The editors' Mailbag

Who Discovered

the NG Highlands?

A reader in Germany, writing via olala, refers to a Mailbag item in March, where doubt was thrown a the story that a man called Detzner, dodging Australians during World War I actually was the first to discover the NG Highlands.

Detzner now is living in England says our reader, and continues: It would have been only fair to t Detzner know the accusations and hear his side of the story. Why are these accusations brought to light now the missionary who made them is dead? Why did he not accuse Detzner while living”.

No one waited until anyone was dead, of course; there is ample evidence to show that the Lutherans began their war with Detzner shortly after his book was published presumably in the 20's.

If Detzner had wanted to defend himself he could have done so after publication of a long article in PIM in July, 1934, which said all at the March, 1959, item said, only more so. But so far as the present editors of PIM are aware—and ther was engaging in literary exercises in 1934—there never has been one word from Detzner publed in PIM in the 29 years of existence, although there has sn ample opportunity, In 1934, shortly after the Leahy brothers, Spinks and Taylor first explored the New Guinea Highlands, the late Mrs. Molly Lett, quoting from Detzner’s book, proved to her own satisfaction that Detzner had discovered all the country between the Purari head hunters and Mt. Hagen. In the July le of 1934, a Sheila Lane replied, part, as follows: Mr. Bergmann (of the Lutheran mission), states that Detzner himhas since repudiated his book New Guinea travels and has gated it solely to the fiction s. No longer can it be accepted authentic history. . . . This on was taken following a protest the German Geological Society the Lutheran Mission, which ised Detzner of using informa tion from the Mission to write his book. The contents were entirely to his powers of listening while was temporarily domiciled at mission.”

Miss Lane then went to to say Detzner’s description of the ;r Purari natives fitted exactly Kukukuku natives who roamed the region of Wau and the ?ut; and that there was no ntain anywhere like his description of Mt. Joseph.

For some reason, in subsequent years, PIM always referred to the Molly Lett version and it was not until the old letter came into our hands a few months ago that a search back through old PIM files revealed Miss Lane's version in the July issue of 1934.

At that time, we asked Mick Leahy — about whose explorations there is no doubt—if he thought Detzner had discovered the High lands. He said no; that he thought Detzner had never got further than

the Saruwaged.

If Mr Detzner can prove other wise, we'd be delighted to hear from him—it s something we’ve been waiting for for for 30 years.

Send Them Your

Islands Stamps!

A letter received by the Editor : Please do not think us too forward in writing this letter to you. We are two polio patients, and have been in respirators for the last six years; and during that time we have become very interested in stamp collecting. Strange as it may seem, we find that the stamps we are most short of, are those of the Islands of the near north of Australia—such as New Guinea, Solomons, Nauru, etc.

We were wondering if it would be possible for you to print a small piece for us in your paper: We will gladly pay for same if you send the account. Hoping you can see your way clear to grant us this request. BILL ROBINS,

Max Rawson.

Ward 12, Fairfield Hospital, Fairfield, Victoria.

No charge to Bill and Max.

Islanders, please send of your best!

Continuing the Story

of Humphrey Berkeley

Writing to “PIM” a week before an accident put her in hospital (June “PIM”), Mrs. Ellen von Moltke, of Norfolk Island, had a few more facts to add to the story of Humphrey Berkeley, which has almost became a “PIM” serial in the last 12 months: Mr. Berkeley was married twice and had three sons. His first wife must have died in England shortly after the eldest son was born and, presumably, was brought up by his mother’s family.

Humphrey’s brother. Sir Henry Berkeley, KCMG, was Chief Justice of Fiji, but am not sure whether he was there when his brother arrived Suva in 1892. The family came from the Leeward Islands, West

Indies— they were originally German Jews named Hartmann, but the two brothers decided to change their names legally taking that of their mother’s maiden name Humphrey had great charm.

He studied law in England, started law practice in Suva immediately after his arrival and was joined by a Mr Beddard, from England who remained only a few years in Fiji.

Some time afterwards, Humphrey’s second wife arrived with her two sons, Tom and Reginald, and a maid who looked after Mrs.

Berkeley (a recluse).

Tom was never the brilliant one of the family. “Sparrow”, the younger, started writing plays when he was in the Army in France, during World War I. After that, he practised law in England and became a member of Parliament. He died at middle age. He was married to the younger of two sisters of a man in the Civil Service in Suva -can’t just remember the date but it was about the time when a high chief died at Bau. He saw her at the huge ceremony at Bau, married her soon afterwards and they went off to England.

Humphrey Berkeley, by this time, had “gone to the pack”—he was a heavy drinker: a bottle of whisky a day man. He ended up with the local scandal of the Bua-bua logs, hard-wood sleepers for train lines for sugar plantations. These were ordered for the Punjabis at a cost £400, but were never paid for.

The Punjabis threatened to murder Humphrey and to dismember the body and destroy it, so Humphrey left orders that when he died he was to be buried at sea.

Humphrey’s eldest son (of his first marriage) visited his stepmother in Suva after his father died. He was in his early 20’s, a good-looking, fine type of Englishman. He was a good actor—it was he and not Tom who starred in The Geisha, mentioned by Mr. Chris Wager ( PIM , March).

Slould Diddiman

Be Diddima?

Mr. Harold Wickham, of Swansea, NSW, has a new slant on the Pidgin word “Diddiman” (which originally referred to the curator of the Rabaul Botanical Gardens, and now is used for anyone who does this type of job).

He says the word was not “diddiman”, anyway, but “diddima”.

Diddiman was a mispronunciation by one of the officers of the Rabaul garrison who was notorious for his inability to speak Pidgin.

"The same officer was responsible for the use of the Pidgin “Sodawater” for saltwater. The natives always called it “sollitwater” —the nearest they could get to saltwater.

But the nearest the officer could to “sollitwater” was "sodawater”.