IOO G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



again the custom in Geelvink Bay is (De Clercq and Schmeltz [1893, 30]). to fasten a rattan band 

 round the wrist of the maie relations on the death of a father, wife or child, for which afterwards, when 

 it is removed, a certain amount has still to be paid to the relatives. Van der Goes [1858, 101] States that 

 at Tobâdi a sweet scented leaf was fastened round the right wrist of ail visitors before their departure, as 

 a mark of friendship and brotherhood, whilst the Papuan of Anus, out of gratitude for présents received, 

 tied round the arm of Horst [1SS9, 241] a leaf torn in two, in order, it is said, to recognise him thereby 

 This suffices to show that much is still to be learned about the meaning of armlets. 



As far as the material is concerned, it must be observed that the beautifully worked, 

 often very broad tortoise shell armlets, which are often worn in K. W. Land and as far 

 west as Tumleo (ERDWEG [1902, 321, figs. 217 and 218]), do not occur in the adjoining 

 Netherlands territory. De CLERCQ, however, mentioned one spécimen of Ansus, as an ornament 

 for women (De CLERCQ and SCHMELTZ [1893, 38, N°. 199, PL IX, fig. 3]) and some of 

 Jamna, probably obtained by barter from the German territory; at ail events this ornament 

 does not occur in Humboldt Bay and its surroundings. The narrow tortoise shell earrings, often 

 large enough to be passed over the hand, are never used as armlets, as is supposed by EDGE 

 PARTINGTON [1890, PI. 290, N°. 6]. Armlets of rattan strips which, made ofreeds (N°. 458 — 463, 

 PI. XVI, fig. 5), are so plentiful in Kaptiau and Sâwé, are principally remarkable on account 

 of the différent methods of plaiting, adopted in the manufacture and of which the technique 

 may be seen from N°. 464 (PL XVI, fig. 15) of Nimbûran ; (the scale of the illustration turned 

 out to be too small). 



Another material, very much in demand in the territories visited by the expédition, 

 both by men and women, is the black mycélium. Some armlets (N°. 465 and 466) are 

 plaited entirely from this material ; to which Nassa is often attached and forms (N°. 467, PI. 

 XVI, fig. 10) a pretty contrast to the background ; white shell rings (N°. 468 — 470) are also 

 often attached (PI. XXIII, fig. 2 ; PL XVI, fig. 1 and 2). On Lake Sentâni thèse armlets are 

 very frequently met with. In conjunction with the yellow white aërial root fibre of Pandanus, 

 typical armlets (N°. 472 and 473) are made out of it in Asé, such as are also collected from 

 Mûris (N°. 474) and from Ingrâs (N°. 475, PL XVI, fig. 17), often with the ends of the 

 material hanging in bundles. In K. W. Land the mycélium is used very much less, still I 

 saw in the Berlin Muséum e. a. a tsaue (see pag. 86 and 99) of which the ring-shaped part 

 (not the wing) was made of mycélium. At Kwatisoré this material does not appear to exist, 

 at least the armlets there collected (N°. 477 — 479), plated of small strips of Pandanus leaf (?), 

 according to fig. 4, with borders of mycélium plaited on, and other beautiful drawings also 

 formed of mycélium, are hère imported from the industrious Serué. Possibly we hâve hère 

 also a trade monopoly, for exactly the same kind of armlets seem to be worn at other places 

 in Geelvink Bay (see fig. 206). 



Pandanus fibre together with red calico, see N°. 476 (PL XI, fig. 13) of Ingràs, is 

 indicative of the influence of foreign traders. 



As spécimens of the widely distributed ornamental armlet made of Trochus niloticus, 

 the collection contains two rough examples of Thaë (N°. 480 and 481) and one better polished 

 spécimen of Wâri (N°. 482). Especially as an ornamental armlet for women, I sometimes saw 

 it worn in places on the eastern coast of North Xew Guinea in great quantifies (see fig. 

 207), 10 — 15 pièces on each arm; in the case of a bride in the district of Sekâ the arms 



