60 
NEW GCINEA. 
are some of great value. In fact, the goods adapted for 
the consum ption of On in are nearly identical with those 
required for the trade with the Arru islanders^ which will 
he detailed in a subsequent chapter. It will suffice, at 
present, to state, that elephants^ tusks and large porcelain 
dishes^ on which the natives place an euornaous artificial 
value, are among the number, 
"The people of Papua-Oni (Oniu) and of Amalas, two 
places on the coast of New Guinea, directly east from 
Cei-am-Lant, send out, eveiy year, from a hundred to a 
hundred and twenty small vessels on piratical excursions, 
which proceed to a considerable distance from their homes. 
Their mode of warfare is rude in the extreme — their 
weapons conaistiog only of bows, arrows, and spears. I 
have been assured that they devour the prisoners they 
tatc during these excursions. They entertain considerable 
dread of the Geramcse, and carefully avoid doing them or 
th«irs any injury. According to the information I re- 
ceived from some inliabitants of Ceram-Laut, the natives 
of New Guinea are divided into two tribes (races ?)j 
mountaineers and dwellers on the coast, who are con- 
tinually waging war with each other. The people occu- 
pying the sca-coast form by far the smaller portion, but, 
from their warlike habits, they find no difficulty in main- 
taining a superiority. The captives taken by the latter 
from the inferior tribes are sold to the foi'eign traders, by 
whom they are held in high esteem, so much so that 
their price is higher even than that given for slaves of 
Bali, Lombok and Sunibawa. The women from Koby, 
Ay and Karas, are considered the most attractive, and 
are often kept as inferior wives by the Geramcse — the 
