Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-27
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence)

ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
The Hague, Netherlands. Aug. 49,
Reports 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 about seven years Of
ficers of the Dutch Colonial Army
with European and native soldiers
and coolies have been making a COM
plete map of the colony and this work
is now finished. Dutch New Guinea
is about fourteen times as large as
the Netherlands and was settled by
q few Dutchmen as long ago as 1928,
but was only officially recognized as a
colony late last century. 1t COM
prises the greater part of the island
Of Papua in the South Seas.
In the course of the map work,
which was attended by great difficult
ties and some loss of life. all the
members of the expeditionary force
underwent severe privations and suf-
fered considerable sickness. Their
lives were in danger from hostile ma
tives as they passed up unknown
rivers and cut their way through al
most impenetrable virgin bush or
clambered high mountains covered
with eternal snow and never before
assembled by white men.
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
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.
measurements 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 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 covering consisting of a
short skirt Of woven leaves.
Some Of the tribes were actively
hostile hea6-hunters and attacked the
explorers with bows and arrows and
short hardwood spears whose points
were sometimes formed of bone. 9th
ers Of the natives were peacefully in
clined and willing in return for a few
trinkets to permit the explorers to
make all the necessary 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 or on
piles 20 or 80 feet high. In the far
interior, however. many settlements
were 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
construct their huts or rather arbors
in long line like a street, each habi-
tation supported by the next one
Many Of the coast people had previ-
ously become acquainted with white
men who had come to hunt birds OF
paradise and they also knew that
money was valuable.
The knowledge Of metals among the
Aatives is very limited and their cut
ting tools are stone axes and flint
chtsels. With these some Of the
trtbesmen managed to carve o'na-