I have here for sale a signed book entitled LAST DAYS IN NEW GUINEA Being Further Experiences of a New Guinea Resident Magistrate by Captain C A W Monckton.  It is a first edition published by John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd in 1922.  It has 2 colour maps - one of Papua and one of the Summit of Mount Albert Edward - and 55 b/w photographic plates.  

The author was offered relief posts as a magistrate in Papua New Guinea from where he headed up several expeditions, some punitive, some exploratory, accompanied by his native police whom he had trained to a high degree of efficiency.  Tough, efficient, quick-witted and ruthless, he conducted each expedition as if it were a military campaign. In bringing under control combative people such as the Doriri, Dobodura and Paiwa, his policy was to 'shoot and loot'. With more peaceful people, such as the Agaiambu who, living in the swamps of the Musa River, marked by a physique that made it difficult for them to walk on land, he showed some anthropological awareness. While some contemporaries admired him as a 'fearless … fighting man', others deplored his readiness with a gun, his callous punishments and his sexual exploitation of local women.  His handling of the 'Paiwa affair', when his police went berserk with bayonets, provoked widespread criticism. Relations with miners in the area, generally mutually helpful, sometimes became explosive, particularly with those who thought an even tougher line should be taken against the Papuans. In 1903 Monckton was given the additional responsibility of the Northern Division. He was also appointed to both the Legislative and Executive councils.  His was the first party (1906) to climb Mount Albert Edward (13,100 ft, 3993 m). When miners began to intrude into German New Guinea north of the Waria River, Monckton used a necessary border survey as an excuse to cross the island by taking his party down the Lakekamu River into the Gulf of Papua. 

Orange cloth hardboards with gilt lettering to the spine.  Head and tail and corners are bumped.  There is an inscription to the front endpaper which reads "Mrs More, with the author's compliments 16-2-22".  His frontispiece portrait is also signed by the author. 

There is also a photograph of Chris Stansfield Robinson who was a judge and joined with Monckton in his expedition over the Hydrographer's Range, and last committed suicide.

The condition overall is good.  Half title page loose.  Pages clean.  287 pages, 23 cm x 15 cm.

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