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

AMBRYM 207

the higher his standing, the more heads are carved
on them. Horizontal drums are sometimes found,
but they are always small, and only serve to ac-
company the sound of the larger ones.

There are usually a few men sitting round the
drums, playing games. One game is played by two
men sitting opposite to each other ; one sticks a small
shell into the ground, and his opponent tries to hit it
with another. There does not seem to be any win-
ning or losing, as in our games, but they keep it up
for hours and even days. Another favourite game
borders on the marvellous. One man has six shells
and the other five. Each in turn puts a shell on the
ground, and when they have all been dealt, each in
turn picks up one at a time, when the one who had
six before has five, and the one who had only five has
six. They stare at each other, wonder, and try it
again; behold, the one who had six at the beginning
has five now and the other six. They try again and
again, and each time the shell changes hands, and
nobody can explain how on earth it could have
jumped from one man to the other. It seems too
strange to be natural, and while a cold shiver creeps
up their backs, they play on and on, with ever new
delight and wonder. At such enviable pastimes these
people spend their days and kill time, which would
otherwise hang heavy on their hands. Tops, nicely
made from nuts, are a popular toy; and there are
other games, more sportsmanlike, such as throwing
reeds to a distance, and throwing wooden shells, at
which two villages often compete against each other.