CLOTHING AND ORNAMENT. 



95 



which the collection contains half a dozen (N°. 444 — 449), hâve almost become the common 



covering of women between Cape d'Urville and a point on the north coast to the east of 



Oinâke. Where this eastern limit really lies, cannot be exactly ascertained from German 



literature, as the small fibre petticoats and aprons met with there are cften considered to be 



generally distributed over the whole of K. W. Land; FlNSCH [18S8 — 93, 225] states that he has 



seen thèse aprons in H. B. The natives hère, however, wear, 



without exeption, the bark petticoat, the same in Sëkâand, 



in German territory, at Oinâke, Tumleo (ERDWEG [1902, 



307]), Seleo and Angail (Meyer and PARKINSON [1900, PI. 



14 and 19]). Loose bark aprons, as mentioned by Erdweg 



of Tumleo and, according to figs. 60 and 65, worn by 



the women of the Sëkânto, occur in isolated instances 



(De Clercq and Schmeltz [1893, 48 N°. 256]) also in 



H. B., either ornamented or not with Nassa in rows or 



circles [1. c. PL XI, fig. 5]. 



The bark cloth of Humboldt Bay is heavy and thick 

 and with few or no „knot" holes; it is prepared on the 

 spot, or only the best qualities are bought from elsewhere, 

 and the people of Lake Sentâni and the remainder of 

 the interior, who use thinner, more beaten bark, even if 

 with many „knot" holes, are scoffed at. Cloth with many 

 holes must necessarily be taken in greater lengths, to wind 

 it several times round the body, in order that a second turn 

 may cover the holes of the first winding. A comparison of 

 the marâ of Asé (N°. 447) with that of Tobâdi shows imme- 

 diately, that the first is longer, broader and more beaten 



out, therefore, looser and thinner than that of Tobâdi. Marâ from Asé weighs 2.7 gram per 

 d.M. 2 , that of Tobâdi on an average 3.3 gram, therefore about 25 / o heavier. With référence to 

 the préparation, see Chapter VIII. The bark cloth is worn in such a way that the- fibre runs 

 horizontally, the breadth of the cloth détermines how far the petticoat reaches down the legs. 

 This breadth is limited by the circumference of the trees and the degree of beating and as 

 in H. B. only moderately beaten cloth is in demand, the best petticoats hère are only 

 short, reaching about to the knees (see figs. 6 and 207) ; on Lake Sentâni they always 

 reach lower down; with the bride at Asé (fig. 128, the woman next to the flagstaff), it reached 

 down below the calves. 



The collection still contains three knitted aprons (N°. 450 — 452) worn in front 

 and at the back by women (fig. 40) as well as by men (figs. 41, 58 and 214; PI. L, fig. 3 

 and 4) , which are purposely manufactured from previously prepared cord , indicating 

 a degree of civilisation which is particularly surprising at this place. True, FlNSCH 

 mentions [1888 — 93, 225] large, sacklike coverings of „Filetarbeit", worn by women (ac- 

 cording to HaGEN [1899, 263, PL 39, 40] as mourning), and netted bags, which women 

 of Finsch Harbour wore in front and at the back, fastened to the belt, instead of the fibre 

 apron. If however thèse were ordinary bags, knitted as loosely as the coverings, of 



Fig. 60. Group of the Sëkânto. 



