288 



G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



Fig. 179. Satan feast of Wabapeople. 



temples are merely man-houses for bachelors. The authority which, in matters, concerning 

 New Guinea, must be granted to Finsch, makes it necessary to explain how Finsch on the occa- 

 sion of his short visit on the 17* of May 1SS5, no interpreters being présent, most probably 

 by his energetic demeanour, without noticing this himself, intruded upon the cérémonial, 



which is always more 

 or less maintained inside 

 the temples, the inha- 

 bitants being so much 

 taken aback, that they 

 even allowed him to 

 touch the sacred flûtes. 

 But before this, Van 



DER GOES [1858, 92, 

 99, 177] as well as 

 ROBIDÉ VAN DER Aa 

 [1879, 272], had learned 

 by visits to the temples 

 of Tobâdi, Kajô and 

 Waba, the particular 



meaning of thèse buildings and of several objects found inside. The same expérience was 

 made by HoRST [1889, 250], BlNK [1897, 168 — 174] and KONING [1903, 258], and it has 

 also been confirmed by the members of the expédition, who, in the course of several months, 



paid numerous visits to 

 the temples. In the fol- 

 lowing pages the reader 

 will find many proofs 

 from which it cannot be 

 doubted (ATLEE Hunt 

 [1905, 8] regarding Bri- 

 tish N. G.) that the 

 natives hâve any reli- 

 gion, or as HaGEN 

 [1899, 278] wrote of 

 Bogadjim, only possess 

 a germ of the same, 

 but that the Papuan 

 society of thèse parts 

 is entirely impregnated 

 by it. 



Only twice I noticed 

 religious acts performed outside the temples, and not connected with them. If I mention 

 a few dates, this is done because certain religious acts, as also learned by ERDWEG at 

 Tumleo, are connected with the monsoons, and therefore with the harvest, navigation, fishing, etc. 



Fig. 1S0. Entrance during the Satan feast: Waba. 



