768 Captain Cecil G, Rawling [May 16, 



is always standing by the doorway ready for instant use. I saw no 

 people actually killed in the broils, but many badly injured ; care is 

 always taken to avoid striking the head. 



Pariniau, although thirty miles from the coast in a direct line, is 

 situated at a height of less than a hundred feet above sea-level. The 

 intervening country was covered with a dense growth of Pandanus 

 (four species), Artocarpus, (three species), Eriodendron, Albizzia 

 Moluccana, Ficus (many species), Sagus rumpldi and Octomeles Moluc- 

 cana, together with Rattans (Calamus) of three or four species, and 

 the scarlet-flowering creeper Mucuna pruriens and the wild Vanilla 

 planifolia. Underfoot the land was boggy, and during the heavy 

 rains almost impassal)le. Such is the vegetation which extends over 

 the whole of south-west New Guinea from the bare rocks of the 

 central range to the sea. At intervals of from four to six miles the 

 land is intersected by great rivers, none of which are fordable, except 

 on rare occasions, until the mountains are reached. The majority 

 have their sources in the highlands to the north at about S. lat. 4°, 

 the remainder rising in the low-lying jungle, and kept replenished 

 by the constant rain. On entering the plains, the beds change from 

 stone to mud, the course continually shifting as the dams of timber 

 block the flow of the waters. The difficulty of cross-country move- 

 ment cannot be exaggerated. Not only do the greater rivers render 

 a crossing a dangerous and uncertain proceeding, Init endless smaller 

 streams, many waist-deep, add to the portage difficulties. Communi- 

 cation is maintained Ijetween the Kapare, Mimika and Tualja rivers 

 by a single faint trail marked by the men breaking the twigs as they 

 pass along. At the Tuaba River the track ceases, the country to the 

 east being uninhabitable on account of the denseness of the forest 

 aiul the excessive hardness of the timl)er. For this very reason, pig, 

 wallaby and cassowary here find a sanctuary, from whence the more 

 depopulated hunting districts are restocked. Flesh, however, forms 

 but a small item in the diet of the natives, their chief and practically 

 oidy food supply l)eing sago and fish. Bananas and pumpkins are 

 sometimes grown, but only in limited quantities, for their cultivation 

 requires a certain amount of labour, to which the Papuan is adverse. 

 Many individuals grow tobacco, to which all natives are very partial. 



For many months attempts to penetrate into the hills met with 

 little success. Stores had first of all to be accumulated at Parimau, 

 the up-river station, a feat of great difliculty, as the imported coolies 

 were limited in mnnbers, rapidly fell sick, and were much impeded by 

 the varying conditions of the Mimika. None were available for 

 cross-country transport, and the exi)loring party was forced to rely 

 entirely upon what assistance could be obtained from the natives. 

 These, however, proved most unreliable, on several occasions deserting 

 when many marches from home and leaving us to get back the best 

 way we could. Again, they refused to enter the hilTs, partly because 

 they were not allowed to cross the line of demarcation between their 



