NAVIGATION. 20Ç 



report of De Clercq (De Clercq and Schmeltz [1893, 93]). A loose ornament tied on to 

 both stem and stern, as illustrated by FlNSCH [r888, 358] of Humboldt Bay, I hâve also 

 never noticed. He may hâve seen this a little more eastward, in Berlin Harbour, although 

 the object is hère much less important and simply consists of knee-shaped, coloured pièces 

 of wood (ERDWEG [1902, 364, fig. 249]). 



De CLERCQ gives some information as to the meaning ofthe figures [Le, N°. 468 

 and N°. 469, PL XXV, figs. 2 and 11], supposing that amongst them Echidna also occurs; 

 this animal is however unknown in thèse parts, as was proved when an illustration of it was 

 shown to the natives. PREUSS [1899, 168] has, however, guided by a much larger quantity 

 of material, given an extensive explanation of the formerly little understood figures, and at 

 the instance of VON DEN STEINEN, indicated the oval pièces between two fish bodies as the 

 two tails touching each other (tail-ovals). Being unavvare of this discovery, the same thing 

 had already become clear to me by questioning the people of Tobâdi. From this it appeared 

 further, that the bird's head, wâmdi, which forms the fore part, represents the cormorant 

 (Gr aculus carbd), at the neck of which there is a crop-shaped excrescence, fore tûge, (see 

 PL XXIII, figs. 3 and 4, at à). The scrotum (PL XXIII, fig. 4 at b), of the dog figure (no 

 cuscus !), occurring on the bill, was indicated by the same name. It simply means bag, in 

 this case a crop, filled with fish. Behind the bird's head there is a carved pièce (figs. 

 3 a and 4 a from a to b), according to PREUSS [1899, 169, PL V, fig. 9», x) "wings, either or 

 not bipartite". On my objects it is clear, that the front part (a — c) represents the wings, 

 the back part (c — b) the spread-out tail ; on a few prows of the Berlin Muséum, the 

 material of PREUSS, the same thing can be recognised, especially where the tail is narrower 

 than the outstretched wings. Whether thèse wings and this tail belong to the large bird's 

 head, seems doubtful ; they hâve somewhat différent name : waime, according to DUMAS a 

 small, black, sparrow-like bird, which is sometimes seen on the roofs. Immediately behind the 

 waime a yellow fish figure (figs. 3a and 4a from b to d), usually with curved gill slits (fig. 3 

 near b, fig. 4 near c, fig. 4a near e) is noticed, and besides, one finds two sets of paired 

 fish figures, the heads turned away from each other and the tails placed against each other, 

 encircling an oval hole, dibo; each of thèse two parts of the tail was called châse. Of each 

 set of fishes, the one turned down (or back), coloured red, has a blunt head and represents 

 the shark, oi, the other fish always has a pointed head and particularly also an indication 

 of teeth in the slit of the mouth, ail certainly characteristic of the animal hère represented, 

 whilst the greater or smaller length probably dépends on the room available. It represents 

 an animal "living in the sea and larger than a human being", it was said. Sometimes it was 

 called garebe or gûrèp, sèrewâche or sèrëbâche; the latter name was, alternately with the name 

 iêri (also mentioned for the saw (serra) of the sawfish, N°. 554), equally applied to the yellow 

 unpaired figure, which, with its tail-end again encircling a hole, châse, reaches under the 

 bird's wings. I therefore présume, that the sawfish is meant hère. The head of the unpaired 

 sawfish has the shape of a square broadening, the „Zwischenplatte" of PREUSS, carrying some- 

 times on the upper (outside) surface, and again at other times on the lower (inside) surface, a 

 dental cross line (mouth and teeth; see also PREUSS [Le, PL V, fig. 9 a ]). On the lower end, 

 riô or w'âche mëti nô, of the ornamental prow, yellow painted figures are carved on both sides, 

 taken by De Clercq and Schmeltz [1893, 96] and by Preuss [1899, 171, PL VI, fig. 28] for 



Nova Guinea. III. Ethnogeaphy. 27 



