Events of 40 Years Ago

Yodda Bloodshed

' T'ODAY’S encounters between the Allies and the Japanese, in the Yodda Valley of Papua, is not the first time this isolated place has known fighting and bloodshed. The following article, by Mollie Lett, describes tragic events of 40 years ago.

IN view of the attention drawn by Messrs. E. Auerbach and D. H.

Osborne to the murder of the two prospectors, Campion and King, by the natives of the Upper Kumusi, Papua, on January 3, 1901, and the reprisals that followed, the report of Sir George Le Hunte and that of Mr. A. Elliot (ARM, stationed at Bogi Police Camp at the time) may be of interest —especially to those who have been under the impres sion that the miners of the district took matters into their own hands, to revenge the murder of their unfortunate mates.

Sir George Le Hunte, on a visit of inspection to the Northern Division, entered the Kumusi River, from the Mambare, and visited Bogi, on April 6, 1901. He was accompanied, among others, by A. L. Walker and R. de Moleyns, newly-appointed RM and ARM to the district. Sir George and his party spent three days at the station, owing to heavy rains and floods, which prevented them from proceeding to the Yodda Valley, a ten-days’ walk from Bogi.

FROM investigations during his visit, Sir George Le Hunte found that the natives who had murdered Campion and King had ceased to molest the min

ers on the track since Mr. Elliot had visited them, and severely punished them, early in January, “The circumstances attending the murder of the two miners, King and Campion,” wrote Sir George on March 20, “appear to be, shortly, as follow: They were working, together with another, S. McLelland, among some gul lies about 20 miles above Bogi, on the Upper Kumusi, and had been on the most friendly terms with the natives in question. In fact, they allowed them to come about their camp in a perfectly unrestricted way—so much so that Mc- Lelland, who was an old and experienced pioneer, warned them that it was unwise in a district where the natives were known to be treacherous and aggressive.

“On a particular day, when they were working in separate places, out of sight of one another, they were attacked with out warning, their rifles seized bv those immediately around them, and both King and Campion were speared, carried off alive, and subsequently eaten in one of the villages near the right bank of the river.

“McLelland’s rifle was taken, but he managed to keep his revolver, and suc ceeded in saving not only himself, but also four native carriers who were with the party, cutting their way through the bush to an old mining camp when their enemies left them.

“He subsequently accompanied Mr.

Elliot on his expedition to the village where the two victims had been killed, and took part in the fight, when the principal chief, Asepo, King’s actual murderer, was shot, with 28 of his men, and several Others severely wounded— without, I am glad to say, any loss to the Government party.

“McLelland died shortly afterwards, from a severe attack of fever. He was much shaken by what he had under gone.”

ELLIOT’S official report shows that immediately on receiving news of the murder from McLelland and his boys, he sent to Tamata for more recruits; and on their arrival he set forth with 12 police and carriers, accompanied by McLelland. In describing an encoun ter with natives near Ilopa Creek, Elliot mentions that he had heard that 30

miners had gone after the natives; “but I have seen nothing of them.”

After crossing Ilopa Creek, where Con stable Maku had been attacked and four natives shot, Elliot camped at Angerita; and, from Angerita, crossed the Kumusi in full flood and struck in through the bush for Kokobahamba “Lookout”, to avoid the natives who were waiting for him on the track.

Before making the hill, however, they were met by a shower of spears. “We fired one volley, aiming low,” writes Elliot, “but some of the police are very poor shots. We then rushed the hill, but it was too late. There were eight men shot dead, and three had their legs broken by a bullet through the bone I camped half-way between the ‘Lookout’ and the villages, on a cleared space.”

Approaching the villages the following morning, they were again attacked in a garden, which lay between two hills, which were covered with spear-men. The garden itself was pitted with spear-pits and, Elliot realising that there was little hope of advancing, gave orders to his police to work round, while he engaged the natives until the police fired their first shots.

“It was 2i hours before I heard the first shot fired,” writes Elliot. “This was followed by a volley, and I then started in in earnest at 250 yards . . . They tried to rush down upon me once, but McLel land opened up with his rifle.”

There then appears to have been a general scramble, in which many natives were killed, including chief Asepo, the murderer of Campion, who was shot while attempting to hide Campion’s skull.

Twenty-eight men were shot, and 14 wounded.

“They fought hard,” commented Elliot.

“But the rifles were too much for them ... I returned to camp that evening, and we shifted down the river.”

THE murder of Campion and King was committed probably as an act of retaliation bv the natives of the Upper Kumusi. From the early days of the discovery of gold in the Yodda Val ley, the natives, by their constant attacks upon the miners, had undoubt edly brought punishment on themselves from both the miners and Government parties who were sent to restore order. It was not surprising, therefore, that these people took advantage of any opportunity to avenge the deaths of friends and rela tives.

In other districts of the Possession, at that time, tribes had been brought gradually under control by peaceful methods; but, on the Mambare, and in the Yodda Valley, this was impossible, owing to the sudden invasion of miners into completely unknown and densely populated districts. Tribes, which had never before made contact with white men. awoke with alarm to find their territory over-run; and. unable to under stand that the intruders had no hostile intentions, their natural and only instinct was either to kill or to drive the white men away.

The systematic patrols that followed, by white officers, with their native police, in time, however, did much to convince the most truculent tribe that the Gov ernment was there, as much in the inter est of the native as of the white man.

Lieutenant-Colonel A. Ross, MBE, who served in World War I, and who in 1920 went to Samoa as Assistant Secretary of the Administration, and ADC to General Sir George Richardson, has been killed in action. He was awarded the MBE for distinguished service in Greece and Libya, in 1941.