SUPPLIES 69 



may be beneficial. The Dutch took with them dry 

 Hollands gin, which is drunk with a small quantity of 

 bitters before dinner ; it certainly has the effect of 

 coaxing your appetite for tinned foods, all of which, 

 when you have lived on them for a few months, have 

 the same dull taste. 



It may be thought that the above discourse on the 

 subject of food is unduly long, but I shall make no 

 apology for it, because equally with the question of 

 transport the question of food is of paramount im- 

 portance. The recital of some of the mistakes that 

 we made may serve as a warning to others, who wish 

 to visit a similar district. In countries like Africa 

 and many parts of Asia, where the people cultivate the 

 soil and where there are numbers of game animals, 

 you may always look forward to varying your fare 

 with some fresh food, either animal or vegetable ; but 

 when you go to New Guinea you must be prepared to 

 live wholly on dried and tinned foods, and that is 

 only possible when they are varied and of the best 

 manufacture. 



During the first months of our stay in New Guinea 

 most of the energies of the expedition were spent in 

 transporting supplies from the base-camp at Wakatimi 

 to the camp at Parimau up the Mimika River. And 

 indeed it may be said that this was one of the principal 

 occupations of the expedition from beginning to end ; 

 for our coolies were very soon worn out by sickness 

 and the unaccustomed labour, so that they had to be 

 sent back to their homes, and by the time that a fresh 

 batch of coolies arrived in the country the store of 



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