1. The Moluccas were originally the five small clove producing islands of Ternate, Tidore, Moti, Makian and Bacan 20
3. The subjected territories of the Sultans of Ternate, Bacan, Tidore and Jailolo in the early sixteenth century 24, 25
4. A korakora. Raiding korakora were crewed by 100–300 men 27
6. Seram, Banda and Seram Laut Islands 31
7. Sketch of the first Dutch trading post in the Banda Islands which was on Neira Island 38
9. Distribution of stone mortars and pestles and stemmed obsidian artefacts in New Guinea and nearby islands 52
10. There was a simultaneous introduction in archaeological terms of metal and glass beads from Southeast Asia as far as New Guinea just before 2,000 years ago 54
11. The schematic distribution of early bronze kettledrums (Heger type I) from the Asian mainland to New Guinea 55
12. Feathers dominate the attire of the warriors and crew of boats depicted on Dong Son bronze kettle drums 56
13. One of the three ceremonial bronze axes from Roti Island in eastern Indonesia with Dong Son motifs showing a human figure wearing a feather headdress 58
14. Most of the feathers depicted on bronze drums in eastern Indonesia have more stylised versions of feather headdresses than those on the oldest Heger type I drums found on the Asian mainland 61
15. The geographic areas used in Table 3 66
16. The natural distribution of birds of paradise which became known to Europeans from trade skins by 1700 68
17. The natural distribution of birds of paradise which became known to Europeans from trade skins between 1700 to 1851 69
18. Feather imports into the United Kingdom from 1872 until they were prohibited in 1921 90
19. Feather imports into the United States from 1872 until they were prohibited in 1913 90
20. In the period 1924–1974 there was a change in the main species of birds of paradise exchanged in Wahgi bridewealth payments 1009
21. The respective areas of New Guinea designated under Tidore by the Dutch in 1761 and by the English in 1814 108
22. The Raja Empat Islands 110, 111
23. The respective areas of New Guinea designated under Tidore by the 1828 and 1848 treaties between the Dutch and Tidore 117
24. This scene of Doreri Bay in 1827 shows two activities. In the background a man is trading bird of paradise skins with a Frenchman. In the foreground two men are forging metal tools whilst another operates the bellows 122
27. The Banda Islands, eastern Seram, the Seram Laut Islands and Onin 134, 135
28. The Onin and Kowiai areas of southwest New Guinea 140, 141
29. The Kowiai and Mimika coasts of southwest New Guinea 144, 145
30. Where turik, tulik, tuni and other variants are used or known as words for knife and iron in Torres Strait and the Trans Fly 158
31. The distribution of Vatica papuana in southwest Papua New Guinea 159
32. A special tool is used in Borneo, the Moluccas and the western part of New Guinea to scrape sago pith 163
33. Where the special sago pith-scraping tool is used in New Guinea 163
34. The distribution of names for tobacco derived from sukuba, sukupa, sokoba and sakop in southwest Papua New Guinea and Torres Strait 164
36. Dobo on Warmar Island in the Aru Islands during the height of the trading season in 1857 168
37. Aru Islanders shooting the Greater Bird of Paradise 171
39. The raiding routes of the Marind-anim 177
40. The value of the copra and bird of paradise exports out of Merauke from 1913–1916 178
41. The upper reaches of the Fly and Digul River systems showing the tracks used by bird of paradise hunters 189
42. The north coast of New Guinea from the Mamberamo River delta to the border with Papua New Guinea 204
44. Some of the bronze axes found at Lake Sentani 20710
45. Some of the bronze artifacts, other than axes, found at Lake Sentani and the Bird’s Head 207
46. Tongs & forks used in the Moluccas and Jayapura region 210
47. The distribution of cognate names for tobacco and the earliest reports of its presence on the north coast of West Papua and Papua New Guinea 213
48. Mainland German New Guinea (Kaiser Wilhelmsland), later the Mandated Territory of New Guinea 222, 223
49. The value of bird of paradise skins exported from German New Guinea and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea from 1909–1922 231
50. Text of licence to hunt birds of paradise 234
51. The conservation areas declared in Kaiser Wilhelmsland in 1912 238, 239
52. The natural distribution of the Blue, Emperor, King, Lesser, Magnificent and Raggiana Birds of Paradise and Stephanie’s Astrapia 242
53. The value of copra and birds of paradise (and other feathers) exported from German New Guinea and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea from 1913–1922 249
54. The value of birds of paradise (and other feathers) and pearl shell (and other marine products) exported from German New Guinea and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea from 1913–1922 249
55. British New Guinea (became Papua in 1906) 264
56. On left bird pestles with folded wings, in centre those with raised wings and on right bird head and wing mortars 271
57. Bronze miniature boat found in Dobo village on Flores in eastern Indonesia 272
58. Route of bird of paradise traders as indicated by the presence of bronze kettledrums in eastern Indonesia and other valuable bronze artifacts in New Guinea 273
59. Main spice trade route 300–1512 AD 274
60. Following the regional trade disruptions brought about by the Dutch the Seram Laut Islands emerged as the new trade centre in far eastern Indonesia from 1621 until after 1814 276
61. Whaling grounds as well as trade centres and sea routes from 1814–1850 279
62. Mining ventures established in Papua and New Guinea before 1920 281
63. Routes of heroes and creators in southern New Guinea 287
1. The Raggiana Bird of Paradise features on both the national crest and flag of Papua New Guinea, the only country where it is found 14
2. The ruins of the old Portuguese fort called Tololo on Ternate. It was built in the sixteenth century 35
