Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-01-17
How Natives Of New Guinea Hunt

Recently il was given out thar large
tract of country, about SIX miles from
here, was to be hunted, says q letter from
New Guinea About z O'Clock the ma
tives began to move, the men with nests
first These are coarse meshed strong
nets, about four feet deep, Of various
lengths. Far away to the leeward Of the
grass TO be burned these nets are stood
up with short stakes, each mans net
joined to his neighbours. The grass IS
pulled up IN front of the nets TO prevent
them catching fire. The owners of the
nets stand by with their spears in silence
and awaiting their prey. Il is the fash
ion for all young men to wear their head
dresses and fnery TO the hunt They
shave the hair, too, of their temples,
every hair from their eyebrows and any
other about their face. All carry several
spears. roughly made from 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 should
ers, march along with the crowd. A
number of young girls go, too, to carry
water for the men, 1t being q 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 very long one. The meet was at
the creek half way to the Laroge river.
This was the rendezvous where all rested
and waited for strong, steady wind.
The nets had gone on, and were in posi-
ton.
The master of ceremonies was Koitapu
chief named Sivari When first knew
Sivari, some years ago, he was fine
looking man, agile and active; now he
is pitiable 0biect--his toes and fingers
eaten away by leprosy and his arms and
LEGS in dreadful state. He can hobble
about on stick, but cannot walk far.
Two of his wives carried him by turn in
netted hammock on their backs, sus-
pended by q 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 field is one Of the woman's rights
undisputcd here Soon the wind began
to whistle through the trees, and there
was general stampede. The grass was
set fire to in many places and was soon
cracking, kissing and blazing away be-
fore the wind The air was full of
| sparks and dense cloud of smoke rose
above. The natives shouted, the dogs
yelped and the poor dazed wallabies
rushed here and there, some escaping
spears and dogs, but most Of them fall
ing. It requires good deal of practice
to spear wallaby going at full speed.
Sometimes one would rush past with.two
or three spears hanging from him and q
bevy of dogs after him. There was q
good deal of slaughter and some scores
Of wallaby carried in. One man was
badly gorcd by wild boar. 1t is only
very pluckv men who will face these
They carry circle of stout cane in which
is dashed some strong cord, so as to form
several la-ge mcshes. This is held so
that the pig PUSHES 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 hun
ter often gets very ugly wounds. The
man we saw had nasty hole plowed in
his thigh by short tusk. The pig. how
ever, was overpowered and killed