Norwich bulletin., 1921-09-15
IN THE DAYS NEWS.
New Guinea.

''The huge island of New Guinea is probably the most 'unspoiled' savage country in existence today" says a bulletin issued by the National Geo. graphic Society in regard to the isl- and the former German portion of which recently has been placed under the control of Australia by the League of Nations.
 Holland, Great Britain and Ger many, who divided the island among them-on paper-in 1885 have done lit tie more than place a tenuous fringe of outposts and missions along the coast. The spacious interior has been left largely to the numerous wild collecting human heads and who not infrequently make cannibal feats off the remainder of their enemies anatomy.
 This out island, with it's thousands of square miles of unex- plored territory, has been and con- tinues to be an interesting field to the geographer, the naturalist and the anthrOpologist as well as to politicians, statesmen and traders. Counting Aus tralia as a continent, New Guinea is exceeded in size among the islands only by icy Greenland; and it may there fore be said to be the largest island in the world which supports a con- siderable population. The number of the inhabitants is not definitely known but is believed to be close to one million. The island is 500 miles south east of the Philippines and in the lati- tude of the eastern bulge of Brazil. The Equator lies only about twenty miles off it's northernmost point. This huge island of the tropic seas covers a. greater area than half a dozen or more commOnWealthS of the United States. If it could be laid down with it's southeastern point at Norfolk, Va it would extend across Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wis consin, Minnesota, and most of North Dakota, it's northwestern point rest ing near the Canadian border not far from the Montana line. And at. its greatest width it would extend from near the northern end of Lake Michi- gan to a point just south of Terre 1 Houte, Ind. The area is close to 30O,- | 900 square miles.
 Australia has a keen interest ir New Guinea for it lies hardly a hun l dred miles to the north, and the strait 1 separating the two lands is dotted witt | small islands. Since 1906 the south l western quarter of the island has beer
  territory of the federal government 1 of Australia, and the recent action o | League of Nations now gives the com monwealth Jurisdiction over more thar l half the island.
 ''The costal region of New Guinea practically the only portions wei | known-are typical tropical lands and as might be expected, are>not particu larly healthful. The mountains of tn, interior reach a considerable height 1 one peak in the Dutch portion of tn, l island being more than 800 feet highe | than Mt. Whitney, the highest peal in the United States proper.
 1 Where the Papuans, the natives O New Guinea, originated is an unsettled point among ethnologists. The in habitants of most of the adjacent isl ands are relatively fair, straight -hairet l Malays, but the Papuans are black l woody haired negroes like those of tn far-away Kuinea coast of Africa. I was because of this similarity tha the name New Guinea, was given t
 the island. Some of the Papuans hay