The Mafulu: Mountain People of British New Guinea. Robert Wood Williamson
this book I shall use the term “Mafulu” as including, not only the little group of villages near the north-westerly corner of the Fuyuge linguistic area actually known by that name, but also the other groups of Fuyuge villages in the north-western portion of that area; and, as above indicated, it is believed by the Fathers of the Mission that I should be substantially correct if I included the whole of the northern and north-eastern, and probably the southern portions of the known part of that area, and possibly the entire area.
1 The Geographical Society’s map used by me is somewhat confusing as regards the upper reaches of the St. Joseph or Angabunga river and the rivers flowing into and forming it. The Fathers’ map makes the St. Joseph river commence under that name at the confluence, at a point a little to the west of 8° 30′ S. Lat. and 147° E. Long., of the river Alabula (called in one of its upper parts Loloipa), flowing from the north, and the river Aduala, flowing from Mt. Albert Edward in the north-east; and this arrangement, which is practically in accord with a map appended to the British New Guinea Annual Report for June, 1900, is, I think, probably the most suitable and correct one. The Aduala is the river the upper part of which is in the Geographical Society’s map called Angabunga. The Fathers’ map shows the river Kea flowing into the Aduala at a distance of about two miles above the confluence of the latter with the Alabula; but, according to the Report map, this distance is about 12 miles.
2 Note the change from the Mafulu (Papuan) pronunciation Mambule to the Kuni (Melanesian) pronunciation Mafulu and the similar change from the Mafulu Ambo to the Kuni Ajoa.
3 See Dr. Seligmann’s “Hunterian Lecture” in the Lancet for February 17, 1906, p. 427; Seligmann and Strong in the Geographical Journal for March, 1906, pp. 233 and 236; also Dr. Seligmann’s “Classification of the Natives of British New Guinea” in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute for December, 1909, p. 329.
4 Melanesians of British New Guinea, p. 29.
5 Ibid. p. 31.
6 Lancet, February 17, 1906, p. 427.
7 Geographical Journal for September, 1908, p. 274.
8 Melanesians of British New Guinea, p. 32.
9 British New Guinea Annual Report for June, 1906, p. 29.
10 British New Guinea Annual Report for June 30, 1906, pp. 85 to 93.
11 Melanesians of British New Guinea, p. 33.
12 Apparently bows and arrows are not found among the tribes of the Lower Mambare river (Annual Report for June, 1897, Appendix C, p. 7.)
13 Annual Report for June, 1894, p. 32.
14 Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute for December, 1909, p. 329.
15 Annual Report for June, 1897, Appendix C, p. 7.
16 Geographical Journal for October, 1900, p. 422.
17 Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute for December, 1909, p. 330.
18 British New Guinea, p. 94.
19 Melanesians of British New Guinea, p. 32.
20 Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute for December, 1909, p. 329.
21 Seligmann and Strong—Geographical Journal for March, 1906, p. 232.
22 Seligmann’s Melanesians of British New Guinea, p. 27.
23 Dr. Strong has referred (Geographical Journal for September, 1908, p. 272) to the considerable areas of open grass country at the source of the St. Joseph river; and in his remarks which appeared in the Annual Report for June, 1906, p. 28, he referred to the same matter, and spoke of the valleys being for the most part less steep than those of the Kuni district.
24 I must state that Plate 2 represents a scene taken from a spot near to Deva-deva, which, though close to what is regarded as the boundary between the Kuni and Mafulu areas, is in fact just within the former. The general appearance of the scenery is, however, distinctly Mafulu.
Physique and Character
Physique.
The Mafulu people are of short stature, though perhaps a trifle taller than the Kuni.
They are as a rule fairly strong and muscular in build, the women in particular having very strongly developed thighs; but, speaking generally, their limbs are more slender, and their general development is slighter, than is usually the case among the Roro and Mekeo people.
They appear to be usually mesaticephalic, but to have a very marked tendency to brachycephaly.
Their noses seemed to me to be generally strong, and of prominent size, varying considerably in width of bridge, but usually having rather widely distending nostrils; and sometimes the width of the nose was equal to its length, or nearly so.
Referring to the above matters, the following are the results of twenty measurements of Mafulu men. These were obtained from men of upwards of six different communities or groups of villages, so as to avoid the possible misleading character of measurements made in only one village or group of villages, in which some family relationship between the persons measured might militate against the true average character of the figures obtained.
| No. | Stature in cm. | Length of head in cm. | Breadth of head in cm. | Cephalic index |