25 



where the excellent potatoes are grown. To the north the surrounding hills 

 slope on both sides to a marshy area, which marks the exit of a river, as on 

 the lower lake. 



To the south-west the houses of another head-hunting tribe were pointed 

 out, who seem to dominate this part of the country, as those before men- 

 tioned cause a reign of terror at lower altitudes. These people possibly 

 represent the tribe called " Hiraj," about which St. Vraz (15, 234) was told 

 at Hatam thnt they lived beyond the lake Tschemti, and were spoken of 

 as cannibals ; but I never heard any of these " Orang jatoe " referred to as 

 anything but head-hunters by my informants, Manao and Waspiri. 



Our stay at the <$ lake, much as I should have liked to prolong it, 

 was limited to six days. The camp, never very dry at the best of times, 

 became sodden and under water from so much trampling, and many of the 

 Wariap people, who had faithfully kept their promise to stay with me, were 

 suffering from bad colds and rheumatism, such a sudden change of tempera- 

 ture necessarily telling on people accustomed to tropical heat, when warm 

 clothing cannot be provided. 



The Malays of my escort were also becoming depressed, as they always 

 do when out of their accustomed environment, so the order to break camp 

 was hailed as a happy deliverance by everybody but myself. The beauty of 

 these surroundings, their extraordinary variety, afforded such a wealth of 

 material for work and reflection, which, with crisp air, cool temperature, and 

 splendid weather, made one long to spend more time in this lovely spot. 



Our return was along the S.W. ridge again, leaving on the right 

 the spur by which we had ascended. Beyond this point a fine high forest 

 developed as the altitude decreased, the huge climbing ferns still wreathing 

 the trunks of the much finer trees, the undergrowth showing less herbaceous 

 variety with more sub-staging of shrubs and young trees. A small clump 

 of Corsia arfakensis, a new species, grew on some dead wood, and at 

 about 5000' a group of two or three magnificent Agatliis Dammara, with 

 towering white steins, too large to climb, and very small crowns, occurred. 

 Great lumps of white dammar stood out on the trunks, which the 

 " Pradjoerit," to whom these trees were familiar in Amboina, immediately 

 wanted to fire, so like the wasteful Fijians with their beautiful " Dakua " 

 trees, which I sternly forbade. This practice, I was glad to see, seemed 

 unknown to the Papuans. 



Many young trees showing the fastigiate youth form were seen, and one 

 of the Papuans found me a young seedling, about 2 m. high, from which I 

 took the foliage, but had to content myself, so far as fruiting material went, 

 with some old scales found beneath the old trees ; they were sufficient, 

 however, to determine the species. 



Continuing down a lateral spur, running in an easterly direction, we 



