New Guinea
Wednesday eve.
Sept. 20, 1944
My delectable, desirable, darling;
I'll have to do a little work on that kind of salutation. It takes more than one word to even come close to what I'd like to say. Oh, hell, I don't even want to have to say it. I want to show you in person what I mean. Anyhow, it all amounts to one thing. I love you. If I can believe the look on your face in this surprise picture, you love me too. I'll say you put your heart in it. Wish I were in reach and you looked at me like that. You'd soon be back in practice again, or else. You're sweet and I love you so much.
At last I'm doing it, honey. Writing two letters in one day. Never thought I'd come to that, but then I never thought I'd love anyone as much as I love you. Great stuff, this love. Makes a man do a lot of things he doesn't expect to.
Seeing as how I won't be able to get all your letters answered for several days I'm going to make this one largely a lesson on N. Guinea. First I want to tell you I'm glad you liked the ring and the card I sent. I really didn't expect you to wear the ring. It's only intended as a keepsake or token but I won't argue if you want to wear it. I'm still mad at some bloody bastard for stealing the first one. It was nicer. It is made from a 32 cent Australian coin no matter how it looks. Hammer, file and polishing cloth are the only tools needed for the job. Hazel hinted for one in a letter I got today. I don't know the size of her fingers as well as I did yours.
I can see you are encouraging me to keep drawing cards. It's a lot of work for a fellow of my ability but I will try another sometime. I rather like to when I can manage the time. Anyhow I'd keep on trying because you seem to like them so much.
I got three more letters today. Sept 8, 9, & 10. I'm glad to hear your revised report on "Jackie". Mom seems to think she is a bit of all right too, only she says if you heard her talking and couldn't see her you'd swear she was black. True southern drawl.
Honey, I'm beginning to believe that your snap judgements on men are a lot more accurate than on women. Anyhow I surely hope your last opinion is the right one. If it's the right girl a man is set for life. Very beautiful life too. I know. I've got the best wife a man could ever have. I love her an awful lot. Always will and I'm happy about it.
Gosh, here I've used up one page gabbing and haven't even started on the lesson. I'll get at it now. While I think of it and just in case you want to do more reading and research on New Guinea here are a few reference books you might be able to get hold of.
"Life of a New Guinea Magistrate" and "Further Adventures of a New Guinea Magistrate". Both by Lionel Monikton. "Papuan Gold" by Louis Lett, and "Mountains, Gold, and Cannibals" by Doris Booth.
Honey, my conception of N. G. has surely undergone a great change. Even after living on the island for three months I had no idea of what it really was like. The more I see of it the more I like it. If it wasn't for the climate I'd really be tempted to try my luck here after the war. That is, of course, if you could also be persuaded to try it. Don't worry. I'm not serious about it. The climate is against my principles.
I had told you before it was a beautiful and appealing country. Well I didn't know half of it then. I've seen a lot of pretty, rugged, and beautiful country in the states but never anything any more beautiful than the sights I saw on this trip. It's really grand.
I wish I really could be an artist and put some of it into picture. I never had any idea that rivers on South Pacific islands could be so beautiful. As we got into the hills we crossed innumerable streams and rivers each as clear, cold, and fast running as in our own mountains. In places I swam in pools that were eight to ten feet deep and so clear each piece of gravel on the bottom could be clearly seen. From the bank the water is a beautiful emerald green in color. Add to that the picture of white water where it rushes over rocky rapids and riffles and banks lined with giant trees, hanging with vines and plants of all sorts and seemingly so thick there is no break in the wall of foliage. Always in the background is the bulk of the forest covered mountains and peaks, part of them hidden by fleecy white clouds and other parts in deep shadow from another cloud, while still another part is in brilliant sunlight. Beautiful! I hope my pictures are good.
Went across small plains covered by kunai grass where the sun beats down mercilessly and not a breath of air moves and then into the jungle again where even the brightest sunlight never penetrates the solid, leafy roof a hundred or more feet overhead and is perpetual twilight. The ground is wet and moss covered and the air is steamy but, at the same time, gratefully cool in comparison to the open plains. On along such thick trails and without warning of any sort, break into a native village. Small clearing of bare ground, usually with coconut and betel nut trees growing for shade and food. Thatched pole huts built entirely without the aid of nails or other modern materials and set on four foot stilts to get away from dampness and reptiles. Little huts, perhaps ten by fifteen feet in size are the home of an impossible number of kids and grownups. Little pile of rocks on the bare pole floor acts as a fireplace for cooking and also for heat. The nights are unbelievably cool. Sometimes cold under two blankets and yet the thermometer wouldn't register less than 68 degrees or 70 degrees. Gourds are used for water pails and utensils. Clothing is practically nil.
The men wear a belt of snakeskin or bark and a loin cloth similar to our own Indians. Numerous arm and leg bands and some with bones piercing ears and nose. The women, in some villages, grass skirts, and in some, only a ribbon for a belt and another ribbon, not more than an inch wide, for a "G" string. That is all and it surely leaves very little to the imagination. In fact, nothing. No wonder they have large numbers of kids. With two or three wives as accessible as that, I'm afraid I'd have a family too.
The natives usually do a small amount of cultivating. Around each village will be a small area of trees and brush but with the stumps still standing and there, the women raise tarro, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, squash, sometimes corn and cucumbers, and watermelons. Then there is usually an area of banana and pawpaw trees, wild. Some of the bananas are like ones we know and others are large, red skinned ones. As large as a foot long and two inches in diameter. The red ones are really good. Best I've ever tasted.
The pawpaw is also a very tasty dish. It's a green colored fruit growing on the trunk of the tree in a cluster and much the size and shape of an eggplant. They turn yellow when ripe and taste like a very excellent muskmellon. The seeds are good for indigestion. Contain a high content of pepsin.
Learned a new way to eat bananas too. Take them green and boil them up in a stew or throw them in the coals, skin and all, and roast them. Not bad either. Fern tips make good spinach if you like spinach.
Two villages we went through are a bit on the wild side and aren't, even now, too safe for a single white man. I went to bed with my gun under my hand too. They looked plenty mean to me. A lot more to that story I'll be able to tell you when I get home.
The life expectancy of these blacks is short, 30 - 40 years at most. Rather small in size. Probably weigh about 150 on an average and about 5' 6" tall at most. They mature very young. At thirteen to fourteen they are mature and take their wives, sometimes one, but usually two or three or even more. [At least two are pregnant most of the time, with the other for a spare. Tough luck for the guy with only one wife.] The women do nearly all the work and you'll see them going up the trail with a big sack of food or something and a couple kids on top of that and the old man coming along behind empty handed. How does that sound to you? Some of the boys thought that would be a good thing. Personally, I'm afraid I'd have a hard time converting you and beside I wouldn't like it at all. I want a wife and partner, not a slave.
The dickering with the natives is rather fun if a man has a bit of Jew in him. They understand a few words of English and we know a few of theirs and the rest is sign language. Ask for bananas or anything to eat and the first answer is no, and then if you persist, out comes green and second rate stuff. Refuse that and then the better stuff comes out and soon you can do a land office business and get almost anything they've got. Razor blades, cigarettes, tobacco, and matches are the best money. One razor blade buys a dozen or more bananas.
Well, honey, there is a very small part of some of the things I saw and learned. I'll give you some more of it from time to time. Saw a big dance and all that goes with it. Plantations, rubber, coffee, and etc. Talks with the Aussies and lots of interesting things. Want to hear about them? Next installment sometime in the future.
Night my sweetheart wife. I'm loving you so much. More and more all the time.
Your lover.
Norm.
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