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

THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE 7
in the way of a geographical barrier between the Lambumbu
district and the country lying to the south and south-east of it.
Such a conclusion would be completely erroneous. Lambumbu
district is bounded on the south by a long mountain-chain which
rises near Pzlcey Point in the west and stretches away to Bush-
man's Bay in the east, forming as it were a wall across the island
from sea to sea. This wall, this bounding range of hills, is the
frontier between the culture oi the plains and the culture of the
interior to the south. If we scale this range and go down into
the valleys beyond, we come to the bush vil.l.ages—Metenesa.l,
Vanetaghol, Vuliembet, Vaniar, and Tamborav. These, although
for the most part culturally distinct from it, are yet in contact
with Larnbumbu, and men from them will be found attending
certain of the festivals in this district. There is, moreover,
n very distinct difference in climate, for in the mountains there
is rarely a long period without rain, while in the plains a complete
drought ot two or more months, with its attendant ï¬Åres, is
almost a commonplace.
North of Larnbumbu again is a smzlll district called Laravat.
Tn-day this is represented by a single village, Laravat, situated
on the coast near Mt. Evelyn, but there were probably other
villages prior to the depopulation of the country. Its difference
of dialect still marks it off from neighbouring regions.
In the " head " of Malekula is the territory of the people
referred to by the whites as the Big Nambasl Two, or perhaps
three, distinct dialects must be recognized among them :
that found on the west coast at Ten Marou, another belonging
ilo"Malua. Bay, and perhaps a third at Espiegle Bay. How far
the territory of the Big Nambas extends is not known. There
appears to have been, and to be still, constant ï¬Åghting between
them and the other inhabitants of this northern region to
whom the name Small Nambas is very generally given by the
Europeans. There is every reason, however, to suppose that they
are far from homogeneous.
Turning to the interior, we ï¬Ånd a district occupying approxia
mately the territory between Mt. Evelyn and Wainisi Hill,
known as Marakus, which extends northwards almost to the
1 rue numb?-s is the strlp_ 01 nlatwurk which the Malekulau melt wmp around
me penis, tuclung the ends mm the belt at the front. Among the Big Nambas
this ‘penis wrapper IS remarkably voluminous and heavily tasselLed.—-C. H. w.