3 The New York Years (1931–1953)

Expeditions to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands 67
Sehe, accompanied him. A few hours out of Hollandia a strong wind sprang up, the
waves became higher and higher and the sails had to be trimmed. In each canoe
one person was steering and the others were busy bailing out water. The situation
became increasingly serious, but after they had crossed Humboldt Bay and got
close enough to the coast the sea smoothed down. Within a couple of hours they
reached Vanimo harbor. After several days delay to find canoes for the trip to the
village of Leitre (another 40 km east), they were ready to leave on the clear moonlit
night of 27 October. But soon it turned stormy and again they bailed feverishly
during the night and all of next morning. By one o’clock they reached Leitre and
now faced a thundering surf. The two canoes with the lightest loads managed to
get through rather quickly, whereas the cargo of the heavily loaded ones got wet.
Finally all canoes had made it “safely” to the beach, i.e., with only minor damage.
Mayr changed to a canoe of local people who had come out for help. When they
approached the beach, they got over the first breaker, but on the second the canoe
overturned. One of the Papuas pulled Mayr out of the boat sideways and dragged
him to the shore “to dry out.”
By now, they had covered just over half of thedistancetoAitapewhich lay another
90 kilometers to the east. There was much trouble to obtain transportation to Serai,
the next village. Three canoes left on 30 October and two were to follow later, while
Mayr continued on foot walking along the shore with the most valuable part of
the baggage. He had the greatest difficulties getting porters. Finally he threatened
with his gun. They walked along the beach under the torrid sun, crossed small
river mouths and suffered from sand flies. When they caught up with the three
canoes which had left Leitre before their departure, they transferred the baggage
to them and left several hours later. The wind picked up again but the boats landed
safely in Serai in the afternoon of 31 October. The inhabitants were quite helpful.
Several hours later the other two canoes also arrived and the group was reunited.
They cooked a good meal and prepared their departure on the next day. The last
distance from Serai to Aitape was covered mostly on foot (1–3 November), at first
along the beach and later on a road through coconut plantations.
Mayr here reached the domain of a German Catholic Mission. Eager to meet
a compatriot and to speak German again, he entered the missionary’s house saying
“Grüss Gott, Vater Franz!” The father almost fell off his chair asking “Where do
you come from?” Apparently he knew nothing at all of his impending arrival. His
astonishment was particularly great, since Mayr came from the west, that is, from
the region of the Dutch territory, where no one ever came from. Naturally he was
terribly pleased. During their conversation, it turned out that Father Franz was
born and raised in Versbach, a little village near Würzburg, where Mayr had passed
dozens of times as a boy hiking with his parents. The arrival at the mission station
finished the most difficult trip Mayr had undertaken during his entire stay in New
Guinea.
Near Aitape the song of the Varied Honeyeater (Meliphaga virescens = Lichenostomus
versicolor) accompanied them. For part of the way they used canoes on
inland waters. The last day porters were again employed.