The Raymer enterprise., 1921-10-06

largest clam. The shells OF these hug
bivalves often weigh 500 pounds. and
the meat alone 20 pounds.
Relidously. New Guinea Is q mix
ture, just as II is politically. Mpham
mechanism has a slight foothold ol
the west coast, due to the contact d
the tribes there with the Mohammed
ans Of the islands extending OF to
ward Asia. Christian missions arr
located at intervals along the coast
all around the island, hut the nulnbeR
OF natives 80 tar Christianlzed ID
small. On some Of the tiny Islands
lying In the strait between New
Guinea and Australia entire comma.
nltles OF Christians are to be found
Throughout most Of the huge island,
however, paganism Is rampant. the M.
tiyes propitiating supposed evil spirits
and the forces Of nature.
Because New Guinea 10 70 far from
countries with whose size we are fa
mllIar, we are likely to consider lts Ok.
tent rather vague. II the island could
he laid down along our Atlantic coast
We would soon appreciate its vastnesa
1t ls approximately 1900 miles long,
aud would reach from the southern
tip Of Florida to the northernmost
point on the coast Of Maine. IT. 400
miles Of. width would cover two-thirds
the distance Of Bermuda. The area Of
the island u close to 10000 square
miles. and 1t IL supposed to have
about l,000.000 Inhabitants.
History " the Island.
New Guinea was discovered more
than, half a century before Australia
was frst sighted; but while the latter
has come to have a population Of
100000 white people, and is the sent
Of an important, modern Christian gov.
errhnent, the former ls still almost
the undlspnted domain Of savagery.
The Dutch laid the flrst claim to ter.
rItory In the island. but confined their
operations to the western end. In
1884 the British established protec.
torate over the southwestern portion
Of the country, and the Germans an.
nexed the northeastern part the same
year. The three countries agreed on
boundaries In 1885, but their partition
Of the land was almost wholly an &C.
lion on paper, for there had been little
exploration Of the interior. Each c0un.
Try In the years since has established
n few trading and mission posts aud
plantations In the coast country and
has set up the skeleton Of q govern
mcnl, whose functionlng, however, has
had little effect In the interior.
The British portion Of Papua has
had the stntus Of a territory Of the
federal government Of Australia since
l!08, and the recent action Of the
League Of Nations In placing the for.
mer German New Guinea In Australian
hands under mandate gives that com.
moIlwealth control OF a little over half
Of the islands total area.
Strange Animal Life.
The nnima! life OF the worlds big.
gest tropical island, like that Of neigh.
boring Australia. Is strange and
bIznrre In western eyes. In ancient
geologic ages Papuq and Australia
were connected, Apparently for mil.
lions of years they have been sepa.
rated entirely from The rest Of the
world, 10 that their animal types are
q survival from the remote past. With
tho exception Of the pig, which probs.
bly, was brought from Asia relatively
recently, all Of the mammals Of New
Guinea are either marsupials which
carry their young In pockets, like the
opossnm and the kangaroo. or are
bcasts that Iay eggs like birds.
What New Guinea lacks In beasts
Of the field II mikes up In birds Of
the air As the home Of hundreds Of
species Of feathered creatures, 1t IL
more favored than many other por-
lions Of the earth's surface. Its dense
tropical forests are alive with them
birds Of almost every conceivable Size
and shape and Of q bewildering com.
binatlon Of cOlOrs. Most striking Of
the many birds that count New Guinea
their home il the gorgsously col.
ored and beautifully formed bird-of.
paradise. Most interesting 10 the ro-
mantle and ingenious bowsr.blrd,
which builds . pleasure dome" selely
as a place for its lsvs-makiaG.