The Raymer enterprise., 1921-10-06
New Guinea Woman and Baby.

cisty. Washington. b. c.)
Perhaps II IL logical enough that
less should be known about the largest
heavily Inhabited island In the world
New GuInea--than about the smalley
and more easily traversed lands OF
the sea, especially since It les, like
the neighborihg continent Of Australia,
near the antipodes of the western
world. far from the beaten track.
This island has come into notice re.
Gently through the action Of the
League Of Nations In giving TO Aus.
tralla the mandate for Its northeastern
quarter. formerly colonial possession
Of Germany. II Is probable, too, that
II may be one Of the subjects Of dis.
cussion when the problems Of the Pa.
cifc are taken up In Washington.
Except for a fringe Of q few widely
separated settlements and mission sta.
tons along the coasts. New Guinea Tor
Papua, to give Il Its native nsme) Il
. paradise Of savagery, Probably In
40 other area Of equal extent In the
world has civilization made so light
IN imprint. In the interior Of the
great Island heads are hunted as 10
smaller regions elsewhere. cannibal
feasts are held. savage dialects are
spoken innocent Of any modification
BY civilized language. primitive weap.
ons are used. and there Is practically
20 contac. with and no knowledge Of
the outside world
Origin Of Papuans Unknown.
The origin Of the Oriental negroes"
Of Papua Is an uns0Ived problem to
ethnologists. On most Of the Islands
to the east and north and toward
Asia. straight-halred. relatively fair
Malays are found. But the Papuans
are black. woolly-haired negroes Ike
the natives Of the fnr.away Guinea
coast Of western Africa. 1t was this
resemblance between The inhabitants
of Papun and Guinea that gave tho
island Its more common name among
aesterners Though the Pap,inn race
Is distinct. and though large numbers
Of the pure stock exist on the island,
the negro strain has also been mixed
with Malayan blood, resulting In nu.
merOus racial gradatIons.
The natives Of the southeastern
part Of the island may be said to
hark bnck 70 the days Of their
lrhoreal. pre-humnn ancestors, for
they live IN Jude leaf and straw.
fhntched novels which they construct
In trees Though This custom Of tree.
dwelling Is no, followed to any great
extent In other portions Of New
Gninen. the natives Of the island all
seem determined to live well ofr the
ground. The fnvorite habItatlons
throughout large pait of the country
are constructed on high piles. On the
protected ground beneath these struc-
lures the culinary operations are usu-
ally carried IN. Mnny of the build.
lngs are long. narrow communal af.
fairs. housing q score or in0re Of M
tyes. In many cases these habitn-
items nre merely dark tunnels. hui In
others they are divided Info colnpart.
ments. Clothing boihcrs the Paplnns
but little. but they give much hitelr
don to painting and iatooing their
bodies. and 10 bedeck.ng themselves
With neck. nose and cnr ornaments.
Odd Native Customs.
There Ii very little furniture IN
Papnan dwellings to he shifted about
BY the "la.ly Of the house" on cleaning
day Important among the few moy.
ables are hard narrow wooden blocks.
scooped out to III The neck pillows"
which would hardly nplnal to western
err as substitutes for lheil soft down.
iilled cushions.
Some of the tribes near the coast
have a passion fer hail,'rg so great
that they impute = love If The water
to the spirits Of ll,rIr departed tribes.
men. To facilitate spirit bathing"
surviving relatives and friends cure.
fully construct and keep open paths
lending from each grave to the sen.
Wllea they nre not dining on choice
cuts from some enemy frlbesinail,
Papuans eat In the mnin prosa!c
enough diet Of bananas. vans. sago,
hrea,lfrult aHd the meats OF ynrinus
anImals and fish liuI MS choice lid
bits, some VI the ,rIles rni certain
inAecis aud iLr liz u II liz. Murllls