I 



57 



having long since crashed to earth. It would be in- plain, which extends for four days' march up the Mark- 



terestmg to ascertain the periodicity of the fires. With ham and four days' march down the Ramu. To the north 



the present meteorological knowledge it is not possible it reaches into the foothills of the Kawlinson Kange, 



to establish the dates. From an • examination of the where again it peters out in grass land. To the south the 



growing and dead timber, I should say that those visita- Markham marks the limit of this type of forest, it is 



(ions are between 30 and 40 years apart. 



only a small area and of only scientific interest. Besides 



There are always some ureas that escape burning and, the extraordinary predominance of Cell is philippinensis 



this, J think, is the reason why the forests are so par- the forest is remarkable for containing some specimens 



ticularly patchy and yet why every stand is of even of cedar (Cedrella toona var. Australis, iS T o. 626). This, 

 age 



then M is only in a very waterlogged soil, is Oct omelet 



The only species that beats it in growth, and like the cedar that occurs in Papua, is the true Queens- 



land red cedar. In 9 miles of strip surveys cut through 

 aumatrana* It also survives a fire that kills the gum this area not one cedar was recorded, but the natives of 

 outright, and so it is that in many of the lower levels Yalu were able to lead me to three specimens scattered 

 a foresi of Octonieles takes the place of the eucalypts, over some 1,500 acres. The natives appreciate the 

 though white skeletons of the latter show that at one wood for making houses, for it splits readily, also the 

 tune they predominated The shade cast by Octonieles boys on the coast right round from the mouth of the 



is such that there is no possibility of a kamarere estab- 

 lishing itself under that canopy. 



A 



s 



a timber kamarere is well liked. It is a 

 long-grained pinky wood with a consistency of 

 mountain ash, and therefore useful for all general 

 purposes. In the " Islands " it is used for house 

 construction above ground, and for a number of 

 other uses, of which planks for boats is perhaps the 

 most common. It is heavy, but as a sapling it will float 

 green, and when well seasoned it will float also. In 



the description of the tree (see p. 129) I have put 



the weight per cubic foot at 52 lb., but this must be 

 taken as approximate, as the specific gravity of this 

 wood, as in all eucalypts, varies enormously, accord- 

 ing to the age of the wood and its position in the trunk. 

 Neglecting the Henry Reid River, where there is so 



Markham to Finsch-hafen get the logs for making their 

 very best canoes. Nowhere else did I actually see cedar 

 growing on the main island of New Guinea, but it must 

 also occur at Siasi (Rook Island), for I have seen cedar 



canoes that have come from there. 



Nowhere is it 



plentiful enough for even local canoe needs. 



The following species were met with at Yalu. The 

 natives' names are in the Yalu language. Usu 

 (Octomeles swmatrana y No. 589, Pap. b4). The 



conditions are not sufficiently alluvial to permit 

 of pure or social stands of this fine tree. It 

 grows to as large a size here as usual, and is sought 

 after when of medium size for canoe making. Afas 

 (Viiex cofassus, No. 590, Pap. 91,145). This tree is 

 common, and its wood is sought after for making canoe 



paddles. At the mission mill, near Finsch-hafen, it is 



V,,i i -i £. l i n i -i • Jtium^. ill liiu iiii&s^uii mill, urai j-iiiM-ii-iiairii, ±i is 



little timber lelt as to be hardly worth consideration, „ • - i „ i i i '> „ • • i i 7 ' • „ 



,i -p ii -D- i -j. A -i J . • ^ * v , sawn up into boards and used for inside work. It is a 



the Powell River and its tributaries carry close on 

 500,000 cubic feet of timber. Except on the Yara, a 



hard dense timber, but is not regarded in these parts as 



„ n , .i , • • ^i -o \i ii -i i L "'i durable in the ground. Curiously enough, in New Ire- 



confluent that joins the Powell 2i miles up, where the , , i T fe • , *v *™ " • i \\ 



timber is very large and fine, the average volume per 

 tree is only 400 cubic feet, as compared with 1,800 cubic 



land and Lavongai, where the tree is known as Ahsang 

 it is used for house props, and considered next to Kwila 

 (Afzelia bi/uga) in durability and quite as good as 



feet at Korindal, and on the lower reaches of the Powell i T '* , n J * ' • .. x ^ 



a i -, t _^ . j t -,, . . ,, JNanga (I lerocarpus nulicus). 



the species become almost stunted, and would not yield 

 J 50 cubic feet of solid timber per tree. 



