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

Interpretive Essays

Browse Photos and Film

Expedition Source Material

About this Project

expedition source material

Journal of Stanley Hedberg
Select a Date:
Select a location/subject:
Current Date and Location/Subject:  

June 9, 1926 : Airplane Flights ; Albatross Camp (Base Camp) ; Mamberamo River


Wednesday
June 9
1926

Today was a rather interesting day. To begin with[,] Anji Ipoei had his first ride in an aeroplane when he accompanied Hans on his first flight to Batavia Camp. Dick had the Dyaks get one of their head dresses[,] matt hats all decorated with feathers, and Hans put it on like a helmet. Anji was all dressed up for the occasion in his white uniform and when we put the goggles and helmet on we took several pictures of Hans and him together. They are good. One could get the impression that Anji was somewhat frightened over his coming aeroplane ride in the clouds as he climbed in. He sat very quiet in the front cockpit with the rice tins while the motor was being started. All of the Dyaks were present and they laughed at Hans when {F1.75} he taxied the Ern out in the stream with the Dyak hat on and the feathers blowing from the propellor breeze. In fact we all laughed. They were soon in the air for the load has been cut somewhat and it helps materially. We are still carrying over three hundred kilos tho in addition to the passenger. With the extra tin or so of rice dropped it helps materially in getting the plane up on “the step” and she takes off better. The Dyaks watched the take off and followed the plane with their eyes until it was lost in the clouds over in the direction of Batavia Camp. Anji, the Dyak Chieftain from Boreno [sic] was the first of his race to fly and he was proud of that honor. His men were proud also. They sat around in groups on the steps of their house and talked about it. They too were proud of the honor. The Dyaks have been watching with interest the performance of the plane day by day. When it appeared in the sky on the return trip they all ran to the landing place on shore and watched it glide gracefully to the water, skim the top and then rest easily and quickly. Anji was all smiles. “Bagoose” was his comment. The Dyaks surrounded him and you could hear yourself think. They talked Dyak. Anji didn’t have much to say. He was impressed there was no doubt. Mr. Leroux asked him how he liked it and he said it was great. He was surprised that it rode so easily and that he didn’t get seasick. Hans reported that he sat quite still all during the trip. Upon landing at Batavia Camp, however, he got down on the pontoons before the motor stopped and Hans had to shout to him to wait until the Prop stopped turning and the engine was out of gas. It was a close shave. Hans also said that he tried to reach him from the front by tapping him on the head to call his attention to the various sights about him, but that he still sat looking ahead. He didn’t look down once. It was a big thing for Anji to take a ride in the plane for primitive people are superstitous [sic] about many things. His ears were ringing from the noise of the motor but Mr. Leroux explained that his {F1.76} did also and that it would soon go away. Anji was so elated with his ride that he wanted to write a letter immediately to his Sultan in Borneo telling him all about it. Mr. Leroux explained that it was impossible to get his impressions until later. He is going to have his matrie [sic] write the letter for Anji in Malay and will translate it and give us a copy. Tomalinda, the other Dyak chieftain was jealous of Anji riding in the plane and in order to keep peace in the family we promised him a ride in the morning. However, after luncheon it was decided that it would be best to fly once or twice more this day if possible and lay the Ern up for a thorough inspection tomorrow. So as [sic, = at] Posthumus[’] request and permission, Tomalindo [sic, = Tomalinda] climbed into the ship on the second flight. He was more jaunty and confident than Anji was. Perhaps it was because Posthumus had talked to him and told him how it would be. Perhaps it was because Anji had returned safely. I know not what but he appeared to be more confident[,] that’s certain. This time, his men watched with interest. In about two hours they were back. Tomalinda, however, had had more thrills than Anji on his ride for he looked down and all around and seem to be promoting Hans to circle the camp on the return. They also flew through a rainstorm which was a big kick to the Dyak Chieftain. His men felt of his arms and legs when he put his feet on solid ground after his trip through the clouds in the heavens. There is great rivalry between the two chiefs and they are jealous as can be of one another. Anji didn’t like it that Tomalinda was given a ride but we had Mr. Leroux explain to him that the Americans were fair and were [sic, = where/that] it wouldn’t be nice to give Anji a ride without giving for other Dyak a ride also. [sic] We told him that all of the honor would be Anji’s for he would be the first Dyak in their history to ride in a plane. Leroux explained that he had the honor of being the first Dutchman to ride in an aeroplane in Netherlands New Guinea and that Anji had {F1.77} the same honor among the Dyaks. He looked thoughtful for a moment and agreed but you could tell that he wasn’t all enthused about it. It was a great day. The men whom Barnum had made famous throughout the civilized world as the “Wild men from Borneo” today are riding through the air over the same river seething with whirlpool rapids, that just a day or so they had been paddling hard to navigate their canoes on for three days. In the plane they made the trip in 35 minutes up and 35 minutes return. They sat and rode in comfort. All around them they could see the jungle-clad peaks of the mountains and below[,] the rocks and the rapids of the river. They were masters of the rapids in their canoes but it takes all their skill and human endurance to conguer [sic] them. The plane in which they rode conquered them both without any effort. Except of course the effort of the Pilot flying with the heavy load, easily and quickly. They had been on the river for three days with the canoe transport. Four times daily they had seen this same plane in which they were now riding pass over them as they sweated and paddled. One canoe load will not exceed the load of the plane for they run between 250 and 300 kilos. It doesn’t take the Dyaks long to see the advantage of the aeroplane and they are completely sold on it. It will be interesting to see what Anji writes to his Sultan. “Bagoose” was all we could hear after both the Dyaks had ridden. They both shook hands with Hoyte after their ride and thanked him profusely. They are proud that they have flown in the heavens. Anji says once is enough. He knows how it is now and what it is like. The other Dyak, Tomalinda, is anxious to fly more. Anji’s men (five or more of them) want to fly and Tomalinda says that most of his men are anxious to have a ride in the aeroplane. I sent 210 words to Aneta who sends to A.P. New York. It should be a good story for American papers. I just gave the facts – cold hard facts which any newspaper man would grab with itch-{F1.78} ing fingers.

