The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-04-14

Afterwards Mr.. Maklay visited the differ
ent Islands of the Malay archipelago, where
the natives are of mixed origin, Malay and
Papuan. The Malays for centuries kept the
Papuans as slaves, and now employ them as
laborers. The Papuans living on the shores
OF the islands are in the most miserable
condition. They often fail victims either to
their ferocious mountain neighbOrs or to
the Malays, who kidnap them and sell them
as slaves.
In 1870 Maklay visited Papua for the
fourth time for the purpose of investigat-
ing the southern coast. He found there
also natives OF almost a pure type. All the
women of marriageahle age tattoo them
selves, in some cases even heir heads being
shaved for that purpose. The men are al
lowed 20 tattoo themselves only as a reward
Tor brave Y, uch "a the killing of an enemy.
By the number of figures one can judge
how many foes the tattoOed Papuan has
Killed. The women pierce their ears, and
wear from one to twelve pairs of heavy ear
rings. In family quarrels the husbands
cruelty pull their wives about by the ear
rings. Near the southern coast of Papua
trepangs, or sea cucumbers, abound.
The next year Mr.. MakIay explored the
Malay peninsula. He crossed it, and passed
along its middle, mountainous portion.
The native Sultans, who are all dependent
upon the King of Siam, rendered him every
possible assistance, giving him Interpreters
servants, from thirty to fifty men, and pro-
visions, in obedience to the order of the
AlhSi WHICH the traveller na0 procured
for himself. In the mountains he found
two nomadic tribes-the Orang-Otangs and
the Orang-Sakays-both being of mixed
origin. Papuan and Malay. These tribes
dying out, being pressed on one side by the
Chinese and on the other bv the MaIaVs.
The nOmadS collect camphOr, ivory. and In
dla rubber which they exchange with the
Malays for tobacco, salt, iron wares, and
colored rags. Their costume consists only
of a girdle that hardly covers the thighs.
I They nIPrnn tho GA,tUDn of fIa ,,nea nd
thrust bamboo sticks through it. The wo-
men tattoo themselves. They nave a dread
full weapon called the blahan. 1t is u bam-
boo tube about two yards long charged with
Il light arrow which can be easily blown
out with the breath. The end of the arrow
is poisoned. One scratch is enough to Kill
n man. Maklay analysed the poison, and
found that 1t was the juice of the bark of a
tree, Antt0TiS toTicord, the famous upas
tree.
He Travelled i'll the peninsula 176 days,
and during % days rode on elephants. The
peninsula abounds with tigers, Thinoceroses,
and wild elephants.
On the southern coast of Papua the Lon.
don Missionary Society employs about
thirty missionaries, of whom only two are
white, the rest being Papuans and Malays
or mixed.
The time is not far Distant said thu
traveller, "when the Papuans of the south,
ern coast will speak, read and write Eng.
lISh, visit churches, and sing psalms, Tn
fortunately, after the missionaries, anu
often in their own persons, come the white
merchants, who spread tobacco, opium
liquors, and firearms among the natl yes
Vices and diseases unknown to the barb a
Tianss spread there quicker than Christianity
kidnapping of the natives is also carried OIL
under the flags of England, Germany
France, and the United States. S~trangel.
enough, Christianity brings to the barba
rians of the Pacific Ocean not life, but death
CThis account of the Papuans is of inter
est to us in a literary point of view. TIL,
romance of Laksamana published in Homo
lulu in the Hawaiian language in 1874
makes mention of the Papuans, describe
their head dresses of feathers of birds o
Paradise, the Papuan Kangaroo and tn,
uses of its hide, the blow-gun and other par
ticulars, even as described by this Russia
traveller in 1892. ED. p. c.. A.