The Washington times., 1922-09-03
WIVES ARE
WAGERED
i'm PAPUA
BUT i'm This Case the
Winner Declined to
Give Hou s e n O I d
Room to w O nm a N
He Won, and the
Losing Hu s b a m d
Started Trouble.
eTF COAST OF NEW GUINEA,
Sept. 2.

Sept. 2.
~ INCE it was taken over by
the Commonwealth of Aus.
~ trslia in 1905 British New
Guinea has been known as Papua.
It's area is $4,000 square miles and
its white population is but a thous-
and.
The day before we landed at Port
Moresby, the capital. Port Mores-
by is set upon a promentory on
coastline of rare tropical beauty,
and it's 200 inhabitants are but a
handful compared with the 1000
natives who dwell in a large ma
rine village within two miles. To
the little port come stealing in
quaint, drab schooners manned and
officered by naked brown men and
great lakatois-sailing canoes with
huge lobster claw shaped lateen
sails-in from cruises of O hun
dred miles or so down the coast.
The day before we landed one of
the finest black pearls in the world
was stolen. The identity of the
thief was general knowledge. but
there was no proof, and presently
the 1ustrous drop Of fascination
would go south. carefully slowed in
some safe hiding place.
Strange things happen in this
baclkdoor Of the primitive.
The Papuan. even when he walks
the grassed streets Of the capital
II as nature made him. There is
no attempt at dressing him in alb
surd hats and bewildering black
coats.
SAFETY PIN EARRINGS.
Step into the Hanuabada and you
might well believe that you were
. thousand miles from a white
mans town. Over the oily blue
water the hundreds Of palm leaf
huts stand on thin and spindly
props, with narrow, shaky gang
ways of logs acting as streets be-
tween the dwellings.
Everywhere nude brown water
babies frisk, for these villagers
from babyhood are as much at
home in the sea as they are on the
land. UP and down the strip of
cocanut-fringed beach the women
pass with their great gourds on
their shoulders, and their ramis-
varied colored palm leaf kits
waggling saucily in the manner
approved by local fashion.
Grotesqueries abound. A tattoo
ed savage, his mop Of hair made
gay with flowers, a sharks teeth
necklet about his throat, a plated
arms band and pierced nose all
complete, was infinitely prouder Of
his earrings than anything else.
They were rusty safety-pins.
A capable compositor from the
Government Printing Office was
seen at home. He was wearing
piece of string for attire. and was
busily engaged in lashing the stick
steps leading to his house with
pieces of grass fibre. His wife,
wearing only a rami, was at work
in the hut making pottery.
TRAVEL MANY MILES.
This is the chief industry Of Han.
uabada, and the products are no.
table for their workmanship. No
wheels are used. the bowls being
patted into perfect shape with the
hands. When a fine stock has been
prepared the lakatois are prepared
for sea. Upon these RATS float
ing on followed logs a weird as
sortment Of people, pots, dogs, and
food is piled, and the fleet heads
off down the coast. 1t may travel
as far as 200 miles, and there the
pottery is traded for sago-one Of
lIlO bldpiC LoOuS anu hS
voyagers are often away four
months, and their return is greeted
with enthusiasm.
The Papuan loves his gamble.
There was trouble in Hanuabada
on the day we were there. Two
gentlemen had been engaged in a
game Of cards, the one losing first
his money, then his ornaments,
then his loin cloth, then his house,
and finally wagering his wife. The
cards were against him even in this
last bet, but when 1t came to set.
Ting this debt of honor the trouble
arose.
The winner declined to accept
payment on the ground that the
wife was too ugly to be worth
house-room. Now there are things
which no gentleman can stand.
There was bloodshed.