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--- 195611 [2018/09/27 13:45] – tyreless
+++ 195611 [2018/09/27 14:17] – tyreless
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-===== Comradeship. =====
+=== Comradeship. ===
 Forsooth, brother, comradeship is heaven,\\
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+===== Three Months Amongst The South Sea Islands. =====
-THREE MONTHS AMONGST THE SOUTH SEA ISIANDS
 (Being a letter from Frank Duncan's friend, Walter Trinnick)
 When I visited your Club to show movies of New Guinea I mentioned to your President that I might find time to tell the S.B.Ws. about a forthcoming trip of mine, and as he might be expecting me to keep my promise and as the trip is now under way, here goes.
-In June my wife Dorothy and I left on Bret Hilder's little boat for three months voyage (Cost 85). ports of call as follows:r Lord Howe0Is., Norfolk Is., New Hebrides Espiritu Santo,.
-Guardalcanal, New Guinea, (and intervening islands)
+In June my wife Dorothy and I left on Bret Hilder's little boat for three months voyage (Cost £85). Ports of call as follows: Lord Howe Is., Norfolk Is., New Hebrides, Espiritu Santo, Guardalcanal, New Guinea, (and intervening islands).
-AD-sea. June.
-Sometimes I wonder whether I am dreaming, or whether everything I recall of living in Sydney comes from a recollection of a previous life. Here in a gigantic circle of sea and sky, each of the most vivid translucent blue, our little ship rolls gently along for days on end. Flying fish and majestic albatrosses and hot sun, with everyone in white, make Sydney in wind, rain and cold seem a million
+__At sea__. __June__.
-miles away instead of a mere 1,500. 'Though each day since we left
-Sydney has been perfect, the seas have been very high until this
+Sometimes I wonder whether I am dreaming, or whether everything I recall of living in Sydney comes from a recollection of a previous life. Here in a gigantic circle of sea and sky, each of the most vivid translucent blue, our little ship rolls gently along for days on end. Flying fish and majestic albatrosses and hot sun, with everyone in white, make Sydney in wind, rain and cold seem a million miles away instead of a mere 1,500. Though each day since we left Sydney has been perfect, the seas have been very high until this morning when it threatens to become monotonously calm. Part of the day's fun has been to dash across the cargo deck and hatches between waves breaking over the sides without being ducked. Half the crew are Malayans and the other half Chinese and on such a small ship you get to know them and establish a contact even though they cannot all speak English. Yesterday we were anchored off an island fishing. I asked our Chinese cabin boy how many he'd caught, and got the reply "oo piss" - which rather rocked me, so I asked again and got the same answers and then it dawned on me that "pp piss" was his idea of English for "two fish" - and you could read in his face the query "What's the matter with this bloke; he can't understand his own language." And the fish - never seen so many or so big. Every time you throw a line out there's a 20 or 30 lb. one on the hook.
-morning when it threatens to become monotonously calm. Part of the
-day's fun has been to dash across the cargo deck and hatches between waves breaking over the sides without being ducked. Half the crew are Malayans and the other half Chinese and on such a small ship you get to know them and establish a contact even though they cannot
+It is strange how our impressions of a place change when we come into close contact with it. Take Norfolk Is. for instance, tied up as it is with our early history. I've always imagined it a tiny, more or less barren little island just off the coast, inhabited by a number of rugged Australians who grew pine trees and sold the seeds to our beach councils. Instead of which I found a slice of the Canadian Rockies with __millions__ of native pines in forests where they'd been growing for centuries - and the cultivated parts a replica of the loveliness of Devon and Somerset in England. As a whole the island looks like a beautiful English park, an effect that is helped by the old English buildings __and__ the old English speech of the __Islanders__. They are __not__ Australians by any means. All the inhabitants are the descendants of the mutineers of The Bounty, who were transferred from Pitcairn to Norfolk Island 100 years ago. And since the Pitcairners married Tahitian women the islanders of today are a mixture of both, and since they have always been isolated on a small island over the whole period of 130 years, they have retained all their early characteristics - a mixture of dark and fair - slow and exotic - speech still the dialect of old English mixed with the dreamy Tahitian. The women are lovely and langourous like the Tahitians, but the men are a weak looking lot. Without much contact with the outside world there has been much inter-marriage, and there are only about two dozen surnames among the 800 population. Looking at the family tree you see, for instance, a Young marrying a Young. We met a Mrs. Young whose grandmother was one of the original Tahitian girls who married a Mutineer on Pitcairn. It was difficult to follow her half old-English-Tahitian speech. Living still as one big family, too, they're very clannish - every industry that has started on the Island has been either burned down, blown up or sabotaged, with the result that there's no work done except when the steamer calls once every 8 weeks or so, and even then they've got to drag the men on to the job - as for instance on this trip, because of the high seas and the fact that all cargo is taken ashore in surf boats, on several days it was noon before the sea subsided enough to lower the boats. They went ashore to collect the Islanders, but __all__ except three of those whose job it was were dead drunk, and there's no hotel here - the Govt. sells the grog. There are no taxes - no duty - result, cigarettes in Sydney 3-, here 2/-; cameras in Sydney £120, here £40, etc.
