CLOTHING AND ORNAMENT. 



97 



the work should be done with more than one thread at a time, remains an open question. 



The territory from which thèse aprons corne, has still other peculiarities respecting 



textile industry, for instance a kind of woven cloth, to which I refer under Industry (Chapter 



/ 



à 



$ 



,C 



Fig. 63. Run of two threads on pubic apvon. 



VIII). The front apron of the woman on the left in fig. 40 appears to me to be such a woven 

 cloth; it is worn in that manner. 



The custom of ORNAMENTING THE LIMBS is very common in New Guinea. From what I 

 could learn amongst the most primitive inland tribes, the arms 

 especially, even more with the men than with the women, are decor- 

 ated and three spots are indicated for this purpose, i° on or just 

 above the thickest part of the upper arm 2° the upper arm just 

 above the elbow joint, 3 the wrist. 



Often according to its nature or to the period in which it 

 is put on, the ornament has a spécial meaning, the discovery of 

 which forms the most attractive part of this kind of study. The 

 temporary wearing of an armlet of Pandanus leaf on the upper 

 arm, to carry small articles, is customary in différent districts of 

 Geelvink Bay (De CLERCQ and ScHMELTZ [1893, 30]). The fixed 



armlet, which is generally worn on one of the upper arms, is also commonly used for this 

 practical purpose. Ail sorts of objects which must be kept handy, as the dagger (fig. 124; 

 PL XXXVII and XXXVIII, fig. 2), the bone spoon of pig's fémur, the head of the joint 

 preventing it from slipping through (PL XXXVII, fig. 1, PL XXXVIII, fig. 3, PL XLVI, 

 fig. 2); the spoon of the lower part of the tibia, on which a small hook at the end of the 

 joint is purposely retained, hooked on to the upper edge of the armlet; the trident fork 

 (PL XLV,.fig. 3); the tongs (PL XLIII, fig. 4, PL L, fig. 2), which are often astride the 

 upper edge (PL XLVI, fig. 3 and 4). Right handedness prevailing, it is not surprising that 

 the armlet of the left upper arm is chosen for wearing in ail thèse articles. Young men 

 Nova Guinea. III. Ethnography. i-i 



Fig. 64. Festooned loop. 



