THE PAPUANS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 137, 2 August 1911, Page 7

THE PAPUANS.

Mr. Leslie Bell, orie'bf the members 1 oi tue btanifortn Smith expedition, nad m uen that is in tenanting-.to tell a representative of the ‘‘dun" who into, viewed him in Sydney'. Mr- Bell is Chief Inspector of Native Affairs in .Papua, although ho is only, twentyeight years of ago. Tim light he tiiiuws on the native, mind is illuminating. The natives,’ ! he says, think nothing of murder,:: “Ho killed iny». father, so 1 will kilLJum,” appears to them excellent reasoning. The British teach them that they siiould bring the offender to Jaw, but after putting a murderer in gaol for two years men authorities generally make aim a village policeman. Native prisons are, merely boardinghouses. Shut up, the prisoner would pine and die, so ho goes out as lie chooses and comes in before dark. -Referring to the prevailing native custom or wearing such tubes as jaw-bones and severed hands in their ears, Mr. Bell says that these are merely souvenirs oi loved ones; ■ ; Von would wear a sister’s ring; they prefer to wear her jaw-bone.” Mr. Bell says the missionaries do good work, but the natives hardly understand twentieth-century religion. Too much attention by white people spoils them. Air. Bell relates how tiie Bishop or Papua brought two black boys to Australia. 1 hey' attended the Government House parties, they were spoiled, and one or thorn has since returned to his savage state. If a tourist passes a hand over their fuzzy hah natives will be conceited for months. I hey are taught that black and white are brothers. “icu my brother?” they say, with a grin, and henceforth their respect for tne white man is considerably lessened. It would bo interesting to hear' what the missionaries think, of these views. Mr. Bell makes reference to a envious bond that exists between two natives of tnc same sox.- 'i lie exchange of gifts and a common birthday makes them “re-, nahio,” a union which is far closer than brotherhood. Such a pair hunt, fish, fight, and die together. The explorer for some unaccountable reason was admitted into one of these sacred partnerships on tile Stnnifcrth Smith expedition and regards it as the moans whereby his life was saved. Mention of that exploration led him to talk of tiie part food played in it. Like the members of the Antarctic expedition, the explorers often fell asleep discussing what they would like to cat. “Mr Staniforth Smith used to declare that he Wanted a great big heapecl-up plate of porridge. My own particular Taney was a lingo jam tart, while Mr Pratt’s one w ish was a four-penny moat-pie.”