It was four o’clock in the afternoon before the plane was ready for the third hop and Hans and Prince hopped off[,] making a record for the plane. It has made three trips now in one day. That’s flying in more ways than one. On those three trips Hans deposited 915 kilos of food at Batavia Camp and carried a passenger each trip which would have meant that there would be three men to guard the food over night if we were without canoe transport. One ton of food a day is going some. It was the fifth day of flying, and with the three flights today Hans and Prince have averaged two flights per day because on Tuesday June 8th, only one flight was made because of rain in the afternoon. As a result[,] three thousand one hundred and five kilos of food are resting in Batavia Camp. A canoe transport takes three or four days. With ten canoes in a transport and each of them carrying three hundred kilos it would take them three days to get that much food there and with five Dyaks to a canoe. That demonstration has more than proven the usefulness and the feasability [sic] of using an aeroplane in exploration work in New Guinea. When one stops to consider that all of the elements are against the plane including the logs in the river, the mountains, the heat, and even the army co-operation, it has been a remarkable performance. Tomorrow it goes on the float for a thorough inspection and then it will continue its sensational demonstration. Everybody was happy tonight. Leroux was the only Dutchman who had enough fairness in him to come over to our camp and congratulate Hoyte on his day’s work. The rest had long faces and said nothing. Their attitude is best illustrated by a remark of Dr. Hoffman’s (I am surprised at him for he has been a very friendly fellow and despite the fact that he is in the army he has been more than nice to us)[.] I was mentioning the fact that Hoyte (who was due back in five or ten minutes) had done a good day’s work and that he had made three trips today and gave him the {F1.79} amount of food. He said “yes, but he has not returned as yet.” Shortly afterwards the plane appeared in the heavens and Hans landed. They hate to give in even if it is up to the last inch. I played [it] safe and didn’t send my telegram until Hans had landed and the plane was safely anchored to the shore.




CreditsPermissionsMore Expeditions & Voyages