Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-12
MUCH LIKE A NEW WORLD
Investigation Carried On in Dutch
New Guinea Results in Discov-
cry of Strange Race.
STILL LIVE IN THE STONE AGE

Correspondence Of the Associated Press)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Aug. Ere
ports of Dutch colonial expeditions, which
have recently completed the preliminary
exploration Of Dutch New Guinea, bring
to light many stories of remarkable
feats of endurance and discovery. For
kbout seven years officers of the Dutch
colonial army, with European and native
soldiers and coolies, have been making a
eomplete map of the colony and this work
IL now finished.
Dutch New Guinea is about fourteen
times as large as the Netherlands and
was settled by few Dutchmen as long
ago as 1898. but was only officially recog-
nized as colony lathe 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
expeditionary force underwent severe pri-.
vations and suffered considerable sick
ness Their lives were in danger from
hostile natives as they passed up UNI
known rivers and cut their way through,
almost impenetrable virgin bush. or
clambered high mountains covered with
eternal snow and never before assembled
by white men.
Natives Most Primitive.
The country was found to be fairly
thiokly' populated in some parts and the
natives in the interior were among the
most primitive in the world Many of them
had never before come into contact with
white men and fled at their approach,
so that the explorers in some instances
could not obtain data as to their customs,
language 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 and 1t appeared that this was lonG
with great ceremony after a certain age
had been attained. Amid feasting and
dancing. the first hole is pierced with
finely pointed sago thorn and the
aperture is gradually enlarged in five
operations, 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 cover
ing consisting of a short skirt of woven
leaves.
Some of the TRIBES were actively hos
tile head-hunters and attacked the ex-
plorers with bows and arrows and short
hardwood spears, whose points were
sometimes formed of bone. Others OF the
natives were peacefully inclined and will
ing in return for few trinkets to per
init the explorers to make all the neces-
sary observations without interference,
Houses BuiIl in Trees.
The natives appear to cling mostly to
the banks of the many rivers, where they
live in carefully constructed habitatlons
built in the trees or on piles twenty to
thirty feet high In the f-s-Aaterior. how
ever many settlements were found COM
posed of substantial buildings supported
by thick tree trunks and covered with
roofs of the large tried 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 oon-
struct their huts. or rather arbors. In a
long line like a street, each habitation
supported by the next one. Many OF tho
coast people had previously become 40
quainted with white men who had come
knew that money was valuable.
The knowledge of metals among the
natives Is very limited and their cutting
tools are stone axes and flint clisels, With
these some of the tribesmen managed to
carve ornaments on their pirogues or
canoes, their oars and little figures for
the adonment of their habitations.
Some kind of superstitlus belief is pre-
valent in the interior, for each habitation
in the settlements has its own god. usually
in the shape of a huge turtle shell, on
which is stuck fish head.
Hunters and Fishers.
Hunting and fishing are the main occu-
pations OF the natives, but in the in
terror many of the habitants are sur
rounded by patches for the cultivation OF
root-crops and sugar cane. which with
fish and sage form the main food of the
people. who are very fond OF Holsters and
mussels which are plentiful.
Everywhere the country is infested with
snakes and the rivers swarm with alli-
gators. but animals are not numerous and
comprise chiefly dogs, tame and wild
hogs, and kangaroos and other marsup-
ials. as well as many rats.
The conformation of the country varies
from low-lying marshlands, pregnant with
fever, to high, healthy plateaus and
mountains. such as the Wilhelmina peak,
which was climbed by two Dutch officers
ana found to measure about 1876 feet,
nearly as high as Mount Blanc.
Several OF the rivers flow very swiftly
and are full OF rapids and falls so that
the members of the detachments into
which the exploring force was divided
had often to drag or carry their motor
boat and native pirogues over land for
long distances.
The collections made by the explorers
are very valuable in connection with the
ethnography' zoology. botany and
geology Of the island colony. ana II Is
generally expected that the exploitation
Of the natural resources of the island
will speedily follow the report OF the mill
tary pioneers of civilization who have now
ended their work.