Evening star., 1913-02-23
Special Correspondence Of The Star.


LONDON. February 49, 1919.
@NE of the queerest regions under
I the sun-a land peopled by pigmies
whose womenkind are shocked at
the sight of men wearing clothes-has
just been explored by a British officer.
This is Capt G. c. Rawling. who set out
as an agent of the British Ornithological
Society to explore the parts of Dutch
New Guinea which lie in the neighbor-
hood of the Snow mountains. and was
rewarded by the discovery of hitherto
unknown race Of human midgets.
OF the pigmies of Tapiro mountain
their discoverer can tell us comparatively
little. however. for these tiny people,
whose average height is four feet eight
inches who can count only up to ten and
whose favorite weapon, both for purposes
of wife-beating and defense against their
enemies, is a wooden club with a stone
head-proved exceptionally coy, and re-
fused to be studied to any extent. Not
SO much as a sight of their women did
Capt. Rawling and his companions get.
despite the fact that they offered daz-
zling inducement, in the shape OF large
butcher knives" in exchange for an
introduction to the fair ones OF the
Tapiro country.
The old men of the tribe. it seems.
stood in the way, though the young ones
were inclined to yield to the explorers
temptation. "In fact writes Rawling.
they actually said that several of the
women had approached, and from the
screen of the jungle had taken a sur
reptitious look at us, but that the sight
of our clothing had been too much for
their feelings, and that they had beaten
a precpitate flight. If we would only
them," they explained, there would be
little doubt that the women could be
persuaded to return
Evidently the Tapro ladies look upon
clothing as immodest. These pigmies are
not cannibals but nearby tribe visited
by Rawlng and his companions are, and
vigorously defended their diet from a
health standpoint.
"In their case" says the explorer. this
gruesome custom is not without touch
of unconscious humor, the members
claiming that human flesh is prefera BILE
to that of pig. as. no matter what
quantity is eaten. the former never in
duces indigestion"
These cannbalistic Pauans refrained
from butchering any human beings. un-
less they did SO on the quiet, while Raw
ling and his party were in their village.
but they entertained the Englishmen with
rigkilling festival which must have
been an extraordinary spectacle. The
pigs slain numbered two. and previous to
the orgy accompanying their deaths. In
which the entire village took part. were
penned up in a native hut.
The men, says Rawling. armed with
large rattan nooses, placed themselves on
either side of the hut within which the
pigs were confined. and at a given signal
the animals were driven forth. success
fully overpowered and trussed, their
snouts tightly bound and chalk thrown
into their faces and eyes. With man
seated astride each animal, and to the
Accompaniment of loud walls from the
women, they were lifted shoulder-higb.
carried to the place of slaughter, and
lashed to the platform.
..The executioners with their clubs took
Nd position whilst the audience, number
ing some two hundred souls. crowded
closely around. and as the rain of blows
fell, drowned the squeals of the victims
bv wells and the beating of drums.
Death must have been instantaneous. but
the basting continued until the carcasses
had ceased to CULVER. when, for quite
five minutes. the entire audience gave