“TOMMY” AND “TEDDY,” THE TWO LITTLE MITES WHO WERE SAVED BY THE MISSIONARIES FROM BEING BURIED ALIVE.
From a Photograph.
The natives of Papua have some very curious superstitions, giving rise to barbarous customs. For instance, a woman gave birth to twin boys. The mother died, and the villagers, coming to the conclusion that the infants were accursed, decided to bury the hapless babies alive on the woman’s grave! This terrible deed would actually have been carried out had not a native who had come under mission influence told his teacher what was intended before it was too late. The missionary was thus able to save the little mites, who were taken care of by a nurse. She is seen in the annexed photograph with “Tommy” and “Teddy” when they were a year or two old. Other babies, for various superstitious reasons, have been killed at birth or hung in trees to die a slow and terrible death from starvation.
A PAPUAN SERPENTINE—NATIVE BOYS SAILING THEIR HOME-MADE BOATS IN A LAKE.
From a Photograph.
A favourite pastime with the village boys was sailing model boats, which were surprisingly well made. The picture at the bottom of the page shows lads sailing their “sikunas” (schooners) at a Papuan “Serpentine,” for all the world like youngsters at home.
PAPUANS FISH-SPEARING.
From a Photograph.