The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-10-23

Guinea. or Papua, the largest island
in the world-counting Australia as q
continent. Lying south of the equa
tor, and separated from Australia by
the Arafura sea and Torres strait
New Guinea has an area of SOSOoO
square miles. The possession of TINS
vast territory is divided politically
speaking, between Holland, Grea'
Britain and Germany. Only In the
British territory has any serious at
tempt been made at settling and au
ministering the country.
Owing to its remote situation, Its
rugged mountain ranges and impene-
trable forests, its deadly climate ana
hostile, treacherous inhabitants, New
Guinea today is practically terra in
cognita. It offers greater opportunities
for the explorer collector and anthro-
pologist than any other portion Of the
globe.
The expedition recently sent to this
virgin land by the British Ornitholo-
gists' union made pioneer explorations
in the land of the Tapiro pygmies, de-
scribed in two narratives Of sensa-
tional interest: Doctor Wollastons
'Pygmies and Papuans" tSturgis &
Walton Co., New York; and Captain
Rawlings Land of the New Guinea
Pygmies" q. E. Lippincott Co., Phila-
delphia).
Here is a marvellous country, with
snow-clad peaks as high as Mount
Blanc, rising from impenetrabe tropi-
cal forests inhabited by native races
who live in so primitive a state that
It is literally what Doctor Wollaston
calls 1.-THE stone age today.
The pygmies encountered by VOL
1aston in one of their villages among
the spurs of Mount Tapiro were clean
ly built, active little fellows, whose
average adult stature was somewhat
less than four feet six inches. Their
skin is a dusky yellowish brown, hair
short and woolly and black. Many Of
the men have short, bushy black
boards. With the exception of a head
dress of plated fibers and feathers
and a gourd strapped around the loins,
they go about unclothed. They carry
bows and arrows, flint knives and
stone-headed clubs, and make fire by
friction of bamboo sticks, blowing the
smoldering tinder into fame. The
raise and smoke tobacco, mostly in
the form Of cigarettes; set snares for
birds, wild pigs and small animals;
and extract a faint, pleasing sort of
music from a split bamboo instru-
ment, something like a tews-harp.
Doctor WOlaston found the Tapiro
pygmtes shy and timorous, but eager
for barter, and extremely curious
about the white men. Their women
he never set eyes on. The village head !
man, q bald and white-bearded old
creature horribly disfgured by dis |
ease, kept up a shrill shouting all the |
while the strangers we're in sight;
and it was probably due to his pro-
tests that the Englishmen-on this |
trip, at least-were not permitted to
view the female of the species. It
may have been that the pygmies |
feared the big Papuan men who ac- |
companied the expedition from the
plains would carry off their wives. It
seems the supply Of Papuan women
is very scanty, and the men would he
apt to seize any chance of abducting
Tapiro woman.
Mr. Wollaston tells of an exciting
chase after two small men, who were
ultimately captured and kindly
treated, but who Showed no inclina-
tion to conduct strangers to their
home" This with the aid of native
porters was finally reached, and |