Three Attacks By

Ng Natives

From Our Own Correspondent

Moresby, Jan. 8.

IHERE have been three separate L and unrelated native attacks cently on District Service patrols.

Two occurred in the very difficult ountainous country northwest of hdang, in the Adelbert Mountains; it there were no fatalities.

A patrol led by ADO Ellis was ideavouring to locate and retrieve ores which had been stolen by irriers moving in from Joseph aal, when the natives attacked, wo native police were wounded ith spears and daggers, and Mr. llis received a slight injury.

Earning shots were fired and the ;tack broke up.

Subsequently, 40 of these Stone ge warriors were captured and ere taken to Madang to face larges arising out of raids on :her natives —two on murder, and tost of the others on assault.

Few patrols have been through le district in recent years. Mr. llis remained for a spell after the ttack, consolidating Government ifluence.

CHE second attack had as its target a party under Patrol Officer G. P. Taylor, in the ruam River country, north of osephstaal. It was launched sud enly and without warning or revocation. One native policeman ot a snear wound, and another was truck in the back with an axe, but either was a serious wound. The ttackers were driven off without asualties, and later three of them :ere apprehended. They said they ttacked the patrol because they id not want strangers in their rea.

These particular natives are iractically' nomads, and wander hrough a big stretch of country I’here scattered knolls and ridges traddle swamp and sago areas. [They wear few ornaments or lothes, and build only the most irimitive houses. Fish is their nain diet, and they thriftily use the ish bones as ground spikes and or the making of weapons. Their ;hief absorption is sorcery with vhich they terrorise neighbouring ribes.

After visiting Madang to report, Taylor returned to the district md apprehended the remaining •ingleaders of the attack, and nicked up all natives for whom warrants had been issued.

IN November the Morobe District Commissioner was advised that natives from the headwaters of :he Tauri River—within two days narch of Menyamya Station—had crossed the range to the Banir River (a tributary of the Watut) and killed four other natives.

Three patrols set out for the trouble spot—one from Menyamaya,

led by ADO Hurrell; another from Bulolo, led by Mr. Bamford; and the third from Mumeng, under Mr.

J. F. Sinclair.

The area is tough mountain country, and Mr. Hurrell’s party, which got there first, was suddenly attacked by natives at short range.

They appeared a short distance from the patrol, and on higher ground. One native fired arrows at

the Government party, and others fitted arrows into the bows and began advancing on the patrol Mr.

Hurrell fired one shot, aimed at the feet of the native who had fired the arrow, but it hit and fatally wounded him. The other tribesmen fled, All the natives concerned in the tribal raid in the Banir River district were apprehended and were subse quently committed for trial.