[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

224 MALEKULA _
again in new acts of ambushings and slayings. Further, two
groups between whom ï¬Åghting is endemic—as, for instance,
Seniang and Mewun—may signify a truce by setting up on their
common battleground a stick to which is tied a cordyline of the
variety known as naawl mmat——" the cordyline of peace " 1—~
a broken bow (mare-um) and often a cycas.
For the making of a temporary peace or respite from ï¬Åghting
one or more pigs are paid by each side to the elder brother of
the man or men in the enemy’s camp whom they have killed.
Such a payment of pigs is called mat. No further ritual is
required. Compensation has been given and received for the
dead, and the vendetta can cease for the time being.
To make and ratify a permanent peace demands a somewhat
elaborate ceremony, which is termed in Seniang nahalang, or
more correctly it is said that the combatants vehap mzhalang,
that is " they dance nahmng (the peace dance) Overtures
are ï¬Årst made by two men who are friends, but belong to the
opposing parties. Through them a day is ï¬Åxed when nahalang
shall be danced, and a small pig is presented to their opponents
by those who have suffered most damage in the conflict. Such
a pig is always given, but should it happen that the losses on
both sides have been equal then two small pigs are exchanged.
The place where the dance is held is invariably that on which
the victim or victims of the ï¬Åghting have met their death. On
the day appointed a number of unarmed men~—trom which of
the two ï¬Åghting groups we are not told-—man the gongs, while
in two different parts of the bush the erstwhile enemies prepare
themselves for dancing, They colour their chests with a blue
paint (obtained by chewing a leaf of the plant called nou1'o'o-/,
which is actually the symbol of war) and their faces they blacken
with charcoal, this being the usual form of decoration worn by
warriors when setting out to ï¬Åght. Over his right shoulder each
man slings a club of the kind known as naai mbmambru, and
carries in his hand the bow which he took on the war expedition,
and with which he slew his adversary. Over the right shoulder
there is also carried a plant called mrhalang—a variety, it seems,
of wild taro—which is one of the symbols of peace, and from
which the dance gets its narne. When all are ready each company
‘ This naavi tamai is a cordyline with tapering leaves of n. deep green hue,
streaked with plum col0ur.—A. Br D.
d