This article appeared in the Sunday Mail in Brisbane on 3 July 1939 and had been written by Mr. C. R. Sheldon, of Dobo, in the Aroe Islands, a son-in-law of the late Frank L. Jardine. Mr. Sheldon says he was prompted to write it by an article in The Sunday Mail in which Mr. Jardine's name was mentioned in connection with the finding of Spanish dollars in Albany Pass, North Queensland.
Many are the stories that take me back to my years in New Guinea, even though I arrived in the then Territory of Papua & New Guinea in late 1969 when things were already a great deal more "civilised" than in the story which follows:
|
Life Among Head Hunters
Although this is a short account of men who pioneered and opened up portion of Netherlands New Guinea, and shot birds of paradise there, I relate the history of a lonely pioneer who lived on Deliverance Island, because his life more or less depended and formed part of the lives of those who pioneered the Netherlands New Guinea. Deliverance Island, which was discovered and named by Captain James Cook during his voyage of 1770, lies between Thursday Island, Australia, and the large island of New Guinea. Very little is known about it. Certainly it received some prominence during the war, 1914-18, on account of its close proximity to New Guinea and the passages joining the Arafura Sea and the Coral Sea. Deliverance Island is about 1000 kilometres long by 400 kilometres wide, just a sandy stretch of land, low lying, with practically no large trees, and is surrounded by sand banks and coral reefs. It was uninhabited until 1893, when a Danish sailor named Henrick Enevold took up his abode there. Very few people knew Henrick Enevold by that name, but he was widely known as "Deliverance Harry," and until his death it was generally thought he was a Frenchman. "Harry" led a very lonely life, living chiefly on turtles, fish, birds, &c. One of "Harry's" best friends was the late Reg. Hockings, a pearler, of Thursday Island, and it was due to Mr. Hockings's forethought that about 200 coconut trees were planted on the island in 1919, in case of emergency, for water and food. Deliverance Island is without water, and again "Harry" had to thank the late Mr. Hockings for installing a 500-gallon galvanised iron water tank, and building a house with a galvanised iron roof to act as catchment for same. "Harry" would not leave his island. Mr. Hockings tried many times to persuade "Harry" to live at Thursday Island, but he preferred to remain with his dogs and cats. Another great friend that ''Harry'' had was Dick Roche, of Merauke, a former shipmate. Dick Roche, from 1925 onwards until his death, was in the habit of making yearly trips to Thursday Island, and always called at Deliverance Island to see his friend "Harry," as Thursday Island is only 187 miles from Merauke. During the south-east monsoons quite a number of Thursday Island pearling luggers visited Deliverance Island, taking shelter there from the strong south-east winds, and to catch and hunt for turtles. By these boats "Harry" received news of the outside world, provisions, &c.
In November, 1928, when Dick Roche made one of his periodical visits to Deliverance Island, he found his friend "Harry" was dead. His body was lying half inside and half outside the doorway leading into his hut. One of the arms was missing, and was found some distance away from the body. The body was mutilated in several places. It is presumed that "Harry" had been too weak to recover after he had fallen in the doorway, and remained there until he had died. Apparently "Harry's" dogs had tried to drag the body away from the doorway. Dick Roche buried "Harry" on his little island, and reported his death to the authorities at Thursday Island. Such was the end of Henrick Enevold, who for over 45 years knew of no other world than his own little island, and who during those years he spent there befriended many a passing lugger and gave welcome to all. Deliverance Island is a wonderful place for turtles, and when they come up on the beaches to lay their eggs they do not creep up in ones and twos, but come on to the beaches in hundreds at a time. They do not wait until the dead of night, but come up on the beaches during the day as well as long as the water is high.
Closely bound to Deliverance Island was Dick Roche by his old shipmate "Harry"; but Dick Roche, a new Zealander of Irish descent, was one of the pioneers of the Netherlands New Guinea — first in partnership with an Australian called Jackson, and later on joined by another Australian named Penrose. This trio formed the first bird of paradise shooters in Netherlands New Guinea. They opened up new country, and others followed. Every season this trio had to open up new hunting grounds, not because the birds of paradise were being shot out, but on account of the Chinese shooting parties who followed in their wake, and began to shoot on, more or less, the grounds already exploited by Roche and Co. This necessitated the Britishers going every season farther afield, breaking new ground, penetrating and exploring country where a white man had never been before. I refer mostly to the country surrounding the Eilander River and the upper portions of the Diogel River, where in this district in the years 1912-1916, the native Kia Kias were head hunters and cannibals, making immediate war and hunted any strangers entering their country. It may be a coincidence, but it is a fact, that these three pioneers met with peculiar deaths. In the latter portion of 1912 Dick Roche and his party, consisting of Jackson, Penrose, and native boys (recruited from places near Merauke), sustained their first catastrophe. Earlier in that year Roche had heard of new "play trees" for birds of paradise, in the Upper Diogel River, and as soon as the season opened for shooting they set out for the Upper Diogel. After steaming up the river for three days it was proposed to split the party up into three. Jackson and Penrose taking a party each to shoot, and Dick Roche to stay and guard the launch. It was the custom at night to collect all the firearms in a safe place, owing to illicit trading going on, with firearms and cartridges, with native boys from other shooting parties. A few nights after Penrose had left the launch, he was suddenly attacked by a large number of native Kia Kias, and, before the arms could be distributed all of Penrose boys were killed, with the exception of one small boy. Penrose received a spear right through his body, just below the chest. After the first assault the Kia Kias withdrew, and the small boy, unseen by the Kia Kias, managed to drag Penrose, with the spear still in his body, to a hollow tree nearby. Penrose then told the boy to steal away and call Jackson to his assistance. During the boy's absence Penrose saw the Kia Kias come back to his camp and make preparations for a cannibal feast of his boys that had been killed the night before. After two nights and a day Jackson and party arrived at Penrose's camp, and found Penrose still alive, but in an exhausted condition. Jackson did what he could for his friend, but could see that there was no hope for him. After hearing an account of the tragedy from Penrose, and taking his depositions, Penrose died, and was buried. A party was then organised under Jackson to avenge the death of Penrose, which was carried out without mercy. By this time word had spread to other tribes, and when Jackson commenced his trek back to the river he found that he was hemmed in on all sides by Kia Kias hindering his progress.
