Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1921-09-16
New Guinea Woman and Baby.

oman ana bapl st -ss - ..itss
largest clam. The shells Of these huge
bivalves often. weigh Compounds, and
the meat alone 20 pounds. !. ~.
Religiousy, New Guinea is mix
ture, just US 1t is politically. Moham-
mechanism has Slight foothold on
the west coast, due to the contact of
the tribes there with the Mohammed-
ans of the islands extending Off to-
ward Asia Christian missions are
located at intervals along the coast
all around the island, but the number
of natives so far Christianized Is
small. On some of the tiny islands
lying in the strait between New
Guinea and Australia entire commu-,
mites OF Christians are to be found.
Throughout most of the huge island,
however. paganism is rampant, the ma
tives propitiating supposed evil spirits
and the forces. of nature.
Because New Guinea is so far from
countries with whose size we are fa-I
miliar. we are likely to consider Its ex-
tent rather vague. II the island could
be laid down along our Atlantic coast
We would soon appreciate Its yastness.
1t Il approximately 1900 miles long.
and would reach from the southern
tip Of Florida to the northernmost
point on the coast Of Maine. It's 400
miles Of width would cover two-thirds
the distance of Bermuda The area Of
the island Is close to 100000 square
miles. and It is supposed to have
about 1.O0O.00O Inhabitants. 4ai
History Of the isIand.s .us4bl
New Guinea was discovered more
than half century before Australia
was first sighted; but while the latter
has come to have population of
100000 white people. and ID the seat
of an important. modern Christian gov
eminent. the former is nstill almost
the undisputed, domain of .sayagery.
The Dutch laid the first claim to teri
ritory In the Island. but confined their
operations to the western end In
1884 the British established pfotec-
torate over the southwestern portion
OF the country, and the Germans am
nexed the northeastern part the same
year The, three countries agreed on
boundaries In 1886. but their partition
Of the land was almost wholly an ac--
ficn on paper, sfots thsre had been tttle
exploration of the Interior. Each ccun-
try In the years since has established
a few trading and mission posts and
plantatIeusA 10 the ecoast eonntry ,aed
has set -ups thes sk u 6tons Of Il EosernA
| ment, whose functioning, however. has
had little effect in the interior.
The British PARTON Of Pappa has
had the statasl Of sas terrftory sof fhs
| federal government Of Australia since
1905, and the recent action. Of the
League Of Nations IA. placing sthe for
mer German New Gufnea Ia Australian
| hands under mandate gives that COM
monwealth control Of little oyer half
| Of the islands total area.
= stranos Animal tissi 9n' e =
The animal life Of the worlds big
| gest tropical island, like that Of neigh
boring sAustraiia,a Isl. spFanse e and
4 bizarre In western eyes. In ancient
1 geologic ages Papua and Australia
| we're connected.a Apparently for milf
lions Of years they have been sepa,
/ rated entirely from the rest Of the
/ world. so ktiiat, their ANIMAL types are
4 a survival from the remote past. With
1 the exception Of the pig. which proba-
bly, WIS brought from Asia relatively
1 recently all OF the mammals of New
i Guinea are either marsupials which
carry their young In pockets. like the
oposshrh and the Kangaroo or are
beasts that lay eggs like s, BIRDS JJrItdls q anja
What New Guinea lacks In beasts
4 of the field 1t makes up In birds Of
i the air. AS the home Of hundreds of
species OF feathered creatures. 1t is
more favored thar many other por-
rions Of the elsdif iflf4ce. 2Itsa; dehys
tropical foreJts df4 saiivc WIKI tfie.f,IL
4 birds Of almost every conceivable size
and shape and Of beyiiqeripg dota.
h bination OF colors. Most striking OF
i the many birds that count New Guinea
] .ibeig hQpe "a the g9rgsopsly col:
ored and beautifully formed bird-of
paradise. Most interesting is the 70
mantle and ingenious bower-bird
which builds ! s'pleasure dome" solely
rs place for IT. iove-making