AN UNKNOWN ISLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1514, 23 March 1887, Page 3

AN UNKNOWN ISLAND.

The October issue of the "Bulletino" of thojltalian Geographical Society, contains an Account of an excursion made during the summer by K. Modiglianl, to the rarely visited island of Nlbb, which lids some thirty miles from the west cons'; of Sumatra, a little north of the equator. The explorer spent two months m the place, but owing to local feuds, was unabe to penetrate beyond Fadoro. a large village near Telok Dalam Bay on the sooth Fide. The natives, apparently of Malayan or Indonesian stock, but speaking a language qul'e different from Malay, and ty Crawford described as "a mild, simple, and primitive race," he found, on the oontrary, to bofioice and treacherous savages, everywhere addicted to headhunting. Their hostility was such that he failed to make any botanical or zoologlo&l collections ; but fortunately seourod eleven human skulls from the south districts, which have been sent to tho Anthropologtoal Museum of Floret ce No similar Bpeclirena appear to have hitherto raaohed Europe, nor are any found even m the Batavian collection. Fead-hunling is taVen bo much as a matter of course, that on Signor Modlgiiani offering to purchase some |*kullß, the rajah of Bavoloualani on the Bouth coast quietly remarked that it would be rather an expensive business, as an expedition would bave to be especially fited out and sent to the hills to raid upon some neighboring tribes ani carry off the required number of heads. He had no idea of cranlologioal specimens being collected except from the living Babjoot. The interior of Nias still presents a promising field of exploration, never having been vteited by European travellers.