Vol. 9 No. 3 March
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Vol. 9, ao. 3 Edited by F. E. WILLIAMS, Government AnthropaloBist M a r c h, 193 7 l Publish" by the Government Printer, Port Moresby, papua BUILDING bush ; they cover them with roofs of grass or bark or palm-leaf, and they Materials tie all the parts together with cane. White men build their houses of stone or brick or concrete or " fibro- Mending Your House cement " or wood ; they cover them Now Papuans are often very good with roofs of " galvanized " iron; and they use nails and iron bolts to hold builders indeed. But houses made them together. Papuans make their of these things cannot last as long as houses of wood and sago branches those made of concrete or stone, so and other things that come from the often have to be mended. Puttin8 the " Eravo " Post in Place 18 The Pajuan YiZZagey March, 1937 The Pajuan YiZZagey 19 The wind comes up and blows away own kind of dress, nor of your own mugs, plates, spoons, etc. And they some of vour ~alm-leafroof. or the kind of house. will sell hundreds of these, calling rain and sun make it rotten. Then, At Orokolo there are still some very them " Souvenirs." Souvenir means if you do not want the water dripping fine rnen's houses or eravo, nearly 60 a thing that you keep to remember a on your neck, you have to niend it feet high. They mean hard work, as great day. with some new leaves. Or perhaps the picture will show. But a great In some parts of London where the floorboards get loose, and you drop big well made ernvo is a thing to be your knife through a crack between poor people live the children are to proud of. The men's houses of Oro- be given a party. They will close them. Then you have to tie them kolo and the Purari Delta are the down again. Or the posts sink on one the side streets and lay tables for the finest buildings to look at in the whole children. Thousands of them will be side and the house tips over a little. of Papua-Port Moresby and Samarai Then the Magistrate comes along and having a feast on Coronation Day in included. the streets and there will be cheering savs. " Look at that ramshackle affair-- ! 1s"it'a fowl-house ? " And the owner and shouting all over London for the new King aGd Queen. Pullin6 a Canoe down to the Sea for the is ashamed. He has to pull it down Motu " Lakatoi." Orokolo and build a new one. Getting- Ready for the Coronation Making a House in a Few Days . The Dead Birds Sing Climbing A Mountain in Dutch But one thing, you can build a People in England are getting New Guinea Papuan house very quickly. If your ready for the King's Coronation. He Some of the Papuans who live in relatives and frieilds come to help you, is to be crowned King on 12tli May. Port Moresby have seen the Museum. In Dutch New Guinea there are and you give them a feast, you can The Queen too will be crowned, and It is a place behind the Government mountainscalled the Snow Mountains make a new house in a few days. the two little Princesses and thou- Anthropologist's office and is full of and one of thcni is named Mt. That is more than the white man can sands of other fanious people will be things that come from Papua. Carstens. It was named after a do. there to see it. There are kaizia-kuku masks, croco- Dutch sailor. He was probably the first white man who saw it. You can build very good houses diles made in wood, figures of men This is to take place in Londo~~in carved and painted, wooden bowls, with your own materials; and the a very famous old church. The Several Dutchmen have tried and better you build them the loiiger they axes, fish-traps and dead men's heads, failed to climb this high peak. It is workmen are already putting seats and lots of other things. last. You know all about hardwood along some of the roads so that people higher than any mountain in Papua for the posts, and you can riinke good may see tlie King and Queen as they There are also some stuffed birds in and there is ice and snow at the top. solid floors with palrr~woodor adzed pass by. And they are making thou- a glass case. No one ever heard these But now a young Dutchman named planks. And a roof of grass or palm- sands of new seats inside the church birds sing in Port Moresby. But in Dr. A. H. Colijn has done this with leaf is very mucli cooler than one of where they are to be crowned. It America, where they do so many native carriers to help him. It was a galvanized iron. will be a very special thing to have wonderful things, a man has made the fine climb for them all, and a very a seat inside this church. stuffed birds walk and sing. At least good piece of work for the carriers. Houses that Look Right they walk by clockwork end look as They were men from a part of that Shops and factories are getting if they sang. When the birds walk country where there are no mountains, Thert: is another thing. The ready flags to trim the streets and hardly even a hill, so they had to learn houscs that you build with yonr own about a record plays on a hidden shop-fronts and houses. It will be gramophone. This is the voice of the all about climbing as they went. materials arc good to look at. Ainong a great feast day, and all the people the cocAo~lntsand other trees a roof of bird in the showcase. Some white men seem to like will be out to see the sights. At climbing mountains. They do it for palm-leaf or grass looks just right. A night they will put searchlights on It is a new idea and perhaps one roof of iroil loolcs ugly. It looks as '-, day when you come to the Port fun or for adventure. When they get the big buildings and London will be to the top they feel they have had a ugly as a calico petticoat on a Papuan as bright by night as by day. Moresby Museum you will hear the woman. Her proper native dress, a song of the stuffed birds. We have win. Perhaps some Papuans do the ranzi of grass or-sago-leaf looks pretty, The big stores too are getting ready no gramophone ; but we can get the sarne though I don't think many and she need not be ashamed of it. all sorts of things with pictures of the office boy to hide behind a box and do. It can't be much fun climbing You need never be ashamed of your King and Queen on them-cups, I whistle. mountains with a big bag of rice on 20 The Papuan Villager March, 1937 March, 1937 The Papuan ViGGager 21 your back, and even white men don't son and grandson, who worked to- Fires in Big Cities laid down under the roads. These like climbing much when they have gether for the same master. pipes have big taps above the ground got to do it. If Port Moresby had a big fire and and the firemen attach long tubes of Grandfather Balesar half the town blazed up there would canvas to them called hoses. Water Many years ago a young English "3 be nothing that the people could do comes rushing out of the canvas A Pa~uanPoliceman P Honoured soldier went to India. He needed a except get as many things out of their hose and the firemen pour it on to the servant and he found a boy named i; houses as they could. flames. They also use chemicals E:ver~ New Year the King names Balesar. Balesar was 21 years old We have nothing to fight fires (medicine that puts out fires). certain men and have when he first came to serve his young with in Papua. But in great cities Sometimes there are people in the given good service to the Empire to master, and he stayed with him 24 like Sydney they have special fast be put on his " Honours List." That tall buildings who cannot get out. cars called Fire Engines that come So fire engines carry long ladders. means that he is to remember them Father Gumti and help people put out fires. Where and to give them a reward for their In this way firemen rescue people houses are close together there is a from the to~sof buildings. services. He married and had a little son U When danger that one sets fire to another. In Papuan villages you have no we have had white men from whose name was Gumti. Gumti was three years old he was In every part of the city there is a fire engines, no hoses, no chemicals Papua who have received honours fire engine. These engines can easily before. Excellency, Mr. Cham- runninground afterhis father learning and no ladders. All you can do is to all the things his father did. He be called by telephone or by bells be careful. pion, Mr. Murray, etc., and they are that are placed in little red boxes on all very proud of them.