Little Black Pigmies.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 13, 28 September 1910, Page 62

Little Black Pigmies.

JN TILE NEW GUINEA MOUNTAINS. BRITISH EXPEDITION’S DISCOVERY. Little black pigmies, four feet high, timid ami harmless, live high up on the foothills of the great snow mountains in Dutch New Guinea. The British Muiseum’s expedition came across them some time ago, and Mr. G. Shortridge, the member of it who is now invalided back, staying in Sydney, has

described what is really known of tlw pigmies so far.

“We have not much information about them,” he said. “We have only seen them three times. And we had seen none of their women at all, when I left. Of course, I don’t know what may have been discovered since. But they are coal-black, with very broad and frizzy b-air in tufts, and they aro about 4ft. 3in. high. They seem timid and harmless, and the plains natives seem to bully them. When they catch a pigmy, they take away everything he has.

Mr. Shortridge has not himself seen any of the pigmies, though he has been in one of their villages. But he described how some of the expedition came across them, when they were exploring a river near the Mimika (the river up which the party travelled). This was at the foot of the Snow Mountains, about 2.000 feet up, among the foothills. “Suddenly,” says Mr. Shortridge, "some of the plains natives, who had followed them along, gave chase to something. Our people thought it was pigs, or cattle, and took no notice. But after a, while they brought back to camp two pigmies. The plains natives had taken away their spears and everything. The pigmies were pretty frightened. They didn't know what was going to happen to them. We made the plains natives give them back their things, and we gave them a few beads. That delighted them. They made necklaces, and hung them round their necks.

“The second two were captured in exactly the same way. By this time they seemed to know they wouldn't be hurt, and one pigmy stayed round the camp for a day or two. They persuaded him, after a- while, to show the way to his village, higher up. When they got to it there were only eight or nine men there; the women and children had evidently all been packed off into the bush. Andi they had taken everything with them. They only found a few fishing spearq and arrows, and things like that. Thd pigmies made signs to them to go away, They were terrified, and very relieved when our men left. That was pretty, soon, because the camp was a good way off. They were surprised and interested at everything they saw, especially thie striking of matches. “Afterwards two of us, who were out exploring in the opposite direction, came across another village. We got right among the pigmies, though we didn’t see any. The first sign we saw was the smoke of their fires from a clearing we were making for, a couple of miles off, up the moutain. Then, when we woke up in the morning, we found tracks of natives in the sand within 100 yards of us. We knew they were the pigmies. Not from the size of the tracks, because any foot makes a big mark in the sand, but because we knew, none of the plains natives were about, except some we had with us, and we had great difficulty in making them come as far as the clearing. They wefp not in the least afraid of the pigmies. They were simply too lazy, I think, tci climb the mountain. Or, perhaps, they knew we could find nothing. When we got to the clearing the fires were scattered, and the huts deserted. They were simply lean-tos, made of fern-palnis. But when we got back to camp the firesi were burning again, and next morning there were the tracks again, within 50

yards of us. They were like animals—curibiis, blit very frightened, and quite harmless. The plains natives didn't ■trouble to take spears or anything when ■they went up to the pigmy village with '.us: Of course, they might have thought iwe could protect them.” The pigmies wear, besides earrings, only one garment, which is not large.

The earrings are complicated, made of the tips of gourds, with black seeds banging from them. Mr. Shortridge described their spears, sometimes doublepointed, with heads of carved ironwood, or club ended, showing spikes made of the roots of trees. But they all seemed to be fishing spears, not for attack. The * pigmy work is very fine; that, Mr. Short-

ridge thinks, is why the plainsmen steal what they can from them. “We got everything we could that they had made,” ©aid Mr. Shortridge. “Spears -and little bags of bright-coloured grass, made for carrying tobacco. Yes, all the natives smoke, pigmies and others. 'Hiey * hunt and fish, of course, and in the clearing where the deserted hut< were, there

were taro and sweet potatoes growing, «o they must cultivate.” The English papers contain accounts of poisoned arrows and spear traps s<»t by the pigmies, and of a mysterious beast, like the “Devil Pig” mentioned in “The Daily Telegraph” some time ago by Professor David. But Mr. Short ridge knows nothing of these things.