278 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



sorrow; — on the contrary they hâve, as it is expressed in ANNUAL REPORT [1894 — 95]: 

 "a misérable life of continuai anxiety"; fear, according to MACGREGOR [1897, 41], being the 

 only restraint on absolute freedom. When settling at Asé in June 1903, I expected to see 

 a large quantity of patients turning up for médical help from the neighbouring villages; 

 but, what I had not foreseen, not a single stranger would risk himself in this village. BlNK 

 [1897, 203], travelling on Lake Sentâni, experienced that the women of Ajâpo did not dare 

 to row him any further because they saw boats of Asé in the distance; — both thèse villages 

 (see fig. 94, Ajâpo visible at the right) are situated on the same lake, at a distance of not 

 more than half a mile, and were not at war with each other. Each member of the community, 

 who endangers by his actions the peace of the village, finds ail the other members against 

 him, or, as it is expressed in REPORTS [V, 276]: "any infringement of the rules of the com- 

 munity is regarded as an offence against the society". I do not understand how MACGREGOR 

 [1897, 48] could write that the rights of the individual, not of the community, form the 

 basis of the Papuan law of custom. The good order in Papuan society is generally sufhciently 

 protected by the belief of each individual that he bears part of the collective responsability. 

 Therefore the visitor from the West usually notices nothing of a central government. Thus 

 HADDON [1894, 255] arrived at the conclusion that "chieftainship in the true sensé of 

 the terni is entirely wanting in British N. G." ; the same conclusion is formed by Mac 

 FARLANE [1888, m], on this ground, that the chiefs "cannot impose a tax of any kind". 

 In British N. G. there is invariably a chief [in each village (COMRIE [1877, 106], PRATT 

 [1906, 301]), or to each tribe (BEARDMORE [1890, 459]). 



HAGEN [1899, 2 7&]> regarding K. W. Land, speaks of an organisation without any 

 authority, Van DER GOES [1858, 167] writes of the inhabitants of the Arfak Mountains: 

 "the chiefs without authority and the right of the strongest the law"; but we should admit 

 that under thèse conditions no society could continue to exist, even amongst the Papuans. 

 It was also thought formerly of Humboldt Bay (ROBIDÉ VAN DER Aa [1879, 116, 268], 

 FlNSCH [1888, 360]) that the most impudent or strongest assumed the lead. That on the 

 contrary an actual government does exist, as, indeed, had already been noticed by Van DER 

 GOES [1858, 182], bas since been proved most clearly. 



The suprême chief, called Kârvsôri, lives at Tobâdi, and has in each of the three 

 villages, Tobâdi, Ingrâs and Ingrau, a j'ente karësùri under him. The house of the kuresori is 

 built by the three villages together; BlNK [1897, 153] learned when he tried to buy some of 

 the décorations, which were being manufactured for the said house, that nobody dared to part 

 with anything. This house is the largest of ail the private houses, just as his boat is bigger 

 than any other. The kuresori orders or forbids the collection and the sale of fruit. He gives 

 his consent to, and régulâtes, joint hunting parties, and, as it appeared to me (see p. 163), 

 also the joint fishing. As an apparently unsound excrescence of his authority I mention that 

 with shooting, races in rowing, etc., organised by KONING [1903, 266], the kuresori exacted 

 the first prizes for his boats and people. He indicated as carriers for the expédition, the 

 young men of the temple, amongst whom, as will appear later on, he exercises spécial 

 authority. Finally under his care a kind of Public Exchequer exists, out of which, he pays 

 food in times of scarcity, the ransom of prisoners and the indemnification of wounded or killed. 

 Part of the fish, which after each catch are handed to the chief, was also intended for this 



