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Show I mi MX af . !,llM , As mnmml ter, bc I MLIT. !&. .'MttrrlYZhiiiMmQHmWlmMr- n K i, bbbbj aaflBwaBa dgHgTf3&BBar.&i?. if Eftaff BUBcaBiBBBMBBBM I " I.BBbV- M .MfWmMKX:SjaBI,WJm7UmmMmVmKt Cb"l" I aaiV ''aBVHBnBirSiiBBaBBBBflHMiBlaBBr'' por1' iiP!tt I rMBBHESBaHBaHiHnHBBI1i"k, ii-''aWaBKB9iHlBlBHBBfBBBBBBBHB'H HbH- --nn" sfK U&i $ aWfjgMCaBBBBBBMcM SMhtlr m rJfsP iBMWLwfMw9mmWmmsi fmt """ ilPS WmmSLMmKmmmmWi B u ' mSSSSlC-WVi n" aBBBMBBnaWIWnrauniHrHBaBBBraBt4B BjaBBBuTeM W&jb? aBaaaamWifflKwlIiiSEKjiBBBBia'l Haw" m tKvclUr New Guinea Woman and Baby. B it w (Fnptnd by th Nktlontl Otocraphlo So-' cUty. Wuhlmlon, D. C.) Pcrbnpn It Is logical enough that less should bo known about the largest heavily Inhnblted Island In the world New Guinea than about the smaller and more easily traversed lands of the sea, especially since It lies, like, the neighboring continent of Austrnllu, near tho antipodes of the western world, far from the beaten track. This island hns come Into notice recently re-cently through tho nctlon of tho League of Nations In giving to Australia Aus-tralia the mnndnto for Its northeastern quarter, formerly n colonial possession of Germany. It Is probable, too, that It may bo one of the subjects of discussion dis-cussion when the problems of the Pacific Pa-cific are taken up In Washington. Except for a fringe of a few widely fceparnted settlements mid mission stations sta-tions nlong the coasts. New Guinea (or Papun, to give It Its native name) Is n paradlso of savagery. Probuhly In no other area of equal extent In tho world has civilization mailo so light an Imprint. In tho Interior of the .great Island heads are hunted ns In smaller regions elsewhere, cannlbul feasts are held, ravnge dlnlects are spoken Innocent of any modlllraflotl by civilized Inngiuige, prlmltlvo weapons weap-ons are used, nnd thero Is prartlcully no contact with and no knowledgo of the outside world. Origin of Papuans Unknown. The origin of the "oriental negroes" of Papua Is nn unsolved problem to ethnologists. On most of the Islnnds to the east and north nnd toward Asia, stralght-halrcd, relatively fair Malays aro found. But tfie Papuans arc block, woolly-haired negroes Ilko tho natives of tho far-away Guinea coast of western Africa. It wa.s this resemblance between tho Inhabitants of Papua nnd Guinea ..that gave tho Island Its more common name among westerners. Though tho Papuan raco Is distinct, nnd though Inrgo numlicrs of tho pure stock exist on. the Island, the negro strain has also been mixed with Mnlayan blood, resulting In numerous nu-merous racial gradations. The natives of tho southeastern part of the Island may be snld to hark back to tho dnys of their, arboreal, pre-human ancestors, for they live In rude leaf mid straw-thatched straw-thatched hovels which they construct in trees. Though this custom of tree-dwelling tree-dwelling Is not followed to nny grent extent In other portions of New Guinea, the natives of tho Island nil seem determined to live well off the ground. The fnvorlte hnbltntlnns throughout n large part of the country are constructed on high piles. On the protected ground beneath these structures struc-tures the culinary operations nre usually usu-ally carried on. Many of iho buildings build-ings are long, narrow communal affairs, af-fairs, housing a score or more of natives. na-tives. In many cases these habitations habita-tions are merely dark tunnels, but In others they are divided Into compartments. compart-ments. Clothing bothers the Papuuns but little, hut they give much attention atten-tion to painting and tatoolng their bodies, and to bedecking themselves with neck, nose and ear ornaments. Odd Native Customs. There Is very little furniture In Papuan dwellings to be shifted about by the "lady of, the house" on, cleaning day. Important among the few movables mov-ables are hard narrow wooden blocks, scooped out to fit the neck "pillows" which would hardly appeal to westerners western-ers as substitutes for their soft down-filled down-filled cushions. Some of the tribes near the coast bnvo a passion for bathing, so greet that they Impute a love of the water to the spirits of their departed tribesmen. tribes-men. To facilitate "spirit bathing," surviving relatives and fronds carefully care-fully construct and keep open paths leading from each grave to the sea. When they are not dining on choice cuts from some enemy tribesman, Papuans