The Ediatars' Mailbag

In Defence Of

D'Arcy Ryan

Patrol Officer D. G. Worland comes to the defence of Sydney an thropologist D’Arcy Ryan, whom author Helen McLeod has taken to task lately over his review of her NG book, Cannibals are Human ( PIM , Nov. p. 84).

PO Worland writes: “What a shame you came to the defence of Mrs. McLeod. Her book is inaccurate and her reply to D’Arcy Ryan’s re view was just a jumble of ill considered words which neither gave any regard for logic nor successfully countered his “inaccuracy” claims.

“I agree that more should be writ ten about New Guinea, but let’s keep the standard high. Mistakes should be corrected not justified. Mrs. McLeod in her book made many anthropolo gical observations. It was on the in accuracy of these observations that Mr. Ryan based his criticism. This criticism was well within his scope as he is considered to be the authority on the Mendi people.

“The book is readable, but then so are many other inaccurate books.

Whether it is a worthwhile contribu tion to New Guinea literature is an other matter.

“In a time when inaccurate journa lism is ruining the Australian concept of New Guinea by painting a limited, inaccurate picture, it’s high time that authors, especially those who like and admire the place, went out of the way to report accurately.”

Early Trade Rivals

Of The Gilberts

Our old friend Supercargo, who is a vast fund of information going back to the early days of this century in the Pacific, says that he had an acute attack of nostalgia after reading the story of early links with Lever Bros, in October issue (p. 76). Fair ships like Fernmount and Upolu and Kolombangara, and brave men like Captain Miles Menmuir and “Bricky”

Danvers, are part of most vivid memories.

Supercargo says that Lever Bros, never traded in the Gilbert Islands and he thinks that he might have been the reason why. It was around 1909 that the manager of the Island Dept, of Burns Philp told him that he was to have a round trip passenger in the next sailing of Muniara to the Gil

belts. He was a Mr. Herbert John Carr Whitfield, of Lever Bros., and although nothing was said, Super cargo took it upon himself to watch the movements of this emissary of a possible rival to BP in that part of the Pacific. He was particularly in terested to see that Whitfield made copious notes after each port of call.

The last call in the Northern Gil berts was off the trading station of Arthur Hitchfield and the trader came out as usual in his 6 ft dinghy and invited Supercargo and Whitfield to go ashore. Supercargo did the rowing and, as he puts it; “Half way ashore I caught a crab and capsized the dinghy. Poor old Whitfield soon got his head above water and held his notebook as far

above that as possible. But, alasj was too late—his notes had U written in indelible pencil and book was already a puce mesa was truly sorry for I had no ; that his sacred volume was with hii In spite of the incident and nearness with which BP escs having a powerful competitor in i Gilberts, the friendship betw Whitfield and Supercargo contim until Whitfield’s death, by which t he had succeeded Mr. George Fui as manager of Lever Pacific Plac tions Pty. Ltd.

At the same time we heard fi Mr. Stanley Halyday, 67, now red in Bondi, Sydney, who was wire officer on the old Kolombangara. recalls that when “Soapy Bill” (L Leverhulme) made his Islands t in 1914 he used the ship’s radii then the most powerful in the Pau —to keep in direct touch with world interests, and no expense spaf