oneers for New Guinea b y tte tty Stevens front le tters b y B e tty Adams
for candidates included on-their-own assimilation of Atsera (another New Guinea tribal language), background reading, and village visitation. It was agreed that this division of the pro gram between the highland Base and the lowland Advanced Base provided very satisfactory contrasts in terrain, climate, and people encountered in various tribes. Continuing his letter, Earl describes the Advance Base and some of the hazards encountered there. “ Our Advance Base location is on the edge of a broad, flat valley with steep mountains rising nearby, about a mile from the Markham River whose bed is about half a mile wide. 'The river is in several changing chan nels and fluctuates in depth. We can usually get across without going more than waist deep, except after heavy rains . . . One night last week we had 1.6 inches of rain. “ Classes here have been much like our classes at the Mexico Advance Base . . . One of our big problems here has been to turn off the native help. We are allowing each couple of camp ers one native boy, since- very likely they will be able to get such help in all the tribes. The boys, however, started bringing their wives, families, friends, so that housebuilding got away from us. The campers have been able to build some of their furni ture, though if any natives are around they will tell you to sit down and let them do it! . . . “The natives bring cocoanuts, pine apple, papaya, watermelon, mangoes, bananas (and more bananas!), onions, tomatoes (occasionally), sweet pota toes, corn, etc. Meat, however, is scarce. The villagers have a few pigs and fewer chickens. The Territory does not have much to offer by way of wild animal life. . . “ The one hazard we have here is the death adder. It is a fairly small snake about two feet long, but very poisonous. We have killed two in the three weeks we have been here. “Many things about New Guinea are like southern Mexico and we rec ognize trees, flowers, fruits, etc. How ever, it seems strange to live in a house on stilts —- it sways quite read-
experience which was part of the training course: “ The group took three trips from Main Base (at Aiyura). Two were overnights — one to the woods, one to a village. The third trip was a 4-day trip. . . . The fellows and girls fol lowed different routes, meeting on the second day and returning together on the fourth. The fellows walked about 70 miles. . . . The highlands are much like those of Guatemala (where Earl was Director of Wycliffe work before taking the New Guinea assignment), ■with everything on edge, being some what of a perpendicular world. There are many deep ravines and conse quently many long, steep climbs. It is an unforgettable experience to visit the highland villages where the peo ple are so boisterously friendly. Upon our arrival, often the whole village of perhaps 100 people would all shout loudly for a long time. You have to get used to people wanting to touch your skin, pat your face, rub your arms, and hold your hands. . . . Pack animals are not used in the highlands, but rather men are hired as carriers. Any heavy carrying is done by the women, but we can hire men to carry as much as 30 pounds on these trips. . . . Our hired carriers would often compel some native along the way to help them for a stretch. Sometimes they would give their pack to a wom an to carry. The women carry tum pline Maya fashion, or by balancing the load on top of their heads. It is beneath a man’s dignity to carry with a tumpline, so they can’t carry much. Men carry heavy items on a pole be tween them.” The second phase of the Training Camp, covering a period of 6^/2 weeks, w'as spent at an Advance Base site located at' Yanuf in the Markham Valley lowlands at an altitude of around 2,000 feet about 80 miles from Aiyura. Here the climate was much warmer, sections of jungle were found, and malaria was prevalent. Courses included such subjects as Orientation, Language classes, Cook ing, Clinic, Carpentry (using native materials), Survival, House-building. Emphasis was placed on simulated tribal living units, individual initia tive, and native contact. Assignments JULY, 1959
Deft hands weave cocoanut mat.
Above: Missionary holds great hombill. Each notch means one year. Many live near us. Their wings sound like planes. Below: Harmless (?) snake held by helpers.
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