"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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June 19, 1926 : Airplane Flights ; Albatross Camp (Base Camp) ; Mamberamo River


Saturday
June 19
1926

Matt was the first one up and we had breakfast at seven. Dick slept later and better last night. It seems as though the Doctor’s medicine is helping him. He has not been feeling well of late and Dr. Hoffman examined him and gave him a stomach bandage and some pills to see if that wouldn’t fix him up.

We talked about the boys and the possibilities of just what could have happened. We figured that if they were at Batavia Camp it would be useless to look for them until about 10:15 or 10:30. However before that we couldn’t hlep [sic] but look over the jungle in the direction they have always come anxiously hoping that they would appear. The roar of the Liberty would be [a] welcome sound to our ears. It was very cloudy and misty early in the morning and it was doubtful that they could start from Batavia Camp before 9:00 or 9:30 at the earliest. There is nothing we can do for we have no Dyaks here who could propell [sic] the one prow left up stream far enough to pass the point we know they passed when they took off yesterday. There are so many things that could have happened and so many angles that it is i[m]possible as yet to tell anything about it. Ten o’clock came and ten thirty but still no sight or noise indicating they were coming. It appears now as I write that they will not come in today and we will be without news of them until the transport returns which {F1.113} should be some time tonight. Then we can learn just about where they came down for they will be able to tell us if they past [sic] over them on the third trip and just where they were when they past [sic]. It is likely that they did. That will make it much easier for they would be in the vicinity of the rapids and Batavia Camp. If they fail to come back on the transport it will mean that they will never be found unless we can get an aeroplane to help in the search. All is quiet in camp and everybody is anxiously awaiting the return of the Dyaks in their canoes. It will be around five o’clock if everything went well with them on the up trip. Jordans is continuing on to Motor Camp[,] so Anji and his Dyaks will return alone. Anji and his men are to maintain the transport between Albatroo [sic, = Albatross] Camp and Batavia Camp until the first of August when the additional Dyaks will arrive. Then he is to go into the mountains with Leroux and Matt. That is the present plan. There is still a slight chance that the boys are still being held at Batavia Camp because of weather. It has been cloudy there all morning and right now looks very bad also. Then too, it might be that in landing they hit a log and smashed a pontoon. I only hope that they succeeded in landing in the river safely for they will be surely picked up by the transport on their return. The plane was carrying a heavy load as it has been doing all along and it is possible it might have broken in the air. In that case it is all over with for they wouldn’t have a chance. We are all hoping against hope that that is not the case. Tonight we will probably know for sure.

I cahnged [sic] ribbons on the typewriter today. That is the first new ribbon since we left San Francisco on Nov. 20th and it has stood up very good for I used it considerably in Java and here. If they last as well as that I will have no difficulty in the matter of ribbons. I think that the damp climate helps materially in keeping them {F1.114} in shape and makes them last even longer than they do in the states. The ribbon is [a]bout the only thing I know of that stands up in this climate. Everything else deteriorates. I am pleased to find that one part of our equipment is not bothered by this climate. It is almost noon now and still no sign of the plane. There have been times when it looked clear of there [sic] but not too often. Still it is getting to be more certain that something has happened to the plane. If they are members of the transport which arrives tonight all will be well and we will be happy once more.

(I forgot to mention yesterday afternoon Matt received an official reply relative to the change in leadership. In effect it follows: Committee and government agree to his proposal and Van Leeuwen is the leader. They advised us to use the plane as well and as much as possible and added that they had succeeded in sending as much oil and gasoline as we wanted. We did not ask for any gas or oil and they evidently had made a mistake in the message. Either that or they thought that the gas and oil they ordered for the motor boats was for us. We are furnishing them with gas and oil. The message was garbled as all of them evidently are that are sent in English. I’m sure that mine which was over two hundred words must have been unintelligble [sic] to the committee)[.] Leroux was surprised at the message and said it must have been too late for them to do anything and that’s that.

