128 



G. A. T. VAN DER SANDE. 



[1S93, 112] report from the south east coast of Geelvink Bay, are said to be not so shy, at ail events not 

 without danger to people walking alone. I still mention that the Tugeri, supposed to be nomads (Thomson 

 [1892, 157], Krieger [1899, 377]) hâve, on the contrary, permanent settlements, forming villages with beautiful 

 gardens. As far as the nature of the différent kinds of dwellings is concerned, cave-dwellings appear to 

 be entirely unknown in N. G., tree-d wellings, on the other hand, appear to be very numerous, especially 

 in British New Guinea; according to D'Albertis [1880, I, 390] pleasure houses, but according to the 

 unanimous opinion of others (Chalmers [1885, 92], Mac Farlane [1SS8, 119], Thomson [1892, 52], 

 Macgregor [1897, 62], Webster [1898, 126], Haddon [1901, PI. XX], Pratt [1906, 233]), as look-out 

 houses and places of refuge in case of attack and also generally provided with a large quantity of stones. 

 In German New Guinea they are very rare, but still met with on Gragat (Rakèta) Island (BiRofigoi, 19]), 

 vvhilst Krieger [1899, 152] illustrâtes such a dwelling of Finsch Harbour. 



On the S. W. coast of Netherl. N. G., Modéra [1830, 22] saw natives of both sexes in the trees, who, 

 with their weapons on their backs, climbed from one branch to another; Van Oldeneorgh also saw, on the 

 Utanata River the people seeking refuge in the trees (Haga [1884,11,370]), but dwellings were not noticed 

 in them: neither hâve they been seen elsewhere in Netherl. N. G. The other dwellings can be distinguished 

 in two catégories: those of which the floor is level with the ground, not supported by pôles, as in the 

 eastern part of K. W. Land, for fear of earthquake (Hagen [1S99, 201]), and those of which the floor is 

 supported by pôles, built on terra firma or in the water. 



In Netherl. N. G. permanent dwellings of importance are built on pôles; only 

 the most primitive dwellings hâve the earth as a floor. Thus a dwelling at the Sëkânto 

 River (fig. 71), deserted for the time being, but still, judging by the fruit trees surrounding 





Fig. 71. Dwelling on the Sëkânto River. 



it, a permanent establishment. It only had on one side part of a wall of sago leaves, a roof 

 thatched by the same material, little more than a man's height above the ground, a fire place, 

 a sleeping frame of branches, whilst some pièces of firewood were lying on the rafters. The 



