NEW GUINEA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 42, 15 October 1892, Page 1018

NEW GUINEA.

THE indefinable but irresistible charm which invariably envelopes the great unknown, and which in the

early days of the world’s history surrounded all but a small portion of the earth, is gradually melting away like the morning mists before the bright and glorious sun of civilisation and Christianity. There are now few places on the face of the globe that have not been fairly thoroughly

explored. One of the few is, however, New Guinea, of which Northerners are hearing much just now from that well-known missionary, the Rev. G. Brown, who has been lecturing on Picturesque New Guinea. Now, doubtless, many people, the majority, in fact, have never taken the trouble to interest themselves in New Guinea, and regard lectures on missions from a prejudiced point of view, there being invariably a collection in the background, and the necessity of leaving a comfortable fireside to sit in a very possibly draughty hall to hear them. Yet put

before them in an inoffensive shape, these same people would probably be glad to know a little about New Guinea, and would interest themselves in it, and perhaps awake to the sense of responsibility on the missionary question too. However that may be, the country is one which is at present attracting a very large amount of attention, a circumstance quite sufficient

to make a descriptive account in The Graphic appropriate at this juncture. A nold and mountainous country of irregular shape, New Guinea is, save for a fringe round the coast, an unexplored country with an area of 360,000 square miles. At one time it was evidently part and parcel of Australia, being separated from that vast continent by the shallow waters of Torres Straits which are only eighty miles across. The coastline is irregular and indented with numerous beautiful bays and magnificent harbours, and from the moun' tains numerous rivers pour their fresh waters into the sea. Many of these are navigable for several miles — for so far, indeed, as they have been tested. Into the early history of New Guinea it is not necessary to go. It was in 1521 that the first European visitors touched

there. It was not till 1858 that a European attempted to live alone and unprotected amongst the natives. This was Mr A. T. Wallace, the well-known author. Several naturalists and scientists, however, followed in his footsteps ; but the honour of having crossed New Guinea belongs to Dr. A. B. Mayer, who succeeded in crossing the country at the narrowest part of the island. He had to cross a mountain range 2,000 feet high, and was two days on the journey, though the distance On

the chart is not more than 40 miles. Numerous explorers have spent months on the higher mountains, where great interest is centred on account of the new forms of vegetable life to be found. ‘ The vegetation of New Guinea is indeed wonderful,’ says one authority. ‘Beautiful creepers interlace and intertwine about the gigantictrees, magnificent crotons and variegated dracena- adding a pleasing variety to the scene. Graceful palms wave their feathery plumes, and the noble banyan stretches far its grateful shade. Ferns and orchids have here their home, while a carpet of lovely moss refreshes and delights the eye. On the mountain ranges the vegetation is equally rich and beautiful. Edible fruit trees are not numerous. The wild mango is, however, plentiful. The bread fruit, chestnut, and rose apple are widely distributed, while many smaller fruits are eagerly sought by the natives. The native gardens produce taro, yams, sugarcane, and bananas. Sweet potatoes, cassava, pumpkins, melons, pineapples, oranges, lemons, and the papaw, have been introduced by the missionaiies. A good cucumber is indigenous in some parts. Cocoanuts are plentiful on the coast, and where the soil

is good, the areca-palm flourishes and is much sought after for its fruit, the areca or betel-nut. Wild nutmegs are common in some districts. Turmeric, ginger, and the piper mythisticum, (kava of South Seas) are also found. Tobacco is indigenous on the south-east coast, and was smoked by the natives before the advent of white men. The Australian character of the fauna is strongly marked. The wallaby, cuscus, bandicoot, and echidna, with the marsupials are found in all parts of New Guinea that have been visited. No placential mammal is found larger than the wild pig, which is a peculiar species. It has also been domesticated, but is now in many places on the coast crossed with a foreign pig introduced by white men. A dog resembling the dingo is indigenous. It is only found in domestication. It does not bark, but, to compensate

for this, howls hideously. Flying phalangers of various kinds abound in the forests, and flying-foxes are very numerous everywhere. Snakes and lizards are in great variety. Two or three species of the former are venomous, and held in great fear by the natives. The avi-fauna is particularly rich and interesting and comprises both Australian and Indo-Malayan types. No country in the world possesses so many beautiful and gorgeouslyplumaged species. About twenty species of birds of paradise have now been discovered, and an immense variety of