We had a silent luncheon and made up our minds that we wouldn’t see the boys until the transport arrived from Batavia Camp. That would either bring them or news of their whereabouts. We anxiously awaited its arrival. I talked with Lieutenant Korteman and Leroux in the afternoon and we discussed the advisability of going out in a prow and up the river to above Havik Island where we saw them take off. So at two o’clock with three convicts we started out. The convicts proved to be better handling the canoe than I had expected {F1.115} and we made fairly good time against the currect [sic]. Both Korteman and myself had a paddle and did our share rowing. It was the first time I had been on the river since I returned from the trip to Marine falls and since then the river has fallen some twenty feet or more. On the left side of the island the water was very sluggish and a big rock and mud bank stretched almost across the channel (old one) on that side. It was this that made Hans take off from the other side of the island instead of in front of camp. When we reached the main channel of the river which was gained thru a very narrow passage near the mainland[,] the current was exceedingly swift and we had to have the convicts get out and drag the canoe over the rocks similar to the way the Dyaks do it in the rapids. Before us then was the long runway of the river for it is straight for a considerable distance. We paddled along but no trace of the plane could be seen. It started to sprinkle slightly but soon stopped. We paddled to the end of the straightway and made three of the bends of the river. It was useless to go farther for without a doubt the plane had passed that little distance in no time. Korteman shot his revolver and the echo died away a short time afterwards in the distant mountains [sic] ranges and left a toomb [sic] like silence in the jungle. We were anxiously searching both shore lines but no trace of the plane could be seen. The convicts were paddling very well and we covered a considerable distance. Suddenly the corporal in the rear spoke to Lieutenant Korteman and up around another bend in the river were two objects that appeared to be canoes. We gazed hard but couldn’t distinguish much. It might be a log. Then they thought it was the plane and we paddled hard. I looked long. It was wide enough to be the plane wing but the color was yellow instead of the silver surface of the Ern. All this time we were getting closer and finally decided it was the Dyak canoe. As it appeared closer we saw it was the Dyaks[.] {F1.116} They were paddling furiously down the river. Some were standing up. Then amid the jungle silence a shot rang out from the opposite jungle bank. We stopped and listened and Korteman fired another shot in answer. It night [sic] be that the plane was inside. No response to our shot[,] we paddled toward the Dyaks. There was just one canoe. Finally it approached and we saw Hans and Prince in the center seated rather comfortable and without bandages of any kind. We heaved a sigh of relief for no matter what had happened they were safe and sound and that was all that interested us. We got the story, however, in a few words. On landing the plane lost a large section of the pontoon and it was safely anchored at Batavia Camp. That was all so we started back to camp with them. The Dyaks however, soon left us trailing behind for they were better with the oar than we were despite the fact that they were heavily loaded and we were without any load. As we approached Albatros Camp[,] Korteman fired three times and the entire camp was down to the landing to greet the returned heroes. And heroes they were. All were glad to see them and showed it in their faces. It was during the time that we were getting dinner that we got their story.

