CLOTHIXG AND ORNAMENT. 75 



In the northern territories of Netherl. New Guinea the piercing of the septum only is 

 customary. Sâwé, a village situated on the Borowai River, forms an exception to this. 



Hère our expédition found in the case of several men, a mutilation, which amounted 

 to this, that commencing exactly below the nasal bone, the ridge of the nose was pierced 

 three times horizontally, showing on both sides three openings. Through thèse openings small 

 strings had been drawn which retained small beads and Nassa lengthwise on the ridge of 

 the nose. In fig. 37 a part of thèse Nassa can be seen at the point of the nose of the man 

 sitting in front. Not improbably the report about the Marèm-gi, living behind the Witriwai 

 River, who were said (DE CLERCQ and SCHMELTZ [1893, 23]) to perforate the nasal bone (?), see 

 also the report of KRIEGER [1899, 375], signifies this piercing of the ridge of the nose below 

 the nasal bones. 



FlNSCH [1888 — 93, 237] once saw in the case of a boy at Wanna (K. W. Land), that 

 a short pièce of wood of the thickness of a match was sticking longitudinally -in a hole at 

 the point of the nose, whilst the girls and women of the villages near Cape Pomone (MEYER 

 and PARKINSON [1894, PI. 39]) ail hâve in the point of the nôse a small hole, which is 

 not found with the men [1. c. PI. 40]. The women of the Tugeri (SCHMELTZ [1904, 204; 

 1905, 197]) only hâve the point or the septum of the nose pierced to admit a small pièce 

 of cane or bone. 



De CLERCQ, in reply to his inquiry as to the meaning of the piercing of the septum, 

 was told (De CLERCQ and SCHMELTZ [1893, 22]) that it was a custom amongst the fore- 

 fathers, of which, the meaning was actually unknown, but which one would not willingly abandon. 

 Besides, missionaries in Geelvink Bay heard that Papuans whose nose and ears are not 

 pierced, cannot enter into their heaven. Therefore, sometimes already in early youth, the 

 septum of the children is pierced; at the same time the opening is then used for 

 ornaments. 



In H. B. a mother was seen with her baby (a little girl) which was being treated for tinea 

 imbricata, and was wearing a lot of rings in the ears and already had a small string of beads like 

 N°. 296 through the opening in the septum. On the other hand it has struck me in H. B. 

 and on Lake Sentâni that old men, who had already given up ail sorts of finery more or less 

 and no longer took an active part in the festivities and dances, proved on examination to be still 

 wearing a very narrow but fairly wide bamboo ring in the opening of the septum. It appeared to 

 me to be something which they owed to themselves, this hidden wearing of a totally unorna- 

 mented ring. In younger people such rings or totally unornamented small bolts (N°. 304 

 and 305 of Sëkà) may serve to préserve the opening, in order to place in it, on festive 

 occasions, the fitting preciosa (FlNSCH [1888 — 93, 95]). Aware, from personal expérience that 

 from the absence of nose ornaments it may, by no means, be concluded that the septum has not 

 been pierced, — on close examination this piercing may not only be found to exist but may 

 contain an object in some hidden manner, • — I am very sceptical with regard to communications 

 on this score from passing visitors, who were often unable to make a close personal exami- 

 nation. Moreover, concerning the Netherl. west and north coast, one finds full information 

 about this with DE CLERCQ, who was struck with the fact that in the eastern territory 

 the women also wore nose ornaments. In this respect Lake Sentâni, Nagramâdu and 

 Lake Jamûr must also be mentioned, where, for instance, in Angâdi a 10 years old girl wore a 



