Evening star., 1921-08-24
BIG SAVAGE AREA
HELD -"UNSPO|LED"
New : Guinea. Partitioned
by League Described by
Geographic Society.

"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 island,
the former German portion of which
recently has been placed u.ider the
control OF Australia by the league OF
nations.
Holland. Great Britain and Ger
many. who diVid, j .he island aniun:s
them-On pa perm 1855. have done
little more than place :, tenuous
fringe of outpoStS aiid missions along
the coast Tue spacious anterior has
been, left largely to tie numerous
wild tribes. whose cnief outdoor sport
is collecting human heads and VINO
not mireqnently MIX canninai feastS
on the remainder OF tueir enemies
anatomieS.
Thousand. of Miles Un~ xplOred.
This out-oi-the-w island, with
its thousands of square niles of un-
explored territory. has been and' con-
tinues To be an interesting field TO the
geographer. the naturalist and the
anthropoloSist, as we'll as to poiitl-
clans. statesmen and traders. Count
ing AuStralia as continent New
Guinea is exceeded in size among
the Islands only by icy Greenland.
and it may. therefore, be said to De
The largest island in the world which
supports "a considerable population
The number of the inhabitants Is not
definitely known. but is believed %
be close to one million. The island Is
600 miles southeast of the Philippines
and in the latitude Of the eastern
bulge of Brazil The equator lies
VII OF
ernmost point.
This huge island of the troplc seas
covets a greater area than hall d
dozen or more commonwealths OF the
United States. If it could be laid
down with its southeastern point at
Norfolk, Va, it would extend across
Virginia, West Virginia. Ohio. Indiana
Michigan. Wisconsin. Minnesota and
most of North Dakota, its northwest
ern point resting near the CANADIAN
border not far from the Montana
line And at its greatest width ii
would extend from near the northern
end Of Lake Michigan to a point just
south of Terre Haute, Ind. The area
IL close to 100000 square miles.
Australia Keenly Interested.
Australia has keen interest in
New Guinea, for it lies hardly hum
dred miles to the north and the stray
separating the two lands is dotted
|
southwestern quarter of the island
has been a territory of the federal
government Of Australia. and the re-
cent action of the league of nations
now gives the commonwealth Juris-
diction over more than half the island.
''The coastal regions of New Guinea
practically the only portions well
known-are typical tropical lands and.
as might be expected. are not par
ticularly healthful. The mountains
of the interior reach d considerable
height, one peak in the Dutch portion
Of the island being more than 500 feet
higher than Mount Whitney. the high
est peak in the United States proper.
Where the Papuans. the natives of
New Guinea, originated is an unset
tied point among ethnologists; The
inhabitants of most of the adjacent
islands are relatively fair. straight
haired Malays. but the Papuans are
black. wooily-haired negroes. like
those of the far-away Guinea coast
of Africa. 1t was because of this
was given to the island. Some of the
Papuans have become mixed with
Malays SO that numerous racial
Eradations exist.
elevated home. Throughout the
northern and eastern portions of the
islands the houSes-many of them
vast communal dwellings-are erected
on piles. In the southwestern sec
tion many of the native tribes live
in rude huts built in trees.
Not Devoid of Good Traits.
Though on the whole as savage as
any people in the world, the Papuans
are not devoid of good traits. Some
4 of the tribes have passion for
cleanliness and believe that the
spirits of their departed tribesmen
love to bathe. They therefore care
fully construct paths leading from
each grave to the sea. Some Of the
communities near the northeast coast
are literally villages beautiful They
and planted with ornamental shrubs.
'palaver spots where conferences are
held. These are paved with fiat stones.
beside which are erected stone pillars
to serve as back-reStS.
The animal life Of New Guinea.
like that of Australia. is queer to
Western eyes and represents the
fauna of ancient geological ages.
With the exception of the pig, which
was probably introduced from Asia.
all the beasts are either marsupials.
having pockets like the opossom. or
else lay eggs like birds. But in the
number and beauty of it's birds New
Guinea surpasses many other portions
of the earth's surface. 1t is the home
Of the gorgeously colored bird-of-
paradise and the ingenious, and ro-
mantle bower-bird. Bird skins make
up one of the important exports OF
the island"