11 



c. INHABITED ZONE OF FOOT-HILLS AND LOWER RANGES. 



Once on the foot-hills the character of the country changes : the ground 

 is broken by rocky outcrops and boulders, and the streams are now mountain 

 torrents, plunging over great boulders which form their beds. 



Crossing the Soedomi River, a rocky stream which falls into the Momi, 

 one mounts steeply up the flanks of the spurs to the crests of the ridges, 

 which are cleared. Native houses are first seen at about 1000', and from 

 thence upwards, on the crests and slopes of the ridges, where the soil is 

 deep and easy to work, there is evidence of extensive cultivation, past 

 and present. 



All the region of the subsidiary spurs and lower ranges seems to be 

 inhabited. From commanding views it is easy to trace the line of the ridge, 

 by which the approach to the lakes is made from Sjari, by the smoke rising 

 from the houses, which are always perched in a conspicuous position, 

 probably for the double purpose of observation and defence. Only in the 

 case of one or two head-hunting tribes, who seem to inspire the whole 

 neighbourhood with terror, were the houses situated on the lower slopes. 



On the third, or Sjari ridge, from the Soedomi River, one looks down on 

 to the Momi again, which rises in these mountains at right angles to its 

 coast course. From below Soekoem the course of the Momi River (fig. 2) 

 is erroneously indicated ; it should be that suggested for the Runsiki River 



(fig- 2). 



Van Oosterzee (17, 999), who went up from Sjari, 20 miles along the coast 

 from Wariap and 10 miles south o Warcn, mentions crossing the rivers 

 Waren and Waidiri, both flowing into the Momi, but the Waren enters the 

 sea at Waren, halfway between Sjari and Wariap. The Soedomi was the 

 only river we crossed, coming up from Wariap, till the Momi was again met 

 with as a rocky torrent. Crossing to the west bank of the Momi we climbed 

 another long spur in a westerly direction, till the latter joined the crest of 

 the main range at 7000', called the S.W. ridge in this work, where the 

 inhabited zone suddenly ceases, a fact probably determined by the steeper 

 gradients and narrower crests, and the exposed and poor gravelly soil. 



d. CRESTS OF MAIN RANGE AND LAKE BASINS. 



The route to the lakes lies along the narrow crest of this ridge, marked 

 as " Bonjas Gebebergte " on fig. 2, which runs S. t S.W. from 5000-8500' in 

 height, bounded on the west by a valley, said by the Papuans to be that 

 of the river issuing from the largest of the two lakes (Tilaan of fig. 2), and 

 on the east by short spurs which run down to the Momi valley. 



The Angi lakes are situated at about 7000' and 8000' respectively, 

 separated on the west by the long Koebre Mountain, 9000' high, and 



