278 



NETV GUINEA. 



[chap. 



a V-shaped pattern. After voyages or feats of prowess they add 

 one or two of these marks, and we noticed that a young man from 

 the island of Biak, who appeared to be regarded as a person of 



some importance, and was cer- 

 tainly a very fine-looking fellow, 

 was liberally decorated with them. 

 The equipment of a Papuan 

 would not be considered complete 

 without certain amulets slung 

 around his neck. These are small 

 sticks about six inches long, carved 

 at the upper end in rough unita- 

 tion of the human figure. One is 

 to guard them in a land journey, 

 another on a voyage; one wards 

 off the e\'il designs of the dreaded 

 Manuen — the malicious spirit ; a 

 fourth preserves them from sick- 

 ness, and so on, until the wearer 

 is carefully protected from each 

 and all of the " thousand natural 

 shocks that flesh is heir to." But 

 in order that they should be 

 efficacious, he must be able m 

 a certain measure to predict these misfortunes, for the peculiar 

 ^drtue of which the amulets are possessed is only exerted when 

 they dangle between his shoulder-blades, where it is not considered 

 proper habitually to carry them. Thus, although the owner cannot 

 always have his Manuen charm at work, he may look out his 

 amulet for a voyage on starting for it, or put the one suitable for a 

 headache in action after having dined unwisely. It is needless to 

 say that sliipwreck, illness, or any misfortune which may occur is not 

 due to the inefficiency of these useful Httle articles : — it is merely 

 the result of their not having been put in use at the right moment. 



PAPUAN AMULETS. 



