[Narrative Of The Voyage Of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By The Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During The Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries And Surveys In New Guinea, The Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. To Which Is Added The Account Of Mr. E.B. Kennedy’s Expedition For The Exploration Of The Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist To The Expedition. In Two Volumes. Volume 1. by John MacGillivray]@TWC D-Link book
Narrative Of The Voyage Of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By The Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During The Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries And Surveys In New Guinea, The Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. To Which Is Added The Account Of Mr. E.B. Kennedy’s Expedition For The Exploration Of The Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist To The Expedition. In Two Volumes. Volume 1.

CHAPTER 1
9/47

Among the women the tattooing extends over the face, fore part of the arms, and whole front of body continued backwards a little way over the shoulders, usually, but not always, leaving the back untouched.

The pattern for the body consists of series of vertical stripes less than an inch apart, connected by zigzag and other markings--that over the face is more complicated, and on the forearm and wrist it is frequently so elaborate as to assume the appearance of beautiful lace-work.
DRESS OF THE FEMALES.
Unlike the men--whose only article of dress consists of a small breech-cloth of pandanus leaf passing between the legs, and secured before and behind to a string or other girdle round the waist--the females wear petticoats (noge) of the same leaf, divided into long grass-like shreds, reaching to the knee.

That worn by the girls consists merely of single lengths made fast to a string which ties round the waist; but the women wear a larger and thicker kind of petticoat, composed of three layers of different degrees of fineness and lengths, forming as many flounces, the upper one of more finely divided stuff, neatly plaited above, over a girdle of the same tough bark (barrai) used in making their larger kinds of rope.

Two or three of these petticoats are usually worn one over the other, and in cold or wet weather the outer one is untied and fastened round the neck, covering the upper part of the body like a cape or short cloak.

The hair of the women is also usually but not invariably twisted up into thrums like those of a mop, a style of dressing it here peculiar to the female sex.
Many pigs were running about the village--small in size, lean and long legged, usually black, with coarse bristles--also two or three dogs, similar to those seen at Brierly Island.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books