Hot-Foot Indians

Location of Coast Watchers' Memorial

THE honorary officers of the Coast Watchers Memorial Committee (headquarters in Melbourne) are still receiving donations to a fund which is to commemorate the feats of the coast-watchers against the Japanese in the New Guinea area during World War 11.

Recently, a PIM correspondent suggested that the memorial should be placed in Sydney or Brisbane, instead of in New Guinea. His reasons were that most of the coast watchers were Australians, and that, as the years passed, very many more people would see the memorial in the Australian cities, and so the fame of the men would be more effectively kept alive.

We submitted the suggestion to Mr. W. H. Brooksbank, the secre tary of the Committee, and he re plied: “I would prefer not to enter into any further controversy as to the location of the Memorial. Many ;onsiderations enter into the matter; but all the members of the Com mittee are in favour of it being jrected in New Guinea, and those vho consider that it should be greeted in Australia are very much in the minority.”

Hot-Foot Indians

August is firewalking season in Fiji, he Beqa Island Fijians now rarely per form. but each year, in several centres, he Madrasi Indians give public perform nces in association w’ith a religious estival.

The top nhoto shows the firewalkers, rith sharp rods forced through their heeks, about to commence the walk.

The second photo shows one of them alking the red-hot cinders while another i about to be “launched” from the far nd of the pit.

The Indian performance is generally insidered to be more spectacular in that ley walk the bare, red-hot cinders, hereas the Fijians first cover the red ot rocks on which they walk with a ‘Ter of green leaves. The distance alked by the Fijians is also shorter. —Photos by Caines Studios, Suva.