268 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



number of the women of Asé collected in front of the résidence of the bride, to join the 

 bridai procession, which now emerged from the said house and crossed the platform to the 

 shore. The bride vvas walking in front with some flowers in her hair and a few orna- 

 ments, but with a very long, white bark petticoat, her eyes closed, her arms opened, 

 extended upward and a little forward ; and on either side walked an old man of Asé, 

 holding her by the upper arm, evidently in order to guide her. Behind this, the women 

 of Poë followed, presumably amongst them also the mother of the bride, ail lamenting, 

 and further on the women of Asé, some with a child on the hip, and thus they proceeded 

 along the short road ± 70 paces, to the house of the village chief, whose son lived there ; 

 the house of the young couple was still in course of construction. The road led through the 

 community house, built across the front of, and adjoining, the chief's house, the floor ± 3 

 feet above the ground, the bride was obliged to feel her way in walking up an inclined 

 beam. This moment is represented on fig. 128, p. 198, where it can be seen, that she is 

 followed solely by women, and that the maie villagers are squatting down, paying but 

 little attention to the proceedings. The bride was scarcely inside the house, when the proces- 

 sion broke up, and I saw no further festivities. Later on in the day the parents of the young 

 wife were presented to me, both in very good humour, anxious to see the Mauser revolver, 

 the médical instruments, etc. A few days afterwards the young husband showed himself and 

 appeared to expect a présent from me. He had, however, not yet obtained a share in the 

 government of the village, nor did I notice any sign indicating his married state. 



On a far more extensive scale were the festivities on the occasion of a marriage 

 which took place on the 14* of May in the coast village of Jambuë, through which a part of 

 the expédition accidentally passed. A great number of boats, pulled up on the shore, proved 

 that visitors had corne from afar, and in fact, I met in the village men from Kajô, Ingrâs, 

 and Tobâdi, elaborately dressed, and with their most beautiful ornamental bows, even people 

 from Lake Sentâni, and amongst them a widow of a Tobâdi man. This woman was continually 

 seen in différent places ; possibly she acted the part of weeper. Many of the maie visitors, 

 awaiting the further course of events, were sitting or lying in the community house, where a 

 large ray already promised a good meal. On a spot covered with clear coral sand, in the shade 

 of an upheld foliage branch, in the middle of a sunny square, in front of the house, in which, 

 I suppose, the bridegroom resided, stood the bride herself, ornamented with an enormous 

 quantity of tortoise ear rings, with strings of beads and numerous armlets of Trochus niloticus 

 (see N os . 480 — 482), with her face turned towards the house, and surrounded by about ten 

 other women, amongst whom was the above mentioned widow. The same as at Asé, the 

 head of the bride was not shorn, as is the custom in Eritish N. G. (MACGREGOR [1897, 30]). 

 As the expédition had to continue its journey, I do not know what followed; but it appears 

 that hère also the marriage itself has to take place in the house of the bridegroom, in oppo- 

 sition to the custom in Geelvink Bay, where it takes place in the house of the bride (VAN 

 DER GOES [1858, l6l]). 



At Mapâr they complained of the high price of women, for whom 200 objects had 

 to be paid; a gun however counted for 100, and the most valuable object known hère, 

 the above (p. 215) mentioned u kain timor" (Malay), is, without anything more, already 

 sumcient. At the marriage, which is accompanied by festivities, the bride wears this kain 