-.
-all speak English. Yesterday we were anchored off an island fishing. I asked our Chinese cabin boy how many he'd caught, and got the reply "co piss" - which rather rocked me, so I asked again and got the same answers and then it dawned on me that "cc pis s2 was his idea of English for "two fish" - and you could read in his face the query 'What's the matter with this bloke; he can't understand his
+Yesterday I walked 12 miles to collect movies of all the historic spots of pre-mutineer days - the convict settlement - collecting pictures of, for instance, Bloody Bridge where 13 convicts were buried alive among the stones - or Headstone Pt. where a legendary character who escaped the warders and successfully evaded them for 7 years by living in one of the huge trees, coming out at night to fish - was finally caught and hanged in the town Common.  He cursed the two warders who caught him and threatened them with a violent death, and they obliged by getting mashed off the rocks a week later.
-own language." And the fish - never seen so many ar so big. Every time you throw a line out there's a 20 or 30 lb. one on the hook.
-It is strange how our impressions of a place change when we
+Being a personal friend of the Captain's, we sit at his table and this, after a really fine dinner, is one of the pleasant events of the day as he regales us with tales of the South Pacific.
-come into close contact with it. Take Norfolk Is. for instance, tied up as it is with our early history. I've always imagined it a tiny, more or less barren little island just off the coast,
-inhabited by a number of rugged Australians who grew pine trees and sold the seeds to our beach councils. Instead of which I found a
+We're now off on a 3-day cruise to the next group of Islands - the New Hebrides, where we are promised a mixture of French, British - and Tonkinese, as well as natives. There we'll have our swimming and coconut plantations and native villages, so I'll leave anticipation to realisation. Any difficulty you have deciphering this writing you can put down to the violent motion of the ship, plus the effort of writing on my knees and trying to avoid being washed overboard as every now and again a wave breaks over the side.
-slice of the Canadian Rockies with millions of native pines in
-forests where they'd been growing for centuries - and the cultivat-
+__Espiritu Santo__
-ed parts a replica of the loyEiness of Devon and Somerset in
-England. As a whole the island looks like a beautiful English park,
+This is the life! A strange new world indeed - every day teems with stories, mostly about people you meet. There are no secrets or family skeletons; since everyone knows everyone else there is, after all, not much sense.
-an effect that is helped by the old English buildings and the old English speech of the Islanders. They are not Australians by any
-means. All the inhabitants are the descend7E7s of the mutineers of The Bounty, who were transferred from Pitcairn to Norfolk Island 100 years ago. And since the Pitcairners married Tahitian women
+I've been introduced to Nature's Wonderland too. We were taken in the launch to a lovely coral atoll, with a palm-lined lagoon for swimming and looking at the coral growth. I thought that was something out of the bag until the skipper took me with underwater goggles to the outer reef and there, Presto! I came upon Wonderland. The first sight of it shocked me, I had to come up for air. I just couldn't believe what I had seen so I went down again - into a bright blue - bluer than anything I've ever seen, with literally millions of the brightest coloured fish floating in and out of the coral, and then huge fish that must have weighed between 30 and 50 lbs. just idly swimming around us, barely curious. The transparent blue gradually deepened with depth, and frighteningly lost its transparency as the floor sunk away to greater depths. By way of contrast we visited Million Dollar Point at Espiritu Santo where the Yanks dumped millions of pounds worth of unused equipment into the sea. Looking at it lying on the bottom of the sea rotting away was indeed an ugly sight.
-the islanders of today are a mixture of both, and since they have
-always been isolated on a small island over the whole period of 130 years, they have retained all their early characteristics -
+These islands are mostly French and everything is so different; natives made the islands beautiful - the natives kept them that way, and when the French, Chinese and Tonkinese came and created filthy slums, the natives moved out and built lovely little villages in the jungle a few yards from the sea. We visited several of them and they were a delight - flowers everywhere - not a tree destroyed - and absolute cleanliness. I wonder what they think when they walk down the European street with its lack of drains, its filthy slush and the hovels of the Chinese and Tonkinese who empty all their slops in the street. The French being a carefree race, although clean in themselves, couldn't care less. This New Hebrides group are nevertheless very interesting but to get anywhere you've just got to brighten up your French.
