626 



The mainland people traded chiefly pigs and dogs to those 

 of the d'Entrecasteaux group, passing on the articles which 

 they had acquired from the inland natives, such as birds' 

 feathers, fibre belts, etc. They used to get about four or five 

 fine greenstone axe-blades for a pig, and for a big piece of 

 obsidian tlie}'- paid one plaited fibre belt. 



The goods received from the northern islands were further 

 traded by the WedcVu and other coastal villagers to the inland 

 people. The latter exported to the coastal villages such 

 articles as were not obtainable on the grassy seaboard, and 

 which could be easily found and manufactured in the mountain 

 jungle. Amongst these were spears (Aiera), fibre belts 

 (Tairoro), cassowary feather stalks (Dziweni ), cassowary 

 feathers (Waige), and some kinds of baskets (Goha). These 

 native words were given to me in Samarai in the Wedau 

 language. The Tairoro belts consist of a number of strands 

 of plaited, brown fern vine. They were manufactured by the 

 inland tribes on the southern coast — that is, from Gadauiu 

 eastwards — and on the northern coast from Cape Vogel east- 

 wards. As examples of prices it may be quoted that one belt 

 was paid for a piece of obsidian ; ten spears were given by the 

 inland people for one clay pot made in Icisi'msi, on the coast 

 east of Cape Vogel ; ten cassowary feather stalks were 

 exchanged for one pot. 



I obtained the following names of villages through which 

 the trading route passed, starting from Bartle Bay and its 

 neighbourhood and going from north to south. The first 

 inland village was Geldria — a community often mentioned by 

 Prof. Seligman and the Rev. H. Newton in their works 

 referred to. Then in succession came the Magawdru, Maind'u, 

 Dzihogdna, and Boroivd'i peoples. These lived inland, north 

 of Mullins Harbour, and they traded directly with the Mailu. 

 The Borowd'i are always mentioned in Mailu as the people 

 from whom the greenstone axe-blades come, though it seems 

 beyond doubt that they did not manufacture them themselves, 

 but imported them from the great quarrying centres in the 

 north. 



At the point where the trading route reached the Mailu, 

 around Mullins Harbour, certain complication takes place in 

 the character of the articles traded. On the way through the 

 mainland some of the inland produce (feathers, vine belts, 

 articles of bamboo and other wood, etc.) have joined the 

 articles sent down from the Northern and North-eastern 

 Massini. Again, seme of the north-eastern produce gets 

 absorbed by the inland tribes : some is deflected to the east 

 after reaching Mullins Harbour. It is a noteworthy fact, and 



