1913] on The Pygmies of New Guinea 773 



to render the country practicably uninhabitable. No high ground 

 being available, the natives are forced to camp on whatever may be 

 at that time the ground least threatened by the floods. This accounts 

 for the fact that there are no permanent buildings in the whole dis- 

 ti'ict. Parimau was on three separate occasions washed out of exis- 

 tence, the natives saving themselves and their goods in their canoes. 

 The village behind the AVakatimi base camp was completely destroyed 

 in June and not rebuilt. The rivers alter their courses and beds 

 almost daily, and to such an extent that permanent bridging would 

 soon be rendered useless. 



From the farthest point reached, that is to say, eleven marches 

 from the up-river camp of Parimau, a distance which had taken six 

 weeks to cover, we retired on February 14, 1911, accomplishing 

 the return journey in six days, for food was short, the road cut, and 

 all were only too nnxious to leave the country now that the work was 

 accomplished. Clearly had it been shown how impossible was the 

 task of reaching the snows with the Miraika as the line of communi- 

 cation. Instead of being able to follow the natural lie of the coun- 

 tiy we had been forced across the great rivers, rivers capable of 

 cutting one's communication with the base for weeks at a time, 

 always difficult to cross, often dangerous, and sometimes impassable. 

 While Marshall and Wollaston were making one further attempt to 

 obtain a view of the pygmy women, and doing their best to overcome 

 the scruples of the men, a task in which they were not successful, I 

 proceeded to Wakatimi, and with the assistance of the motor-boat, 

 which was, after much work, made to float and move, explored the 

 next great river to the east. 



The Kamura was found to have two mouths, several miles apart, 

 and carrying an equal volume of water. The west l)ranch, known as 

 the Atoeka, empties itself directly into the sea, the east branch, the 

 Kamura, into a bay some six miles in length, and two to three in 

 width. Into this latter bay also flows the Wania, called by the 

 coast tribes the Wandia, probably the greatest river between the 

 Mimika and the Oetakwa, The Oetakwa was last year partially 

 explored by Lieutenants Van der Bie and Postema by order of the 

 Netherlands Government. It flows directly from Carstensz, and is 

 of sufficient size to allow of a ship crossing the bar and proceeding 

 for seventeen miles up the river. From this spot a launch can 

 proceed for two days, and again canoes for still one more march. 

 From this point the expedition pushed on for seven marches, when 

 the members were forced to abandon the attempt to reach the 

 snows. 



But to return to the Kamura. The bifurcation takes place 

 about fifteen miles from the coast by river, the main stream above 

 being fed by the Tauba, Kamura, Wataikwa and Iwaka rivers. 

 These rivers are navigable for launch and canoe to the edge of the 

 foothills. 



