NEW GUNIEA.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1337, 17 December 1883, Page 4

NEW GUNIEA.

In one of hislet.erslrbmNew Guinea to the M< i lboarne<. 'Aßgiig;;j^Gapt&in Arraitgivessouie interesting particulars about the Sugairee tribe and district j in the southern part of the island. He says : — " The Sugairee are polygamous. Bia-Iricau (a chief) LsS three 1 wives. Another man lias two,- and so on according to their means. They seem to live very pleasantly together. No quarrelling or jealousy ev;er J?i##£lJ£Jj& peaceful monotony to their every day life, the same may be said of the taietf^ ■who live like brotlhers, ; . assisting one another and always addressing each i other as tibiacon (friend).' They are exceedingly kind aud gentle to their children,'- who aiVobedie'lit 'and tractable. The youngster ...seem, to enjoy the widest' Ufcense ;l of 'speech) taking part in everjft disj^ussiqiv with as much gusto as their" parents. Even wee toddlers of three, or fonr years hare their say, and Jvliat seems particularly strange:; arti ) li^tifrdSfto attentively; Wallace states m Kis ''Malay Archipelago.' that PapnahsT are 1 very cruel to their children. -'-' This may be the case in the extrebfie/north ) bf i the Island, but here the verf 4'^vWtie'lkkes^place, 1 and* I cannot butiailraire /the narniony and concord thate distinguish these people in their dealings with one another. These people have- a riame for every plant, bird, insect, mountain , and stream. It is Teally" wonderful to. find an untutored race,' ignorant- Of the arts and o^ our civilisation, building up a knowledge of botahy and the uses of plants for themselves, • It is not only to such plants as are useful to them that they give names, buT to every species of plant that grows. They know the wholesome from the toxical, the digestible from the indigestible. The Saugariee have a "curious 'and -tfithal pleasing custom, wHich I think worthy ofTecord. Whenever an addition is expected in a family all hands turn out, choose a piece of land, and clear, fence, and plant it. This is the little stranger's garden, and belongs to it through life, or until such time as it "become^ unproductive and is deserted." In another place Captain Armij;; obsertps that " Nature's prodigality in these legions offers the greatest bar to the people's advancement.' -.'They-- jwould \>e infinitely betier off if they were forced to devote more time^to labor. A s things stand," a few hours' labor per week suffices 60 more than supply them with an abundance of nourisiiuig fpod. The re^tpf their time is devoted to a purposeless loafing from village, to village, gossiping, hearing the or making ornaments and •weapons. Fully: one-half of the year is devoted* to sleeping* the daytime seeming thefavorite time. Night, on the other hand, is spent in singuing, chatting, and smoking," After describing,, the rjeb. soil; and the varied attractions of . the country, Captain Armit indulges in a bit of prediction. He says that ••'ere ten years have passed over our heads the electric wire ■will flash messages through these primeval mountains and / large sugar plantations will' exist where now all is gloom jSdlitffde, snd indescribable eh aos. Townships will have sprung up and replaced the .prjnntive.dweljings of the Papuan,' barbarism will h4ve met its doom, and the manifold blessings of an enlightened civilisation will shed light and knowledge in its place."