Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 288, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1910 — NEW GUINEA PEOPLE [ARTICLE]

NEW GUINEA PEOPLE

’Natives Found Entirely Ignorant of Use of Metals.

(No Form of Government Exists Among Them Except Advice-Giving Council of Elders—Bark Paved Streets. The Hague, Holland.—The latest (expedition in New Guinea under Prof. [Lorentz, which succeeded In ascendling the range of snow mountains, has published some interesting particulars about a nbn-Malayan race living to the south of the mountains. These people have Caucasian or European features, although their color is black. They speak a language entirely different from that of the surrounding MalayoPolynesian tribes; indeed, it is the first time that such a race and language have been encountered in the Dutch Indies. The people were entirely Ignorant k>f the use of metals before the Dutch expedition came into their territory; but once having made the acquaintance of European knives, they clamored for them and would bring quantities of fowls and game, pigs, fruit land fish to exchange for steel knives tor iron of any description. All their own Implements were of stone, fish • bone, bone and wood, sometimes beautifully carved. Prof. Laurents says that this is perhaps the last race of [people existing in the world still in (the "stone age." If, from this fact, it were to be argued that they must be on a very low level, Indeed, it is surprising to hear that, on the contrary, they have reached a fair standard of civilization.

They are not nomadic, but live in well-built villages, where even the streets are paved. Some tribes use for this purpose the bark of trees, while others simply place palm leaves over the roads to keep the dust down. Their villages and houses are kept clean and near each house gardens are planted, in which many kinds of flowers are grown. These people are extremely fond of flowers, and always wear some in their hair. They successfully practise agriculture, and their decorative art is of considerable beauty. Strange to say, nothing at all like any form of government could be detected. There are no chiefs, and the only thing approaching known institutions is a sort of council of the oldest men of the tribe. These, however, do not rule the people, but their advice is asked in Important matters. Notwithstanding this, the utmost good order prevails, everything being done according to custom. . Their family life is peculiar. Every person dwells alone; the young unmarried men have separate houses, the wives have their own homes quite apart from their husbands. When a married man wishes to speak to his wife It Is not etiquette for him to go to her house and call on her, nor to speak to her when he meets her in the village. He must inform a woman neighbor of hers that he wishes to talk to his wife, and the go-between then arranges a meeting for them in the near-by forest. Taking these facts into consideration it is not surprising to learn that domestic peace is never disturbed, occasions for quarreling being extremely rare. The Dutch explorers named this race the Kaya-Kaya, because on meet-

ing the natives* they always shouted those words, and it was thought that it probably was the name of the race. Afterward it was discovered that the words meant "good friends” and were intended to convey their peaceful intentions toward the expedition.