10 NOTES ON A TRIP TO NEW GUINEA. 
At the age of ten years these children are tightly belted 
with broad, often beautifully ornamented, thin wooden 
bands, which encircle the wearers more than once. It is 
noteworthy that here the use of the bow and the arrow ap- 
pears to have superseded that of the spearand the shield. The 
natives at Maiva seemed to be exceedingly fond of feather 
ornaments and head plumes, especially when derived from 
birds of paradise. In fact it would appear that each chief, 
or “wonga,” kept a number of parrots in confinement so 
as to have a good supply of feathers wherewith to deck 
himself in time of war. Looking-glasses were a favourite 
article of trade with these natives, and for them they would 
part with their tame cockatoos and parrots, which they 
possessed in great variety. From Maiva the “ Elsea” pro- 
ceeded to Moti-motu, situated on a piece of land at the 
mouth of the Williams River. This is a fine deep fresh- 
water stream, and apparently as yet unexplored. Of the 
rivers which are eligible to an exploring party seeking to 
cross New Guinea, the Williams River seems to especially 
recommend itself. By the Williams the north coast could 
be reached in sixty miles, and report states that this 
sixty miles is traversed by a navigable river arising on the 
other side of the great watershed. From the Moti-motu 
stream we once more proceeded to Thursday Island, which 
we reached after an absence of six weeks. 
{In illustration of his remarks Mr. Potts exhibited, from time to time, 
objects of native manufacture and of natural history derived from the 
different localities he had visited. These are now in the Queensland 
Museum.—H.T.] 
