The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-21

themselves TO the strangers. All LABOR
falls on their shoulders, fishing, hunting
and fighting being the sole employment Of
the males. The weapons Of this race are
bows and arrows; the latter are four feet
long, and are shot to the distance Of 10
yards. The natives of Mohatta are bold
and skilful Sailors and in their larger
boats are often encountered far out ut sea.
MACLEAY further states that no trace of
cannbalism was found among them, al
though human skulls form IA frequent
ornament OF their dwellings
From this point the Papuan coast
throughout stretch of thirty miles pre-
sentod the same monotonous aspect which
had been hithcrward observed. Behind
mangrovc swamp dotted with cocoa palms
expands in every direction n marshy fiat
thickly wooded, but nowhere rising more
than four feet above the level Of the sea.
The rare Gases of dry ground are employed
by the natives for banana and taro patch
es. The Katau river, whose exploration
was attempted in boats by twenty MEM
bers OF the expedition, Is two hundred
yards broad Mt the mouth, but rapi lily
narrows to sixty, and at the highest point
attained had shrunk to thirty. For the
first two miles the river traversed the
mangrovo copse but nfterward wound
through fine groves OF palm trees, behind
which lay the dense primeval forest. Some
nine miles only from the coast n tree
fallen obliquely across the stream checked
the progress OF the travellers, and, finding
IL impossible 10 dislodge the obstacle,
MAcLEAY was forced to abandon the pro-
loot Of IN, n
Cheyert accordingly retraced her course
through Torres Strait, and toward the end
OF August came to anchor of Yule Island,
In Halls Sound on the east flank Of the
Gulf OF New Guinea.
This portion of the Papuan continent
makes n very different impression from
| the region about Katau. Here, too, thick
mangrove swamps reach some miles inland,
but they are cut by frequent salt water
creeks, on whose firm, dry banks IL con-
centrated a numerous population. Behind
the narrow rim of marsh lie wide, arabic
uplands, stocked with well-opencd groves
of fruit-bearing trees, TO which succeeds at
n distance Of ten miles from the coast
strongly accented hill country, while the
horizon is bounded by a mighty chain of
| Iihiiig III NAN*i NNoNh'i
from the imposing summit of Mount Yule
to the supposed volcanic peak Of owen
Stanley.
Equally striking Is the difference in ap-
pearnnce and character between the ma
tivos of this region and those of Katau
Here MAcLEAY found "A light-colored, we'll
built race, OF middle size, that gave the
idea OF an industrious, peaceful people.
The hair, not woolly, is worn long by the
men. and coiled behind into n sort Of
chiguon the women, on the other hand, cut
their locks short, with the exception of n
single wisp, tied across the head from ear
to ear. Both sexes have the breast and
abdomen deliberately tattooed. The men
knot n slender strip of cloth about their
loins, but the women employ broad and
handsome grdle. The use Of tobacco
seems to be unknown, but betel
chewing is common. The weapons
are of an imperfect kind, clumsly
shaped spears and a few bows constituting
the whole armory. Altogether the natives
bore the marks OF timid. inoffensive race.
BY II curious anomaly, the women appear
to rule: and unlike their sisters OF the
black type, they were extremely free in
their intercourse with the whites. Their
villages and dwellings are remarkably
clean; each OF the former is provided with
n house for the reception Of guests. These
islanders dwell together in unity and
amity without the Intervention of magis
trutes or laws. They are sufficiently adj
vanced in the arts of civilized life 10 give
careful attention TO the preparation Of
their meals, and they are able to mauufnc
ture earthen ware, coarse cloth, and nett
of excellent quality. The object OF MAC
LrAY's visit TO Yule Island was TO pene
trate the mainland by means OF the Ethe
river; but some twelve miles from thu
mouth his progress was again arrested b,
felled trees. HIS expedition, therefore
was substantially n failure but it haC
demonstrated that the difficulties attend
ing the exploration of New Guinea lie les
in the intractable character mistaken.
attributed to the inhabitants, than in tn
climate and nature of the country; the in
| terminable swamps which edge the south
ern coast being not only fatal to health
but imperylous except by water ways.
was reserved for the MACFARLANE expedi
ton TO discover a stream unblockaded an
navigable, which, traversing the Who'll
marshy delta, unlocks the interior upland,
MAcFARLANE and STONE two Englis
missionaries stationed in the island G
Boigu, and having command OF "a small
/ steamer, set out in September 1870 4
r visit agreat river called by the natives Mai
5 Kassa, which falls into the strait som
= leagues westward OF the Katau. The Ma
= Kassa proved to be a mile and u half broa
( at the mouth, aud twelve fathoms deeI
4 The natives In this quarter are of tn
!. black Katau type, with artificially length
?, ened ear laps, They are warlke an
v bloodthirsty, frequently making incul
i sions into the interior, and accounting tn
jawbones of their enemies the mo:
y honorable trophies of these raids Az
= cordng TO reports of islanders dwellin
k along the coast, a race of cannibals exist
l. some six miles inland, who train will
o beasts to hunt the neighboring tribes
(. order to maintain a constant supply {
le human flesh.
i Six miles from the mouth OF the Ma
n Kassn MACFARI.ANr IN ssed n great COuNl