The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-11-21
A HUM ~ NEW GUINEA.
How the Natives Secure Game-A Lerross
Chief


HOW the Natives Secure Gams-A Lerrsss
Chief.
Recently it was given out that large
tract of country, about six miles from
here, was to be hunted. About seven
o'clock the natives began to move, the
men with nets first. These are coarse
meshed, strong nets, about four feet
deep of various lengths. Far away to
the leeward of the grass to be burnt
these nets are stood up with short
stakes, each mans net joined to his
neighbours. The grnss is pulled up in
front of the nets to prevent them catch
ing fire. The owners of the nets stand
by with spears in silence awaiting their
prey. 1t is the fashion for all the young
men to wear their head-dresses and
finery to the hunt. They shave the
hair, their temples. every hair from
their eyebrows, and any other about
their face. All carry several speers
roughly made from a hard white wood.
The points are sharpened, and every
one has boar's tusk or piece of glass
bottle to scrape them as often as they
require it. Little boys of three and four
years old, with their ornaments on,
faces painted, and spears on their
shoulders, march along with the crowd
A number of young girls go, too. to
carry water for the men. 1t being a
grand hunt, we foreigners joined the
company on horseback, Mrs. Lawes
being one of our party. The natives
always walk in single file, and the
hunting procession was a very long
one. The meet was at a creek half way
to the Laroge River. This was the rem
devious, where all rested and waited
for a strong, steady wind. The nets had
gone on and were in position.
The master of ceremonies was n
Koitapu Chief named Sivari. When
first knew Sivari, some years ago. he
was fine-looking man, agile, and act
i've; now he is a pitiable object-his
toes and fingers eaten away by leprosy
and his arms and legs in dreadful
state. He can hobble about on stick,
but he cannot walk far. Two of his
wives carried him by turn in a Melted
hammock on their backs, suspended bv
band across the forehead. These are
some of the hOnOrs which fall to the
share of the wives of New Guinea. The
right to carry their husbands to the
hunting-feld is one of the women's
rights undisputed here. The old sinner.
miserable object though he is, has had
six wives, some of them young and
good-looking, recently annexed to his
harem. Soon the wind began to whistle
through the trees. and there was a gen
eral stampede. The grass was set fire
to in many places and was soon crack
ling, Kissing and blazing away before
the wind, The air was ELL of sparks,
and dense cloud of smoke rose above.
The natives shouted, the dogs yelped,
and poor. dazed wallabies rushed here
and there, some escaping spears and
dogs, but most of them falling. 1t re-
quires good deal of practice to spear q
wallaby going full speed. Sometimes
one would rush past with two or three
spears hanging from him and bevy of
dogs after him. There was u good deal
of slaughter and some scores of wallaby
carried in. One man was badly gored
by wild boar. 1t is only very plucky
men who will face these. They carry
circle of stout cane. in which is dashed
some strong cord. so as to form several
large meshes. This is held so that the
pig rushes in and gets muzzled by it;
then man throws himself on the pig
and grips him tight until he is dis
patched. When they have tusks the
hunter often gets very ugly wounds.
The man we saw had a nasty hole
plowed in his thigh by short tusk.
The pig, however. was Overpowered
and killed.-NeU Guinea Cor. Sydney
Epy-uJI