Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-08-17
BY PAUL. HARRISON
K Service Writer

plexity Of modern civilization pals,
and money becomes a worry. and
nerves are jumpy from the eternal
strain and rush Of living. you
should, according TO one. who
knows, grab an extra shirt and a
few pounds OF tobacco and go
down to New Ireland for a visit.
1t is a long, narrow island off
the coast OF Australia, part Of the
Bismark Archipelago and an unex-
plored, almost unknown part OF
the inundated territory Of New
Guinea. New Ireland also Is the
Land OF Never Worry" a haven
Of happiness. a natural health
sanitorium, a lawless place because
there Is no crime, a primeval prov
ince Of prohibition because nobody
there ever heard of liquor.
Adopted BY Tribesmen
At the village, 80 miles inland,
you'd be welcomed with whoops OF
JOY. The MelaneSians would need
only a glance to determine that
you're from the same tribe OF
white angels as the young woman
who left them only a moon ago.
With the tobacco, you could buy a
brand new two-room house and
food enough TO last a long time.
After that you'd probably be
adopted by a rich tribesman and
wouldn't have to worry about sus-
tenance.
All this according to DR.. Hor-
tense Powdermaker, vivacious lit
tie anthropologi& who just has re-
turned from the Isolated island.
With true scientific mien she'll as
sure you that there Is little diff
Guilty in winning the hearts OF can
Enthusiastically inclined savages. and
that there vas nothing very re-
markable in the fact that she. the
first white woman they ever had
seen, lived alone and unprotected
among them for nearly a year.
Baltimore IS her home. she says,
but Or. Powdermaker has lived
almost everywhere else in five
years Of travelling. A graduate Of
Goucher College, with a Phi. d
from the University OF London.
she constituted the first expedition
to study the natives or New Ire
land. The work was done under
the auspices Of the Australian Ma
tional Research Council and her
detailed reports will be completed
under a fellowship or the Ameri-
can Research Council.
Unwilling to talk about herself,
and frankly astoniShed that any
one should be interested. the
black-eyed little scientist was all
enthusiasm regarding her brown
skinned friends on the distant
island.
Courtship Conducted by Magic
Theirs Is a simple civilization
where divorces are granted merely
by refunding the dowry. where
women already have gained equal
ity with men. where courtShip and
almost everything else Is accom-
plished by magic. and where there
is no religion in the sense OF wor-
ship Of a deity.
1T Is a world virtually without
time. Moons may be counted for a
few months. but years mean moth
ing. and age IS only comparative.
Everything is accepted with per-
feet equanimity. The people are
brave and do not fear death. al
though to them it means eternal
oblivion"
After careful study to determine
where in the world vas the least
known tribe of savages. DR.. Pow
dermaker selected New Ireland,
an island 200 miles in length and
about 20 miles wide. with a noun
tain range through the center
Landed alone with her luggage a.
the seldom-used wharf. she made
her way. with hired natives, to a
village 80 miles in the interior.
There, when she made known
her intention Of living among
them, she was the object Of con-
slant curiosity and not a little mis-
trust. First she won the conf
dence OF the women by fondling
their babies; then. with the aid o.
an interpreter. frankly told the ole
men OF the tribe that she vas
there to learn OF their life and
customs, to observe their rites and