Pidgin In The Mission

Press

WE have received three interesting products of the Lutheran Mission Press, at Madang, New Guinea. They comprise a catechism, a hymn book, and a small newspaper, compiled for the use of the natives who are being taught by the Lutheran Missionaries to read and write.

The typography and general character of the work are really excellent—it is hard to believe that so high a standard

Papa Belong Mifela

Papa belor) mifela ju i stap antap, ol tambuem nem belor) ju. \ Pasin belop ju i kam lorj olples. Maus belor) ju tasol ol bi hainem, lor) kelaut lor) geraun tu. Kaikai belor) mifela belor) de nau ju giwem mifela.

Trobel belor) mifela ju no moa tirjtirj; mi fela tu no ken tirjtir) alor) trobel ol mekem alor) mifela. Ju no brirjem mifela lop sam tir) belor) traiem mifela. Ju lusem mifela alor) ban belor) Satan. Kirjdom em belor) ju tasol, ju strorj fela, ju gat nem oltaim.

Tru! could be reached by native compositors and printers in this isolated part of the Pacific.

At first we were intrigued by the langu age employed. We assumed that it was some kind of Northern New Guinea dialect, spelled in European characters.

Then a phrase or two caught the editor ial eye, and it became apparent that, actually, these books are written in Pidgin English, but according to the phonetic method of spelling applied by the Lutherans. The combination is in teresting, and a page, which appears to be the “Lord’s Prayer”, and which is the introduction to the “Sing Sing Book” (or, as they call it, “Sinsin Buk”) is re produced herewith. It will be noticed that the mission typographers are using a symbol like an “n”, with its tail turned in, to designate the sound “ng”.

Burglars broke into the general store of W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd., in Mango Avenue, Rabaul, in mid- December, and about £74 was stolen from the strong-room, as well as a quantity of goods from the store.

Some of the circumstances surround ing the robbery were peculiar, and a number of local people were convinced that it was an “inside job”.