12 



bounded to the east and the south by the S.W. ridge. The largest lake is 

 called the Wannasin Bean or " Woman " Lake by the Papuans, in contra- 

 distinction to the higher and smaller one, the Warmasin Snoon or "Man" 

 Lake. These names are so well recognised that the Malays with me 

 invariably referred to each lake as "Prempuan" or "Anak," the Malay 

 translation. According to Gjellerup (25, 77), the greatest length of the 

 lowest or " Woman " lake is 9 km. south-west to north-east, and the greatest 

 breadth is 4 km. on the south side. This lake is so deep that van Oosterzee 

 (17, 1010) found that, on the south side, at a few hundred in. from the 

 edge, he could no longer touch the bottom after 90 m. Grjellerup (25, 77) 

 states that eels are the only living fish in it. On the north side the con- 

 verging hills gradually slope into a marsh, the exit of the Tilaan River, 

 which, according to both van Oosterzee (17, 1018) and Gjellerup (25, 77) 

 joins the Ransiki River, which is stated by the former to fall into the sea 

 at Wariap, obviously a mistake for the Momi River. 



The western shore of this lake is inhabited by a small Alfuero tribe, their 

 communal houses being in four groups on the extreme edge of the water, 

 in separate bays, the " kebuns " stretching up the slopes behind. Further on, 

 the sides of Koebre rise steeply from the water, while to the south a low 

 ridge, about a couple of hundred feet high, connects with the S.W. ridge, 

 which forms the boundary to the east. 



The smaller or " Man " lake is reckoned by Gjellerup (25, 77) as roughly 

 about 4 km. from the " Woman " lake, and he gives its north and west sides 

 as inhabited. Van Oosterzee (17, 1013), who spent most of his time on 

 the upper lake, estimated it to be 7 km. long, and 2 broad in the southern 

 portion and he counted some thirty houses on the western shore with 

 about 1000 souls ; the houses seemed to me more numerous to the south- 

 west, and I hardly think there can be so many inhabitants at the present 

 time. He mentions the morass at the north end of the lake, also rafts 

 on its surface, the cultivation of potatoes on the shores, and that eels 

 are the only fish found in its waters. St. Vraz (15, 234), while at Great 

 Hatam, heard from the natives that at four days' journey south there was a 

 large lake called " Tschemti," with many fish and crocodiles, on whose banks 

 Manikianos lived. 



Inquiring of some of the Papuans with me, who had been up at the lakes 

 before, if it were possible to reach the north coast and Manokoeari from the 

 upper lake, they answered " Yes," and that it took twenty days, but, of course, 

 in their estimate of time they would lose count beyond a certain number. 

 Van Oosterzee met some Papuans (17, 1010) by the lower lake, who told 

 him they had come from the north, and Gjellerup (25, 77) also mentions a 

 way to the north coast, facts which agree with St. Vraz's information. 



As I heard it was possible to return to Wariap in two days by keeping 

 to the S.W. ridge, I decided at once on such a welcome alternative to the 



