Look Out,

Below!

From his 80-ft perch, dangerous enough in itself, an islander pre pares to hurl himself into space.

Vines about his ankles will act as giant brakes fust before he hits the ground. Once the Gaul dance was performed as a rare tribal feat.

To-day it is done for big money.

The author of this article, Freddy Drilhon, took these photographs.

Pentecost had always lived a penurious and simple existence, and to find that they could gain money so easily gave them furiously to think.

They formed a sort of syndicate with a view to bargaining with further clients. One such client came along presently in the form of American cinerama. By now the price of the performance had gone up to 600,000 francs.

The Americans paid up without hesitation, though for this tarifi they exacted a number of repeti tions, and they saw to it that the actors wore weird and wonderful attire—such as the Bongwulwul had never dreamed of, even in their most extravagant nightmare!

Dance Bare-Breasted For this is a tribe with no dress consciousness; their men had never worn anything more imposing than the most meagre of loincloths, while their women had always danced bare-breasted.

But the extreme modesty and pure-mindedness of the American female is well known; the power the women’s associations of the United States exercise over Holly wood is notoriously all powerful.

The box office would have been compromised were South Pacific natives to be shown doing anything in their native, or near naked, state.

To-day, it seems, the businessmen of the Bongwulwul are rubbing their hands in glee.

The Gaul business has become an appreciable source of revenue, allowing them to enjoy riches which they had never dreamed about as they squatted round the smudge fires of their primitive huts. And they have no intention of resting on their laurels.

They are out to establish, or at east they will welcome, contact with the tourist agencies. Soon we may see big tourist liners landing their oassengers on Penetecost agog with the thrill of watching Gaul jumps and dances arranged in their honour. Why not, indeed?

‘'Kar Kar” Smith, by enterprise nd industry, made two modest yrtunes in New Guinea —and died i Sydney in December at the age f 73, worn out and broken-hearted,

wning no property.

“Kar Kar” had the bad luck to e born a German, and the bad idgment to be proud of his birth, e never changed his flag. So

where others prospered, he was ruined.

But he bore no malice—tired and ill, he remained to the end a kindly and courteous and scholarly old gentleman.

This outline of his life—which contained some singular adventures —was written for “PIM” by a man vcho knew “Kar Kar” very well, and treasured his friendship.