The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-11-28

Guinea, or Papua, the largest island
in the world-counting Australia as
continent. Lying south of the equa-
tor, and separated from Australia by
the Arafura sea and Torres strait
New Guinea has an area of 3O8.OOO
square miles. The possession OF this
vast territory is divided. politically
speaking, between Holland. Great
Britain and Germany. Only in the
British territory has any serious at
tempt been made at settling and ad-
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 Wollaston's
"Pygmies and Papuans" (Sturgis &
Walton Co.. New York; and Captain
Rawlings Land Of the New Guinea
Pygmies" Il. B. Lippincott Co.. Phila-
delphia).
Here is q marvellous country, with
Bnow-clad peaks as high as Mount
Blanc. rising from impenetrable tropi-
cal forests inhabited by native races
who live in 30 primitive state that
1t 10 literally what Doctor Wollaston
calls 1.-THE stone age today.
The pygmies encountered by VOL
laston in one Of their villages among
the spurs of Mount Tapiro were clean
" built. active little fellows, whose
average adult stature was somewhat
less than four feet six inches. Their
skin IL . dusky yellowish brown. hair
abort and woolly and black. Many Of
the men have short, bushy black
boards. With the exception Of q head
dress Of plated fibers and feathers
and gourd strapped around the loins.
they 90 about unclothed. They carry
bows and arrows. hint knives and
,stone-headed clubs. and make fire by
friction Of bamboo sticks. blowing the
ismoldering finder into fame The
raise and smoke tobacco. mostly In
the form Of cigarettes: set snares for
birds, Wild pigs and small animals:
and extract . faint. pleasing sort Of
music from q split bamboo instru-
Iment something like 1ews-harp.
Doctor Wollaston found the Tapiro
pygmies 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 disdgured by dis
ease, kept up q shrill shouting all the
while the strangers were in sight:
and 1t 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. Il
may have been that the pygmies
feared the big Papuan men who &C
the expedition from the
plains would carry OF their wives. It
seems the supply Of Papuan women
Is very scanty. and the men would be
apt to seize any chance Of abducflnk> i
! Tapiro woman.
Mr.. WcIaston tells OF IN exciting |
rhsse after two small men, who were |
ultimately captured and kindly |
treated, but who showed no inclina-
lion to conduct strangers to their
AoDe." This with the aid Of native
Dorters was finally reached. and