DOI issue:
No.127 (October, 1903)
DOI article:Praetorius, Charles J.: Art in British New Guinea
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19880#0071
Art in British New Guinea
water-pots are made and traded to other tribes along the
coast. The canoes used for this trading are not like the single
dug-out with out-riggers : they consist of several large cedar
trees, hollowed out and lashed together. Over these a large
frame-work of saplings is fastened, in such a manner that
it projects over the stem and stern about eight feet, and three
feet over the port and starboard sides. This framework,
when covered with leaves, forms a spacious gangway, capable
of carrying much cargo and many persons. On this great raft
two masts are stepped, with fore and back stays of rattan
cane ; large sails made
of mat-work, shaped like
a crab's claw, are hoisted
by ropes made from
hibiscus bark.
As these great rafts,
known as "lakatois," will
not sail close to the wind,
the natives make use of
the trade-winds : with the
last of the " southeaster"
they set sail, trading their
pottery for sago and other
products of the various
ports. Having disposed of
their wares, several weeks
of feasting follow, after
which, with their new
cargo, they sail merrily
dancing shields from the
trobriand islands homeward with the nortn-
drawn by c. pr/etorius ^^^^^^^^^p5^^ west monsoon. Sometimes
several of these "lakatois"
thing of the past. In iSSS i^^^^^^^^lfl are lashed together on the
there was hardly a canoe to be wMt^^^^^^^jU^ homeward run, forming
seen with any pretence of orna- InlvllM^ffl quite a floatinS villaSe-
ment, as in the old days. W A favourite motive for
The largest canoes were X^^^^^^^W^ decorating the sides of
sometimes sixty feet in length. ^^^S55P>^SEl canoes was a simplified
Those of the Torres Straits were form of human face. Birds
essentially dug-outs^ with a were also carved in a
central platform, having an out-rigger fixed on both decorative manner on the ends of sticks. By
sides. the number of these sticks existing they must
Along the coast the Motu tribes are celebrated have had some special meaning. Black, white,
for the manufacture of pottery, which is entirely and red were the principal colours used m
made by women. Quantities of large cooking and painting canoes and their ornaments. The
carved ornament on a canoe shield
54
drawn by c. pr.^etorius
water-pots are made and traded to other tribes along the
coast. The canoes used for this trading are not like the single
dug-out with out-riggers : they consist of several large cedar
trees, hollowed out and lashed together. Over these a large
frame-work of saplings is fastened, in such a manner that
it projects over the stem and stern about eight feet, and three
feet over the port and starboard sides. This framework,
when covered with leaves, forms a spacious gangway, capable
of carrying much cargo and many persons. On this great raft
two masts are stepped, with fore and back stays of rattan
cane ; large sails made
of mat-work, shaped like
a crab's claw, are hoisted
by ropes made from
hibiscus bark.
As these great rafts,
known as "lakatois," will
not sail close to the wind,
the natives make use of
the trade-winds : with the
last of the " southeaster"
they set sail, trading their
pottery for sago and other
products of the various
ports. Having disposed of
their wares, several weeks
of feasting follow, after
which, with their new
cargo, they sail merrily
dancing shields from the
trobriand islands homeward with the nortn-
drawn by c. pr/etorius ^^^^^^^^^p5^^ west monsoon. Sometimes
several of these "lakatois"
thing of the past. In iSSS i^^^^^^^^lfl are lashed together on the
there was hardly a canoe to be wMt^^^^^^^jU^ homeward run, forming
seen with any pretence of orna- InlvllM^ffl quite a floatinS villaSe-
ment, as in the old days. W A favourite motive for
The largest canoes were X^^^^^^^W^ decorating the sides of
sometimes sixty feet in length. ^^^S55P>^SEl canoes was a simplified
Those of the Torres Straits were form of human face. Birds
essentially dug-outs^ with a were also carved in a
central platform, having an out-rigger fixed on both decorative manner on the ends of sticks. By
sides. the number of these sticks existing they must
Along the coast the Motu tribes are celebrated have had some special meaning. Black, white,
for the manufacture of pottery, which is entirely and red were the principal colours used m
made by women. Quantities of large cooking and painting canoes and their ornaments. The
carved ornament on a canoe shield
54
drawn by c. pr.^etorius