AMONG THE PAPUANS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1564, 7 October 1912, Page 8

AMONG THE PAPUANS

"SPOILING FOR A FIGpT." Tho Lieutenant-Governor of Papua returned to Melbourne recently from a visit to the Maft'ulu district and the Upper Vetapu, and his report furnishes interesting excerpts. Muck of the country covered had not been traversed since the time of Sir William Macgregor's expedition to rescue Jlr. Wriford and his companions from the Goromani, 15 years ago, and some, so far as coukl bo' learned, had not before been visited by European?. The objects of the visit were to make peace among the tribes to the east of Maffnlu, and to ascertain whether the Upper Vetapu would be a suitable site for one of the new Government stations. The tribes in question had sent a message to the Lieutenant-Governor at Kairuku, saying, in effect, that they were "spoiling for a fight," but that they would keep the pence if he promised to visit them and settle their disputes. On arrival he found that not only had there been no actual hostilities, but that peace had been practically made, and it only remained tor him to confirm it. "I was greeted everywhere with open arms," he adds. "Fugitives came in from the bush, and villago shouted to village to announce the arrival of the Governor, who was making the peace. There is reason to hope that the pacification of this district may to permanent, and I felt justified in proclaiming a general amnesty." Onunge village, on the upper Vetapu, is considered by the Lieutenant-Governor as tie site for the new Government station. The Onunge villages, he says, are built on a.ridge between the Vetapu and one of its affluents, and as they are situated at a height of some 6000 ft. or 7000 ft. above sea level, the climate is probably healthy. At a rather Ion; estimate there are probably 500 people at Onunge. Other villages, some apparently larger, some smaller, are scattered about on both sides of the Vetapu. The scenery of this part of the Territory is extremely picturesque. If one may believe what the Onunge themselves say, the report continues, they never practised cannibalism or head-hunt-ing, nor have they any knowledge of sorcery. When pressed on the latter point, they pointed to a very old, decrepit man who was present. "If we knew 'purri piirri, , " they said, "do you suppose that old Tsombe hero would be alive? We would have killed him long ago." Tho weapons of the tribe are 6peaTs and bows and arrows. .At one time they had stone, adzes, but now. all seemed to have steel tomahawks. They wore extraordinary ornaments behind the ears—small birds and even rats' tails, pieces of bamboo, and birds' olaws are worn.