He eventually came to a deserted village at nightfall, which had a raised platform in its centre. On this platform Jackson and his boys camped for the night. The Kia Kias surrounded his camp, but were afraid to attack. One of the boys belonging to Jackson, without saying anything to his "Toean" (master), thought he could obtain a better shot at the enemy by climbing down at the back of the platform and hiding underneath the platform. After this boy had remained there for about two hours, and finding there was nothing doing, he started to climb up on top of the platform, in the front, and was immediately shot by Jackson, who thought it was one of the enemy. The code of the natives in Netherlands New Guinea is an eye for an eye, and a life for a life — therefore, Jackson thought he would be murdered by his boys as a reprisal for the wrong he had done. Jackson, knowing this code, dare not go to sleep, and after two days and three nights without sleep, and exhausted by his arduous journey, was nearly mad: therefore, on the third night he decided to take an overdose of laudanum, in order to put himself to sleep, and, if he was to be murdered by his boys, he would be insensible to any action his boys might take. However, nothing happened: his boys remained loyal to their master. Jackson continued his trek to the river, but his adventures were not yet over. Just before he reached the river Jackson and party had to go through a narrow defile, and it was here that the Kia Kias staged their final assault. Jackson had to fight his way through the horde of natives lining this defile, but he got through with little or no casualties. He found Roche waiting at the launch, and immediately set sail for Merauke, where the murder of Penrose was reported to the Government authorities. A party of soldiers immediately left for the scene of the tragedy and many Kia Kias were killed. The murderer was brought back to Merauke, where he is still in prison. The body of Penrose was brought back to Merauke.
Dick Roche made many other expeditions, shooting birds of paradise, but when the Netherlands Government closed the bird shooting and prohibited the exportation of birds of paradise, Roche and Jackson dissolved partnership. Jackson went to British New Guinea, and Roche took up coconut planting about 6 miles away from Merauke. Roche, in order to increase his income, established a passenger service with his launch, between Merauke and Thursday Island, bringing at different times tourists and others across to Merauke. At one time he brought Captain Hurley and his moving picture company in order to "shoot" scenes for a moving picture, which required a true native setting. In September, 1931, Roche proceeded to the Bian River, about 45 miles west of Merauke, in order to carry out repairs to his launch, Somerset. At that time in Merauke there was an Australian named Palmer. Palmer accompanied Dick Roche to the Bian River. From evidence supplied by Palmer, on the evening of September 15, Dick Roche was seen to step into one of the native dugouts, and start paddling out to the centre of the river, using his hands as paddles. A strong stream soon took the dugout out of sight, and from that day Dick Roche has not been heard of. His ultimate fate was never known, nor was the dugout ever seen again. Dick Roche up to the time of his disappearance was the best informed about the south-eastern portion of Netherlands New Guinea, and did more exploring in that unknown country than any other European. I refer mostly to the country surrounding the Eilander River, Diogel River, and the Bensbach River and their tributaries. He had many brushes with the Kia Kias, many narrow escapes from death at their hands, and if his experiences could have been written in book form, it would have made interesting reading. Jackson worked at many callings in British New Guinea, and eventually drifted to the New Guinea goldfields, where he met his death under peculiar circumstances. He was found out amongst the natives some distance from the gold diggings, shot through the head. It has never been proved whether he committed suicide or was murdered by the natives. The remarkable part about his death is that Jackson died within one week of the date when Dick Roche was reported missing.
|
And here are some clippings:
PACIFIC ISLANDS MONTHLY March 1932
PACIFIC ISLANDS MONTHLY December 1931
Dick Roche, Reg Hockings, "Deliverance Harry" (aka "German Harry", of whom I wrote elsewhere), Tom Jackson - all legends in their own time.
