The Ordway new era., 1914-10-16


Guinea. or Papua, the largest island
in the world-counting Australia as q
continent. Lying south Of the equa-
tor. and separated from Australia oy
the Arafura sea and Torres strait.
New Guinea has an area OF 308.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 ao-
ministering the country.
Owing to its remote situation. its
rugged mountain ranges and impeno.
trable forests, its deadly climate aha
hostile, treacherous Inhabitants. New
Guinea today 10 practically terra IN
cognita. It offers greater opportunities
for the explorer, collector and antnfo
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 Z
Walton Co., New York; and Captain
Rawlings Land Of the New Guinea
Pygmies" Il. B. Lippincott Co, Phiia-
delphia).
Here 10 q marvellous country. with
snow-clad peaks as high ~ Mount
Blanc, rising from impenetrable tropi-
cal forests inhabited by native races
who live in 10 primitive . state that
It il 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
Iy built, active little fellows. whose
average adult stature was somewhat
less than four feet six inches. Their
skin il q dusky yellowish brown. hair
short and woolly and black. Many Of
the men have short, bushy black
boards. With the exception OF . head
dress of plated hbers and feathers
and q gourd strapped around the loins.
they 10 about unclothed. They carry
bows and arrows, flint knives and
stone.headed clubs, and make IRE by
friction of bamboo sticks, blowing the
smoldering finder Into flame. Tho
raise and smoke tobacco. mostly in
the form OF cigarettes; set snares for
birds. wild pigs aud small animals:
and extract q faint, pleasing sort Of
music from q split bamboo instru-
ment. something like = jew's.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, a bald and white-bearded old
creature horribly disi1gured by dis
ease, kept up a shrill shouting all the
while the strangers were 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 &C.
companied 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
ant to seize any chance Of abducting
a 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