"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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August 4, 1926 : Rouffaer River ; Motor Camp


Wednesday
August 4
1926

We awoke and found the river level with the banks. It has rained steadily all evening and yesterday we could see it was raining heavily {F3.12} in the mountains so we are due for some water in camp. Sure enough about nine o’clock it started to seep over the banks and at one o’clock it is spread out all over camp four or five inched [sic] deep. I am writing in the mosquitoe [sic] house with my feet on a gasoline tin. The soldiers are working hard on our house raising it so that our beds will at least be over the water and not in it. The entire camp was inundatedat [sic, = inundated at] noon and the water continues to pour in on us. This is the second time that the camp has been flooded but it is our first experience. It is not so nice. Dick and Matt are shooting pictures which will show the flood stage [See Film Selection #16]. If it continues to rise it will be up to our knees but as it has the whole lake plain to spread over it will not get that high. The river is very swift and will add another day or two to the transport getting here because of the swift stream. We ate our dinner in the mosquitoe [sic] house with our legs up on the seats. Our house is located on a slight ridge and was the last to go under water. It is an interesting sight all about me as I write. The soldiers are wading about in the water ahead of me making a platform of our house about three feet high. Then they will raise the roof and put logs down so we will be comfortable [sic] dry when we sleep anyhow. The convicts and Dyaks are wading about in the water. The sergeant says there is no extra charge for the bath with the sleeping accommodations. Everyone is taking it good naturedly. It is too bad though that Posthumus did not locate this motor camp at the same spot selected by Doorman previously for that was a high spot according to the pictures Doorman showed us. Posthumus has asserted that this motor camp is above the old motor camp while in reality according to leRoux and his observations to date it is situated two hours below the old motor camp. We saw the spot on a trip up the river the second or third day we were here and it is much higher there. I doubt that it would be floating now. Instead of profiting {F3.13} by the experience of past expeditions the army wants to make each one different [and] as a result they establish new camps all along the way just to be different. There is no sense in that. We will have to get used to water and wettings, however, for it will be the beginning of the rainy season when we arrive in the mountains and if this is the dry season we should see plenty more water soon. We had lunch with the water ebbing in under our feet at a good rate of speed. We sat on the tables and put our feet on the seats which keep them out of the water. It looks as though there will be no stop to the flood for it is getting higher and higher. It is about a foot high now. They sure got our house up out of it in time for we would have been sleeping in the water tonight if they hadn’t. Everyone was wading around camp in good spirits, however, and the dampness did not affect the attitude of any members of the expedition. It was taken more as a joke than anything else. It will be a serious joke if it continues to rise for there is no high ground in this immediate vicinity [where] we could go and camp. At about four o’clock one of the soldiers cried “Motor Boat” and every one splashed to get a view of the transport. Sure enough a long distance down the river the motor boat could be seen. The transport was not due to arrive until Friday we had figured but it was coming slowly but surely towards us. We discussed whether or not it would have the mail this trip and it was quite an unknown factor because of the two days earlier arrival of the transport. I got the glasses and couldn’t make out who was with it. It would be an hour or more before they would arrive so we spent most of it in the water discussing whether Posthumus and Van Leeuwen would arrive also. I thought they would because of the trouble at Head Camp. I also believed the mail would have time to get this transport from the knowledge I had of the transport schedule between Albatros and Batavia camp, and the date of arrival of the mail steamer. We {F3.14} were anxious for the mail. It is three months since we have had any news from home and more than two months since the Albatros departed for Ambon leaving us in New Guinea. It was hard to figure where the bank started and where it left off and Dick fell in the water. As the motor boat came closer the glasses brought out the fact that they had three small canoes behind the large prow alongside and Posthumus in the canoe. As it drew alongside in the dusk of evening Posthumus nodded that he had the mail in response to my query. I won a half bar of chocolate from Dick. It was not a pleasant sight that he saw as the Motor boat drew up to the shore. Everything was inundated and he didn’t look very pleased with the flood. He shouldn’t either for it was he who selected this camp site. The Dyaks[’] prows were loaded with dyaks and soldiers. It was a small army. Dick’s rifle came and loads and loads of mail. We learned that Van Leeuwen was coming also in another motor boat with some more canoes. He was down the river an hour or so. Had trouble with the motor boat engine only hitting on three and it needs about six against this current. Sure enough they hoove [sic] into sight shortly and [when] the other motor boat had unloaded its precious cargo it hastened down stream to help it along. The water was up to one’s knees as we waded out to greet the Rev. Doctor Docteurs. It was a funny situation to say the least. All the new soldiers and additional dyaks in addition to those already here splashed around in the water unloading the prows, in the dark. We invited Posthumus into our house to sleep for the night and leRoux took care of Van Leeuwen in his bali bali [sic] tent affair. As soon as the two heavy boxes of mail were opened we returned into our clambos and enjoyed many many hours reading. We had to pump up the lamp several times so that will give an indication of the amount of mail we received. It wasn’t all pleasant. The press in Java has been in a tempest over the expedition. It seems as though the War Depart-{F3.15} ment started the controversy and a Bandoen[g] paper there acting as its mouthpiece attacked the expedition saying it was a film proposition and not a scientific one. Most of the really important[,] if they can be called that, refused to get into that outrageous discussion because it was known by the Indian Committee and government that the Smithsonian had vouchsafed the information and guaranteed its scientific nature before we departed from the United States. The Preamble however, said that the Indies government was paying for a film which would feature American movie stars later in the states. It was the old question which arose at Albatros camp when the leadership thing came up. They insist that Dick told an officer of the Albatros he was representing Paramount films. He is also reported to have told the wireless operator that too. It is unfortunate to say the least. The papers point out that we have more than 40,000 feet of film and ask if that much is necessary to film scientific subjects. The truth of the matter is we had ten thousand feet and on the last mail both [sic, = boat?] received 10,000 more. It is all part of the misinformation sent out by Posthumus when we arrived at Motor Camp and is his part in the army campaign to discredit us. We do not know all that he sent but he sure must have sent plenty. If he had stuck to the truth it wouldn’t be so bad but the army is also under false information which makes it that much worse. It was done deliberately and the fact that we had no opportunity of correcting any of it for they had control of the wireless and all means of communication is what makes it such a dirty nasty trick. Of course we were in complete ignorance of the whole dirty mess except we heard remors [sic] now and then but of course had nothing definite of what they had sent or were sending. Then to top matters worse I learn now from a clipping Van Leeuwen wired that he had had a conference with Stirling on the film question which was raging in the papers and that {F3.16} the Americans were not at all dissatisfied over what the papers were saying but were heartily in accord with the new plan and everything as he had outlined it. It was a clever piece of work and now on August fifth in Motor Camp we learn all about it. He did not say a word about the controversy raging and did not confer with Stirling over it. He sent that message saying we were content when he knew we were not[,] for a day or so after he had sent it I sent a wire to the committee giving them as much of our side of the question as I could in a limited wire. He then had to send another telegram. He sure is a dirty skunk if there ever was one. Wait. We read and reread our mail. It was far into the night before we fell to sleep wondering a good many things. While the papers in Java were saying that the expedition could not be a success we were busy working and had already collected a great many specimens and had done some good work.




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