Greenland alone exceeds the island of New Guinea in land area. "Fifteen hundred miles long, it sprawls just below the Equator, in the western Pacific" (p. 255). New Guinea is north of Australia. In 1929, the island, which is three times as large as the British Isles, had less than one million citizens. A large portion of the interior of New Guinea was unexplored.
The impetus for the trip came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: "seek a disease-resisting sugar cane, to revive a sick industry" in the southern states (p. 258).
From the first seaplane flight on the southeast tip of the island, Mr. Brandes particularly appreciated the scenery, "an amazing panorama of submerged coral reefs, palm-fringed beaches, and wooded hills, terminating far inland in majestic peaks mantled in swirling mists. Birds floated lazily among the tree tops, and in the clear blue waters sharks could be seen stealthily nosing their way among the reefs" (p. 264).
The New Guinea natives were primitive, even by 1929 standards. They hunted with bows and arrows in the jungle and in their fishing. Travel was by outrigger canoes. However, they long had the habit of smoking and growing tobacco: "Now, we have been brought up to believe that tobacco was unknown, except in America, up to the time of Sir Walter Raleigh's famous introduction of the smoking habit to sixteenth-century English courtiers; but there is evidence that it has been known and universally used in New Guinea for a long time," Mr. Brandes found out (p. 276).
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| This is the outrigger canoe paddled by my daughter, Theresa (in the front position), while we were in Hawaii several weeks ago. There is evidence that, even in 1929, polynesian peoples of the Pacific had intermingled with New Guinea natives as they had in Hawaii. |
No natives had ever seen foreigners. "It goes without saying that we were considered supernatural. All natives of this island with whom white people have been able to exchange ideas of an abstract nature have disclosed strong beliefs in spirits, malignant as well as beneficent. Most of them conceive of ghosts of departed friends and enemies, who must be placated in various ways to avert dire consequences" (p. 290).
Hazards of this journey for Mr. Brandes and his crew included aggressive crocodiles in the rivers and lakes, malarial mosquitoes, and the availability of gas and oil for their seaplane.
And then there were skulls, "much used in the arts and rites of New Guinea tribes. Not only the bones of enemies but also those of deceased relatives are employed for many purposes. Among some tribes a widow wears her departed husband's thigh bones as a collar around the neck or as 'paniers' about the waist" (p. 293).
The legendary "head-hunters" were real: "I was startled when one cannibal calipered my leg in a professional manner and otherwise conducted himself like a judge in a stock show. . .Their most prized possessions - stuffed human heads!" (p. 296). I should not relate to you how these heads were obtained. "It took much persuasion to keep the head-hunters in line and quiet long enough to be photographed," Mr. Brandes reports (p. 297).
"As to the continuance of cannibalism: Many areas are not yet under Government influence, and where cannibalism has existed for thousands of years it still persists" (p. 296). In 1929, the island was owned partly by the Netherlands and the rest was under the protection of Australia.
Although Mr. Brandes and his party came to New Guinea for sugar cane specimens, "it was only natural that the strange tribes we bartered with were even more interesting than the plant life we found" (p, 304). They traveled to the upper reaches of the Fly River to the land of the Pygmy race. "Their houses are built in trees and on the tops of tall poles, about fifty feet above the ground" (p. 305). The New Guinea pygmies are an isolated race of people all very short in stature. When the seaplane flew over their settlement, they thought it was "the big hawk that came with thunderous noise out of the upper air to carry them off" (p. 306).
The author quickly found out that the suspended pygmy dwellings, which appeared to be abandoned, were full of natives who showered "an arsenal of large rocks, arrows, etc. . . .through small holes in the walls and trapdoors in the floor. For some reason my head was spared" (p. 307). Finally, the natives approached. "After exchanging gifts I led them to a small patch of sugar cane and made signs for them to cut me some" (p. 309). The pygmies seemed far more pleasant than the other tribes encountered.
Much to their surprise, one of the pygmies spoke Malay so he could communicate with the seaplane's pilot, Peck, also proficient in the language. Then they "learned the native names of their villages, rivers and individuals; of their constant dread of bad men, and the reasons for their peculiar styles of architecture, together with much of historical interest" (p. 311).
The expedition explored the Fly River close to its source. Then, satisfied that the 130 varieties of sugar cane specimens were properly packed, they headed home to Washington, D.C., U.S.A., via Sydney, Australia and Vancouver, Washington, U.S.A. It had been 200 days since their departure.
The plants were quarantined upon their arrival and then were tested. Mr. Brandes concluded, "It is conceivable that some of these varieties, propagated on a commercial scale, will eventually reach proportions gigantic in comparison with the limited amounts found in their native habitat. Thus we see that races of plants, like races of people, may migrate from one far part of the world to another to multiply and replenish the earth" (p. 332).
This was a most enjoyable article that sometimes read like a novel and other times seemed like a horror show!
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