224 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



Moreover, an antique, green, glass ring, kâs, found at Tobâdi, corroborâtes the 

 supposition, that Chinese articles, either directly or indirectly, in former times found their 

 way to North New Guinea. In the said village namely, as property of the community 

 (perhaps the villages of Ingrau and Ingrâs are co-proprietors) and under the care of the 

 chief of the village, the karesori Hamadi, a glass ring was found, illustrated in fig. 16 ('/,,) 

 of PL XXIII, triangular on section (fig. 16 e , '/,), tne outer rim (fig. i6 a , '/i)> sharp and the 

 inner rim (fig. i6 b , '/,), flat. Generally this ring is carefully wrapped up in a long, narrow strip 

 of prepared bark, so thickly packed, that accidentai breaking is nearly impossible and it is 

 put by with the other treasures, making up together the Public Exchequer. With some trouble 

 we succeeded in getting a look at this ring, so that a photo could be made (fig. 143) both 

 of that and the bag of Hamadi. 



The perfect resemblance of this ring with the mamacur, which R.UMPHIUS [1740, 

 241, PI. LU, A] describes and illustrâtes, and the estimation of extraordinary preciousness in 

 which this ring, like the mamacur, was held, is indeed very striking. I might hâve begun 

 the information about this ring with the same words, with which R. begins his Chapter XXV 

 (Volume III) MAMACUR or MacuR: "Hère I shall relate, how an insignificant thing, by 

 single agreement and fancy of man, can be raised to such a value, that it is reckoned among 

 the principal treasures". The ring of Tobâdi is indeed considered to be an almost invaluable 

 object. It is used for large expenses in behalf of the community, as payment for killed enemies 

 or ransom for prisoners (MOOLENBURGH [1904, 169]). It seemed to me, however, that the 

 ring had in some way become an object of worship, as is often the case with things of 

 such high antiquity, that no one living, knows the origin of it. However this may be, my 

 offer to buy it in exchange for 24 large axes, was not even taken into considération. The 

 appearance and the weight of the ring, make it undoubtedly recognizable as a ring of glass, 

 while in the transparent material, stripes occur, parallel to the rim and also many little 

 bubbles, which prove that the mass of glass was thick liquid during the manufacturing, and 

 drawn in the direction of the stripes ; I do not remember to hâve seen any fusion. 



As the Papuans know nothing of the origin of the ring, I give hère some information from other 

 sources. — Le Maire [1622, 63] saw, worn by the people of Wiak : "Ringen door de Neusgaten, die 

 groen waren: eenighe door de Ooren, Paarlemoeder Ringhen om d' Armen" (Green rings through the 

 nostrils, some through the ears, mother-of-pearl rings round the arms). Thèse green rings must hâve been 

 of glass; still it is a singular fa et, that they should hâve been used as ornament for the nose, to which 

 they, being closed rings, could only hâve been fastened by means of strings or open little rings. 



Rumphius [1740, 241] and Valentijn [1S56, II, 78], in their ample information about mamacur s, 

 mention thèse rings from Ceram, the Aru-, Kei- and Timorlaut Islands, etc., and they indicate the green 

 rings as the most precious ones. At that time traders ordered green, glass rings to be manufactured in the 

 Netherlands, in order to deal in them in Netherl. India; this, however, entirely failed, the natives but too 

 well distinguishing the ancient ones from the modem ones. Very striking is the narrative by Rumphius 

 [1. c, 243]: "In the year 1655 the "Praesident" Simon Cos, afterwards Governor of Amboina, was obliged 

 to take away such a Mamacur in the village of Noccobay, on the north coast of Keram, because the 

 neighbouring village waged war for it; but the chief Hulong, who was the administrator of this country 

 and generally on our side, was very displeased at this, saying, that such a ring was worth 100 slaves, even 

 a whole "negorij" (village), but they did not get it back, because it was lost". Quite conformable to the 

 fact, that the ring of Tobâdi is under the protection of the chief of the village, is the old information 



