Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-09-27
AUSTRALIAN TRIBES.
LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES OF THE
SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS.
Cutting Off Heads as Religious Practice
-Excelling as Sculptors-Roast-
ing Human Bodies.
From the Popular science Monthly

Taken collectively, the Dayak popula-
tions differ from the civilized Malays by
their slim figure, lighter complexion, more
prominent nose and higher forehead. In
many communities the men carefully Grad
| icate the hair of the face while both sexes
| fill. dye, and sometimes even pierce the
teeth, in which are fixed gold buttons.
The lobe of the ear is similarly pierced for
the insertion of bits of sticks, rings, cres-
cent-shaped metal plates and other orna-
ments, by the weight of which the lobe is
gradually distended down to the shoulder
In several tribes the skulls of the infants
are artifcially deformed by means of bam-
boo frames and bandages
The simple Dayak costume of blue cotton
with three-colored stripe for border, is
always gracefully draped, and the back
hair is usually wrapped in red cloth
trimmed with gold Most of the Dayaks
tattoo the arms, hands, feet and thighs,
occasionally also the breast and temples.
The designs, generally of beautiful blue
color on the coppery ground of the body,
display great taste, and are nearly always
disposed in odd numbers, which, as among
so many other peoples, are supposed to be
| lucky. -Amulets of stone, tiligree and the
like, are also added to the ornaments to
avert misfortune. In some tribes coils of
brass wire are wound around the body, as
among some African peoples on the shores
of Victoria Nyanza.
Many Dayak tribes are still addicted to
head hunting, practice which has made
their name notorious, and which but lately
threatened the destruction of the whole
race. 1t is essentially religious practice
so much so that no important act in
their lives seems sanctioned unless accom-
panied blythe offering of one or more heads.
! The child is born under adverse influences
unless the father has presented head or
two to the mother before its birth. The
young man cannot become man and arm
himself with the mandau, or war-club,
until he has beheaded at least one victim.
The wooer is rejected by the maiden Of his
choice unless he can produce one head to
adorn their new home The chief fails to
secure recognition until he can exhibit to
his subjects head secured by his own
hand No dying person can enter the
! kingdom beyond the grave with honor
unless he is accompanied by one or more
headless companions. Every rajah owes
to his rank the tribute of a numerous es-
cort after death.
Among some tribes, notably the Bahu
Things, in the northern part Of the Mahak
kan basin, and the Ot-Damons of the up
per Kahajan, the religious custom is still
more exactipg. 1t is not sufficient to kill
the victim, but before being dispatched he
must also be tortured, the corpse sprinkled
with his blood and his flesh eaten under
the eyes of the priest and priestess, who
perform the prescribed rites. All this ex
plains the terror inspired by the Dayaks
in their neighbors, and the current belief
that they are sprung from swords and dag
gers that have taken human form. With
the gradual spread of Islam the Dayaks
of the British and Dutch possessions are
slowly abandoning their blood-thirsty
usage. At the same time the head-hunt-
ers themselves, strange TO say, are other
wise the mos. moral people in the whole
of Indonesia. Nearly all are perfectly
frank and honest. They scrupulously re-
spect the fruits of their neighbours labor,
and in the tribe itself murder is unknown.
The population of New Guinea, vari-
ously estimated at from 100000 to
100000, comprises very large number
of groups differing greatly from each other
in stature complexion, shape of the skull
and other physical features, as well as in
their usages and mental qualities. Sew
eral tribes approach the Indonesian type,
as found in Borneo and Celehes, while
others resemble the Malays, and are de-
scribed by travellers as belonging to this
race. But, although there is no clinical
uniformity, as seemed probable from the
reports of the early explorers, the Papuan
element, whence the great island takes the
name of Papuasia, certainly predominates
over all others.
On the whole the Papuans are somewhat
shorter than the Polynesians, the average
hight being about sixty-two to sixty-four
inches. They are well-proportioned, 1.-THE
and active, and display surprising skill
both in climbing trees and using the feet
for prehensile purposes. Most Papuans
have a very dark skin, but never of that
shiny black peculiar to the Shilluks of the
White Nile, the Wolors OF Senegal, and
some other African peoples The eve
brows are well marked, the eyes large and
animated, the mouth large but not pout-
ing, the jaw massive. Among the North
western Papuans, regarded by Wallace as
representing the type in its purity, the
nose is long, arched and tipped downward
at the extremity, and this is trait which
the native artists never fail to reproduce
in the human effigies with which they
decorate their houses and boats. Another
distinctive characteristic of numerous
tribes is their so-called mop-heads, formed
by superb masses of frizzly hair, no less
abundant than that of the Brazilian Ca
fusos, and, as in their case, possibly indi-
eating racial interminglings.
However backward they may be in
other respects, most Of the Papuans are
endowed with highly developed artistic
feeling, and as carvers and sculptors they
are far superior to most of the Malayan
peoples. Having at their disposition
nothing bat bamboos, bone, banana leaves,
bark and wood, they usually design and
carve with the grain-that is, in straight
lines. Nevertheless, with these primitive
materials they succeed in producing ex-
tremely elegant and highly original deco
rative work, and even sculpture colossal
statues representing celebrated chiefs and
ancestors. Thanks to this talent, they are
able to reproduce vast historic scenes, and
thus record contemporary events. Numer-
Gus tribes have their annals either de-
signed on foliage or depicted on rocks in
symbolic writing. The skulls of the enc
mics slain in battle, which are carefully
preserved to decorate the houses, are them
selves often embellished with designs
traced on masks made of wax and resin
On the banks of the Fly river the skulls
are also used as musical Instruments
The Island of Tasmania has already
been completely cleared by the system
matte destruction of its primitive inhabit-
ants, who were estimated at about : 600 on
the arrival of the whites, and who were
- -. : i !