This beautifully reproduced work, originally published as Anthropology Report No. 5 for the Territory of Papua, was wriiten by F.E. Williams, the government anthropologist, in 1923, after he had stayed nearly eight months in the Purari Delta during the previous year. It contains a very comprehensive ethnographic account of the Namau people, as they were after only forty years of government contact. The content is very descriptive, and will contribute much towards a better understanding of the traditional Namau way of life prior to their acculturation.

Perhaps the most valuable section of the book is Part 4, devoted to ‘Religious and Ceremonial Life’. Williams records the function of the ravi, a building that play a role of primary importance in daily life. It is far more than a men’s ‘clubhouse’. In the simply polity of the region, it is town hall, market, cathedral and coffee palace. It is the scene of all ceremonies of importance, and frequently the ravi or ravi platform provides the only standing or sitting room for a gathering of any size. In the main, it is the repository of all sacred objects, such as the Kaiemunu cane monsters that were built within its walls and will stay until they rot, never to leave the ravi.

Williams was a keen photographer, realising that the camera was a tool for his profession. As a result, the book incorporates many wonderful photographs of material never again to be witnessed outside museums.

The Natives of the Purari Delta is a book for all those interested in the early cultural life of Papua New Guinea.