ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESULTS. 395 



they drew the bovvs. Ail at a sudden the rifles were cocked and waited for the command 

 of ^fire!" .... but then they sank back in rest again. Now the blacks acted and that in a 

 masterly way ! Our original host appeared to keep up at our side against the three enemies 

 who behaved like madmen; they fought a sham-fight in our own camp. It was amusing to 

 see, how the host, while fighting, by means of reassuring gestures made it clear to us that 

 for us there threatened no danger, and that he settled the matter for us. It was a striking 

 moment. Our friends understood that after ail it was not our fault that we did not know their 

 customs; the host, he who but little time ago had struck up blood-friendship ') with us, took 

 ail the guilt and offered himself as the scapegoat. Soon the fighting was over, our man gave 

 himself vanquished and adopted a humble attitude with his back to the conquerors. 

 Our leader stepped forward and gave him a knife. It was put in the bracelet and now our 

 fellow stepped inch by inch backward to the bereft pig-owner. With an authoritative gesture the 

 latter took the knife from the bracelet of the humble vanquished and retired quite satisfied. 

 The drama was finished. A last knife, the fifth, was offered to our protector as a reward 

 and then they went away. The sun was setting, the conflict had lasted for three hours ! 



So it appeared that this people darcd very well threaten. They did not show any fear, 

 but above ail, they showed their trust in our justice. For the two spokesmen came boldly 

 in our camp. This proves their own honesty and loyalty. Nevertheless some of them were not 

 strictly honest in their commercial transactions; a few times they cunningly took along some 

 of our belongings not included in the bargain ! 



They appeared to be a merry crowd. More than once a group of them spontane- 

 ously set in a song. The chant they sang for us on our departure on the 24* of November 

 speaks for their love of songs as well as for their inborn courteousness. 



The women of this primitive tribe strengthened my impression that the peculiar diffé- 

 rence between maie and female psyché is innate to the sexes, and has not sprung from 

 civilisation. It is difficult to express this différence in words. Even hère "Das ewig Weib- 

 liche", that also struck me in the women of other Indonesian tribes, is not lacking. Once 

 the ice broken, the women are showing an artlessness and unconcern that seems inborn in 

 them more than in men. Look, how one of the girls offers a petticoat for sale : she puts it 

 on the hips, turns and turns gracefully, in short, coquets with a virtuosity that puts this female 

 talent quite beyond discussion. 



The relation between men and women appeared to me fairly peaceable. At ail events 

 the wife is neither the slave nor the beast of burden of lier husband. I hâve heard them say 

 their opinion in such a manner and with such a certainty that warranted a reasonable position. 

 I hâve seen men as well as women carrying loads of oebi and sugar-cane, and I hâve seen 

 men and women together building a house. Still it was clear that the lion's part of the labour, 

 and more especially agriculture, was done by the women. Evidently the man occupies a more 



1) This ceremony had taken place on the first day of our arrivai and was performed in the following way. People 

 procured a pig, which was held by the fore- and hindlegs. In this way two men stretched the beast and a third ■ — the 

 man who had first welcomed us — bent his bow at a few yards distance and shot the pig through the heart. Thereupon 

 it was thrown on the earth, where it bled to death. Meanwhile our host took some leaves from the ground, dipped them 

 in the blood and gave each member of our paity a smear on the wrist. 



Nova-Guinea VII. 4. Ethnographie. 50 



