Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1921-09-16


prepared by the National Geographic So
,t 70 ciety. Washington, D.sC) t1.fs
Perhaps il is logical enough that
less Should be known about the largest
heavily Inhabited island In the world
Now Guinea--than about the smaller
and more easily traversed lands. of
the sea. especially, since it lies, like
the neighboring 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
tralIa the mandate for Its northeastern
quarter, formerly colonial possession
of Germany. 1t is probable, too, that
II NAV be one of theusubjects of dis
cussIon when the problems of the Pa
cific -are taken up in Washington.
ss Except fora fringe, Of 9 few widely
separated settlements and mission sta
tons along the coasts, New Guinea Cor
Papua, to give 1t Its native name) is
q 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
feasts 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
the outside world.
origin Of Papuans Unknown.
The origin of the Oriental negroes
of Papua is an unsolved problem to
ethnologists. On most of the islands
to the east and north and toward
Asia. straight-haired. relatively fair
lfalays are found. But the Papuans
are black, -Eooily-haired negroes like
the natives of the far-away Guinea
coast OF western Africa. It was this
resemblance between the inhabitants
Of Papua and Guinea that gave the
island It's more common name among
westerners. Though the Papuan 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 southea stern
part Of the island may be said to
bark back to the days Of their
arboreal. pre-human ancestors, for
they live Ia rude leaf and straw
matched novels which they construct
In trees. Though this custom OF tree
dwelling ID not followed to any great
extent In other portions Of New
Guinea, the, natives of the island all
seem determined to live we'll Off the
ground. The faxorite habita tons
throu ghout D large part of the country
are constructed on high piles. On the
projected ground beneath these struc-
lures me culinary operations are usu-
ally carried on. Many or the build
tngs ara long, narrow communal af-
fairs. housing score or mere Of ma
tiyeS. In many cases these habita-
tlons are merely dark tunnels. butein
others they are divided into compart-
rhents.p Clothing b6fhers the Papuans
but little. 4 hut they give much atten-
tion to painting aud tatcoing their
bodies. and to beieekIng themselves
with neck. nose and ear ornaments.
Odd Native Customs. NIL
\ There II avetyniittie furniture In
IlPapuan dwellings to be shifted abbut
by the "lady ofJthe house. on cleaning
day, Important among the few u0v-
lbIes are hard harrow wooden blocks,
scooped out to fit the neck iil0wsl'
which would Akardly appeal to western
FRS as substitutes FOR their soft dotn-
4 Oiled cushions Y dypA@ I'll
Some Of the tribes near the coast
4 have q pa sston for bathing, so great
sthati they irnpute d loveeaf the water
10 the spirits Of their departed tritias.
men. To facilitate, spirit bathing I
LN1wivfnf feihtives pnd friends cdre.
I fully construct and keep open psfhf
leading from each grave to the "a
g Wien they are not dining on choice
ruts from some enemy tribesnial
Papuans eat In the main 4 pros K
dfet u UlEiiIil yllfis. skgo
i breadfruit and the meats Of various
l a - -