TOPOGEAPHY OF NEW GUINEA. 309 



The Papuans of Dorei are known by the name of jNIafur or Nofur, a term 

 supposed by some to have the same origin as the word Alf uru, which in Portuguese 

 would have the meaning of "outsiders," or "savages." But Van Hasselt 

 interprets it in the sense of " discoverers of fire," and these natives are justly 

 proud of the sublime invention attributed by other peoples to the gods. The 

 neighbouring highlands are occupied by the Arfak people, much dreaded head- 

 hunters, who have nevertheless given a friendly welcome to those travellers who 

 ventured to visit them. 



West of Dorei on the north coast lies the station Anibcrbaken {AinberbaJd) , that 

 is, " Amber Land," which is inhabited by Papuans of the same stock as the 

 Mafurs, and like them jaeaceful and friendly and even more skilful agriculturists. 

 Their villages consist of very high cabins perched on the interlaced stems of the 

 bamboo. The territory west of them is occupied by the Karons, one of the few 

 New Guinea peoples who have not been unjustly accused of cannibalism. They 

 eat the bodies of their enemies slain in battle ; but they are probably not of 

 Papuan race. Although averaging about 5 feet 4 inches in height, they would 

 appear to belong to the same stock as the Negritoes of the Philippine Islands ; and 

 according to the naturalist Raff ray are characterised by robust, thick- set frames 

 and limbs, large round head, very prominent superciliary arches, thick lips, broad 

 flat features. They dress their frizzly hair in long tresses, which hang loosely over 

 the temples and forehead, and practise a kind of tattooing with large raised welts. 



According to the Malays who have visited them, the Karons do not eat sago 

 like the coastlanders, but feed on the sprouts of another palm that grows in a 

 dry soil, and also devour all kinds of reptiles and insects. They are accused, 

 though not on direct evidence, of eating their own offspring when all the slaves 

 and captives have been consumed, leaving only two children to each family. 

 Further south and more inland dwell the Gebars, who, like the peoples living on 

 the shores of MacCluer Inlet, are also reputed cannibals. 



South of Dorei one of the most important coast villages is Wairur, lying not 

 far from the narrowest part of the isthmus, across which a portage might easily be 

 established between the Geelvink and MacCluer Gulfs. This place is visited by 

 Malay traders, who purchase the nutmegs here growing wild. Other stations 

 follow round Geelvink Bay, such as Wandammen on the south and Arojjen 

 ( Waropen) on the east side. Then beyond the Amberno delta occur a few ports 

 of call occasionally visited by Dutch skippers. But here the population is very 

 scattered, and foreign trade has fallen off since the middle of the century. The 

 dealers, following the usual plan of making advances to the natives in order to 

 secure their produce beforehand at nominal prices, run the risk of being murdered 

 by their debtors, and in some places do not venture even to land, but wait off the 

 coast the arrival of the native craft laden with local produce. 



Humboldt Bay (Telokh Lintju), the easternmost inlet within Dutch territory, 

 is inhabited by some of the rudest coast tribes in New Guinea. Such is their 

 ignorance that they are even unable to extract the oil from the cocoanuts that 

 fringe all the western parts of the bay. 



