Native Conchologists of

the Louisiades

Fourteen years' missionary work among the natives of the Louisiade

Archipelago, Papua, qualifies the

Re y- H. K. Bartlett to write with authority on native customs. Mr Bartlett, who is now State secretary and clerical treasurer of the Methodist Overseas Mission, wrote the following article as the outcome of a paragraph which appeared on page 70 of the December P.I.M.

THE Misima natives who offered £2 for the “faded and chipped" shell, evidently had an eye to business. The shell was probably a Spondylus Chama or similar species highly valued by the Sudest and Rossel Islanders, Papua.

Broken, worm-eaten shells are prized, not for their outward appearance, but for the rich colour that appears during the grinding and polishing processes. The Misima name for such a shell is Dapele or Ava.

In 1941, when I was leaving Misima for a trip to the islands of the Calvados Chain, a native asked me to trade a Dapele for him on Sudest. I was to take not less than two strings of shell beads, valued at £6 each. I found, however, that the shell was neither the colour nor the thickness required by the men of Sudest and was advised to offer it to the Rossel Islanders.

On Sudest Dapele is traded openly but on Rossel Island the whole business is very secretive.

Rossel Islanders have an interest ing monetary system. A Ndap “coin” is a piece of shell, highly polished and roughly triangular in shape. The 22 main values are distinguished chiefly by colour which ranges from almost white through yellow to deep red A Nko “coin” consists of 10 shell discs strung on a piece of cane or orchid stem. On certain ceremonial occasions several hundred of Nko “coins,” totalling thousands of discs,] are displayed as a long rope.

While on a visit to Dyndye village I saw a single valve of a large shell, much worm-eaten and heavily encrusted. There was no outward indication of any colour! but I was informed that when these shells are ground the colours —red,, yellow or green—are sometimes re vealed. These shells are called Ndyile and are thought to have come from deep water.

According to tradition the god Wonago made Ndap from a bivalve which he found in Yonnga Bay.

Some of my informants suggested that Ndap and Nko were made from-; the two valves of the same shell.

The red Spondylus, commonly found at Rossel Island, has a free valve with a deep red lip, whereas

valve attached to the rocks very little colour. Some of the rig men claimed that the “true”

II was abundant in Yonnga Bay, the old men denied any Bwlegde of it. here was little chance of investi :on as the waters of the bay are tily tabu and no local native «s explore the ancient treasury Lhe gods.