| Show r SECRETS OF NEW GUINEA LAID BARE Dutch Explorers Penetrate Wilds of Colony and Make Complete Map t PERSONAL DANGERS GREAT I If Peculiar Customs of Tribesmen f I Who Live Close to Nature NatureL f L Are Learned t. t I Ir r. r r HAGUE Netherlands S Sept pt 4 THE I Reports of or Dutch colonial expeditions Jons which h have e re recently the preliminary of Dutch New Xe Guinea bring to light many stories of or remarkable teat feats of endurance and dis dIB- dIB covery coverT For about teven te ears officers of or the Dutch Colonial arm army with European European Euro Euro- lean and n native soldiers and coolies have o been making a n. complete compete map of oC tho the colony and this work vork Is IA now fin tin Dutch New Ne Guinea Is about fourteen times a as largo large as ns Tho The Netherlands Nether Nother- lands and was settled b by a n. few Dutchmen Dutch Dutchmen Dutch Dutch- men as song long ago as 1828 but was only officially lIy recognized as a n. colon colony Coony late ate atc last Jut century It comprises tho tha greater reater part of ot tho the Island of or Papua In th the tho routh seas In tho the course course- of or the tho map work which chich was WM attended by great difficulties ties tics and some loss of oC life alt all the members mem mem- bers of ot the expeditionary ry torce underwent underwent under under- went vent severe severo privations and suffered I considerable sickness Their lives u were In danger clanger from hostile natives as the they passed up unknown rivers rhen and 1 L cut their way through almost Impenetrable virgin bush buh or clambered cambered high mountains covered with eternal snow I and never or before ascended by white men 4 o Primitive e. e The Tho country was found to be fald fairly thickly populated In somo some parts and the thc natives es In the tho Interior were ere among the most primitive In th the tho worl world l Man Many of oC them had never before come Into contact contact contact con con- tact with white men and fled at nt their approach so 80 that the tho explorers In some Instances could not obtain data dota as to their customs language langua e measurements or mode molle of or living JIving Nearly all were found to bo be in their absolute natural state and without clothing The Tho grown mens men's noses were pierced with bamboo canes cane and It appeared that this was lone with great ceremony after a certain certain tam tain ngo ago had been attained Amid feasting and dancing the tho first hole is pierced with a finely pointed sago sage thorn and the aperture is Ie gradually enlarged in five operations until the requisite size has been reached for the Insertion of ot tho the cane caie which afterwards afterwards afterwards after after- wards Is never removed remo Tho The women of some tribes had a sll slight ht covering consisting of ot a short skirt of or woven wo leaves es Weapons Weapon of or none Hone Some of the tribes were actively hostile hostile hostile hos hos- tile hunters head-hunters and attacked tho the explorers with Ith bows and arrows and short hort hardwood spears whoso points ero sometimes formed of or bone Others of oC the natives were peacefully inclined and willing in return for tor- tora a few trinkets to permit the tho explorers to make alt all the necessary observations without In In in- nce The natives appear to cling mostly to the banks of ot tho the many rivers where they live Uvo In carefully constructed habitations habitations hab hab- built in tho the trees or on piles 20 li 1 to 30 feet high In 1 tho the far Interior however howe many settlements were found composed of or substantial buildings supported supported sup sup- ported PoTted b by thick tree trunks trunk and covered coy cov ered with roofs of the Jar largo large o dried leaves lea of ot tropical plans pl In fact several soy sev eral ral of tho the dwellings were divided dl Into various apartments l a largo large one In the center for the tho men and boys bos and separate separate sep rep arate ones for each woman nut huts Sop Supported ported II liy lint In the coastal lands ands the natives construct construct construct con con- their huts or rather arbors In Ina a n. long IonS line like a str street et each cach habitation habitation hab hab- supported by tho the next one Many Ian of or the coast people had previously beCome become be become be- be come acquainted with whito men who had to hunt birds of ot I come como paradise and they also knew that money was wasal val yal- Th The knowledge of metals among the natives cs n is very en limited and their their- cutting cutting cut cut- ting tinS tools are rne stone axes and flint chisels With i these some of ot the tribesmen mana managed ed to carve cane ornaments on their pirogues or canoes their oars and little figures for tor the adornment of their habitations Some Soma kind of ot superstitious belief bellet is i prevalent No in tho the Interior Interior- for each I habitation in the settlements has its I own god hod usually In lit the thc shape of or a huge hugo turtle shell on which is stuck a n fish head Gr Grew Greir Som Some Crop Cro P Hunting and fishing are the main occupations of ot the natives but in tho the Interior many of tho the habitants aro are surrounded surrounded sur Bur rounded by patches for fOl the cultivation of oC root crops and sugar ugar cane which HIth rith fish and sago form th the main food ot of the people The They arc aro very er fond of lobsters lobster and anI mussels which aro are i ful ful f- f I Everywhere the tho country in is Inre infested ted j.- j. with snakes 8 and tho rivers swarm with I p alligators hut but other animals aro arc not us and comprise chiefly dogs tame and ard wild hogs hos and kangaroos t i anc and other marsupials s as well welt as ns man many 1 rats River ni Are Tho The conformation of or tho the country varies p trite from rom lying low marshlands Pregnant with fever fe to high healthy i and mo mountains such tuch is as Io tho peak which Wa was rJ Imbed l by by two Dutch officers officers' and found to measure bout about 1527 feet teet nearly as ns hl h Il a us Mount Blanc DIane k S Several veral of ot th tha rivers rl no now f vcr very swift swift- IT r and aro art t full of r rapids and falls alls so son o that n t tho members of the tho detachments I into to which tho exploring force w wa was Divided had hOod often to drug drag or carry their motorboat t and native o pirogues ues CI over r land Janel for tor long distances Tho The collections made mado 11 by the explorers are e very cry cry v valuable In connection with the 2001 zoology 0 U botany and C Ecology lo of ot o o Island colony colon and it Is that the Jion or the tho natural resources of ot th the tho It nd will speedily follow tho the re report lol 1 Of t the tSia military pioneers of ot cl ho have now ended their work |
