AGRICULTURE. 



185 



caused. This was also noticed by FlNSCH [1888 — 93, 205] who, on the other hand, indicated the 



"figure eight" stitch as a kind of "netting vvork". Thèse bags are made of fine, two-stranded cord, 



composed of Artocarpus bark fibre (?) and the stitches are not larger than necessary to encircle 



one another; they are also placed transversely so close to each 



other that a very close web is obtained, not even allowing 



somewhat coarse powder to pass through. The same kind of 



stitch occurs on bags of the south-west coast (Wiener Hof Muséum, 



N°. 15385). When following the thread, it appears that the 



work hère again is done spirally in the round, whilst the closing 



of the bottom is done by the same cord, with a long row 



of hitches, as indicated in fig. 118. The end of this cord 



hangs down free at a corner of the bottom; it can be 



easily removed, whereby the whole bottom is soon opened. 



It therefore appears plausible, that the closing of the bottom 



according to fig. 118, is the last process in the manufacture 



of thèse bags. This being granted, the term "taking-in" 



must be given to the mode of work by which the number of 



stitches of a row decreases towards the bottom (fig. 117, a), 



whilst the opposite mode of working (fig. 117,/;), must be called 



"let ti ng-ou t". As the width of thèse bags increases towards 



the bottom, few "taking-ins" can a priori be expected; indeed 



they only occur with N°. 641 (three) and with N°. 643 (two). 



Besides the two fold "letting-out", — represented in 

 fig. \\J,b, — single, three and four fold ones occur on the bags 

 under notice. Thus N°. 640 has: 14 single (9 at the back, 5 in 

 front), N°. 639 5 four fold, 12 three fold, 7 two fold and 1 

 single. For the latter bag this means, that the number of stitches of one row at the bottom, 

 is 71 more than at the top. With N°. 641 the différence amounts to 72. However large this 

 number of "letting-outs" may be, the différence in breadth 

 between bottom and opening originates in a still larger 

 measure, in the passage of the first row with exceptionally 

 long stitches towards the second. 



Whilst the bags with the "figure eight" stitch are 

 called sogèri in H. B., the name srosror is given to the 

 bags with the stitch of fig. 117, which name, without 

 doubt, indicates at the same time the kind of stitch, the 

 technique of the manufacture. They are again more valuable 

 than those previously mentioned and are often ornamented 

 with coloured stripes, cord fringe (according to Finsch rare 

 to the east of Attack Harbour), Coix, bells made of shells, 

 balls of cuscus skin, larval envelopes, sweet scented leaves 



sometimes smelling like musk (FlNSCH [1888 — 93, 207], sets of ground boar's tusks and beads. 



The coloured stripes generally occur in the shape of three sets, each consisting of a brown 



Nova Guinea. III. Ethnography. 24 



Fig. 117. Loop-shaped stitch of 



men's bags; with "taking-in" {a) 



and "letting-out" (b). 



Fig. 118. Closed bottom of men's bags. 



