Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-29
EXPLORERS FINISH WORK
IN DUTCH NEW GUINEA
For Seven Years Officers Of Army
IIave Been Mapping Colo
NAL Possession.
STRANGE PEOPLE DISCOVERED
Primitive Savages, to Whom No Civil
lization Ever Has Penetrated, Arc
FOund-Labors Marked by Re.
markable FeatS OF Endurance.


gust 2s.-Reports OF Dutch colonial ex
petitions which have recently COM
pleted the preliminary exploration of
Dutch New Guinea bring to light many |
stories OF remarkable feats OF endur-
ance and discovery For about seven
years officers OF the Dutch Colonial
Army, with European and native SOL
diers and coolies. have been making
complete mnp OF the colony. and this
work is finished. Dutch New
Guinea is about fourteen times as
large as tho Netherlands, and was set
tied By n few Dutchmcn as long ago
rs 1928, but was only officially rccog
nized as a colony late last century.
1t comprises the greater part OF the
Island of Papua. in the south seas.
In the course Of the map work. which
was attended By great difficulties and
some loss OF life. all the members OF
the cxpcditionary. force underwent Sc
we're privations and suffered consider
able sickness. Their lives were in
danger from hostile natives as they
passed up unknown rivers and cut their
way through almost irnpcnetrable vir-
gin bush or ella inferred high mountains
covered with eternal snow and never
before assembled by white men.
COUNTRY FOUND TO DE
THICKLY POPULATED
The country was found to be fairly
th!ckly populated in some parts, and
the natives in the interior were among
the most primitive in the world. Many
OF them had never before como into
contact with white men, and fed at
their approach so that the explorers
In some instances could not obtain data
as TO their customs. language. meas
urenents or mode of living. Nearly all
were found to be in their absolute
natural state and without clothing.
The grown mems noses were pierced
with bamboo canes. ana il appeared
that this was done with great cere-
mony after certain age had been at
tained. Amid feasting and dancing
tho first hole is pierced with finely
Pointed sago thorn and the aperture
Is gradually enlarged in nve opera
tons until the requisite size has been
reached for the insertion OF the cane,
which afterwards Is never removed
The women Of some tribes had a slight
covering. consisting OF a short skirt
of woven leaves
Some ot the tribes were active
kostil" hcadhunters and attacked the
explorers with bows and arrows and
short hardwood spears. whose points
WEI" sometimes formed, OF bone.
Others OF the natives were peacefully
inclined and willing in return for
Itw trinkets to permit the explorers
70 make all tho necessary observations
without Interference
The natives appear TO cling mostly to
The banks OF the many rivers. where
they live in carefully constructed habi-
tations built in the trees or on piles
twenty or thirty feet high. In the far
Interior. however, many settlements
"erc found composed OF substantial
buildings supported by thick tree
trunks and covered with roofs OF the |
large dried leaves OF tropical plants |
In fact. several OF the dwellings were
divided into various apartments-a
large one in the center for the men
and boys and separate ones for each
woman.
In the coastal lands the natives con-
Struct their nuts, or rather arbors. in |
a long line like a street, each habita-
ton supported by the next one. Many
O: the coast people had previously be-
come acquainted with white men who
had come 10 hunt birds OF paradise. |
and they also knew that money was /
valua BILE.
The knowledge OF metals among the |
natives is very limited and their cut
ting tools stone axes and flint !
chiseis. With these some Of the tribes !
managed to carve ornaments on
their pirogues or canoes. their oars and
little figures for the adornmcnt Of their /,
habitations.
EACH SETTLEMENT
HAS IT'S OwN GOD
Some kind OF superstitious belief is
prevalent in the interior. for each habi- |
tation in the settlements has its own !
god. usually in the shape of a huge
turtle shell, on which is stuck n fish
head.
Hunting and fishing are the main |
occupations of the natives. but in the |
interior many of the habtants are sur
rounded by patches for the cultivation |
OF root crops and sugar cane, which, |
with fish and sago form the main food |
of the people. who are very fond OF !
Holsters and mussels. which arc plenti- |
full
Everywhere the country is infested |
with snakes. and the rivers swarm |
with alligators, but animals are not |
numerous, and comprise chiefly of dogs |
tame and wild hogs and kangaroos
and other marsupials, as we'll as many |
rats.
The conformation of the country |
varies from low lying marshlands |
PteShah' WIN icNef 10 Nigh healthy !
plateaus and mountains, such as the
Wilhelmina Peak. which was climbed
by two Dutch officers and found 10
measure about 1925 feet, nearly az
high Mount Blanc.
Several of the rivers flow very
swiftly and are full of rapids and
falls, so that the members of the de-
tachments into which the exploring
force was divided had often to drag
carry their motor boat and native
pirogues over land for long distances.
The collections iadc by the ex-
plorers are very valuable in connection
with the cthnography, zoology. botany
and geology of the island colony. and
it is generally expected that the ex-
ploitation OF the natural resources Of