-a mixture of dark and fair - slow and exotic - speech still the dialect of old English mixed with the dreamy Tahitian. The women
-are lovely and langourous like the Tahitians, but the men al.e a weak looking lot. Without much contact with the outside world there has been much inter-marriage, and there are only about two dozen surnames among the 800 population. Looking at the family tree you see, for instance, a Young marrying a Young. We met a Yrs.
+__Rabaul__. __Aug.1__
-Young whose grandmother was one of the original Tahitian girls who married a Mutineer on Pitcairn. It was difficult to follow her half
-old-English-Tahitian speech. Living still as one big family, too, they're very clannish - every industry that has started on the
+Just to remind us that the volcano I can see a couple of miles away (Matapi) is still alive and kicking, we have just had three earthquakes in one day - one of them rattled the place like a dice in a box. We climbed to the top of the volcano and looked down into the crater despite the steam and sulphur fumes. It will be almost impossible for you to imagine how hot it is up here at this time of the year. There is no such thing as winter since we are only a few degrees from the equator. It's just Hot and D--Hot. The sun rises and sets at almost the same time every day all the year round. For nearly two months now, since leaving Sydney, shivering in the cold, we have not worn more than shorts and shirt and slept bare every night. No one owns a blanket here. We swim every day though it's a waste of time as the water is luke warm. We came on the trip for a rest but up to the present we haven't stopped a moment anywhere and have had some really wonderful experiences. The highlight (for me) was at a dream island with limpid lagoons and swaying palm trees where twelve lovely Polynesian girls tried to teach me the hula hula, crowned me with a garland of frangi pani blossoms - then threw me in the lagoon as a token of goodwill, despite the fact that I had shorts, shirt and shoes on. Did they enjoy themselves? And did I? Ask me!
-Island has been either burned downs blown up or sabotaged, with the
-result that there's no work done except when the steamer calls once every 8 weeks or so, and even then they've got to drag the men on to the job - as for instance on this trip, because of the high seas and the fact that all cargo is taken ashore in surf boats, on several days it was noon before the sea subsided enough to lower the boats. They went ashore to collect the Islanders, but all except three of those whose job it was were dead drunk, and there's no hotel here - the Govt. sells the grog. There are no taxes - no duty - result, cigarettes in Sydney V-, here 2/-; cameras in Sydney 120, here E,40, etc.
+We called at 20 different islands before arriving at Rabaul and have now been here one week during which time we've travelled a few hundred miles into the interior. In a few days we're flying to the famous Sepik River - right away off the beaten track among the most primitive natives whose houses are built __over__ the water. We'll be glad to be on the way for we've attended parties and dinners almost every night till 3 a.m. Anyway, it's too hot to sleep.
-Yesterday I walked 12 miles to collect movies of all the historic spots of pre-mutineer days - the convict settlement - collecting pictures of, for instance, Bloody Bridge where 13 convicts were buried alive among the stones - or Headstone Pt, where a legendary character who escaped the warders and successfully evaded
-,
+Been struggling with the pigeon and gradually learning the hard way. For instance, saw some "boys" with blue lap laps (which means they were prisoners from the kallaboose or jail); no one in charge - they just mow the lawns one blade of grass at a time - so I asked one,
-them for 7 years by living in one of the huge trees, coming out at night to fish - was finally caught and hanged in the town Common.  He cursed the two warders who caught him and threatened them with a violent death, and they obliged by getting mashed off the rocks a week later.
-Being a personal friend of the Captain's, we sit at his table and this, after a really, fine dinner, is one of the pleasant events of the day as he regales us with tales of the South Pacific. s
-We're now off on a 3-day cruise to the next group of Islands - the New Hebrides, where we are promised a mixture of French, British
-- and Tonkinese, as well as natives. There we'll have our swimming and coconut plantations and native villages, so I'll leave anticipation to realisation. Any difficulty you. have deciphering this writing you can put down to the violent motion of the ship, plus the effort of writing on my knees and trying to avoid being washed overboard as every now and again a wave breaks over the side,
-PHOTOGRAPHY I. ? ? t
-You press the button, we'll do the rest t
-Finegrain
-Developing
-Sparkling
-Prints
-Perfect
-Enlargements
-Your
-Rollfilms
-or
-Leica films
-deserve the
-best SERVICE
-LUCA PHOTO SERVICE
-Macquarie Place
-SYDNEY N.S.W.
