"By Aeroplane to Pygmyland" Accounts of the 1926 Smithsonian-Dutch Expedition to New Guinea

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Journal of Stanley Hedberg
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May 26, 1926 : Albatross Camp (Base Camp) ; Mamberamo River ; Papuans of Bisano


Wednesday
May 26
1926

Everybody was up rather early this morning for Doc and Leroux were to start on their trip. Van Leeuwen also was going away for ten days, to collect plants inland and over the ridge from the camp. The Papuans were around “mooching” early. They were going back with Doc and Leroux. Six conaoes [sic] and two motor boats were being used for Leroux and Matt’s trip and the canoes were manned by 22 Dyaks. They had many convict carriers and it was quite a sight to see them pull away from the dock. They had supplies for fourteen days. Five soldiers will be with them when they stay at the native village and the rest of the transport will return for tomorrow or [the] day after they start on the first canoe transport to Batavia camp. Twelve prows will make that trip carrying as much food as they can. They will make three trips. The motor boats will go on the first. They will be the hardest to get through the rapids. On the third or fourth trip which will probably consume a month’s time the rest of us will go up and then straight on through. Batavia camp is not a healthy place so we are going to remain here until they move all of the supplies up there. Then we will go right on through. The river is still rising which will make the progress [of] the canoes and motor boats through the rapids more difficult. Hans and Prince are putting the finishing touches to the plane and it will be in readiness for another flight soon. When it will be used or just how is uncertain at this writing. Navy Sparks who has been renamed “Static” instead of {F1.16} “Hardboiled” succeeded in sending a message to Manlkwari [sic, = Manokwari] this morning and he says that his set is all right now. I hope so for there will soon be much news to send. We haven’t received any answer to our message to the Indian Committee yet but it is expected today. When we get into the interior I believe it will be difficult to get Army Sparks to send anything for us expecially [sic] to Manila for I think he has been told not to. I feel sure that he can [sic, = could] send to Manila if he would try. He was certain of it but since he mentioned the fact that he was going to try in fron[t] of Van Leeuwen, he has changed his attitude and now don’t [sic, = doesn’t] think he can do it. They don’t want us to have communication direct with U.S. connections for some reason or other. Probably afraid that we will get too much honor or glory or publicity or something and that is what sticks in their craw. It is quiet in camp as I write this for most everybody is away and when the cat is away the rats are sure to play. Most of the Dyaks are in the canoes so that doesn’t leave anybody here to work. Had a visit with Anji at his house last night and it was an interesting session. I had a great deal of difficulty in getting his sending [sic] but it is good practice to learn Malay although I am informed he doesn’t speak the highest class of Malay. Lieutenant Korteman[,] the supply officer[,] is a good fellow and he is going to teach me Malay and Dutch if I will teach him English. He has studied it in school but hasn’t had much practice talking it. He is very anxious to learn to speak good English and I am going to help him all I can. He has just informed me that a bottle of wine can be obtained from the magazine for 72 guilder cents. One Guilder is forty cents American money so you can figure out how cheap that is. It is good French wine also for Mr. Leroux has opened and treated us to a bottle of it. Imagine buying a large bottle of French wine for 72 guilder cents. That would be hard to take in America. Of course the cheapness of it is because {F1.17} the army or navy doesn’t have to pay any of the heavy duty which is imposed on all things alcoholic. Of course I have mentioned before I believe that there is Prohibition in New Guinea as far as the natives are concerned. It is the only place in Netherlands East Indies, I believe[,] where they have prohibition. Like in the states the natives who wish ti [sic, = to] either make it or get it from the bird hunters or others who are engaged in the illicit sale of spirits. The first canoe transport, I learn, will start Friday – that is the day after tomorrow. They sure are encroaching on our space for today they (the officers next to us) have their washing spread in front of our house for have [sic, = half] the length of it. I don’t know where we can hang ours for our cook shack and the Dyak statute [sic, = statue] takes up the other half of our space in front of our house. The current in the river has increased with the high water for as I sit and write it flows by rapidly. There are also many trees which have been undermined, floating by. Some of them coming [sic, = come] floating past in the most curious shapes and sizes. Some float by standing almost straight up. Then others are half submerged and a stray branch sticking up gives it a submarine and periscope affect. That is the only thing that is dangerous to taking off and landing on this river. Of course metal pontoons or metal hul [sic] of a boat would eliminate that danger immediately. Dick had very good results with his color plates of the Papuans and believes that he has it down now where he knows just how to work them in this climate. Our bird which Anji made for us floats majestically over our heads in the center of our pront [sic, = front] porch and swings back and forth whenever there is a slight breeze. He is some looking animal. The Papuans got quite a laugh when they saw it.

Dick got the key of the radio from the set which was installed on the plane and obtained a wet battery from Sparks (navy) and rigged up a sending apparatus and he and I have been practicing all afternoon. It is loads of fun and it might come in handy in the interior. Ever[y]-{F1.18} body stopped and looked for they thought that we had rigged up a radio set of our own. Wish we had the material and we sure could do it and with a short wave set we could get Manila easy. Dick and I can both send and receive enough to get our message over. They copied Aneta press messages this morning and we had some of it translated this afternoon by Lieut. Korteman and Dr. Hoffman. There was an item in the news dispatches about Stirling and Hoyte’s flight into the interior. It was a long message for Aneta’s stuff to ships is rather short and I suppose that the cable to the A.P. New York on the flight was even longer. It was good stuff. We are anxious to learn how they played it up in America. It [sic, = I] hope big. We were glad to know that they got it anyway, for there was a long delay in communication from the time we arrived here May 1 to May 25. Dr. Hoffman visited with us for a couple of hours in the evening and we enjoyed it very much. It is rather lonesome with Matt away. It rained heavily in the afternoon and most of the evening.




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