DUTCH NEW GUINEA

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1938, Page 5

DUTCH NEW GUINEA

P A.L. E-SKI NN RD TRIBES BATAVIA. April 2?.\n .-xpeditton into Hie mountains oNew Guinea, led by Di. 'A. -I- • ’ .As'istam Resident of West Nov, t'lU.-ne.'i. icumi tribc-s of native- m' are "wkii< r t han the Jitvaiu- • . t v. el 1-1-:•••pl gardens of rice, na::an..>. i a.-hi', a. sugar, and varum. -,i-". tables. [J he m wly-e.\|’lorc<l area is at a.i--’" 1 iet-t. ’fhc highest u-mperutur<- v\perienccd by lhe expedition was ->u degrees centigrade, ’flit- country is open plain land. When making a reconnaissance. on behalf ol an oil company in New Guinea last year, a K.N.I.L-M. pilot named Wis.sel saw three great, lakes in the mountains of New Guinea, roughly north of Faki’ak. He reported lhe discovery to the Administration on November 27-

Dr. Cator set out to make a patrol to th,- lake area, taking with him six police and 25 native carriers. He travelled up the Octa River through difficult, mountain country into Hie inland plain surrounding the Wiss'-i Lakes, as they have been named. Hero he found the "white” tribes, who speak a. language that, has nmhing in common wit h t lie Papuan laiigmiges of the low-lying country, who cultivate guldens with skill and industry, and keep pigs, chickens, and dogs (which they eat).

Most of Hu- settlements that were visited an- on the shores of the lakes, the- largest of which is about seven miles it, width. Dr. C'tttor travelled among the native villages for two months until late in Janiiai’y, mapping the country, observing the customs, and making a vocabulary of their Jiitherlo-iinknown lattgnagc. The natives wt-re vers’ friendly, though they had not seen Europeans before. They use shells for money. They are not, tattooed, though the lowland tribesmen are. They build elaboraH- cane bridges over ilit- rivers as is done in tin- AustraJiaiie<mtrolled part of central New Guinea. They appear to suffer from no diseases, again in contrast with Hie lowland natives.

Dr. Gator's report and maps have just, boon received by the central Administration here, and have not yet boon examined in detail, but it apjiears at present that the patrol has discovered tribes that have much in common with (be moiintatn peoples rcccnt’Fv visited by patrol", m the Australian tc-rriiory of Papua-