Papuan Tragedy of 1901 Letter

1901 Letter to the Editor

I THINK Mr. Edward Auerbach is slightly in error in his story, pub lished in September “PIM”, of the 1901 tragedy when two Papuan miners were killed by Orakiva natives.

The murdered men were Tom Comp ton and Jack King—l knew them well, for they had asked me to join them about six months earlier, to work a piece of ground on the Lower Ikora. As I had arranged to go to the Yodda, I declined.

I was in Samarai when the report of the murders came through. It was said that the miners had bought a pig and then put their arms down. The Oraki vas grabbed the rifles and attacked the two men. Their mate —I did not know him —ran to their assistance, but he was too late —both men were dead. He made his escape with some of the carriers.

I do not know if the details of the report were true or not, but I am quite certain that the Yodda miners did not form a punitive expedition, nor did any one else go out before the Government party. Armit, who was RM and War den, died about the same time as the tragedy occurred, and that caused the delay. Alec. Elliot was only gaoler at Bogi at the time.

Archie Walker and De Lemour were sent out to punish the murderers, and Walker allowed Billy Ivory to accom pany them, though he had to promise he would not fire a shot unless attacked.

The natives put up quite a willing scrap against the armed police. They had no hope, of course, with spears and disc clubs against rifles.

From prisoners captured, the party made out that the miners’ bodies were thrown into the Kumusi. Walker failed to find any human bones that could be identified as European, although he made an extensive search.

I have been 42 years in Papua, and the reason I have written this is be cause I do not like to hear it said that George Arnold and Jack Murphy took the law into their own hands and shot natives indiscriminately. During the 10 years I followed mining I never knew prospectors to do any wanton shooting of natives, though I have known a couple of bad characters who committed murder. The Government always dealt promptly with any murders, either white or brown.

While on the job, one more correction: Recently I read that Rossel Islanders have as many as five wives; I have lived here 27 years and know that the com mon habit is one man one wife. Odd natives have two; and I have known two men with three wives. A fairly common custom is for several men to buy one woman, even though some of the men are already married. The women do not like, it, but they have to obey their male relatives.

I am, etc.

D. H. Osborne.

Rossel Island, Eastern Papua. 7/12/’4O.

Mr. F. Shaw Meyer, a field worker for the British Museum, who has been making collections in Papua, recently left Pt. Moresby for the East, en route to England. In recent months, he collected many species of rodents in the Denewa and Gwoira Mountains, North-eastern Division.