-a.
-Espiritu Santo
-This is the life l A strange new world indeed - every day teens with stories, mostly about people you meet. There are no secrets or family skeletons; since everyone knows everyone else there is, after all, not much sense.
-I've been introduced to Nature's Wonderland too, We were taken in the launch to a lovely coral atoll, with a palm-lined lagoon for swimming and looking at the coral growth. I thought that was something out of the bag until the skipper took me with underwater goggles to the outer reef and. there, Prestos I came upon: Wonderland. The first sight of it shocked me, I had to COMB up for air. I just couldn't believe what I had seen so I went down again - into a bright blue - bluer than anything I've ever seen, with literally millions of the brightest coloured fish floating in and out of the coral, and then huge fish that must have weighed between 30 and 50 lbs. just idly swimming around us, barely curious. The transparent blue gradually deepened -with depth, and frighteningly lost its transparency as the floor sunk away to greater depths. By way of contrast we visited. Millioia.D911.:'ar. Point at Espiritu Santo where the Yanks dumped millions of.pounO!Worth of unused equipment into the sea. Looking at it lying on the bottom of the sea rotting away was indeed an ugly sight.
-These islands are mostly French and everything is so different; natives made the islands beautiful - the natives kept them that
-way, and when the French, Chinese and Tonkinese came and created filthy slums, the natives moved out and built lovely little villages in the jungle a few yards from the sea. We visited several of them and they were a delight - flowers everywhere - not a tree destroyed - and absolute cleanliness. I wonder what they think
-when they walk down the European street with its lack of drains, its filthy slush and the hovels of the Chinese and Tonkinese who empty all their slops in the street. The French being a carefree race, although clean in themselves, couldn't care less This New Hebrid.es group are nevertheless very interesting but to get anywhere you've just got to brighten up your French.
-Rabaul. Aug.1
-Just to remind us that the volcano I can see a couple of miles away (Matapi) is still alive and kicking, we have just had three earthquakes in one day - one of them rattled the place like a dice in a box. We climbed to the top of the volcano and looked down into the crater despite the steam and sulphur fumes. It will be almost impossible for you to imagine how hot it is up here at this time of the year. There is no such thing as winter since we are only a few degrees from the equator. It's just Hot and D--Hot. The sun rises and sets at almost the same time every day all the year round. For nearly two months now, since leaving Sydney ,shivering in the cold, we have not worn more than shorts and shirt and
-slept bare every night. No one owns a blanket here. We swim every
-day though it's a waste of time as the water is luke warm. We came
-on the trip for a rest but up to the present we haven't stopped a
-.
-IMPORTANT TRANSPORT NOTICE  BUSHWALKERS REQUIRING TRANSPORT FROM BLACKHEATH
-ANY HOUR. RING WRITE or CALL
-SIEDLECKY'S TAXI & TOURIST SERVICE
-STATION STREET, BLACKHEATH
-HOUR SERVICE
-BUSHWALKERS arriving late at night without transport bboking can ring fro car from Railway Station, or call at) above address - - IT'S NEVER TOO LATE.
-'Phone: Blheath 8., or Sydney No. LU3563 after hours or MA3467
-FARES: KANANGRA WALLS 30/- per head (minimum 5 passengers)
-PERRY' S. LOOKDOWN 34/.. 8 ff 8 8 8
-JENOLAN STATE FOREST 20/- " if ff
-CARLON'S FARM 10/- " " ft ft ft
-LOOK FOR T.C. 3210 or PACKHARD T.V.270
-moment anywhere and have had some really wonderful experiences. The highlight (for me) was at a dream island with limpid lagoons and swaying palm trees where twelve lovely Polynesian girls tried to teach me the hula hula, crowned MB with a garland of frangi pani blossoms - then threw me in the lagoon as a token of goodwill, despite the fact that I had shorts, shirt and shoes on. Did they enjoy themselves/ And did I? Ask mel
-We called at 20 different islands before arriving at Rabaul and have now been here one week during which time we've travelled a few hundred miles into the interior. In a few days we're flying to the famous Sepik River - right away off the beaten track among the most primitive natives whose houses are built over the water. We'll be glad to be on the way for we've attended parties and dinners almost every night till 3 a.m. Anyway, it's too hot to sleep.
-Been struggling with the pigeon and gradually learning the hard way. For instance, saw some "boys" with blue lap laps (which means they were prisoners from the kallabooseor jail); no one in charge - they just mow the lawns one blade of grass at a time - so I asked one,
 "Why fella you bilong Kalaboose?"
