"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 28, 1926 : Albatross Camp (Base Camp) ; Mamberamo River


Friday
May 28
1926

There was a great deal of activity going on when the sun broke through the low hanging clouds and flooded our bedrooms with its warmth. Sparks was sending to Manokwari and the canoes were being loaded and manned. We were up to see them off. The first transport consisted of eleven canoes with five Dyaks to a canoe (in a few cases 7). Six soldiers and one sergeant and twenty convicts accompanied them. Captain Posthumus and Lieutenant Jordans were the first and second officers of the outfit. Anji leading his Dyaks and Tomalinda leading his were the navigators, and upon whom rested the real responsibility of getting the transport through the rapids. As the water is high it will be a difficult task. The two motor boats, loaded to capacity with gasoline[,] will leave at 10:30. The transport got away at 7:30 although they were scheduled to start at 6:30 or 7:00. They were soon out of sight around the bend towards Havic [sic, = Havik] Island[,] the canoes slipping noiselessly through the water making good progress against the stream for they hugged the shore as close as possible. It was the beginning of the long communication line which will be necessary to keep us supplied with food at Head Camp. Dick shot a picture of the departure. The camp now is almost deserted and all is guiet [sic, = quiet]. Lieutenant Korteman is in charge of the military portion of the camp during Posthumus[’] absence. Three Dyaks were left behind. Two were sick and one not strong enough to make the trip. We had seventy Dyaks to start with but have just 69 because we lost one who died with pneumonia. We heard Army sparks sending on his short wave set last night. There have been many messages sent since radio communication has been established. Of course no one knows {F1.22} their contents. We haven’t received any reply to our telegram to the Indian Committee as yet so we don’t know what the situation is as yet. It is time one was received one way or the other. It may be that it has been received and they are holding it until Stirling returns. Navy sparks informed me that if he received one for Stirling he would give it to me. I don’t know if the other sparks would do that. I think not. Am going to ask him if he has received anything for us later in the day.

We had considerable fun just before dinner last night with the Army sparks. I have been sending on the set very studiously since Dick fixed it up and Sparks gave us the battery. As Army Sparks came by last evening I told him I was going to get San Francisco and Manilla [sic, = Manila] on this short wave set of mine. Navy sparks saw the joke and helped us out. While I was talking to Army and navy sparks, Dick slipped into the house and attached a wire from our bedroom window to the aerial and when he was finished I took Army sparks around and showed it to him. He believed I had a short wave set installed and you should have seen his eyes bulge out. Just then Posthumus and Jordans came by and saw the affair and heard me talking about sending to Manila and San Francisco and they passed on. Jordans was back in a minute asking Navy Sparks if it was true. He had evidently been sent down by Posthumus. Navy Sparks laughed and said “no”. We all got a good laugh out of it. They are worried about our desire to communicate with Manila. If we had a short wave set we sure could have some fun. If it were possible to obtain the parts we could set it up all right. The river appears to be rising. Many trees and logs are coming down with the stream. It is just twenty eight days since we arrived at Albatros Camp. Almost a month before the first transport started. They will make a night camp there and stop at the foot of the rapids today. The motor boats and canoes together {F1.23} will start through the rapids the first thing in the morning. From the looks of things early today it is going to be one of those warm days. It is ten o’clock and it hasn’t rained as yet. I have been keeping a weather report and out of the twenty[-]seven days it has rained all but one. The “candy” man was around with quinine last evening so we knew that it was Thursday again and another week had almost elapsed.

Secured a case of wine from the magazine and had some for dinner. It was good and helped “tone” up the system. Also very cheap. Seventy two guilder cents for one large bottle. Everybody enjoyed it and it helped cheer things up considerable [sic]. Received a wireless dispatch from the Postmaster at Ambon which said: “Your letter May 4th delayed on steamer reaches me today Stop General postoffice Bandoeng decided you can send your press telegrams without payment charges will be collected on delivery at Weltevreden. Stop Wirelessed the military leader so on May 20th Stop don’t use blue forms. Postmaster.” It was a reply to my letter to him asking him why it was I had been censored for filing a news dispatch to Aneta on the forms he had furnished me and because I put an “S” on it as he instructed me to do. “S” means government message. The military leader Posthumus did not inform me of any such message being received. Why I don’t know[.] I surmise, however, that he didn’t want me to know that I was permitted to send news stuff over the radio. They surely are doing everything they can to keep me from sending anything at all but so far I have succeeded in sending anything I want and the way I want it. This will give me the proper authority now so when Posthumus comes back I’ll show it to him. There is nothing of importance to us to send now though. There will be however, when Matt and Leroux return. It has been a fine day all day and one of the first since May 17th during which we have had no rain in the daylight hours. We thought that it would be another one to list in the column without an R but {F1.24} after we retired at 11 o’clock it came down heavy and lulled us to sleep as the drops beat a tatoo [sic] on the adapt [sic, = atap (Malay)] roof over our heads.




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