Tropicalities

GREGORY SPENCER, who joined the RAAF at the beginning of the war, and who eventually found himself in charge of a radar station on lonely Melville Island, north of Darwin, is now back in Sydney as Federal record libra rian of the Australian Broadcasting Com mission. He says the island station was occupied by about 60 Servicemen, and thoroughly camouflaged. It remained un detected by the Japanese.

Spencer learned something of the native language, and drilled natives of military age who were introduced into certain departments of the military rou tine. He tells a story of an LAC who came back excitedly talking of magic after going on patrol with some natives on a pitch black, moonless night. Al though the LAC could not see two feet in front of him, Alec, a blackfellow, told him confidently that there was a ship a little way off shore. The LAC spent the night stumbling over roots and into holes, while Alec kept up a running commentary on the activities of the steamer, which he described in some detail. Sure enough, when dawn broke, the faint outline of a steamer could be seen on the skyline.

Spencer comments, “As a matter of fact, these natives have the strange power of seeing in the dark. I just can’t give any reasonable explanation.”

With his sergeant, Spencer used to give them medical care to the best of his ability, and in return they supplemented RAAF diet with fish, oysters, crab, turtle and yams. Sometimes they fought among themselves, using primitive spears painted in intricate designs in bright orange, red, yellow, white and black; covering face and body also in grotesque designs. They didn’t do each other much damage.

Spencer thought the worst had hap pened when a rotund nine-year-old one day calmly told him “Paddy kill Joshua.”

He found Joshua, who was bawling lustily, with a small cut op his knee. That was before he, Spencer, realised the dif ference, in Pidgin, between “kill” and “kill ’im finish.”—H.E.L.P.

AROUND the third quarter of every year, black whales, often of immense size, are seen off the Oneroa side of the island of Mangaia. The monsters are believed to come for two purposes— to rub off, on the jagged coral, the bar nacles that cling to them exactly as to a ship’s side; and also to feast upon the “koperu” (a local mackerel). The levia thans came as usual last year; and now “koperu” are scarce.

Unlike the enterprising Aitutakians. the natives of Mangaia never attempt to kill a whale. In the same way that he is “game” to essay a hazardous boat journey to Rarotonga, the Aitutakian will tackle “Moby Dick” with courage and skill, and often get the victory.

A slain whale would provide all Man gaia with fresh meat! But, like Mr.

Shaw’s ideal Christianity, the idea has never been tried. Perhaps, some day, it will; and then we shall dispute about eating whale steaks with fish cutlery— as did “PlM’s” editor at Sir Harry Luke’s dinner party in Suva in 1942. —EG. • * ♦ IN spite of what is said (or not said) about the type of Australian who settled in New Guinea, there seems to me to be little wrong with him.

For months I had been alone at my mission station among the savage people of the hinterland. During all that time I had never seen a white skin, and I was half-crazy with loneliness. At last, I could stand it no longer. Off I set through the jungle, crossing rivers and mountains and swamps. For hours I had to wade through water and, as everyone who has visited the region knows, the sight of a crocodile that turns its nose up just a few yards from you in the muddy water does not make such a trip any more pleasant.

For several days I walked, until ex hausted and foot-sore, I came to a coco nut plantation on the coast. What a relief! Some boys working nearby brought me some green coconuts. I doubt if the old gods enjoyed their nectar as much as I enjoyed those kulaus.

I then dragged myself to the Master’s house, whefe I was given a hearty wel come, and I was glad to find that Master “K” had not gone to “Siney” as the boys had told me.

He and his good wife did everything to make me comfortable. What delight to have a hot bath; to see a clean towel; a white tablecloth. To have a real meal— talk to civilised people—to sit back in a real chair!

If it hadn’t been for the heat I should have imagined that I was in paradise.

I hope that God has blessed this man and his wife. I never met them again; but I hope that some day I shall and then will be able to repay them a little for their kindness to me when I was in distress.—A. * ♦ ♦ THERE was a lull in the inter-village church-building race in Western Samoa during the war years, but indications are that it will soon be on again!

Every visitor to the Territory is struck

by the large number of churches in Samoan villages—the average village of 400 people has two, and sometimes three churches —one belonging to the LMS, one Methodist, and one Roman Catholic. In recent years, the Seventh Day Adventists and other sects have entered the field in some localities. Large villages can boast of four churches—some even of six and seven!

In prosperous times, church-building was a regular industry in the Territory and there existed a class of native car penters, builders and craftsmen who wandered from village to village, plying their trade.

During the war years, although there was dollar-prosperity, there was also lack of building materials. But a Canadian lumber ship is expected in Apia shortly, and the church-building industry is ex pected to revive immediately.

Several big feasts have been held in Savaii and Upolo already, where, in tradi tional Samoan fashion, large funds have been collected for the new churches. Some villages have even got as far as laying the foundations for the proposed build ings!—AMG. * • » EQUINE anaemia or a so-called deadly “horse-disease”—appears to be another legacy left to New Guinea by the departing Japs. It is said to have killed off between three and four thou sand horses which the Japs took to Rabaul in 1942 as part of their prepara tions for the invasion of Australia.

We have hoard nothing of the disease from New Guinea sources. Only infor mation is from a brief Canberra an nouncement that a special mobile veter inary unit has been sent to all areas formerly occupied by the Japs and that all animals and birds that had been in contact with infected horses, or had been in compounds with Japs, had been killed.

The disease apparently is transmitted by an insect that bites an infected animal and passes it on to a healthy beast within a short time.

Australian authorities are most con cerned with preventing the introduction of the disease into the Commonwealth.

Nothing has been said of the fate of New Guinea livestock native or otherwise.

Perhaps some returning Territorian could throw light on this mysterious disease and its effects, if any, on New Guinea. • • ♦ RESIDENTS of Fiji who. in 1945, were reading the much-discussed novel “Forever Amber,” quite unharassed by the law and apparently without deterio ration to the moral fibre, should be interested to know that it costs 10/- on the black market to read the weighty (and over-rated) tome in Sydney.

The book is banned in Australia, where Authority takes it upon itself to save the public from the baser things; but Sydney booksellers say that about 100 copies have come into NSW by devious means and are now circulating among selected subscribers in libraries in city and suburbs.

Customers wanting to read “Amber” pay £5 deposit—£4/10/- of which is re funded when the book is returned. * * ♦ Superstitious? Then take heart from the fact that on one airways service, much patronised by Pacific residents, there is no seat number 13.

Seat numbers go: “ . . . 12, 12a, 14, etc.”