After taking off Hans and Prince flew through a very bad storm for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Everything was lovely otherwise[,] Hans said. The motor never skipped a beat. At times though it was impossible to see ten feet ahead but the river was always under them and rather plain to see. They flew through the storm successfully and saw the transport on the river making camp for the night. Just this side of Batavia Rapids. They continued on and were making their usual landing at Batavia Camp. It was about 4:20 and the weather there was perfect. Hans cut the motor and was gliding down to the water. Just as the Ern hit the water with the pontoons Hans saw a large section of one of the pontoons fly past his vision. He could {F1.117} just see it out of the corner of his eye. The heavy load the Ern is carrying makes it necessary to land swiftly. However as soon as the floats were on the water she stopped suddenly and Hans had to gun her quickly to keep her from nosing over. He headed for the nearest shore which happened to be the Papuan village just opposite Batavia Camp. He made it all right. Just at that moment a motor boat appeared around the bend. It was coming from Motor Camp. The motor boat came up to help. They had slid the pontoons into the soft mud bank and the Papuans took to the woods in all directions. A canoe came across from Batavia Camp and the 311 kilos of food was [sic] loaded into that. The motor boat towed the Ern across to the spot [where] the plane has always unloaded. Here the boys examined the pontoons and found that one of them had the bottom ripped completely off of one section. There were no jagged edges but the thin veneer had evidently been sucked off leaving the screws and tacks intact. The opinion was that the weather has loosened the glue and that they had not hit anything. Of course, it was impossible for them to take off the water with that big hole in one pontoon so they had to remain in Batavia Camp. They knew that the transport would beup [sic] the next day and they could return. They had no clambo [sic, = kelambu (Malay)] to sleep under and as the mosquitoes are exceedingly bad they could see they were going to spend a very uncomfortable night. The motor boat was about the best place for them to sleep so they got in there and fought the pasts [sic] all night long. No sleep was possible. About four o’clock in the morning Hans saw a light out on the river. It was very dark and misty and he wondered what that light could be. Suddenly in the silence of the night he heard the chunk chunk of the paddles alongside the sideboards of a canoe and looking out he saw the outlines of a canoe load of Dyaks paddling in perfect unison. One Dyak stood in front and held a candle. They were paddling swiftly and soon reached the dock. Anji {F1.118} the Dyak chieftain stepped out and ran up the steps. He had a serious look on his face and Hans said he smiled as he saw the aeroplane anchored over to one side. He spoke to the soldier on guard and learned that the plane and the boys were safe. At daybreak they got the story. After the plane had passed over their heads while they were fixing camp for the night they waited for its return. They were probably as anxious as we were at this end when darkness set in and the plane had failed to return. At nine o’clock Liet. [sic] Jordans and Dr. Van Leeuwen thought it best to send a canoe ahead to give any assistance the plane might require if it had been forced to land in the rapids. They asked Anji if it was possible to make the trip in the darkness. Anji replied that if it was necessary and if they thought that the Americans were in danger he and a picked number of men would try to get through. If it was only [“]half necessary[”] is the way he expressed it in Malay[,] they wouldn’t do it, but if it was [“]whole necessary[”] they would be off. Jordans and Van Leeuwen informed him that it was absolutely necessary so Anji called for volunteers. They all volunteered so Anji picked eight of his best men and[,] unloading one of the prows[,] they started a little after nine. Before leaving Jordans had fixed up a gasoline can of medicine and bandages and instructed Anji in the art of fixing broken bones and how to wrap legs and arms in splinters. It was funny to hear Anji explain it but it was very thoughtful of Jordans. The night was black and it was impossible to see anything on the river Anji said. The storm king which they had for a light soon gave out and the only light they had was a candle. Going up the rapids (Batavia Rapids are like steps where the water falls down rapidly after leaving the plain section) is a dangerous job in the day time. At night it would be almost suicidal to attempt it but the nine Dyaks with their candle paddled on. It must have been a night of thrills for them. They said that {F1.119} every once in awhile they would see a huge boulder directly ahead of them and it would take all they had to alter the course and keep from crashing into it. They paddled all night long and the true story of their efforts will probably never be known for the Dyaks talk but little. They are adventurous people though and I believe that they enjoyed that night. It was the first time in history that Dyaks had paddled a canoe in a dangerous rapid at night. At four o’clock in the morning they arrived at Batavia Camp and all were pleased that nothing had happened to the plane. Leroux talked with them when they returned and gave me the above information. He also said that they called loudly all during the trip hoping that if the boys were on the bank they would hear them. They also searched the shore line for the plane or traces of it. When one considers that the Dayks [sic] had paddled a heavy canoe all that day and then paddled through the rapids all that night one can easily see and understand what a sturdy people they are. It was daylight soon after they arrived and they helped to beach the plane in a secluded spot selected by the boys. Afterwards they started on the return trip with Hans and Prince as passengers. They borrowed one of Tomalinda’s canoes and brought it to Jordans so he could load the material which they had been carrying. They arrived at the camp before they were ready to leave and the boys had an opportunity to thank Jordans and Van Leeuwen for their thoughtfulness in sending the canoe after them. The Dutch were pleased to learn that nothing serious had happened. Jordans was sorry that the plane would be laid up for a time for he realizes the work that the boys have been doing carrying food up to Batavia Camp. Jordans[’] transport continued to Batavia Camp and Anji and his Dyaks returned to Albatros Camp. They paddled hard all day. That made two days of hard paddling and one night without any sleep. Still they were rather fresh when we came across them and they paddled so that we had a hard time {F1.120} keeping up with them. They are certainly remarkable people. Hans and Prince had a few thrills coming down the rapids in the day time and both enjoyed the trip immensely. The Dyaks had a shot at a large crown pigeon just before we had sighted them and they offered it to the boys. Crown pigeons are good eating but Prince thought that the Dyaks deserved it more than we did and said no. It was just a short time and we could hear them busy doing things around their house. Hans remarked[,] “Listen to them resting now[.]” Anji appeared[,] as did the others[,] all cleaned up and sat and visited with us for a while. He was proud of what he and his men had done for the Americans. They like the boys very much. We told Korteman to give them a large bottle of gin and charge it to our account. The Dyaks like the Dutch gin but think it is rather weak. Dutch Gin is very strong to us. We drank a bottle of wine to the boys[’] return and smoked a good cigar. It was a different atmosphere that prevailed in the evening. Last evening was not so pleasant. The boys were tired and retired early for they too had had no sleep the night before. All is well that ends well and everybody is happier now. We are thankful for that.




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