The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-17

From the New York Sun.
The time of great discoveries in the Pa
ciic has gone and the work of the geog-
rapher at present is directed to studying
in detail many islands that are still little
known.
A few islands have not even been visit
ed by white men till recently, though they
were known to be inhabited. A German
warship recently dropped anchor at one
of them, and what was learned about the
inhabitants has interested ethnologists.
This is the island of st. Matthias in the
Bismarck Archipelago. 1t is north of the
large island of New Mecllenburg, which
long bore the name of New Ireland, given
to 1t by British explorers. 1t was dis
covered by William Dampier, 2O4 years
ago, but it has now been visited for the
first time by the German warship See
adler.
1t was found that the inhabitants have
a knowledge of weaving, and their pro-
duct compares favorably with the best
specimens of cloth made by the Caroline
islanders. They are of Melanesian origin
and they are the only people of Melanesa
who are known to practice the art or
cloth making This discovery has nat
urally aroused much interest in st. Mat
thias.
Another Discovery.
A still more interesting discovery was
made about the same time and in
neighboring region by Norwegian sea
CAPTAIN named Axel Monrad, who for
wears has been in the copra trade. He
buvs cocoanuts In the Bismarck Archi-
peIago and takes them to the little island
of Greenwich, about sixty miles north OF
the equator, where his firm prepares the
copra.
One morning while on his way to Green
wIch he sighted a small island when ne
had never seen before 1t was little
over a mile long and about half mile
wide.
It's surface Is quite fiat and covered with
forest; the coasts are surrounded by coral
rock AS we'll as he could determine, the
island Is situated in l degree 81 minutes
south latitude and $50 degrees rs minutes
east longitude.
Captain Monrad did not land. but he re-
NAMED near the coast for about Day
He saws the little rock must have quite
a dense population. At least twenty-five
canoes with outriggers and holding from
two to six men, pushed out from the
shore and came fearlessly alongside his
vessel.
The men appeared to belong to the Mel
anesian race, but were lighter In color
than the natives of the groups TO the
north and south of them. A number of
them had long thin boards and all OF
them were perfectly nude
Had No Weapons.
There was not a single weapon among
them. and they brought nothing in their
boats. Even their paddles, which are
alxr l.
anders. were hardly more than fiat pieces
of wood.
They were perfectly fearless and evil
IDENTIFY did not dream that they might be
badly treated 1t was evident that none
of the old slave hunters of the Pacine'
who forced so many natives from their
homes to wear out their lives on the plan
tations of other Islands, had even paid
them visit.
The CAPTAIN had an eye out for trade,
but nothing he showed them seemed to
excite any curiosity or interest. Twice
he fred his revolver. and those who were
on the deck of his vessel instantly sprans
into the sea, but clambered back again
with shouts of laughter when. they found
that the terrible noise did them no harm
The noise they made by their incessant
chattering at the top of their voice was
very tiresome. The captain could not
make himself heard above the din, and
the constant screaming of the natives,
hour after hour, made him nearly i'll. In
his black crew were natives from several
island groups, but none of them could
understand the language of the visitors.
Means of Support Mystery.
The captain could see on shore only
few cocoanut palms, and how the little
sland gives support to so many inhabi-
fants Is a mystery to him. He saw no