June 8, 1876] 



NATURE 



137 



in fact, is introduced, and, after that the piece of wood 

 has been firmly pressed against the ground by the foot or 

 knee, is put into a continually increasing frictional move- 

 ment until some dry cocoa-nut bark fibre, previously 

 placed beneath, takes fire. This is a very tedious pro- 

 ceeding, as it lasts well-nigh half an hour. The abo- 

 rigines of the coast have repeatedly told Maclay that 

 they are frequently obliged to go to other villages to pro- 

 cure fire when by chance the fires in all the huts of a 

 village have gone out. 



The Papuans pass most of their time outside their huts, 

 these latter serving principally as shelter during the 

 night, or in bad weather. To the lie-beam of the hut a 

 cord is fastened, from which hangs a memti, i.e. a stick 

 with several hooks. In front of the stick a portion of the 

 covering of the base of the leaf of the sago palm is so 

 arranged that the cord passes through the middle of the 

 same. To the hooks are hung various articles of food 

 wrapped up in leaves. This arrangement serves to keep off 

 the mice, which would otherwise make away with every- 

 thing eatable in the night. Beyond a pair of spears, a 

 few arrows, and other implements of the chase, there is 

 nothing in the way of furniture in the hut of the Papuan, 

 It would be difficult, in fact, to find a human habitation 

 more meagrely furnished. It is the custom to preserve 

 some portion, e.^. the lower jaw, of every animal which 

 has been eaten at feasts. These souvenirs are hung 

 around the walls of the large common hut — buam- 

 branira. 



The plantations, or gardens, of the Papuans are seldom 

 laid out near the huts, but for the sake of security are hidden 

 in the jungle. A clearing is made by cutting down the 

 underwood, and, after it has been dried in the sun, it is 

 set on fire. The space thus prepared is then surrounded 

 by a kind of hedge consisting of two roA's of a kind of 

 sugar-cane [i>accharuin spontatieiivi), which soon takes 

 root, the opposite stems being fastened together with 

 lianas, and the intervening space between the rows filled 

 with rough-hewn logs. In less than a month's time a new 

 plantation is put in full order and planted with bananas, 

 sugar-cane, and the CoUocasiaand Dioscorea. The tools 

 which are used for this purpose are very simple, being the 

 tidja, a strong stick about two yards in length, and 

 sharpened at one end — the implement of the men ; and 

 the udja-sab, which is used by the women, a kind of small 

 spade. The Papuans have throughout the year a rotation 

 of fruit and vegetables. Every day the women go forth 

 to fetch from the plantations what is necessary for the 

 same evening and the following morning. The coast 

 people have the most property in cultivated land, while 

 the islanders are chiefly employed in the manufacture of 

 pots, dishes, and canoes. 



Among the Papuans of Maclay Coast there exists 

 neither trade nor a regular system of barter. If, for 

 instance, the coast people visit their neighbours or the 

 people of the hills, or the islanders, they bring with them 

 as a present all the superfluous articles which they possess, 

 and on their departure receive as presents productions of 

 the village which they have visited. Maclay has never 

 seen one single present given or demanded in return for 

 an equivalent gift. 



Not many villages are in possession oi pirogues (canoes), 

 because most of those on the coast are situated in the 

 neighbourhood of a surf so strong as to make landing 

 impossible. The canoes are hewn out of a single tree- 

 trunk, and have an outrigger (Aussengestell), and are 

 manned by two rowers. The inhabitants, however, of 

 Bili-BiU and of the " Archipelago of Contentment," build 

 larger canoes, provided with two masts, " raking " one 

 fore, the other aft. In these canoes the aborigines can 

 sail with the most unfavourable winds. The large sail 

 consists of a pandanus * mat, and split bamboo and 



' Patidaiius is the generic term for the family of Screw-palms. — J. C. G. 



lianas serve as sheets and shrouds. The anchor is a piece 

 of a tree-trunk, of which four or five branches encircling 

 it, after being cut short and sharpened to a point, serve 

 as the " flukes," and is weighted by means of a number of 

 stones r.ttached to the shank by a sort of basket-work. 

 Neither the coast people nor the inhabitants of the hills 

 undertake voyages of any considerable extent. 



With a few words on the daily life of the Papuans this 

 article must be brought to a close. The Papuan of 

 Maclay Coast marries early, and leads, morally speaking, 

 a most model life, extra- connubial alliances being seldom, 

 or never, formed. The marriage settlements are very 

 simple, the bridegroom making, on agreement with the 

 bride's family, a few presents, such as dishes and dyed 

 cloths. A few days after, a pig or a dog is slain, 

 the marriage feast is celebrated, and the young man 

 takes his bride off to his hut. There is a much simpler 

 procedure, the event being marked by no feast, when a 

 man divorces his wife because she is unable to work, 

 perhaps on account of lameness, for he simply sends her 

 off and takes another. In other respects the men treat 

 their wives well, for it is very seldom that a wife is 

 beaten ! The women, however, do all the hard work and 

 carry heavy burdens, so that the freshness and healthiness 

 of youth soon passes away. The children are very cheer- 

 ful, and seldom scream. They are more petted by the 

 father than by the mother, and Maclay has actually seen, 

 what is very uncommon among savages, toys, in the shape 

 of model canoes, and a kind of top. They, however, in 

 childhood learn all the pursuits of manhood, and early 

 accompany their father into the plantations or on his 

 fishing excursions. It is a comical, though not uncom- 

 mon sight, to see a boy of four years old gravely tend the 

 fire, fetch wood, clean the dishes, help his father to peel 

 fruit, and then, on the entrance of his mother, run to her 

 and begin to take the breast. The women suckle for far 

 too long a time, which, more than even overwork, is the 

 cause of their having such small families. The day of the 

 Papuan begins with the early dawn, and he loves the crow 

 of the cock which heralds the approach of day. Even it he 

 has nothing particular to do, off he goes to the shore, while 

 it is yet dusk, enveloped in his mal, and with chattering 

 teeth awaits the sunrise. When his wife is already off to the 

 plantation, he lingers over his breakfast, and then either 

 chews betel or smokes a green cigar. About ten o'clock 

 the men depart to their various occupations ; and if a 

 visit be paid to a village at noon, not a human being will 

 be seen, but a dog or a pig or two will come out and in- 

 spect the intruder, and then disappear again. About four 

 or five in the afternoon the men return, dripping from 

 their daily bath. In spite of numerous skin diseases 

 the Papuans can scarcely be termed dirty, for they 

 daily, often several times a day, take a bath and 

 rub their skin with sand or grass. Later on in the 

 evening come their wives, sweating and staggering 

 under their heavy burdens. Supper is then made ready. 

 Into the pot-au-feu are emptied the most incongruous 

 food stuffs, reminding us almost of the " ingredients " of 

 the witches' caldron in " Macbeth," e.^. beetles, snails, 

 crabs, caterpillars, and small lizards ! On these collocasia 

 or dioscorea are put, and over all water, a third part being 

 sea-water, is poured, and the pot, covered with green 

 leaves, is then set on the fire to boil. When all is ready, 

 the master of the house distributes the portions, the worst 

 morsels to his wife and children, reserving the best for 

 himself and his guests. In order to obtain a so:ip<^on of 

 saline flavour, the brine is drunk in which the food was 

 cooked. After a cigar or a quantum of betel, the men 

 retire to rest, previously taking care to light a fire under 

 their bedsteads. So passes away the day of the Papuan, 

 varied only by an occasional excursion, or a feast, or 

 a preparation for war, 



John C. Galton 



