British New Guinea.

Manawatu Herald, 28 May 1903, Page 2

British New Guinea.

In recent official reports Mr 0. A. W. Monokton, R.M., seems to have had severe fighting before he eonquoted the Dobodura mountain tribe and made them promise to cease slaughtering the coast natives. The act of submission we (the Advocate) transcribe from hia own account;— “ A peace offering was brought from the mountain people which the Notu people asked me to receive for them. The ceremony was strange to me and bad several peculiar feature!. Two

minor chiefs came to where I was sitting and sat down. About 20 men then approached and drove their spears into the ground in a circle, with the butts all leaning inwards. Many of - the spears had a small piece broken off the butt ends. Prom the spears were then hung clubs, spears, shields, native masks and fighting ornaments. An old chief said they had given me their arms. Next they placed cloth, fishings nets, other spears and native ornaments *inaide the circle. The same old chief said they had given, me their property. After this ten pigs, male and female, were brought and placed inside the circle with a quantity of sago and other food. Next followed cooking utensils full of cooked food. The old chief said: “We have given you all we have as a sign wo are now the people of the Government.” I gave them a good return present and told them they were at liberty to take any articles they wanted and their pigs back again; but this they absolutely refused to do, saying that it would destroy the offset of what they had dons." Dating the expedition Mr Monokton discovered a unique swamp tribe in a large morass off the bank of the Musa, whom ha afterwards took Sir P. P. Winter, the acting Administrator, to see. Unfortunately the large retinue, including 40 carriers, soared them into hiding, and they only obtained an interview with one man and his wife, the description of whom we will abbreviate from Sit P. P. Winter’s report; “The tribe is known as the Ahganambo, and it appears to have inhabited the swamp lor a period that extends hack beyond native traditions. They never leave the morass and the Barngi assured me that they are not able to walk on hard ground without their -feet soon bleeding. The man was a middle aged native, and was a fair size from his hips upwards. His buttocks and thigs were disproportionately small and his legs still more so. His feet were short, broad, very thin and flat, with weak looking toes. This last feature was still more noticeable in the woman, whose toes were slight and stood out rigidly as though they possessed no joints. They build on a platform,: about four feet above the water, which is full of a quatic plants, amongst which they swim and glide most dexterously. They livo on wild fowl, fish, sago, and marsh plants.” I had a good view of the man as he was standing sideways towards me, and in figure and carriage ha looked to me . more ape like ‘than any human being I have seen. If Darwin was alive he would deduce that from their mode of life they will in time to come evolule into veritable mermen and mermaids, and they certainly seem to be shaping in that direction.