PRIMITIVE SOCIETY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 172, 7 December 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

PRIMITIVE SOCIETY

[ LIFE IN PAPUA. SOME IMPRESSIONS OF AN | ANTHROPOLOtUST. Life among natives who are still in a primitive state is a simple affair compared with, that of civilised communities, but it provides an intensely interestni study for the scientist. Problems are there, the solution of which must throw much light upon the progress of the human race, and so men of science are ever on the alert to open up new ground and explore lit tie known places. Thus it war; that the University of Oxford esnt an anthropological expedition to New (iuinea, putting in command an expert in that branch'of knowledge. Mr J). Jcnness, B.A. As chronicled in the. Times recently, .Mr Jcnness lias spent nearly a year oil his investigations, and lias jiirst returned to his home in Xew Zealand. To a representative of the Times he recounted some of the impressions gathered duriii"' his most interesting work. CREAKIXti NEW CHiirND.

The attention of the was confined to the Coodenough and North Fergusson Islands, of the almost unikjiown D'Entrcdastcaux Croup, which lies oir the south-east coast of New Guinea. Other parts of Papua had been traversed by scientific expeditions at various times, but this was practically new ground. The expedition went there to make a close study of the native culture and 'nstitution's. A considerable amount of information was -collected relating to ,iative rites and ceremonies, and an attempt was made to get into touch with the inner life of the people. How far this was successful, (jays Mr •Tenness, remains to be seen. The resident Methodist missionary, the Rev. A. Ballantyne, co-operated with the expedition in its work, and his knowledge of the language was of very great assistance. It was found that the natives were very approachable, in most cases owing to the confidence which the missionary's four year's residence among them had engendered. FAMILY GROITS.

Mr Jennys found that the culture of the natives on the island resembled in many respects -hat already discovered along the smith-east coast of New (Guinea, probably because of the contact between the two place?, but in a, number of their ceremonies ind magical practices the natives were strikingly diverge. He found that there was the same, structure of society, "'he natives being organised on the hamlet system, hut without a chief at the head. The hamlets were built close together and formed independent village groups. Hamlets usually consisted of related families, and the group forming the vilbige recognised a bond of kinship more or less vague.

MAfiTP. BLACK AND WHTTE. As is usual among primitive peoples, magical practices hold a large place in the lives of the Papuans. Strictly speaking, however, their magic must be distinguished as falling into two .classes — black magic and white magic. Mr Jenness found that their white magic had to do with all the practices relating to the welfare of gardens, the governing of rain and sunshine, protection against foes, and, generally, the prosperity of the community. Almost every variety of whitc_ magic has its special exponent, who is an established and recognised member of the community. Tilack magic, on the other hand, is only practised in secret. Tt is practically ' restricted to that form of sorcery which relate* to sickness and death. Any kind of Midden unaccountable illness is' immediatelv attributed to the sorcerer, who is frequently localised in a nciyhhoring village In the old days i ,o,v.'i'"r. when discovered, would prohibly ha .'<■ le mi knocked Oil (lie head, hut now fear of the (,'oveniment usually inclines a "grieved natives to lay an information with the visiting magistrate, and leave the settlement of the dispute with him. Tn this respect, at least, civilised methods ar<> henitr adopted.

Mil«ion] stouts am! other charms are largely employed in both black'and wliito magic. Tn the interior of O'oodenouuh Tsland a large rock, covered with painting in black and white, is regarded with veneration and awe because'of its supposed mystical pow.'rs over ' the vain crops. This rock'Mr Jenness found to be extremely interesting, becau-e no other like it is known in Xew Guinea, and the nearest parallel of any kind comes from Central Australia.

OANXTBALTSM--A MEMORY,

A few years ago cannibalism was rife, but now has been practically extinguished in this region. The hint proved case occurred three years ago. Much distrust and fear of each other still exists between some of the villages and not infrequently rumors of cannibalism spread about. On close investigation, however, they prove to have little or no foundation. The group is occasionally visited by a Government magistrate, though in the past, owing to the large area which each official has to cover, the visits were only possible at long intervals. Now. however, more attention is being given to the islands in view of the constant demand for native labor for the mines and cocoanut plantations in (he south east of Xew Guinea. HARDLY TOI'CIIKD 11V CIVILISATION'. It is very hard to say how far the natives have been influenced by civilisation, Mr .Tcnmvs admitted. The Methodist mission station on the south end of (ioodeuough Island lias already had a very beneficial influence over the costal region and acts as intermediary between the Government and the natives. Roughly speaking, about S per cent of The young men go away from the island to work in mines and on plantations throughout the smith-east region, for periods ranging from one to (hive wars. and bring back in addition lo a stork of tobacco, knivis, calicoes, ami other articles of value to them—a wholesome fear of and respect for Government authority. To this there is usiiallv added a modicum of pigeon-English, but bevoud these European civilisation has exerted little inlluence. (Vrtaiiilv. some of the more barbarous practice have been i practically abolished, such as linger chopping, the burial of babies with their dead mothers, and the more virulent ! forms of black magic; otherwise the life of the natives goes on in the same wav as before.

Though Ooodeiiough Tsland is not very large, it is extremely mountainous, mid a rough distinction can lie drawn between the hill population and the dwellers on the coast. Hilherto Hie hill people have not been visited bv white men. but numbers of (ho younger males have been recruited for labor by native bow from the coast. The onlv means of communication are rough native tracks, bui along the coast (],« (iovcniment is now insisting on the tracks bcimr cleared and the larger creeks bridged. Among other things the expedition secured a number of phonographic records of native songs and a considerable variety of legends and folk-tales.