The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-09-18

prepared by the National Geographic SO.
ciety. Washington ID. O.
Perhaps II is logical enough that
Ass should be known about The largest
heavily inhabited Island In the world
Nav Gulnea~than about the smaller
and more easily traversed lands Of
the sea, especially since 1t les, like
The ne!ghb0rlng 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 III giving to Aus
tralia 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 fringe of few widely
separated settlements and mission sta.
tons along the coasts. New Guinea Cor
Papua, TO give IL It's native name) Is
paradise of savagery. Probably In
no other area of equal extent IN the
world has civilization made so light
an imprint In the interior of the
great island heads are hunted as in
.smaller regions elsewhere. cannibal
Ifeasts are held. savage dialects are
spoken innocent of any modification
by civilized language, primitive weap-
ons are used. and there is practically
no contact with and no knowledge Of
sthe outside world
Origin Of Papuans Unknown.
The origin OF the oriental negroes"
Of Papua IS an unsoved problem to
ethnoiogists On most of the islands
10 the east and north and toward
Asia, straight-haired, relatively fair
Malays are found. But the Pnpuans
are black woolly-haired negroes like
the natives OF the far.away Guinea
coast of western Africn II was this
resemblance between the inhabitants
Of Papua and Guinea thar gave the
islRnd It's more common hume among
westerners. Though the Papuan race
Is distinct and though large numbers
OF the pure stock exist on the isIard.
the negro strain has also been m!x~l
with Malayan blood, resulting In uu.
merous racial gradations,
The natives Of the southeastern
part Of the island may be said to
hark back TO the days of their
arboreal. pre-hVman ancestors, for
they live in rude leaf and straw.
thatched bowels which they construct
IN trees. Though this custom Of tree
dwelling Is not followed to any great
extent In other portions of New
Guinea. the natives or the island all
seem determined to live well of the
ground. The favorite habitati0ns
throughout large part Of the country
are constructed ON high piles on the
protected ground beneath these struc-
lures the culinary operations are usu-
ally carried on. Many Of the build.
ings are long, narrow communal af-
fairs. housing a score or more Of na.
tives In many cases these hablta-
tiOns are merely dark tunnels. hut In
others they are divided into compare.
ments. Clothing bothers the sPnpuans
but little. but they give much atten-
ti0n TO painting and tatooing their
bodies. and TO bedecklng themselves
with neck, nose and ear ornaments.
Odd Native Customs.
There Is very little furniture In
Papuan dwellings to he shifted about
by the "lady ~ the house" on cleaning
day. Important among the few NOV
ables are hard narrow wooden blocks,
scooped out to III the neck-"pllows"
which would hardly appeal TO western.
ers AS substitutes for their soft down
Elled cushions.
Some of the tribes near the coast
have u passion for bathing. so great
that they lmpute love Of the water
to the spirits of their departed tribes.
men, To facilitate spirit bathing"
surviving relatives and friends care.
fully construct and keep open paths
leading from each grave TO the sea.
When they are not dining on choice
cuts from some enemy trlbesmun,
Pupuans eat In the main u prosaic
enough diet of bananas. yams. sago,
breadfruit and the meats OF various
animals and fish. But rs choice It'd.
bits, some OF the tribes eat certain
insects and the meat Of the worlds