Museum Magazine's

Wonders Of New

Guinea

Museum Magazine's Useful Articles

THE latest issue of “The Australian Museum Masrazine,” dated March 30 (it is nublished quarterly), has been devoted entirelv to New Guinea. It will prove interesting to civilian and soldier alike, and its articles should disnel apparently ineradicable ideas that Allied soldiers are likely to be eaten bv tieers or chased bv mad elephants in the New Guinea jungle.

It is snecially recommended to war correspondents.

Native methods of hunting and agri culture are described bv F. D. McCarthy.

He shows how the native is constantly preoccupied by the necessity of replenish ing the stores of garden and other produce.

Contrary to the general belief that Pacific islanders have nothing to do but sit around waiting for ripe fruit to drop into their laps, maintaining the com munity’s food supply—whether it be by gardenine. hunting or fishing—is a matter of hard and constant work.

Ingenious native methods of snaring and trapping animals, birds and fish are described, and there is an account of Melanesian cooking technioue. McCarthy makes it clear that the native has adapted himself to his somewhat meagre

surroundings with skill and initiative.

“It is apparent that the success of the natives in obtaining an adequate supply of food depends, not only upon skill in gardening, hunting and fishing, but on a logical division of labour between the sexes and members of a community, a deep knowledge of the factors affecting the crops, such as the seasons and the soil, and an intimate association with their environment. A limited equipment is adapted to the habits of the innumer able terrestrial and marine creatures sought for food and other purposes, just as methods are varied to meet abnormal seasons. Co-operative work is more im portant than individual effort, and specialists play an important part in the maintenance of the food supply.’' r those who know New Guinea in all its phases, from the humid deltas of its great rivers to the mist covered peaks, T. Hodge-Smith’s article on the geology of New Guinea will have great appeal.

For the better appreciation of the natural history of New Guinea, it is essential that we have some under standing of its geology and geographical history. New Guinea, with Sumatra, Java and Timor, is a prolongation of the Himalayan-Burmese arc, through the Malay Peninsula—and a region that is characterised by great movements of the earth’s crust, which have caused intense folding of the rocks.

The crustal movements responsible for this great Himalayan-New Guinea arc took place during the Pliocene period— that is, about two million years ago—or comparatively recently, according to geological times. The last great compar able crustal movements in Australia died out about 250 million years ago. These crustal movements in New Guinea are actually going on to-day, as shown by subsidences in various parts of the main land and island groups, and by the fre quency of earthquakes.

In Cretaceous times (which ended 60 million years ago) New Guinea was joined to both Australia and Asia, which explains the curious commingling there of Australian and Oriental plants and animals.

Gold, osmiridium, platinum, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron, manganese, sul phur, gypsum, phosphate, are all known to exist in New Guinea; while oil has been found associated with certain lime stones at Matapau, on the north coast of the mainland above Wewak, and in the Torricelli Ranges. A great deal of oil prospecting work has been done and, while no sensational discoveries have yet been made, great things are still hoped for in this region.

Other articles in the magazine concern the furred animals of New Guinea, Papuan insects, butterflies, and strange New Guinea beetles.

All articles are well illustrated. The magazine is a worth-while production, of great value to all who are interested in the South Pacific. Copies may be ob tained from the Australian Museum, Sydney, or from newsagents, for 1/- per copy, or 4/- per year, plus postage.

Rev. Eric Ure, of the LMS, Papua, is on sick leave, and is staying at Bellerive (Tasmania). He has given several talks on the work of the mission in Papua under present conditions.

Mr. Paul Helbig, of the Lutheran Mission Staff, New Guinea, has arrived in Australia, and is staying with his son, Rev. E. Helbig, of Milbrulong (NSW).

One of the last of the mission staff to be evacuated, Mr. Helbig has served as a lay-helper in New Guinea for the last 37 years. He went to New Guinea in 1906, after he had completed his studies at Immanuel College in South Australia.