68 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



being conveyed to the said island. When passing from the calm water, enclosed between 

 reeds and clods of turf, towards the open surface of the deeper lake, a freshening south-east 

 breeze caused a somewhat dangerous swell for the heavily laden boat, whereupon a foreward 

 rower of Angâdi pulled the comb out of his hair with his right hand, and holding it by 

 the handle, in sober earnest struck with it about four times ahead, against the wind, a little 

 above his shoulders. Almost certainly he thought that thereby he would allay the wind. But 

 the influence on the beating of the waves was not immediately noticeable and wishing also 

 to take précautions against this, the same rower stopped again and now struck with the flat 

 of his paddle a few times in front on the approaching waves. I had already loosened my 

 shoes and gaiters in case the passage had to be continued by swimming, but this now appeared 

 unnecessary and baling ail the time, we arrived savely under the lee of Angâdi. 



The use of the comb, hère described, finds an analogy in a communication of JENS 

 [1904, 57] that the Papuans of the west coast of Geelvink Bay, when at sea with bad weather, 

 endangering the boat, beat the air with their korwars and amulets to pacify the 

 éléments. 



The case is also curious because the want of proper amulets was generally noticed 

 amongst the inhabitants of the interior. At Angâdi I did find them and evidently the comb 

 may belong to them. Under this category of combs, those of Kwatisoré, N°. 239 — 243, should 

 also be placed, of which N°. 241 (PI. IX, fig. 5) is distinguished by spécial carving and orna- 

 ment of the handle, in this respect showing a great resemblance to a comb (N°. 6683) of 

 the Rotterdam Muséum; — N°. 242 (PI. VIII, fig. 4 and 4 a ) is striking on account of the 

 link connection on the handle and the spécial length and ornament of one of the 7 points. 

 N°. 243 (PL VIII, fig. 1 and 1 a ) finally, is an example of excessive comb ornament, as not 

 mentioned until now. De Clercq and ScHMELTZ [1893, 12, PI. III, fig. 5] mention combs 

 ornamented with calico and beads, which are worn by bridegrooms and state besides, that in the 

 territory of Waropen, young men and girls who like each other, sometimes exchange combs. 

 From this it would appear that girls also wear combs, and the information given to me with 

 regard to comb N°. 243 becomes admissable, viz. that the object had been intended 

 for a bride. 



The combs now following are made out ofa number of pins tied together. DE 

 CLERCQ and SCHMELTZ [1893, 12] already called attention to this deviating form, overlooked 

 by Van DER GOES [1858, 196]. As far as the pins, always diverging and forming the points 

 of the comb, are standing free, they are round, straight and sharply pointed, — forming 

 higher up the handle, flattened and tied one alongside the other, with lashings of thin fibre, 

 but always separated by the interwinding turns of the fibre. The regular divergence is exclu- 

 sively obtained, by the graduai increase of this double-sided flattening of each of the pins, 

 inside the broad lashing at the base of the points. It is évident that this demands great skill 

 on the part of the maker and if for no other reason, the technique of this kind of combs 

 must be considered to be of a much higher order than that of the bamboo combs. In the 

 case of those combs, of which the pins hâve also been arranged in a transverse curve instead 

 of a flat plane, a new technical difuculty has been conquered ; — ■ for in the handle each pin 

 has been carved in such a manner that the section forms an equicrural trapesium. I only 

 found;this on Lake Sentâni, with comb N°. 254 (PL VII, fig. 1) of Ajâpo and N°. 255 of Ifâr ; 



