38 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



the attention of the people to the fact that they could use the calico, in imitation of some 

 men in Humboldt Bay, as a pubic covering; but they left it quietly on my hands, as it 

 was not red, indicating however that a large pièce would be accepted if my servant were 

 allowed to make a small jacket with sleeves out of it. Indeed it appeared that with thèse 

 people a small jacket, even if it only reached to the navel, was much more in demand than 

 a pair of trousers, in which they had soon discovered a tasteless object. The girls and 

 unmarried women, of whatever âge they may be, are hère and in many other places seldom 

 visited (see fig. 7 and 10), going about quite naked. But on the day when the bride is led 

 towards lier bridegroom, she wears a petticoat of prepared bark, which reaches one turn and 

 a half round her waist, hère supported by a girdle, and hanging down below the knees. This 

 petticoat she further continues to wear as a married woman and also as a widow. The ques- 

 tion therefore arises, why, of ail the persons hère forming the society, only one category wears 

 a dress which one would feel inclined to take for a pubic covering. 



It can hardly be imagined that this dress was introduced at the désire of the women 

 themselves. The petticoat is put on, after the amount of the purchase money has been verified 

 by the parents of the girl and before the bride is handed over to the bridegroom. The 

 maiden herself has certainly no voice in it; for girls hâve nothing to say in this society. The 

 social order is ruled by the views of the maie population and it is therefore very improbable 

 that the men, who give no indication of possessing themselves the sexual feeling of shame, 

 would formulate an instruction for dress of married women, which would be connected with 

 a feeling of propriety. Alongside of cases in which, at the approach of members of the expé- 

 dition, first of ail young and unclothed women hid themselves in the houses, other cases 

 occurred, where unmarried and therefore undressed women, moved about amongst us with 

 perfect ease, there being therefore no question of a sensé of propriety on account of conscious 

 nakedness. Thus an adult girl of Ajâpo was induced by a promise of tobacco to be led 

 before the photographical apparatus which was erected for anthropological purposes. During 

 the préparations however, the men standing round raised some objections and at their insti- 

 gation the girl suddenly ran away, after which there was hère no further chance of taking 

 photo's of undressed women, no doubt in conséquence of the prohibition by the men. 

 The Malay name of Papua Talandjang (= land of the naked Papuans) by no means, as 

 supposed by FlNSCH [1903, 133]. an arbitrary new name, therefore has this historical 

 and biological meaning, that the civilising influence of the Malay coast traders and 

 navigators, who hâve long ago introduced the sarong into Geelvink Bay (fig. 11), has 

 until now only partly influenced the naked customs of the said country. The man from the 

 West, arrived in thèse parts, finds himself at first confronted by thèse conditions as by a 

 psychological problem and very likely he considers the protest arising within himself, as a 

 spontaneous expression of wounded conviction, perfectly justified. Even FlNSCH [1888, 136] 

 allowed himself to be influenced thereby, when he wrote of the people of Parsi Point that, although 

 behaving themselves in a very orderly manner, they made an unfavourable impression on 

 account of their déficient clothing. But after a short time the European, living amongst thèse 

 people, has to face another problem, when he discovers that, with regard to the Papuans, he 

 has already entirely abandoned the demand for a pubic covering. He then feels, that his 

 opinion of the inhabitants becomes fairer, that his former protest did thèse people an injustice. 



