Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-04-17
FIRST SIGHT OF WHITE MEN
Experience of a German Traveller
with Dwarfs in the Malay
Peninsula.

A few thousands of the human race
have kept themselves so aloof that
they still live in complete isolation,
dreading strangers more than they do
beasts of prey. One tribe of the dwarf
Negritos in the Malay peninsula whose
stamping ground is the mountains Of
northern Malacca and southern Siam Is
numbered among these shy and retir-
ing peoples. The people ask only to
be let alone. They live apart because
they are afraid. says the New York
Sun. p
A German botanist named Albert
Grubauer while on Il collecting tour a
few months ago went hunting for these
timid folks as he might for game, ex-
cepting that he had no murderous pur-
pose and merely wished to study them.
He knew that the only way to get near
them was to come upon then I'M
awares. They would run if they had a
half chance, SO the German and his
W or three native servants stole up
among the mountains very quietly and
- SPt oiohS Tx potilo ltttulhS iot
jungle and underbrush, expecting if
they aroused no suspicion to meet a
party out hunting or surprise a village
before its inmates could take TO the
woods.
1t was rather tedious work, but pa
thence was at length rewarded. AS
Grubauer renewed his search n
morning he heard a noise on the path
before him. He and his men sprang
to n side just as Il number of the
little men came along. They had been
collecting rattan and had loads of it
on their backs. They saw the white
man, dropped their loads in the path
and sprang into the brush.
The German and his men knew ex-
actly what they were to do in such "a
case. They were not to go an inch
in pursuit. No weapon was to be
speak a little Of the native dialect
aired his accomplishment in the gen.
TEST way. The white man was their
good friend and had come to see them.
And what wonderful presents he had
brought for his friends! The white
man and his servants extended their
arms, which were loaded with bright
cottons, strings of beads, many-colored
necklaces, tobacco and other tempting
articles, whose merits were eXtolled by
the spokesman with all the eloquence
he could command.
They knew the natives were behind
the bushes looking at the tempting
sight and listening to the exhortation.
Then the visitors sat down, still hold
ing out the beautiful presents. Finally
an old man, the leader of the party.
stuck his head out of the bush. He
broke off a green twig and held it up.
1t was a sign of peace and the white
man nodded to him. The ice was bro
ken. The Negrito approached the
European, they shook hands, some Of
the presents were distributed and the
visitors became the guests of the little
mountaineers. They were passed on
from one group to another till Cru
bauer, after a considerable time, had
completed his studies.
One of the most scientific journals
in Germany has thought it worth while
to print the long account which Cru
bauer has written about these people.
There they have lived for many gen.
erations almost within sight of the
worlds shipping as it passes up and
down through Malacca strait, the gate
way between the west and the east.
They have been in the world, but hard
ly of it, and their existence was scarce
ly known, but a persistent white man
full of tact and kindness finally won
their friendship and they have told
him all they knew about themselves.