Bisbee daily review., 1915-09-07
DUTCH EXPLORERS IN
new GUINEA COMPLETE
MAP OF THAT COLONY
Great Privations Undergone BY
Dutch Soldiers and Natives
Who Explore the Island of Pa
Dua; Work Is Complete.

THE HAGUE. Netherlands, Sept. 6
Reports of Dutch colonial eXpedi-
tions which have recently completed
the preliminary exploration of Dutch
New Guinea. bring TO light many stor-
les of remarkable feats of endurance
and discovery. For about seven years
OFFICERS of the Dutch Colonial Army
with European and native soldiers
and collies, have been making 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 a
few Dutchmen as long ago as 1928.
but was only officially recognized as
colony late last century. 1t com
prises the greater part of the Island
of papua i'm the South Seas.
In the course of the map work.
which was attended by great Difficult
ties and some loss Of life. all the mem
bers Of the eXpeditionary force under
went severe privations and suffered
considerable sickness. Their lives
were in danger from hostile natives
as they passed up unknown rivers
and cut their way through almost i'm
penetrable virgin bush or clambered
high mountains covered with eternal
snow and never before assembled by
white men.
The country was found to be pretty
thickly populated I'm some parts. and
the natives i'm the interior are among
the most primitive I'm the world Many
Of them had never before come i'm CON
tact with white men and fed at their
approach. so that the explorers i'm
some instances could not obtain data
as to their customs, language, meas
urements or mode of living Nearly
all were found to be i'm their absolute
natural state and without clothing
The grown mems noses were pierced
with bamboo canes and it appeared
that this was done with great cere-
mony after a certain age had been at
tanned. Amid feasting and dancing.
the first hole is pierced with a finely
pointed sago thorn and the aperture
is gradually enlarged i'm five 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 of the tribes were actively
hostile head-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 We're 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 i'm carefully construct
ed habitations built in the trees or
on piles 90 or 30 feet high In the far
interior however. many settlements
We're 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
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 a long line like a street each habi-
tation supported by the next one.
Mary Of the coast people had previ-
ously become acquainted with white