New Guinea.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 260, 2 December 1903, Page 4

New Guinea.

ACTING ADMINISTRATOR'S EXPERIENCES. - THE CURSE OF SORCERY. The Acting Administrator of British New Guinea has (says the Sydt nay Daily Telegraph) sent an account of a visit recently paid by him to the Eastern part of the possession. His time seems to have been fully occupied in investigating griev-, antes, trying leg'al cases, chiefly criminal matters, and inspecting tlie various agencies of the Government scattered about the eastern mainland, and numerous archipelagoes which- are included in the British territory. He superintended the initial work in connection with' the construction of a road from Emu Bay to the Yodda goldfield, which is expected to be of great benefit to the mining community. While in that locality, i* was ascertained that the Agaiambo tribe, who inhabited the morasses inland from Barigi River, had been almost exterminated by the Aga, or Gombara, tribe. The Agaiambo were | jut a small trijbe, remarkable for the singular formation of their legs and feet, the former from the knee the ankle being very short, and the latter soft and flat, and for the fact that,by reason of their mode of liv-> ing. they were almost amphibious in their habits. Measles had been very prevalent at Misima Island, and a few cases had proved fat«l. "The Papuan," Mr Robinson says, " has the habit of going in-tp th<3 wafer when ill, a custom wHch not Infrequently is attended with fatal results."

Regarding Griffin Point, Sudest Island, the Acting Administrator reports : —"The main industry is- alluvial gold-mining, which is now in thjf hands of the natives exclusively, who, although tHey can only be induced to w<3li in d)w,.ultQiy fashion, appeal 1 ta win comparatively a l£Tgg quantity of precious metal, which they exchange for stores, clothes, ami traide generally. One of the natives informed ine that he could generally rely on getting half an ounce of gold (worth £3 17s per ounce) in a \veek i( jjfyjd to work. "At the sessions of the Central Court at Samarai recently, a South Sea Islander, Jimmy Ambrim, had been committed for trial on a charge of obtaining property by means of false pretences. The facts were that he had for some time past held natives of this and adjoining islands in abject terror by mgafts of his practice in sorcery. The ppjhcjpfo adopted by him was to get the sfaadwy of his victim thrown upon h'ig h'mepot, whereupon he would quickly repl#£p the lid and inform the object of his mitigations that he haid got him, meaning his spirit was in his liuie-pot, and that he'VoulJ syrely die unless the spirit was liberated, and that this could only be effected by an oblation in the form of sundry stones, tomahawks, necklaces and armsheils (lyjrich pass as 1 current coin), or, possibly, jj pig. The evidence was clear, and the accused was committed for trial to the Central Cpurt, and was ami after tjne Jrial sentenced by the Administrator to 13 ninths' imprisonment, with hard jn Port Moresby Gaol, and ordered to return the articles wrongfully obtained by him. The natives seemed unfeignedly r/jljeyed when the effect of the judgment VflS explained to them."

Mr liobinson adds thai "It would ] almost seem a hopeless impossibility, however, to eradicate from the native mind the prevalent belief in the occult powers of sorcerers, but I continue my efforts to do go. I jun by no means sure, however, ' that sorcerers do not in some cases actually resort to poison, but it is difficult to obtain any proof of it." At a place in tly ; 'JYobriaml Group, Mr Robinson says he saw a perfect specimen of a native albino b;}v aged about 12 years. His skin was white, though freckled, and his hair eyebrows, and eyelashes tVere tjuite' white. "The colour of his eves," he added. "I could not see well, as he* was unable to open them in the sunlig'ht/bu't I think they were lightt oiue, not pink."