Dori harbour or bay is formed by a long, low promontory, curving round towards the Arfak range, which rises abruptly from the opposite side of the bay. Towards the extremity of this promontory is situated the village of Dori, and opposite, at about a mile, is the inhabited island of Mansinam; and a smaller one uninhabited. The inhabitants of Dori build their houses at or below low-water mark, raised on posts, and reached by a rough and tottering causeway from the beach. The natives of the interior do not differ percep tibly in physical character, but have a distinct language, and are called Arfaki by the Dori people. Their houses are very similar, but are raised 12 or 15 feet high, on a perfect forest of thin poles, a few of which are put diagonally, and prevent the whole from falling with the first wind. The people of Dori are fishers and traders, the Arfaki are agriculturists. The former catch turtle and trepang, which they sell for beads, knives, and cloth, and purchase of the Arfaki their rice and yams, plantains, and bread-fruits, and numbers of tame cockatoos and Tories, which they sell again to the Ternate and Tidore traders. All these natives have the characters of the Papuan race very strongly marked,—the flat forehead, heavy brows, and large nose, with the apex bent downwards, are almost universal, as well as the harsh curly hair, which often forms an enor mous stiff mop, and is then highly esteemed. It has, in fact, a very grand and imposing effect. The colour of the skin varies greatly. In general it is a dirty black or sooty colour, but varies to a fine brown, which is often quite as light as that of the pure Malay races. The natives of Dori possess the rude artistic genius of the Oceanic tribes, decorating their household utensils and the prows of their canoes with elaborate carving, and the posts of their council-house with obscene caryotides. The language of the Dori people resembles that of the Aru and Ki Islands in containing a large number of monosyllabic words, as well as others excessively polysyllabic, offering a remarkable contrast to the striking dissyllabic character of the whole Malayan group of languages.
Papuans of Sorong, on the N.W. coast of New Guinea, are said to drink the blood which drops from a newly-cut-off head of an enemy killed in war, provided he had been a man of valour ; they believe thus to inbibe his courage.
The Papuan idols called Karwar are the effigies of the distinguished men. They are similar to the Tikki of the Maori and other wooden figures of the Polynesians.
Brumer.—The women of Brumer Island, on the south coast of New Guinea, are tattooed on the face, arms, and front of the body, but generally not on the back, in vertical stripes less than an inch apart, and connected by zigzag markings. On the face these are more complicated, and on. the forearm and wrist they are frequently so elaborate as to resemble lacework. The men are more rarely tattooed, and then only with a few lines or stars on the right breast. Sometimes, however, the markings consist of a double series of large stars and dots stretching from the shoulder to the pit of the stomach.
Warrior Island is in Torres Straits. The men • are powerful, are armed with six-foot bows ; their war canoes are 50 and 60 feet long.
Aion or Yowl is a group of islands situated about 70 miles W.N.W. from the Cape of Good Hope, on the W. coast of New Guinea, and 30 miles N.E. from the island of Waigiou in the Gilolo Passage. The group consists of circular low isles, 16 in number. The largest lies in about lat. 0° 25' N., and long. 131° The group is surrounded by an extensive coral reef, nearly a degree in circumference, the south-western portion of which is separated from the main reef by a narrow but deep channel. Mon Baba, the largest of the group, lies on this detached portion of the reef, and is about 7 miles round, and 500 feet in elevation. The north-eastern or larger reef, which contains the islands of Abdon and Konibar, with several coral islets, is said to have an opening on the N.W. side which admits large vessels within the reef. The inhabitants are Papuans, are few in number, and occupy themselves almost exclusively in fishing and in catching turtle, with which the lagoons within the reef abound. The chief exports are tortoise-shell of good quality, which is obtained hero in large quantities, and trepang. These are purchased by Chinese from Ternate, the king of which place assumes supreme authority over all those parts of the coast of New Guinea which his subjects have been in the habit of visiting for purposes of trade. The traders to Aiou all employ small vessels, which alone are adapted for going within the reef of Aiou Baba, their chief resort. They bring red and white calicoes, thick brass wire, old clothes, glass beads, and all sorts of ornamental finery which the Negroes of New Guinea delight in as much as those of Africa. The natives are tolerably friendly to strangers, but must not be trusted too much, as they are inclined to be treacherous and revengeful, which is the case, indeed, with all the Papuan tribes.
Modern is about 25 miles in length, lying to the N.N.E. of the Great Ki, distant about 60 miles, and is the south-westernmost of a group of high islands, which until lately were con sidered as forming a part of New Guinea. The inhabitants are Papuans, and do not bear a high character among their neighbours. Wild nut megs, trepang, and tortoise-shell are obtained here. Bed calico, parang or chopping knives, coarse cotton shawls and handkerchiefs, with iron, Java tobacco, muskets, and gunpowder, are the principal articles in demand. The chief traffic was in slaves, which are distributed among the neighbouring islands of the Archipelago, and are sometimes carried as far as Bali and Celebes.
TVaigiou Island lies between New Guinea and Gilolo. Its inhabitants are Negroes, with features more regular, an expression of countenance more agreeable, and complexion less black, than the Negroes of New Ireland. Their persons are delicate and slender, and their stature short. The hair differs in texture among individuals, some having it woolly like the African Negroes, some lank like the European, and.others again of a texture between the two. The highest facial angle was 69°, and the lowest from 63° to 64°. I'aradisea rubra, the rare red paradise bird, and Ptilonopus pulchellus, a lovely little dove, occur here.