The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-10-09
WIVES VERB CHEAP.
A Naturalist's Observations on So
cial Life in Papua.
Co"rtship Was Very Simple and to tho
foh',, While One Jack knife Paid
All Expenses-Desirsble
Life Partners.

Early In 1882 a young naturalist
Sherman Denton, now of the United
States Fish Commission, went to New
Guinea to assist his father in his scien.
'tlfic work. The elder Denton sudden.
iy died there, and the son returned in
1855 to this country. But having ewes
that could see, he kept faithful ac-
count OF what he saw in land as vet
Mntrodden but by very few white men.
He has now published some of the in
'cldents and observations of his travels
In book, Incidents of a Collectors
kambles in Australia etc. His stay
among the Papuans occupies about a
quarter of the volume.
Mr.. Denton travelled with his father
and younger brother During his stay
with the Papuans he was most of the
time alone with his brother among
them. He tells a most interesting
story of his experiences in the village
of Narinuma, in the interior of New
Guinea. There dwelt the Coyara peo-
pie, an idyllic tribe who had never be-
lore seen white men.
| Narinuma is village of some six
aeen houses, besides five tree houses.
and some sixty feet from the ground.
Ihe tree houses are we'll butt, and
rattan or bamboo ladders extend from
the ground to just below the platform
OF the house. These houses are used
by the natives to defend themselves
from their enemies in case of attack.
In the houses are stored vans and
taros, wood and water, with a ton or
two of stones to throw down at their
enemies, with spears in bundles for
the same purpose. A platform of
Sticks below the house is used to stand
upon while throwing stones and spears,
With the primitive methods of cutting
down trees prevailing among the ma
tives, these houses are almost impree-
nable to the enemy.
The village looked clean, and the
houses tasty and comfortable. One
house. larger and stronger than the
rest. was the visitors house or
hotel, of which there is one in every
town. Hero strangers are sheltered
and fed free OF charge The largest |
and best house in every town is for the ,
stranger. :
lame pigs, with shouts half as long q
Is their bodies and covered with long Y
brown bristles, roamed at will about +
he village. A small species of dun \
'olored dog, which neither barked nor h
Ut but only howled, was the occupant G
With nearly every owner of the house. n
mere was only one cat at Narinuma /,
'hlch Loheir, the chief, had obtained %
trade from some of the coast tribes.
nd the animal was Il great pet. W
Early in the morning the ground W
bout the house would be swept by the
'omen, and was as hard and clean rs
table The Papuan women are fine m
Featured, and many of the children nj
re truly handsome. Age, however, ar
merciless to the women, and when m
le Old erones sit in the sun kneadine
lay, or beating balls into shapely pots tn
o'shes' their heads shaven with te
'asihents OF bottle-glass and every M
o"e VI thelr emaciated bodies show m.
Y through their wrinkled skins. thew he
e venerable pictures of ugliness
The old chief. Loheir, was the most rio
teresting man in the village He ho
as fifty years old, stout and broad .n,
ouldered, and so we'll covered was 81.
body with scars from the manv ha,
tiles in which he had fought that loo
placing his hand upon him in the bis
rkest night Mr.. Denton became sure He
his identity. Loheir's face was if !
TX, but his look was intelligent; Ra
manner was that of born gentle fire.
n, modest and unassuming. a O
'ne day, after the two brothers had .
N In Narinuma a good while, and the
! learned enough of the language to me
< freely. Loheir came to them, her
wing by his actions that he had YER
aething important to say. They knc
re sklnning birds, and he, as ine
'al, sat on the ground in has
Mt OF them, evidently not know han
Just how to arrive at tn h
a. seemed uppermost in his mind. her
=. oesian BY asking it they liked the emo
sass men and their country. When 9.