-.
 Answer: Me killim Master.
-Q. Howlong you stop along Kalaboose?
-A. 6 months,
+Q. How long you stop along Kalaboose?
-Wows I thought, Only 6 months for killing his Master, and when I Mentioned this to a European he just laughed for killim means hit only. Had he said killim finish it would have meant the real thing. They use it this way also when they are driving the jeep and you want to stop and leave the engine idle you say "You killim engine." To stop car dead - "You killim finish". To park the car you say "Fasim" (fasten).
-We were taken in a small ship up the 'Buka Passage - one of the most beautiful waterways in the world - to meet the Catholic Bishop who is quite an identity, - a jovial old bloke.
+A. 6 months.
-Been shooting crocodile and expect to do some more, but as they only COMB out at night you can't photograph them; instead I'm bringing back a skin just to prove it.
-Time is on the wing and the mail leaves in half an hour so oheers. Won't get an opportunity to write any more; we will be living in a native village for about 2 weeks with natives to study their way of life.
+Wow! I thought. Only 6 months for killing his Master, and when I Mentioned this to a European he just laughed for __killim__ means __hit__ only. Had he said __killim finish__ it would have meant the real thing. They use it this way also when they are driving the jeep and you want to stop and leave the engine idle you say "You killim engine." To stop car dead - "You killim finish". To park the car you say "Fasim" (fasten).
+We were taken in a small ship up the Buka Passage - one of the most beautiful waterways in the world - to meet the Catholic Bishop who is quite an identity - a jovial old bloke.
+Been shooting crocodile and expect to do some more, but as they only come out at night you can't photograph them; instead I'm bringing back a skin just to prove it.
+Time is on the wing and the mail leaves in half an hour so cheers. Won't get an opportunity to write any more; we will be living in a native village for about 2 weeks with natives to study their way of life.
 Good Bushwalking,
 W.T.
-PROGRESS REPORT:
-In spite of the Woodiestpoem, Grace and Geof are still engaged. "You don't have to believe everything you read in print," says Grace, "for instance that bit about the bathroom.-floorflooder...." "Yes," cried Goof triumphantly, "That couldn't be right because I never use the bathroom:"
-WINTER MORN
+----
-A splash
-That's quick as a flash And a feeling of horror At each to-morrow..
+=== Progress Report: ===
-The horrible fright
-May be all right
+In spite of the Woodies' poem, Grace and Geof are __still__ engaged. "You don't have to believe everything you read in print," says Grace, "for instance that bit about the bathroom-floor-flooder...." "Yes," cried Geof triumphantly, "That couldn't be right because I never use the bathroom!"
-But I say
-Boshl
+----
-Why should a.Bushwalker
-Wash? (Anon. N.Z.A.C.)
+=== Winter Morn. ===
+A splash\\
+That's quick as a flash\\
+And a feeling of horror\\
+At each to-morrow..
+The horrible fright\\
+May be all right\\
+But I say\\
+Bosh!\\
+Why should a.Bushwalker\\
+Wash?
+(Anon. N.Z.A.C.)
+----
+=== Photography!?!?! ===
+You press the button, we'll do the rest!
+Finegrain Developing. Sparkling Prints. Perfect Enlargements. Your Rollfilms or Leica films deserve the best service.
+Leica Photo Service.
+Macquarie Place, Sydney, N.S.W.
+----
+=== Important Transport Notice. ===
+Bushwalkers requiring transport from Blackheath, any hour, ring, write or call...
+Siedlecky's Taxi and Tourist Service.
+Station Street, Blackheath.
+hour service.
+Bushwalkers arriving at Blackheath late at night without transport booking can ring for car from Railway Station or call at above address - __it's never too late__!
+'Phone Blackheath 81, or Sydney No. LU3563 after hours, or MA3467.
+Fares:
+  * Kanangra Walls: 30/- per head (minimum 5 passengers)
+  * Perry's Lookdown: 3/- per head (minimum 5 passengers)
+  * Jenolan State Forest: 20/- per head (minimum 5 passengers)
+  * Carlon's Farm: 10/- per head (minimum 5 passengers)
+Look for T.C.3210 or Packhard T.V.270.
+----
 MT. SONDER. - Joan Walker.
 It was early afternoon as we waved goodbye to the jeep that had brought us to Glen Helen, 'That morning we had come the hundred miles from Alice Springs prepared for a week's camp at Glen Helen Gorge on the FinkeRiver, and at Ormisten Gorge about six miles away.