353 



H. J. T. BIJLMER 



the distant coast, confirm the impression as belonging to quite a différent race than the nearly 

 four hundred Malays and Indonesians of our party. We miss the Mongolian features, so often 

 met with in the Indian Archipelago. The Mamberamo-people were of médium height, but 

 tall and muscular raen were not seldom seen among them. They reminded us of the larger 

 spécimen, known from the South-coast. Their standing-height however was not a constant 

 value. When later on I went up-stream, I met with people of the same kind, but the tall 

 men were missing. After a stay of eight months at the middle-Mamberamo, I advanced into 

 the mountains and soon became acquainted with the mountain-Papuans. Doubtless they were 



of little stature, nevertheless my first 

 idea was: also thèse mountain-people are 

 real Papuans ! 



As we had expected, there were 

 several ranges of high mountains between 

 the Lake-Plain and the Central-Mountain- 

 crest. They were separated by fertile 

 valleys that appeared to be cultivated 

 for the greater part. The valley, in which 

 we chose our bivouac, was baptized 

 "Swart-valley" after His Excellency H. N. 

 A. Swart, Président of the „Indisch 

 Comité" that sent out the expédition. It 

 was situated at : 1 38 E. L. and + 2° S. L., 

 on an altituae of 3000 — 5000 feet. 



Before passing on to the discussion 

 of the somatic qualities of the Timorini, 

 the tribe that lived in Swart-valley, I 

 want to give some ethnographical parti- 

 culars that may serve as gênerai orien- 

 tation. 



What struck us first of ail, was 

 the penis-case, consisting of a tubular 

 gourd of two or three dm. long — some- 

 times longer — enveloping the pénis. This 

 peculiar kind of "dress" has been found 

 in the same form among the Pesegem, Tapiro, Goliath-Pigmies and the inhabitants of the 

 upper Kaiserin-Augusta-river. But the penis-case is by no means typical for the Mountain- 

 Papuans. It is characteristic for the Papuan that he deals with the virile member in 

 a particular way: sometimes by simply folding it back and catching the prépuce with the 

 belt — "penis-belt" — , sometimes by putting it entirely or partially in a sheath or covering 

 it by a shell. It cannot be his intention to hide it, for by the first method there is no 

 question about hiding, and by the second the scrotum is always left free, while the pecu- 

 liar penis-covering is more apt to accentuating than to concealing. The penis-belts are of 

 common use among the Tugeri (Merauke) and we found them also among the Mamberamo- 



Contr. 1ongfja> 



amidst ihe Timorini, Swart-valley. 

 Auct. phot 



