MYTH OF THE WILDS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 17 December 1925, Page 8

MYTH OF THE WILDS.

PAPUA’S “WEB-FOOTED” MEN. NATIVES’ PRIMITIVE HABITS. With the increasing settlement and exploration of Papua, the romance weaved’ around that land by imaginative writers is fast disappearing. It was once said to possess a. race of natives with tails who lived in trees, and the much-sought-for missing link was expected to emerge at any moment as a unique addition to the already large collection of human curiosities. But in actual fact, these accounts were only travellers’ tales. There was stronger evidence for the web-footed, men. who lived iu swamps, could walk only with great ‘ difficulty on dry land, and kept the family pig in a sling under the house. But it Was said the tribe no longer existed, because a. neighbouring tribe had coaxed them ashore and..ate them. But the most recent report of the Lieutenant-Governor of. Papua, Sir Hubert Murray, shows that 'the tribe still exists, hut,, ala si " for. the romancers, it disapproves- the story that the bribe is web-footed".

A' visit was paid this year by Sir Hubert Murray to the Agaiambo Swamp, in Dyke Ackland Bay, the dwelling place of the so-called webfooled men, who have been described by imaginative writers in the past. These natives, lie states, live in the swamp and very rarely touch dry land. They travel in canoes. The men, however, are not web-footed, and Sir Hubert Murray states that they differ in no way from the surrounding natives, except’ perhaps that the muscles of their legs are less well developed than those of the natives who are in the habit of running in the bush. The natives of the swamp live on small fish, on sago, Which grows on the banks of the swamps, and an occasional water fowl caught with a snare. They have a few pigs, which live on the platforms, about 4ft. square, attached to each native house. The pigs aT© born on. these platforms and remain there until they die, either by natural senility, in the case of those kept for breeding, or by violence, in the case of those required for the tribal feasts. .

Sir Hubert Murray gives some other interesting facts about the natives of Papua. A comparison which he makes between the native population of theterritory for the years 1920-21, and 1924-25 discloses an increase of 1376. That- is satisfactory, considering that generally where natives come in contact with the white races they die, out rapidly. But in Sir Hubert Murray's opinion, the increase is probably greater than he mentions, as deaths are more regularly reported than births, which do not create such a stir in the villages. ’The total native population of the territory is estimated at 162,000. Sir Hubert Murray states that the •Methodist Mission has established its headquarters recently at Salamo, on Ferguson Island,: that the station is a made! of neatness, order, discipline and efficiency, and that the technical school established for the education of the natives is doing good work..