92 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



(girdle) part. N°. 432 (PI. XIV, fig. 3) is a similar perineal band from Kwatisoré, ornamented 

 with coloured calico and used on festive occasions. 



The most remarkable wear of the men on the north coast is however that of the 

 calabash, the distribution of which is 'again rather limited; the western limit being Cape 

 Bonpland. Humboldt Bay therefore falls outside of it. That most travellers nevertheless 

 ascribe the use of the calabash to the inhabitants of Humboldt Bay (see Van DER GoES 

 [1858, PL B B]), can be explained from the fact, that the people of Sëkâ, who ail wear the 

 calabash, whenever trading or other vessels call, often come to visit the bay. The amicable 

 relations existing between Sëkâ and Humboldt Bay lead to large groups of people exchanging 

 visits on the occasion of marriages or other festivities, and often for several days dances 

 are held (fig. 19S — 200) on the platform of the temple or even inside. In this way it was 

 possible for De Clercq (De CLERCQ and SCHMELTZ [1893, 47]), who bought a calabash in 

 a temple at Humboldt Bay, on which occasion a certain mysterious behaviour was noticed, 

 to report that the wearing of calabashes was connected with the participation in certain 

 festivities in the temple. Meanwhile HORST [1893, 177] based on this report far reaching 

 conclusions with référence to circumcision and the necessary protection of the wound by a 

 calabash, which conclusions are by no means verified. And where he states further on, 

 that the calabashes are no real pubic covering and can only serve to protect the glans 

 pénis, his observation is incorrect, as in fact the whole of the pénis is inserted and even the 

 scrotum is hidden behind it for the greater part. In Humboldt Bay the calabash is considered 

 an ethnographical curio, as such kept in stock, and also sold to the European collector (see 

 for instance SCHMELTZ [1903, 242, PI. XI, fig. 2]). I remember a case of one of the 

 notabilities of Tobâdi, who had a calabash for sale and in order to induce me to buy, he 

 took it out of his bag, put it on and began to dance with it, putting it away again when 

 I refused to buy. According J. M. Dumas' report, the inhabitants of the upper reaches of 

 the Tami River do not wear calabashes; but on the Augusta River, where otherwise most 

 men wear no pubic covering, the calabash is also worn by some people. 



Along the coast the use thereof is universal for adult men in Sëkâ and Oinâke, more 

 to the east it occurs as far as Lektre, but hère only sporadically. 



The usual calabashes can be distinguished in egg-shaped ones (PREUSS [1S99, 

 PI. VI, fig. 34 — 36]), larger and heavier (15 — 31 gram), with the opening very close to 

 the blunt pôle, and pear-shaped ones, lighter (4.6 — 8.3 gram), with the opening more 

 in the middle of the length. The three men to the left in fig. 12 and the man of 

 fig. 200, ail wear pear-shaped calabashes. The opening is often somewhat larger in trans- 

 verse direction than lengthwise and so narrow that the Papuan, when about to dress 

 himself with this article, pushes the pénis in through the opening with a thin stick (for 

 instance a scratching stick as N°. 232) until the member has entirely disappeared in the 

 calabash. The weight of the egg-shaped calabash then causes it to drop with the sharp pôle 

 somewhat forward until the blunt pôle finds a support behind and below the root of the 

 pénis against the scrotum. The principal ornament of the calabash, adjusted between the 

 opening and the sharp pôle, is not therefore hidden against the belly but is turned upwards 

 and can be plainly seen by the wearer. In the case of the pear-shaped calabashes, where the 

 opening is placed half way, the maie organ finds room in the lower broadened part and the 



