The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-04
PrrmIss Of the OrIsnt.

The discovery 10 Dutch New Guinea
81 a tribe Of dwarfS on the second bench
Of the great Snow Mountains is partic'i-
larry interesting ss establishing q new
point for the study VI the primitive
inhabitants. possibly absolute autooh-
thOns. Of lndoneaia.
IL 10 not long since the reports made
by travellers that in hitherto unknown
regions Of the earth they had found
communities Of pygmies were greeted
with such scientific derision a. attended
tho discovery Of the gorilla. In thesec-
ohd stage Of our knowledge that In the
bywaYs Of tho world dwarf races still
lived. when later explorers brought pos
tive confirmation Of the first reports,
tho matter was regarded a. Of interest
solely as removing few stories Of clas-
steal antiquity from the realm Of fable
into che region Of fact. Now the liter
AZURE Of the dwarf races is extensive.
In the brevity Of the first reports Of
this discovery from this least known
region Of the continental island Of New
Guinea details are lacking. Yet par
tioulAr interest must attach 20 the state
ment that these pygmies average 81
inches In height. for this 10 Cxactly the
stature Of the Aeta Of the Philippines
and very closely corresponds with the
MEASURE Of tho KarOns, also a New
Guinea people. This discovery contrib
utss a new position for the dwarfs at
one limit Of the Malay Archipelago.
already interesting attention 40 q dis
tinct centre Of human development. In
and about this area dWaris have been
found In Malacca. in the Andaman ISL
ands. in New Guinea. In the Philip
pines; and the'Ainu Of japan measure
scarcely higher in the figure Of man and
are but an easy step away IN the geog-
raphy Of the region.
A disposition Ia now manifested by
anthrOpOlogists to regard the dwarf
races. wherever they may occur, a.
persisting survivors Of an extremely
primitive type Of humanity. an arrest
in the course Of development which the
superior races have undergone. The
dwarfs Of Indonesia are but one Of sew
eral features which mark that island re-
gion as the theatre for the prosecution
Of the most promising researches into
the beginning Of man.
In Boneo the MAS or Orangltan pro-
sents one Of the highest instances Of the
development Of the ape, an apprOxima-
ton IN man which leaves no great gap
between the animal and the mao who
is h,s closest neighboT in the jungle
In Java the discovery Of PithocanthrO-
pus erectus has aroused and a. yet failed
20 settle the question whether these re-
mains found in a comparatively recent
deposit are those Of an anthrOpOid
ape or apelike man The most recent
examination Of the speech Of men who
are Individually primordial men tends 20
point more and more clearly 20 the pas
sage in that area from tho animal cry,
the mere uttsFance 81 vOwels with the
open throat. tn the employment Of
the palate and the tongue and the lips
In producing the consOnant mOdulauis
which make speech articilate.
Where 70 many things point tO In
donesia NJ a region in which man has
passed through the most critical early
stages of his development, physical and
intellectual alike. the discovery Of these
new dwarfs cannot fail Of value 70 the
student.