Ginigolo

The Disappearance of Ginigolo

A true story by “Sanasi”

GINIGOLO of the Rigo District, 60 miles east of Moresby, was one of a batch of twelve natives recruited to do agricultural labour at Sagarai plantation down Samarai way. A few months after his arri val at Sagarai he disappeared and the manager reported his “desertion” to Beeps, his agents in Samarai. I received the notice and the sworn complaint and issued the warrant to apprehend.

Shortly afterwards I was on patrol to Milne Bay and decided to go over the range to Sagarai, do a labour inspection and try to find out any thing about the missing Ginigolo who, in the meantime, had not ar rived back at his home near Riga Government Station. After a cup of tea with Sagarai manager Gray ; well known for his proper treatment of native labour, I said, “Why did Ginigolo run away, Boss? Boys cane him or beat him up?”

“No,” said Bill Gray. “Nothing like that, he wouldn’t work and aftei several minor absences, when he was caught hiding in the bush, he just vanished. I don’t want him back anyhow, quite useless.”

I reported all this in my patroi report and, having in mind tha; some years before some runaway." from just this very area had beer murdered by Abau natives —Abau ii half way between Sagarai and Rigt —I added “If Ginigolo had tried to make his way home overland hi had probably been disposed of b? unfriendly natives. Every old-time well knows how village natives re sent runaway labourers thievini from their gardens.”

My patrol report) or the GS* breakfast must have disagreed wit: him for he exploded “Disposed of— Sanasi has an unfortunate way o expressing himself. If he think!

Ginigolo was disposed of, what steß does he intend to take to appreherr the murderers?”

Next move in the drama was letter from Rigo Magistrate; “On of Ginigolo’s brothers has dreame that Ginigolo was taken by a croc* dile. Could we have the wages a* u crued to date of his disappearance' —Brotherly love precluded him froc adding that as much as Ginigoc was mourned, his wages would com in very handy for buying salt, calio mirrors and other things so dear the native mind!

The wages were sent to Rigo air for nearly two years we all forgs about the presumed dead Ginigoc The scene now moves to Kikoo 220 miles west of Moresby. T r scene: Morning Courts and Con

plaints. Dick Humphries is in the chair. Two dirty Goaris are ushered in, one carrying! a human skull, which he plonks down on Hum phries’ table and then spills the beans. “Bamuri of my village killed that man at Sagarai Plantation, name belong him Ginigolo.”

Of course there had been a fight down at Goaribari and Bamuri was being potted by the native who had given him a hiding! In due course Bamuri and his co-dismemberer Kerewa were committed for trial by the startled Humphries.

When our late truly well beloved Sir Hubert (Mr. Justice) Murray heard the case Bamuri put up a good tale. Ginigolo was a humbug, he was always stealing from the Bamuri Kerewa private garden ad jacent to Sagarai, so he was speared and his body buried until such time as the conspirators were time ex pired, when the head was dug up and taken back to Aribari. Mr. Justice Murray was impressed with the story and gave the two five years, quite enough for “a matter of no impor tance whatever,” at least to those who live in a Kikori village!

So, after all, it was proved that Ginigolo HAD been “disvosed of” but not by unfriendly natives on his way home but right at the plantation!

Pinal scene—Kikori. Humphries bad gone and Sanasi had taken

over. An instruction comes from Moresby to send to Rigo eight strong, long sentence prisoners to form a maintenance gang on the Rigo/Kokibagu road. I called for volunteers in the usual way, remin iscent of raiding days on the Somme “You, you and you.”—Poor Bamuri» When he found out his destination was Rigo he nearly had pups!

“Taubada,” he said, “Send me anywhere else you like but not to Rigo. What earthly chance would I stand against the pourri-pourri ex perts of Ginigolo’s village. Hang me now and get it over quickly”!

1 bought it over and did not 5!??. Bamuri east, so Ginigolo's death (murder and beheading) re mains unavenged to this day!! t For the first time on a north bound v ?? age ’ t? l6 Australian West Pacific Line ship Milos called at Rabaul early in June. Milos was in port for five days loading a large consignment of scrap metal for ship ment to Japan. other ships of the line call regularly to pick-up scrap from New Britain, but generally when southbound between Japan and Australia.