The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-12
EXPLORATIONS IN . DUTCH NEW GUINEA Natives Among Most Primi-
 tive in the World MAP IS CONTEMPLATED Expedition Returns After Having Thoroughly Covered the Colony.
 Valuable Collections Made of
 Geographical Data
MAP IS CONTEMPLATED

The Hague, Netherlands, August 20. Correspondence of the Associated Press.) Reports of Dutch colonial expeditions which have recently completed the pre- limnary exploration of Dutch New Guinea bring to light many stories of remarkable feats of endurance and discovery. For about seven years officers of the Dutch colonial army with European and native soldiers and coolies have been making complete map of the colony and this work is now finished. Dutch New Guinea Is about 14 times as large as the Neither lands, and was settled by rew Dutch men as long ago as 1928. but was only of- ficially recognized as colony late last century. It 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 forces underwent severe privations and suffered considerable sick ness. Their lives were in danger from hostile natives as they passed up un- known rivers and cut their way through almost impenetrable virgin bush or clam bered high mountains covered with eter- nal snow and never before ascended by white men.
 Natives Are Primitive
 The country was found to be fairly thickly 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 con- tact with white men and fled at their ap- proach, so that the explorers in some in- stances could not obtain data as to their customs, language, mea surements 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 done with great ceremony after certain age had been attained Amid feastlng and danc- ing, the first hole is pierced with finely pointed sago thorn and the aperture Is gradually enlarged in five operations un- til the requisite size has been reached for the insertion of the cane. which after wards Is never removed. The women of some tribes had slight covering con- sisting 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 ling in return for a few trinkets to per- | IIlll tuo okplOrcTS tO IHdhc di tHC hcOC6- sary observations without interference.
 The natives appear to cling mostly to the banks of the many rivers, where they live in carefully constructed habitations built in the trees on piles 20 or % feet high. In the far interior. however, many settlements were found composed of sub- stantial 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 toys | and separate ones for each woman | In the coastal lands the ratives con struct their huts or rather arbors In g | long line like street, each habltatior 1 supported by the next one. Many of the coast people had previously become ac. | quainted with white men who had com, | to hunt birds of paradise and they also knew that money was valuable.
 Knowledge of Metals Limited The knowledge of metals umO:.y tht natives is very limited ana their cutting tools are stone axes and flint chisels | With these some of the tribesmen man | aged to carve ornaments theil pirogues or canoes, their oars and littl, | figures for the adornment of their habita 1 tions.
 | Some kind of superstitious belief ii prevalent in the interior, for each ha bita | tion in the settlements has its own got
 usually in the shape of a huge turtl,
 shell on which is stuck fish head. l Hunting and fishing are the mair
 occupations of the natives. but in thu
 interior many of the inhabitants ars | surrounded by patches for the culti- l vation of root crops and sugar cane which with fish and sago form ths main food of the people. who are very
 fond of Holsters and mussels. which art | plentiful.
 Everywhere the country Is infested with snakes and the rivers swarm witt 1 alligators, but animals are not numer
 ous and comprise chiefly dogs tame
 and wild hogs, and kangaroos and oth | CT marsupials as well as many rats. | The conformation of the countr, varies from low lying marshlands preg nant with fever to high, healthy pla teaus and mountains such as the VII helmina peak. which was climbed by
 two Dutch officers and found to meas ] ure about 15.275 feet, nearly as higl as Mount Blanc.
 Several ot the rivers flow yer,
 swiftly and are full of rapids ant
 talis, so that the members of the de
 tachments into which the explorini force was divided had often to drag ol
 carry their motorboat and nativ pirogues over land for long distance.
 The collections made by the ex ] 7lorers are very valuable in connec
 ton with the ethnography, zoology
 botany and geology of the island col
 ony and it is generally expected tha the exploitation of the natural re
 sources of the island will speedily fol
 low the report of the military pioneer |, of civilization who have now ende their work.