320 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



of them were then wounded by gun shots, two mortally; of the others two were still alive 

 and one of them showed the scars of the wounds made by the shot. This encounter must 

 hâve happened about 1875, but lias never been reported. It is known that in 1874 and 1875 

 three men of war visited Humboldt Bay: Basilisk (Engl., May 1874), Challenger (Engl., Febr. 

 1875) and Soerabaija (Netherl., Dec. 1875). Both Challenger and Soerabaija had to endure the 

 extremely rough behaviour of the natives. From the latter ship métal objects were robbed 

 (SWAAN [1875 — j6, 342]), and to prevent attacks the crew were armed and the cannon 

 loaded (BECCARI [1876, 36]). Probably some shots were then fired, but this has then been 

 the only occasion that fire-arms were turned upon thèse people and it is only as a curiosity, 

 and for the benefit of those who do not know, that I quote from the brief résumé given by 

 ARMIT (COMRIE [1877, 118]) of the Dutch exploration in Humboldt Bay: 



"The natives of the coast were either butchered or were driven to take refuge among 

 "the hill tribes, to whom they became slaves, and the cruelty of the Dutch has thus become 

 "proverbial along the whole length of the north-east coast of New Guinea", .... which from 

 beginning to end is quite without foundation ! 



Counting I saw performed by some tribes by means of the hands and feet, and it 

 was proved that in thèse cases a more or less purely décimal numération exists. 



Thus at H orna with the number "one" the thumb of the left hand was grasped with 

 the entire right hand and when naming the following numbers the next fingers of the left 

 hand were doubled down one after the other. After this the calculation was continued along 

 the right hand from thumb to little finger, and with "ten"' both hands were placed fiât 

 against each other. With "eleven" the left great toe was grasped, and then counting was 

 continued along this foot; with "fifteen" both hands were clasped round the left knee. After 

 this the right foot was similarly utilized as far as "twenty", when both knees were pressed 

 against each other by both hands. The numbers with this tribe (Manfkion) are : 



15 sïsja (ninijsj aharkama 



16 sj aharkama hokjedin 



1 7 sj aharkama hokjerai 



18 sjaharkama hokjirëmoi 



19 sjaharkama hokjèrëku 



20 sutëhome 

 30 sesja sutëhome 



The numbers of 15 and higher are a little différent from those gathered by Van Oosterzee [1904, 

 1020], who also notes a décimal numération of the neighbouring Ménam tribe. 



On Lake Sentâni a similar System is found. The numbers 1 — 4 simply bear the names 

 of the fingers (or vice-versa), the number 5 is indicated by the word "hand", for 6 they say 

 "one hand one", for 7 "one hand two", for 10 "two hands", etc.: 



1 imbai 7 mëh'inëbi 13 otoname 



2 bï S mch'iname 14 otogëri 



3 nanù 9 mëhïnëgëri 15 otomë imbai 



4 gëri 10 mobe 20 otobemëb'e 



5 më imbai 11 ot'ôïmbai 21 otobemëbe imbai 



6 mëhinimbai 12 otob'e Much sër'om 



In Humboldt Bay they also use hands and feet, although sometimes (BlNK [1897, 

 207]) for the second ten, instead of the feet the two hands of another person may be taken. 



I 



ho m 





2 



hoai 





3 

 4 



liomoi 



hoku 





5 



sirkem 





6 



sirkem 



h'àmi 



7 



sirkem 



hoai 



8 



sirkem homoi 



9 



sirkem hoku 



10 



sesja 



11 



sesjsa hokjedem 



12 



sesja hokjerai 



13 



sèsja fninijhomoi 



H 



sesja (ninijhoku 



