The Bamu River Mission

OUT in the dripping jungle, on the western coast of the Gulf of Papua, where it seems to be always rain ing, where the prevailing land is mud flat, and there are approximately a mil lion mosquitoes to each individual of the numerous native population, Mr. Harry Standen and his wife, Eva, carry on what is now called the Bamu River Mission.

If there had been no Fly River to rank among the biggest rivers in the world, the Bamu River might be famous —but, as it is, the Bamu, although a very big waterway, is overshadowed by the huge Fly River, a hundred miles south.

Several years ago Mr. and Mrs. Stan den were members of the UF Mission in Papua and there they learned something of the clamant needs of the numerous peoples of the Bamu River delta, living mostly under wretched conditions of disease and ignorance. So, early in 1936 these two young people married and went off to the Bamu River, practically on their own account, to do what they could for the poor natives. For nearly five years now they have been carrying

on, with the assistance of a number of big-hearted people in Australia —mostly in Sydney, where under the inspiration of Rev. H. M. Arrowsmith, of Church House, Sydney, and Miss M. Nicholas, of 6 Day Street, Marrickville —they are carrying on educational and medical work.

It is hard, difficult and frequently dis couraging work; but, by increasing de grees, they are seeing some results. At first they travelled very dangerously about these queer waterways in the delta of the Bamu, depending for trans port upon native canoes. Then a few friends clubbed together and provided them with a 25 ft. launch, the “Pioneer’’, and this, with its comfort, speed and safety, has been a godsend to them.

The Standens are concentrating upon the children. Up the river from them there are about 20 large villages, and they have followed the system of taking two selected boys from each of the vil

lages and bringing them to their mis sion station, at Maipani, on the lower Bamu. for training in medical and edu cational work. Soon, those trained boys will be available to go back into the natives villages, to heal and educate.

This is just one small example of the work that is being done unostentatiously in little, out-of-the-way places in these great primitive lands by small bands of devoted missionaries.

His Honour Mr. James Scott Neill, Ad ministrator of Dominica, who was a warded a CMG recently, is well known in the Central Pacific. He commenced his Service career in Fiji in 1914 and served at various places in the Colony as a District Officer before he was transferred to Tonga as British Agent and Consul in 1927. He was appointed to his present post four years ago.

Mr. G. J. Wills, of the Australasian Petroleum Co. Ltd., Papua, is at present visiting New Zealand.