Early Gold-Seekers in N

N. Guinea Interesting Memories of Pre-1914 Days

By Edward Auerbach.

RECENTLY, in articles about the discovery of the Morobe goldfield, there have been references to a Mr. Auerbach, The editor, writing to Mr. Auerbach, a planter in the Tro briand Islands, Eastern Papua, asked him if he were the Morobe pioneer. His interesting reply, published hereunder, shows that there were two Auerbachs on the goldfields in the early days— George, who was at Morobe in 1922-3, and Edward, who was in the Markham district.

NO; I am not George Auerbach—l am Edward. George did not go on that Markham prospecting trip.

Matt Crowe, J. Preston, Parkes and I left Samarai, in my schooner, “Niue”, early in 1912. We called at Morobe.

Herr Klink was the magistrate there then. He advised us to go on to Rabaul.

Matt Crowe and Jimmy Preston stopped in Rabaul and bought stores and outfit for the trip, and later came over to Morobe in the German steamer “Man illa”, where we picked them up, later on.

Parkes and I went recruiting boys for the trip, which was an exciting affair.

While recruiting, we called at an island in the Siassi Group. I went ashore and met a white missionary. He was living in a humpy, built of about nine sheets of iron in the centre of the village. I saw a fine European house on the hill, at Rooke Island. I asked him who owned it. He said it was his. I asked him why he was living in a shake-down in the village. He said that at Higgins Point (Rooke Island), two Germans had started a coconut plantation: and, two days before, the bush natives came down on them, and killed the two Ger mans, and two Chinamen, and looted their stores, etc. So he had taken up his quarters in the village.

I went aboard the boat, and proposed to Parkes that we go around there, and let the natives know that we were Eng lish, and not Germans, and we should get a crowd of recruits.

So we went around. I took six boys of the crew—old Samarai boys, whom I had with me in the early days of the Mambara and the Gira, before Sam McCelland and Matt Crowe found the Yodda. I have two of those boys with me still—the rest are dead.

We went about six miles inland, and met the natives, and recruited 40 boys.

They offered me the rifles and about 2,000 marks that they had looted from the Germans. I told them to take the marks to the missionary.

On this recruiting trip Parkes and I, when anchored in a bay, between Muwo (Mowe) Haven and Cape Merkus (southwest coast of New Britain), went about eight miles inland, recruiting. We tried two creeks which ran into the river that emptied into the bay. We got sev eral dishes that went two grains of gold to the dish.

The natives were bad, and we had to fight our way back to the beach. One boy, named Georgie Wagipa, got speared in the backside, while he was busy with his rifle. I caught sight of the native as he was throwing the spear, and got him, so Georgie was not badly hurt.

From what I can find out, no one has been near there since. I believe a white

patrol officer went in a few years ago, and was killed by the natives. They were Gaure natives.

Later, we were anchored in Montague Bay (south coast of New Britain). The “Dolphin” saw us, and came in. The Administrator, from Madang, was aboard. They asked us what we were doing in German waters. We told them we were recruiting. They asked to see our papers.

Parkes had the Rabaul papers, but forgot where he had left them. So they put a rope aboard and started to tow us to Rabaul.

After being in tow for about half an hour, we found the papers in Parkes’s white coat. I am afraid that, the night before we left Rabaul, Parkes had had too much champagne—and the boys had had to carry him aboard.

We hailed the “Dolphin”, and I went aboard and showed them the papers.

They then towed us back to our anchor age. We “Hocked the Kaiser” in sev eral bottles of champagne. They were artists at “Hocking the Kaiser”. I thought I could hold my own with any man, but those Germans could put me under the table.

When we left the “Dolphin” they sent off a case of lager beer —I suppose to “Hock the Kaiser” again. Parkes and I did not. We “Hocked” Dr. Hahl for treating us so well at Rabaul. All the German officials treated us fine, except ing that Administrator from Madang. * * * HERE is a coincidence. George Auer bach, J. Preston and J. Chesser landed together in Port Moresby in 1896. They were among the first onto the goldfields on the mainland. They chased the penny-weights all over

Papua, and they went pearling. Now, all three of them are buried alongside of one another at Losuia, in the Trobriand Islands—and there is not a sign of gold anywhere in. the Trobriand group.