Africa under a mandate, was in Australia in Sep tember. He said that the people of South Africa “were not unappreciative of Ger many’s claims for Colonies”: but, for geographical and strategical reasons they would not return South-west Africa to Germany. And so it goes on, all round the globe. And then they wonder why Europe smokes and quivers under threats of war! * ♦ * IN one of his usual cheery letters , Henry Dexter, lately of Milne Bay, Eastern Papua, and now a resident of Kent, England, says that he has recently been talking on “Life in the Pacific Islands”, through the 8.8. C. network.

“As far as I can judge, the talks go rather well”, says Mr. Dexter. “I suppose the best proof is found in the fact that I am allowed to continue. It is a queer feeling, at first, when one realises that one is talking to perhaps a million people.” ♦ ♦ ♦ A DEFENSIVE measure against ano pheles mosquitoes, radio “fans”, and similar nuisances has been found by L.H.W., of Eastern Papua. He has taken up yodeling!

“We picked it up from a gramophone record lent by a neighbour with instruc tions never to send it back. We had a pretty tough spin, at first, what with criticism and abuse, but we doggedly stuck to our lesson with the result that we are now a past master.

“We can reel off reams in the double shuffle, three-point suspension, and under slung methods, with nothing more than a groan of resignation from our audience.

Of course, we don’t often have an audi ence; but, in our daily task of making

natives earn their salt, it is very useful.

“Only thes other day we were asked why we always yodeled to our natives.

We weren’t yodeling to them; we were yodeling at them. And, believe us or not, it has a lasting effect on the native mind! A boy would much prefer to go to gaol for a year than have us yodel at him for a couple of hours. It also baffles the law* courts, as the definition is to “sing with frequent changes to the falsetto and back again.” So we have now arrived at the happy stage when we can get the best results from a boy without using any Australian at him.

“The trouble now is that some of our accursed boys are learning to yodel!” * * * DOES anyone in the Pacific Islands want a “pen-friend” in that part of New Zealand nearest the Antarctic?

If so, letters (especially from educated adult natives) will be gladly received by James Townley, 242 Oxford Street, Dune din, N.Z. • • • ASAMARAI trader writes: “Business is quiet. Smoked copra is worth only £5/2/6 here at present—it was £2l/2/6 here in January of 1937. Rubber could be better; and as for trochus and beche de-mere—well, this infernal war in China has just knocked the bottom out of the market. Certainly, we are getting some gold hereabouts, but copra is our back bone.” ♦ ♦ ♦ IT has often been said that if one should stand on a frequented corner of a highway and talk persistently and loudly enough, he could sell bottled sea water at the price of Cordon Rouge”, as serts a correspondent. “Tamehani”, writ ing from Papeete. “Something of that kind is going on at Tahiti at the present

time; only in this case it is an attempt to pass a mixture of Chinese and Marquesan blood as the pure royal blood of Raiatea.

“Now there is nothing the matter with either Chinese or Marquesan blood. The blending also has proved, both in Hawaii and Tahiti, a eugenic mixture; but it is another matter to represent it as the pure blood of 40 generations of paramount high chiefs. It is equivalent to some Eurasian setting himself up in business as a direct descendant of William the Conqueror.

“As yet, it is not clear as to the pur poses and objectives of this individual, who has set himself on high. The move ment, however, is clearly not political; though the man in question has drawn quite a following from among the less in telligent natives.

“The royal family at Raiatea have not thought it worth while to take any notice of the agitation.”