eat In the main a prosaic enough diet of bannnas, yams', Htigo, breadfruit nnd the 'meats of various animals and fish. Uut as choice tld-hits, tld-hits, some of the tribes eat certain (Meets and the meat of the world's attTEM Inrgcst clam. The shells of these ht--Bhcr " hlvntvcs often weigh COO pounds, uR" tho meat nlono 20 pounds. Eimpir Religiously, New Guinea Is a mh-VlllnUt turer Just us It-Is politically. Mohaat1,", medanlsm has a slight foothold oajVuifferet tho west coast, due to the contact Krcnch tho tribes thero with the MoliarameiB mis of tho Islands extending oil tl A wurd Asia. Christian missions vM r located at Intervals nlong the coumH" nil nround the Island, but the numbeHterso of natives so fur Christianized bBcl for small. On some of the tiny lalaodiHlne. lying In the strait between NnV Tlin Guinea nnd Australia entire comma-Hr1io c nltles of Christians nre to be fouclHgono Throughout most of tho huge Island, hnpp however, pngnnlsm Is rampant, the nt-H talkei tlvcs prnpltlntlng supposed evil splrltiHwnlkt nud the forces of nature. Hthe d Hecauso New Guinea Is so fur from Joy0"' countries with whoso size we nre ft-H No miliar, wu are likely to consider Us evjBworr lent rather vague. If thu Island could tho bo Inld down along our Atlantic const Ithc 1 wo would soon appreciate Its vastncst'jB-'roni It Is approximately 1,500 miles Itin&'Bhcfo (Aid would reach from the sotitliura'Hp'hci tip of Florida to tho northernmost Hcam point on the coast of Maine. Us W Hchni miles of width would cover two thlnli 'H S Iho distance of Hcrmudn. Tho area o( HMn Iho Island Is 'closu to 300,000 Mpiitra Hlom miles, and It Is supposed to mm Hot ' about 1.000,000 Inhabitants. Hmn History of the Island., HV New Guinea wus discovered mire B, than hnlf n ccnMiry before Australia Riu was first sighted; but while the lu'ttr ,, has Vomo to have u population ot B,i. ri.000,000 white people, and Is the seat HhlI of an Important, modern Christ Inn sot- ft ernmeut, tho former Is still almost F tlif undisputed domain of jjavnuery. K The Dutch laid the first claim to trr- K rltory In tho Island, but couflned their K. operations to tho western end. In K!!, 1881 the Rrltlsh established a protec- Hr tortile over the southwestern portion HC of tho country, nnd the Germans un- IM nexed tho northeustern part the same B . year. The three countries agreed oa B. boundaries In ,,1885, but their partition B of tho land wn almost wholly un nc- V , lion nn paper, for thero hnd been little K exploration of the Interior. Kachcoun- jB try In tho yenrs since hns established HB n few trading and mission posts nnd SS plantations In the coast country and , has set up the skeleton of a govern- ' ment, whoso functioning, however, Inu Bl had llttlo effect In tho Interior. jH Thn Rrltlsh portion of Papua hns H hud the status of a territory of the H federal government of Australia sln VJ 1000, nnd the receirt action of the H League of Nations In placing the fir; BJ mer German New Guinea In Australian H l.mith under mandate gives thnt coin- B moiiwenlth control of n tittle over ti 'If jB of the Island's total area. BJ Strange Animal Life. flj The nnlinnl life or the world's h'C- gest tropical Island, like thnt of neigh fl boring Australia, Is strange nnd B 1 bizarre In western oyos. In ancient fl geologic ugos Papua nnd Atistraltb were connected. Apparently for mil- M lions of years they hnve been seps- rated entirely from tho rest of the I world, so that their anlmul types nre 1 ii survival from -the remote past. W'th I tho exception of the pig, which proba- I : bly wns .brought from Asia relatively I recently, olfof the mammals of New 1 , Guinea nre cither marsupials' wh'"h 1 ' carry their young In pockets, like the J opossum and the kangaroo, or are 1 ' beasta that luy ggs like birds. What New Guinea lacks tn beasts of the Held It makes up In birds of : the air. As tho home of hundreds ot ' pecles of feathered creatures, It Is more favored than raony other por-' por-' linns of the earth's surface. Its dense tropical forests are, alive with them i birds of almost every conceivable tire nnd shape and of a bewildering com-i com-i blnutlon of colors. Most striking ol , the- many birds that count New Guinea t their homo la the gorgeously col-, col-, ored and beautifully formed" blrd-of- paradise. "Most Interesting Is the r ' mantle and Ingenious bowor-blnL i which builds a "pleasure dome" solely I ea a place tor Its love-making. |