FOR WHOM DO THE THROBBING DRUMS OF MER / CANNING TOLL ?

In the 1933  blood curdling novel , Drums of  Mer  , popular  Australian author  Ion  Idriess  painted gruesome scenes  of  cannibalism , with  head  lopping  and pre-SBS  long pig feasts. A contemporary  review  of  the book in  Adelaide  was  headed WHEN TERROR STALKED THROUGH  TORRES  STRAIT .

Succulent  Prime Minister, George Dubya Abbott, recently visited  the  actual island of Mer, in the Torres Strait, after  having  tried to drum up support  in the  WA Canning by-election campaign , loss of which  to  the  ALP   could  see  the  PM  beheaded  by  his  own   party  because it  would confirm the belief that  he  is so unpopular   he  will lead them to certain  defeat at the next Federal election.

 

Ruffled  Malcolm Turnbull  and  Liberal  Canning candidate Andrew Hastie  receive shock news-Libs might retain seat !There are 12 candidates, including  one  from the increasingly attractive  Pirate Party.  Greens , Christians , Animal Justice  and  Sustainable Population are also running in  an electorate  in  which  there  are 112,809 eligible voters .

 Lose the  seat of Canning or just scrape in  and  the  PM  could  , figuratively  speaking ,  be  tapped  on  the  noggin  with  a  large club  while  frolicking  about  in the  surf in his budgie  smugglers , somewhat  like  what happened to Captain Cook .The latest drum from the Australian Financial Review is that the PM is being urged  to get in with an early  human sacrifice in the Sumo-shape  of Joe Hockey  if  they  lose Canning.

On the island  of Mer the  PM was  greeted by warriors  wearing  shark headdresses  and stood under a   giant  arch which  represented  the  mouth  of  a  shark which could be an omen of  what  is to  come in Canberra  if the obviously restless  natives  there  go on the warpath.

 

In this later edition of Drums of Mer the cover illustration had  been  sexed up with a P3 girl  dancing to drums  to tell  the savagely authentic story of  life among   Pacific headhunters.
 

The early Adelaide review said the setting of the   book  would have delighted Rider Haggard  and  mentioned  the plight of virgins , the rusting  bones of  wrecked ships on coral reefs , blackbirding,  fearful shipwrecked Spaniards, a musical  cape made out of the  ribs  of  women  ( perhaps an explanation of why there are so few women in  the Coalition ), daring pearlers ,warlike islanders .

 

Of the author , it  said Idriess, a born  rover , at times a prospector  and sandalwood  getter , had travelled widely and had poured out tales in graphic, if sometimes ejaculatory prose. One of  his books-Lasseter's Last Ride-about  the  fabled  gold reef  in  the Northern Territory  had  been translated into  French , a rare  event  for an  Australian  author .