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

36 MALEKULA
the red of sunset, and nal mien denotes the time when the sun is
“drownedâ€ù or has ï¬Ånally set; livaat indicates the early part
of the night, and newut imeet the time of earliest dawn, while
nzwut irmg marks the appearance of the ï¬Årst light within the
house where folks are sleeping. We may note here that in
reckoning time, the Malekulans, like many other simple peoples,
speak of a. night having passed where we should speak of a day,
or of an event taking place ï¬Åve nights later instead of ï¬Åve days
later, and actually, as we shall see, their ceremonies usually begin
in the evening, shortly before sundown, and conclude in the
Cally morning.
Since it heads the list we may presume that levahat rmgrmg
marks the time for rising in the moming. No meal is cooked at
this hour, unless a dance has taken place during the night, but
the people break their fast on such cold remains as are left over
from the previous evening. During the day it is probable that
the men and women see little of each other, for their occupations
' are different, Hunting, ï¬Åshing, and the heavier work connected
with agriculture are performed by the men ; the women collect
shel.lhouse and do the light gardening work. It is they too, probably,
who do the plziiting and mat-work needed for clothes and
ornaments, and it is stated that in Lamburnbu they even make
the arm—b:mds and penis-wrappers which are bought at entrance
to the various grades in the Nimanghi'society. Except when
they are away in the gardens or the bush, the men generally gather
in their club-house. This is their social centre and here they
pass rnost of their leisure time, in gossip or the discussion of
matters oi importance ; in making or mending tools and weapons ;
in smoking or sleeping. The Women and children, on the other
hand, tend to congregate in the open spaces about and before
the dwelling-houses, where they too can exchange news, discuss
topical events, or. play.
How the children spend their time we are not told, but it seems
probable that up to the age when they are weaned, that is until
they are two or three years old, they go about in close oontact
with their mothers, but that alter this they become increasingly
independent of adults, and form something in the nature of a
children's republic.