CHAPTER VI 



Difficulties of Food — Coolies' Rations — Choice of Provisions — Trans- 

 porting Supplies up the Mimika — Description of the River — A 

 Day's Work — Monotonous Scenery — Crowned Pigeons — Birds of 

 Paradise and Others — Snakes, Bees and other Creatures — Rapids 

 and Clear Water — The Seasons — Wind — Rain — Thunderstorms — 

 Halley's Comet. 



One of the principal obstacles in the way of successful 

 exploration in Dutch New Guinea is the lack of food 

 in the country itself. It is true that in the low-lying 

 swampy districts near the coast there are plenty of 

 Sago-palms, but the majority of Malays are not sago 

 eaters except under compulsion, and the preparation 

 of sago to make it only tolerably palatable is a tedious 

 business. Moreover the first object of an expedition 

 to the mountains is to leave the swamps behind as 

 soon as possible. So it follows that every scrap of 

 food, for the coolies as well as for the Europeans, has 

 to be brought into the country from outside, and it 

 will be evident that, when the means of transport are 

 distressingly slow, the provisions must diminish con- 

 siderably in quantity as they are carried towards the 

 interior. 



The mainstay of the food of Malay coolies and 

 soldiers is rice, of which the daily ration is one katti 

 (ij pounds) ; to this is added about a quarter of a 

 pound of dried meat or dried fish. Once or twice a 



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