338 proceedings: anthropological society 



covered with a dense tropical forest, and only partially explored. Though 

 all are claimed by different European powers, only the smaller islands 

 and the coasts of the larger are under control. The traveler is perfectly 

 safe, however, except in a few regions which are well known. Transpor- 

 tation is the great difficulty, and if one Avishes to get away from the few 

 settlements it must be by small launches or sailing craft belonging to the 

 scattered traders and planters, or by native canQes. In one of the last 

 the speaker traveled more than 100 miles, stopping at the native villages, 

 sleeping in the native huts, with only natives as attendants and guides. 

 The condition at present varies much in the different islands; Fiji is 

 the most civilized. The natives of Fiji are all professing Christians and 

 read and write their own language. Excepting the ordinary things of 

 everyday life, there is little of the old left. The native Fijian population 

 is about 90,000 and the European 3,500, while there are 40,000 to 50,000 

 Indian coolies on the sugar plantations. Industrially, Fiji is far in 

 advance of any of the other groups. New Caledonia was for years a 

 French penal colony, and the natives are reduced to about 30,000 living 

 on reservations, much as our American Indians. The New Hebrides are 

 under the joint rule of France and England, but some of the large islands 

 are still wild and unsafe. To the ethnologist, Malekula is the most 

 interesting. Over twenty languages are spoken on this one island, to say 

 nothing of dialects. The natives, houses, and dancing grounds, with 

 huge carved drums and wooden figures, were illustrated by views. The 

 Solomon Islands are mostly English, but two are under Germany. 

 Including missionaries, there are probably not over three hundred Euro- 

 peans in the group. Some of the islands still are unsafe, even to land on 

 the shore, except where there is a mission station or government post. 

 New Guinea is the largest and most interesting island of all. Except 

 Greenland, it is the largest in the world, and the least loiown; for while 

 even Greenland has been crossed several times. New Guinea has never 

 been crossed except near the ends, where quite narrow. More time was 

 spent on New Guinea than anywhere else. A considerable portion of the 

 coast was visited and short trips were made toward the interior. There 

 are but few Europeans in New Guinea, the greater number (about 1000) 

 being in the British portion of the island, known officially as Papua. 

 A considerable number of these are gold diggers. In German New 

 Guinea (Kaiser-Wilhelmsland) there are about 200 Europeans, and in 

 the Dutch portion not over 50. The old condition of warfare among the 

 natives has been stopped as far as the government can extend its 

 influence. The natives, as a rule, are friendly and hospitable. Many 

 weeks were spent alone with them in their villages, with only native 

 attendants. The habits, customs, and general appearance of the natives, 

 while similar in general aspects, vary greatly in detail. Views illustrating 

 the native villages, the people themselves with their characteristic dress 

 and ornaments, and phases of native life, were shown from a number of 

 different places, so that a general idea of their character and variety 

 could be obtained. 