kingfishers, parrots, and pigeons, including some of the most beautiful and remarkable of their respective families. Nearly four hundred species of land birds have already been described. The laughing jackass and magpie are as numerous as in Australia. Instead of the emu New Guinea has the cassowary. Cockatoos, parrots, and parakeets are very numerous. Pigeons are well represented, headed by the king of pigeons, the magnificent goura or crowned pigeon, of which several species are known. Brush turkeys and the jungle fowl make their mounds in every forest, and the interesting bower of the fawn coloured bower-bird is frequently seen. But the characteristic bird of New Guinea is

the bird of paradise. Every species of this lovely bird has a beauty peculiarly its own. From the little king-bird to the magnificent sexpennis, all are exquisitely coloured, and their skins and plumes are highly prized by Europeans and even by the natives themselves.’ Many of the inhabitants of these beautiful islands have a close resemblance to our Maoris. The tribes inland and those who surround the coast are, however, very different. The people from the interior are smaller, darker, and more hairy than their coastwise brothers. It is probable that the first-named are the indigenous race, the dwellers by the shore being strangers, and having driven the smaller,

darker race further into the interior. None of the inhabitants are, however, noted for great stature ; probably their average height barely reaches five feet eight inches. A distinguishing characteristic is their method of wearing the hair. Some favour a frizzy style, the general negro type. Others, as in our illustration (No. 1), adopt the smoother, more European style ; whilst the hair of some of the natives is decidedly woolly, and this is not so much admired as the frizzy and popular style. Their features also present considerable variety. The hooked nose of the Papuan race is almost

European, whilst the absence of the nose stick emphasizes this peculiarity. The nasal ornament, which is almost universally worn, is of whatever length the native pleases. It is usually made of pieces of white shell, carefully polished, and the rough edges removed. Illustrations 2 and 3 are excellent examples of this curious form of decoration. The septum of the nose is pierced when the child is about six years old, and the continuous wearing of the stick has the effect of drawing down the nose, which has therefore a marked impression on the configuration of that member. Very little is worn in the way of clothes by the inhabitants of New Guinea. The few who adopt a string or narrow belt consider themselves far superior, in point of dressing, to those who are in a state of complete nudity. The belt is made from the paper mulberry. The women are rather tastefully robed in white or variegated fine palm leaves. These are formed into strings, plaited, and made into a petticoat. If tbe women are in mourning, the petticoat is worn much longer, and is not trimmed off neatly. Ear-rings and feather ornaments are much approved of. Some of the former are very large, and are most uncomfortable to wear, whilst others are so light that twenty or thirty can be worn in one ear iu perfect comfort. The second illustration is an example of the peculiar and distorting effect caused by the continuous wearing of very heavy earrings. Illustration No. 3 shows some of the curious feather ornaments. The natives are not nearly so much tattooed as are the Maoris, and, as a rule, the tattoo is not worn unless the wearer has become entitled to it by some deed of bloodshed. As in New Zealand, the pig is made a great pet of by the women. Some of these animals are taken away from their mothers whilst quite young, and the New Guinea women treat them exactly as they do their own little ones, feeding and nursing them with the greatest care. In fact, piggy is made more of than in Ireland, where he is usually considered to play an important part in the home life of many of the inhabitants.

The dead are disposed of in various ways. The spirit is supposed not to leave the body immediately, so it is often buried for a time and then taken up and the bones cleaned and deposited in or near the dwelling. Often the head or jawbone is kept as a relic. Little imitation houses such as those shown in our illustration, are placed in the woods to allure awav the spirits. After the manner and custom of ghosts these are supposed to be specially active during a full moon. Probably the effluvium from the corpses produces the feelings of sickness supposed to be caused by the presence of the spirits. Living houses are often built on

piles. The piles support a plat form made from old canoes or branches, the whole covered with palm branches. Each house or series of houses has a sort of pater familias, the rest of the inhabitants being his relations or slaves. A bridge, when the house is on water, connects it with the land. The houses are often adorned with weapons, birds, fishes, and palin branches. Small houses are also found perched high up in trees. A picture is given in which the construction of such a one is shown. One or two of these are generally put up as watch towers for a village. A picture of some warriors will give a good idea of the native weapons. The use of the bow and arrow is little known

among the eastern tribes. The Papuan bow is rather short, the arrows being barbed or tipped with lassowary or human bone. Other weapons are a short dart, a heavy spear, a shield, and, of course, stone clubs and axes.