THE PYGMIES OF NEW GUINEA

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 428, 22 July 1913, Page 7

THE PYGMIES OF NEW GUINEA

At the Royal Institution on May 16 an interesting paper was read by Captain Cecil G. Rawling on the pygmies of New Guinea.

In the course of his paper Captain Rawling said that an expedition ''organised by the Ornithologists' Union, and assisted by the Royal Geographical Society, left England m October, 1909, for the south-western coast of Dutch Neiw Guinea for the purpose of survey and to form collections of the flora and fauna. /On arrival at Batavia on December 1 the expedition was transported to the mouth of the Mimika River. For many months attempts to penetrate into the hills met with little success. The earliest attempt at exploration brought them out on to the Kapare, a great river flowing to the west of the Mimika, and it was here that the first men of the pygmy tribe of tapiro were run down and captured. Though terribly frightened when captured, they were treated with such kindness that the members of the expedition were able later, not only to trade with them, but to visit^ and stay m their village of Wambirimi, situated on the southern slope of the low-lying hills, I,Booft above sea level. Many fruitless attempts were made to discover the main village m the depths of the forest, and when at last it was reached no active hostility was shown, though the expedition was hardly received with open arms. Before the end of their stay with the Tapiro pygmies, however, suspicion had been allayed to such an extent that the Tapiros laid aside many of their weapons. Of the women and ohildren nothing was seen. Over 60 men appeared, half of whom were measured, the average height working out ■at 4ft Bfin. They were well made and wiry, and their color was a dark chocolate. The hair, which was unusually black, with sometimes a touch of brown or even red, was worn short. Many wore beards, thp older men dyeing theirs a bright red. Circlets made out of the shoulder blades of tbe wallaby, cassowary feathers, ' or knotted black string were m common use. Round the neck hung a small bag containing tinder and dried leaves for use as cigarette papers, and necklaces of bones or seeds were worn by many. The only article of clothing m general use^ was a long yellow gourd, kept m position by a string round the waist. The known pygmy tribes of the earth were divided into Negrillos and Negritos. The former were found only m the forests of Central Africa, while the latter inhabited the Andaman Islands, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. To the list of Negritos must now be added the newly-discovered tribe of Tapiros, who, so far as their stature was concerned, took rank next above the Congo pygmies.

The troubles, at Holy Trinity Church, Old Brompton, Chatham, are somewhat acute, and the latest proposal of the vicar is that, owing to the gas having been cut off, he will ask each worshipper to bring his or her own candle to evensong. Six men worked two days m kneading and baking a loaf of bread, weighing 3981 b and measuring 4ft high by 13ft long, at Kansas City. The loaf, which was made from 90 samples of Oklahoma and Kansas flour, is to be exhibited m England. It is claimed that for a woman a new hat is a tonic. It ought to relieve that "worn out" expression. If we want love and popularity, we must be willing to labor a little m order to get and retain it. '