Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-09-02


nous scientists headed by Walter Goodfellow,
the naturalist.
The expedition landed at the mouth of the
Mim1ka river, on the south coast Of Dutch New
Guinea, in the early part of the year, and at
pushed into the interior. While ascending the
Snow mountains, at elevation of about 1000
feet the explorers came upon the tribe of pig
miles, which are said to belong to that division
OF the human race known as the Negritos.
The importance of this discovery to anthro-
biologists can hardly be overestimated because
1t has always been a subject of controversy
among the scientists as to whether Negritos ex-
listed in the Papuan islands.
The New Guinea savages or Papuans as thew
are called, are comparatively well known, but
they are very different kind of men to the pig.
mics just discovered The typical Papuan is
much taller than the average European often at.
tanning a height Of seven feet, and is strongly
built. The color Of the skin varies from deep
chocolate to nearly black. The nose is large
and prominent, and nose bar of SHE'LL bone or
wood is usually thrust through it. Both men and
women go about entirely naked. Their houses
are generally built on piles, and, in Borneo,
are often communal and of very large size, many
families occupying one building, which mar be
as much as 700 feet long, Then there are re-
markable houses built in trees and known as
-dobbos," but these used only to escape their
enemies. Cannibasm prevails among the Pa
puans although 1t is by no means universal
The Negritos. on the other hand. which here
tofore have been thought to occupy only the
Andaman islands, in the Bay of Bengal, the
northern portion Of the Malay peninsula and the
Philippine islands, are Enthusiastically short,
no adult standing over four feet six inches. while
the women rarely exceed four feet The average
height is about four feet three inches.
The main features of this peculiar human
type. apart from their dminutiveness, are the
extraordinarily dark color of their skin, which
approaches the color of newly blackleaded
stove, the extremely broad nose the breadth Of
which is about equal to the height, and the frizzy
hair. which grows in isolated peppercorn tufts all
over the scalp. Their arms are unusually long,
like those of the manape, and their mental quail
ties sadly undeveloped. not one of them being
able to express a higher numerical idea than
three.
How these little people have been able to
protect themselves against the many dangerous
animals that infest the section, particularly the
gigantic gazeka, which has just been discovered,
is still a mystery, although they have shown re-
markable ingenuity In the invention Of weapons.
One, for instance, Is variety Of spring gun"
which might prove effective against almost any
living enemy. 1t is made by setting fattened
bamboo spear attached to bent sapling which
is fastened to trigger in such a way that it is
released by the passerby stumbling against an
invisible string stretched across the track The
spears poisoned either with the famous
"upas" or some other similar vegetable poison,
and a wound from one Of them means almost
instant death.
Whether such primitive defensive methods
avail them against the huge gazeka is not known,
but the chances are that they find safety in
retreat.
According to the official reports, the gayeka is
of gigantic size and fearsome aspect II Is black
and white striped, has the nose Of tapir and
"a face like the devil" Among the English in
habitants of the island, the animal is known as
Monckton's gazeka, in honor Of Mr. c. A. w.
Monckton, a former explorer in New Guinea. who
first reported its presence in the mountains.
Mr. Monckton, during his ascent Of Mount AL
bert Edward in the west of British New Guinea,