3. Gate of the Dutch fort Oranje in Ternate town. The fort dates from 1607 39
4. The Lesser Bird of Paradise 48
5. The Salayar drum from eastern Indonesia depicts elephants and peacocks which do not naturally occur there 60
6. One of the bronze drum tops found at Aimura Lake on the Bird’s Head of West Papua 61
7. Bird of paradise plumes were treasured like jewels in Nepal and only worn by the King and his senior officials 63
8. Commanding General Kaiser Shamsher Jan Bahadur Rana wears four or more interwoven flank plumes of the Greater Bird of Paradise 63
9. King Mahendra of Nepal wearing four or more interwoven flank plumes of the Greater Bird of Paradise at his coronation in 1957 63
10. Coiffures and a hat decorated with bird of paradise plumes from 1830 fashion magazines 82
11. A bonnet decorated with a bird of paradise in an 1882 English fashion magazine 84
12. Hats decorated with birds of paradise appearing in 1911–12 fashion advertisements 85
13. Advertisement for paradise plumes by the Stuart Sons Company, London 1912 86
14. Blue ostrich headwear with paradise in centre and mounted bird of paradise 86
15. Hats decorated with birds of paradise appearing in 1912 fashion advertisements 87
16. Hats decorated with birds of paradise appearing in 1921 fashion advertisements 87
17. Photographs of egrets killed for the plume trade being displayed on the streets of London in 1911 95
18. Simbu plume traders at Yaramanda on the northern slopes of Mount Hagen in Enga Province in 1959 102
19. The Simbu plume traders (shown in Plate 18) display their Raggiana skins 102
20. Raggiana are the dominant plumes worn by these Engan men at a dancing ground 10312
21. Men from the Wahgi valley. The main bird of paradise plumes worn are those from Stephanie’s Astraphia and the Lesser Bird of Paradise. Also present are Black Sicklebill, Ribbon-tailed Astraphia and the King of Saxony Bird of Paradise 103
22. Go Siang Kie, the leading Chinese businessman in Cendrawasih Bay in 1954, weighing massoy bark on board one of the coastal vessels which regularly call at the small ports in the Bay 126
23. Chinese plates from the Risatot burial site on Arguni Island in Berau Bay 136
24. A resin torch illuminating a Kamula dancer wearing Raggiana plumes at Wasapepa village in Western Province 160
25. Establishing relations between the Marind-anim and the Dutch in Merauke in 1902 176
26. Marind-anim man with Greater Bird of Paradise skins 179
27. Chinese trader collecting copra along the Merauke coast 181
28. Prayers on the Chinese trade boat were accompanied by gong beats 181
29. Mail boat coming into Merauke before World War I. On shore there would be anxious speculation over the current price of bird of paradise skins and last minute transactions 186
30. Derongo, a Ningerum settlement in 1966 197
31. Bronze bell and ceremonial axes from Lake Sentani villages, Jayapura region 208
32. Prehistoric and historic glass bracelets and beads from the north coast of New Guinea 209
33. Frances Deklin from Wanimo village demonstrates how heai (tongs) are used to eat stirred sago 209
34. Rassip and Marinki, bird hunters from Ternate 215
35. Some of the nineteen New Guineans employed by two Chinese bird hunters who visited Prauwen-bivak on the lower Idenburg River in 1920 215
36. Lesser Bird of Paradise skins hanging in front of a trade store, probably in Hollandia 216
37. Three Indonesian women employed on one of the New Guinea Company’s tobacco plantations at Stephansort (Bogadjim) in the Madang area in 1897 226
38. A New Guinean bird of paradise hunter in German New Guinea with his gun and catch, which includes Lesser Bird of Paradise and pigeons. The latter would be for eating 244
39. New Guinean bird of paradise hunters in German New Guinea with guns and Lesser Birds of Paradise they have shot 247
40. Hunters with birds acquired after a few hours hunting at Eikeiki (Keke) near Bakoiudu in the Kairuku District. These birds were obtained for a natural history collector 265
1. The subjected territories of the Sultan of Ternate that provided him with militia at the beginning of the sixteenth century 28
2. Birds of paradise and bowerbirds identified from trade skins by 1851 67
3. Distribution of birds of paradise showing species known to Europeans before and after 1851 70
4. A list of all birds of paradise, plus those bowerbirds found in New Guinea 78
5. The lower and upper prices of the top twenty bird species on offer in London in 1913 88
6. Estimated number of birds of paradise exported from New Guinea in 1913 91
7. Value of bird of paradise exports from New Guinea to Ternate 1865–1869 131
8. Export figures for Manokwari in February 1905 131
9. Words for knife and iron used in eastern Seram, the Seram Laut Islands and New Guinea 156
10. List of names for tobacco derived from sukuba used in southwest Papua New Guinea and Torres Strait 161
11. Set of names for sweet potato used in the Bird’s Head and region inland from the Kikori area in Papua New Guinea 165
12. Official and scientific expeditions to the middle and upper Fly from 1875–1926 192
13. The number of bird of paradise skins exported from German New Guinea and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea between 1909–1922 and their value 230
14. Summary of the main bird-hunting licence legislation in German New Guinea 232
15. Summary of the export duties on bird of paradise skins in German New Guinea 235
16. Summary of the closed seasons for birds of paradise, goura pigeons and cassowaries in German New Guinea 236
17. Wildlife protection areas (National Parks) in Kaiser Wilhelmsland 237
18. Plume hunters attacked whilst shooting in German New Guinea 246
19. Planter-settlers in 1913 who had established plantations in the last two years and were dependent on income from bird of paradise hunting to finance their plantations 251
20. Customs duty imposed on bird plumes in New Guinea in 1916 256