FOOD, DRINK AND DELICACIES. 3 



Tamara (Tumleo) the men eat no pork, as according to their opinion the soûl of the dead transmi- 

 grâtes into the bodies of the pigs, must be considered as an isolated, though none the less curious 

 statement. Perhaps a remnant of totemism is hidden hère, which according to IvOHLER [1886, 

 369] forbids the killing and even the touching of the totem animal. For certain districts of 

 the adjacent K. W. Land, NACHRICHTEN [1897, 87] mention such a connection with the cro- 

 codile and pig with great certainty; similar is reported from British New Guinea (TjNNUAL 

 REPORT [1897 — 98, 134]). In Geelvink Bay the profession of blacksmith carries with it the 

 abstention from pork. Van HASSELT [1886, 583] does not mention the reason, and it is there- 

 fore a mère guess on my part, when I présume that this abstention originates from an imita- 

 tion of the Mohammedan blacksmiths, to whom the people are indebted for the smith's craft. 



Alongside of the pig, fish cornes into considération as the principal ingrédient of 

 animal food ; for places along the coast sait water fish, for those situated in the interior fresh 

 water fish. 



Villages so exceptionally favourably situated for fishing as those of Humboldt 

 Bay (see Chapter IV), consume large quantities. Fresh and also smoked fish were even often 

 offered for sale to visitors of this bay. BlNK [1897, 148], who remained hère from August 

 to November 1893, then already received the impression that no day passes without fish 

 food, and our expédition, which stayed hère during the months Mardi — July 1903, can confirai 

 this and has shared during the second part of its stay some times in this abundance. The 

 présence of smoked fish however gives rise to the supposition that the abundance of fish 

 in the inner bay is not always equally great, probably in connection with the reigning mon- 

 soon and with the biologica! habits of the fishes; possibly the west monsoon is in this 

 respect less favourable. 



On Lake Sentàni fish, I found, was also the principal ingrédient of animal food and as 

 the great fish of prey, kâ joi, which visits the lake in or after February, disappears again 

 after a short time, this fish is then caught in large quantities and preserved by smoking. 

 In this condition I saw the men still using it in June. But smaller fishes are also eaten 

 smoked. Fresh fish is hère simply held over the wood fire and half roasted, half smoked, 

 and thus obtains a somewhat smoky but not unpleasant taste. At Asé I also saw the men at 

 their morning meal eating f r e s h water s n a i 1 s, P aludina, gëre or f ère, which could easily be 

 extracted from the shell after having been boiled, by the use of a scratcher from the hair, 

 ongaï, or with a pointed bone nose-staff, itjâ. 



Amongst animal food, noticed by ourselves as being used, I may still mention a red 

 snake, which being too much damaged by a charge of shot to be included in the zoôlogical 

 collection, was eagerly carried off for consumption by a man from Tobâdi. The snake and 

 its eggs must indeed be a tasty dish for the Papuan ; for the people at the back of Port 

 Moresby told CHALMERS [1885, 105] that the pig was nothing in comparison with it. The 

 same thing took place with a Varanus; but this was not allowed to be eaten by the younger 

 rnen. In the villages on Lake Sentâni I saw several skulls of crocodiles, kaikerum, of which 

 apparently the méat had been eaten; I do not know however how this was prepared. In 

 K. W. Land it appears, according to the illustration which HAGEN [1899, PI. 38] gives, to 

 be boiled in pots. There it is a festive dish and according to NACHRICHTEN [1890, 25] a living 

 spécimen was offered to European visitors as food. Turtle eggs, which according to Vax 