Rain-forest Proper. 



The Eucalyptus Naudiniana forest described above 

 is an intrustive type boring its way into this tropical 



Ombong (Afzelia bijuga, No. 585, Pap. 10). Not 



common in this forest. 



Ngafir (Pterocarpus indicus, No. 5(87, Pap. 4). 

 Rather scarce. Boys prize it for drum making. 



Tze (Pomctia pinnata, No. 586, Pap. 5). 



Very 



floral region 



the rain-forest proper 



This 



is 



!l ie common, but does not reach a tree of the dimensions to 



characteristic type of vegetation that clothes the low- 

 lands and the sides of the hills to an altitude of 1,000 



be found in Lavongai. 



Ambund (Al.slnnia scholar is, No. 594, Pap. 29). Not 



feet, on both the main islands of New Guinea and the common and does not reach a great size. 



numerous islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. 



The 



/ 



Common on 



mixture of species is as bewildering as in Papua, and edge of rain forest and in grass lands. Cultivated in 



generally speaking the same species occur. In some 

 areas new species were found, and in some the pre- 

 ponderant species were no longer the same. Celtis 

 philippinensis, for instance, which in Papua takes a 

 low place in order of numerical importance in the 

 forest around Yalu, a few miles up the Markham River, 

 is as common as Pometia pinnata. 



This area of rain forest is of interest, as it is one 

 of the few patches left by the natives. It appears to 



— 



villages for its fruit. 



Bread fruit (Artocarpus incisa, No. 597, Pap. 96). 

 Common. Cultivated in farm lands for its fruit. 



Woro (aff. Chisocheton, No. 598). A second story 



tree, with large compound leaves. 



Several species of fig were met with, of which Otzol, 



No. 599, was most common. This species yields a fair 



bast cloth. 



Narunkuf (Indt., No. 600), is another medium-sized 



have been a no-man's land between two warring peoples : tree whoge timber has EOt hing much to recommend it. 



the coastal labim tribe and the inland JVlarkliam Kiver -, r , A , -vr ~ M -p. „v mi • • 



i tt r 4. i. i it.l /• i . n . Mom (Artocarpus sp., A o. 601, Jrap. o). Has is 



people. Unlortunatelv, all the figures and notes relat- c . , v i • ii £ i ^ /• i_ A i 



\ ,i - r . i . i i ,i fairly common, and yields a useful soft light wood, 



nig to this forest were lost when my base camp on the rpl J , ,- V1 7 ,J ., '• . .i 



Ramu River was destroyed and in describiU it I Ihe hoys dlsllke cuttm 8 :t owln 8* to the vei T ~PWM 



li-cllIllL 1 1 1 \ 1 1 \\ (IS UroUUy CU* clUvi ill UCotl I Ul ■Hii it 1 m r 1 I'll! 1 C 1i 



must rely on my memory and on the samples of timber f ow of latox ' whlch s l )laslles the axeman from head t0 



whicli^ fortunately, were left behind on the Ramu ex- 

 pedition. 



Forests of the Lower Markham River around the 



Village of Yall t . 



On the seaward side this forest is bounded by the of abundance. From memory the percentages worked 

 coastal or beach forest and by the natives' cultivated out at 6 per cent, and 5 per cent, respectively of the 

 lands, while inland it is bounded by the great grass whole standing stock. 



foot. 



AVisawis (Pterocymhium sp., Xo. 602, Pap. 13, 279). 

 This very large tree occurs in scattered groups. 



Mougong (Cell is philippinensis, Xo. 603, Pap. 47). 

 Here this tree comes second to Pometia pinnata in point 



