The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
WIVES WERE CHEAP.
A Natura!ist's Observations on So
cial Life in Papua.
Courtsh Was Very Simple and to the
Point, Will On Jack knile Paid
All ExpenSes-Desirable
Life Partners.

Early in 1882 young naturalist.
Sherman Denton, now of the United
S ates Fish Commission, went to New
Guinea to assist his father in his scien-
titic work. The elder Denton sudden
" died there, and the son returned in
1888 TO this country. But having eyes
that could see, he kept a faithful &C
count of what he saw in a land as yet
untrodden but by very few white men.
He has now published some of the in
cidents and observations of his travels
in a book, incidents of Collectors
Rambles 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-
fore seen white men.
Narinuma is village of some six
teen houses, besides five tree houses,
and some sixty feet from the ground.
The tree houses are we'll but t, 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 yams 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 whine throwing stones and spears.
With the primitive methods of cutting
down trees prevailing among the ma
tives, these houses are almost impreg-
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. Here strangers are sheltered
and fed free of charge. The largest
and best house in every town is for the
stranger.
Tame pigs, with shouts half as long
as their bodies and covered with long
brown bristles, roamed at will about
the village. A small species of dun
colored dog, which neither barked nor
bit. but only howled, was the occupant
with nearly every owner of the house.
There was only one cat at Narinuma
which Loheir, the chief. had obtained
in trade from some of the coast tribes,
and the animal was great pet.
Early in the morning the ground
about the house would be swept by the
women, and was as hard and clean as
q table. The Papuan women are fine
ly-featured, and many of the children
are truly handsome. Age. however,
IS merciless to the women, and when
the old crones sit in the sun kneading
clay. or beating balls into shapely pots
or dishes. their heads shaven with
fragments of bottle-glass and every
bone of their emaciated bodies show
ing through their wrinkled skins, they
are venerable pictures of ugliness-
The old chief. Loheir, was the most
interesting man in the village. He
was fifty years old. stout and broad
shOuldered, and so we'll covered was
his body with scars from the many
battles in which he had fought that
by placing his hand upon him in the
darkest night Mr.. Denton became sure
of his identity. Loheir's face was
dark, but his look was intelligent;
his manner was that of born gentle
man. modest and unassuming.
One day, after the two brothers had
been in Narinuma a good while. and
had learned enough of the language to
talk freely. Loheir came to them.
showing by his actions that he had
something important 10 say. Aney
were skinning birds. and he, as
usual, sat on the ground In
front of them, evidently not know
ing just how to arrive at
what seemed uppermost IN his mind.
he began by asking it they liked the
tOy3:a men and their country. When
tcii that the white men had been
treated very kindly, and that the Coy
ara country was as fertile and as
beautiful as any they had seen. he was
pleased. and looked as if he had gained
point Then the conversation TOOK
this course:
us it warm and comfortable at
America as at NarinumaP"
Not always; sometimes it is very
cold.'
Are the birds. trees and flowers as
nice where you liver"
no"
Are white people any happier than