Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1921-09-14
New Guinea Woman and Baby.

'oman and Baby.
I largest clam The shells of these hugn
bi,alveS often weigh so pounds. and
. the meat alone 20 pounds
/ Rpliglou,ly. New Guinea is a mix
/ ure. just us II Is politically Moham.
mechanism has s!!-A. :Y","D'i on
the w,s' coast, due 10 the contact ~
the tribes there with the Mohammed-
ans OF the Islands extending on to-
ward Asia Christian missions are
! located ui Intervals along the coast
al around the island, but the number
uf natives so far Christiau.zcd Is
. small. On some ~ the tiny Islands
lying In the strait between New
Guinea and Australia entire cOmmu-
mites Of Christians are to be found.
Throughout most ~ the huge island.
however, paganlsm is rampant, the ma
tiyes propltiatiug supposed evil spirits
and the forces Of nature.
Because New Gulnea is So FAR from
countries with whose Size we are IA.
miliar. we are likely to consider It's eX-
tent rather vague II the island could
be- laid down along our Atlantic coast
we would soon appreciate its vastEess.
It is approximately 1909 miles long,
aud would reach from the southern
tip Of Florida to- the northernmost
point on the coast of Maine. lts 100
miles ~ width would cover two.thirds
the distance Of Bermuda. The area OF
the island is close to 100000 square
miles. and II Is supposed to have
about leo,OOO inhabitants.
History OF the Island.
New Guinea was discovered more
,hun half y century before Australia
was first sighted but while the latter
huS come to have population Of
1.OOO.OOO white people, ana Is ;hc seat
uf nn Important. modern Christian gov
rrumrut. the former is still almost
'he uudi~mtcd domain of sayagery.
The Dri,N luid the first claim TO ter
rltorv in the island. hut confined their
operations to the western end. In
1884 the British established a protec-
tnratc ever the southwestern portion
~ ,he country and the Germans an
urvpd the northeastern part the same
wear The three countries agreed on
boundaries In 1855 but their partition
~ the laul was almost wholly an ac-
iinn on paper. for there had been little
exploration Of the interior Each coun.
try IA thr years since has established
~ few trading aud mission posts and
plantations In the coast country and
hn> set up the skeleton of a govern
mpnt whose iun,tioning however has
had little eject In the interior.
The british portion Of rapua has
had the ~tntus pf q territory ~ the
federal government NJ Australia since
1906 and the recent action Of the
League ~ Nations in pin''ng the for.
hands under mandate gives that com
muuvculth control OF a little over mali
Of the islands total area.
strange Animal LIE.
The animal lfe Of the worlds big.
gcst tropical island, like that of neigh.
boring Australia j. strange and
hilnrrc in western eyes, IN ancient
geologic age. Pupua and Australia
we're connected Apparently for mil
lions uf year, they have been Sepu.
rated entirely from the rest of the
world, So that their animal types are
u suryIya, from the remote pnst with
The cN "rlriuu of the pig, which prohn.
hIy wa, brought from Asia relatively
rcrcutly 1ll ~ the mammals of New
Guinea are either mnrsupials which
carry their Young iu pockets, like the
opossum aud the kangaroo, or are
beasts TINT luy eggs like birds.
What New Guinea lacks In beasts
NJ the field Il makes up In birds Of
the air. A. the home OF hundreds OF
species Of fcuthcrpd creatures, 1t Is
more favored than many other por'
linus of the oarth's surface It's dense
tropical forests are alive with them
birds uf almost every conceivable size
and shape and of bewildering com
hinntlon of Colors Most striking OF
the many birds that count New Guinea
their home Is the gorgeously col
ored and beautifully formed hird-of
paradise. Most interesting is the ro
mantle and Ingenious bower-bird
which builds a pleasure dome solely
, s.Ia 90 Inx