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

258 MALEKULA‘ V. ,
and receives tour of these which he hands over to. his mother's
eldest brother, after which he takes the ï¬Åfth pig and presents it
to another man who stands to him in the relation of maternal
uncle. It does not seem to be quite clear whether this second
man is a “realâ€ù or “classiï¬Åcatoryâ€ù relative, but it is said
that he is younger than the uncle who received the four pigs,
and that he is selected for his qualities as a bold warrior. He
stalks ï¬Åercely forward towards the boy, takes the pig from him,
and hands it over to a friend to be cut up. Then he seizes the
boy's spear and thrusts it into the ground with such force that
it bends and breaks. Having done this he turns to the assembled
company and addresses them furiously: “ You see, I take this
spear; I break it. This shows how powerful I am, that I will
break this spear, and you dare do nothing to me. Very well.
If this boy should at any time die through any fault of yours,
I will comeback and kill the man who let him die." He stamps
about, raging and making motions as though killing a man.
Presently he breaks the two pieces of the spear again, throws
them down, and stalks off the dancing-ground back to his friends.
The novices are now taken into the ghamall to begin their
period of seclusion. They lie down, A leaf called nimo apniet
is rubbed in the hands, wrapped in noari leaves, and put on
to the ï¬Åre. After a while it is taken off, the wrapping removed
and thrown away, and the juice of the nimo apmet squeezed on
to the boys’ wounds. This is the only treatment they receive.
The seclusion lasts for about ten days or until every boy is
healed. So long as they remain within this ghumal the novices
must observe certain food tabus. These are the same as those
observed in North Lambumbu with the addition that ya.m
puddings may not be eaten though roasted yams are allowed.
During this same period, on every afternoon, beginning on the
day of the operation itself, an interesting mock battle takes
place between the men and women of the village. VA number of
bamboo vessels are ï¬Ålled with water, and each party, having
these for ammunition, throws water over and splashes the members
of the other party. Throughout the ï¬Åght the women related to
the novices, their mothers and sisters, call out : " Where is my
1 It would seem that this is the ordinary men's club-house, not a special
building erected for the candidates, though this is by no means certain.-
C. H. W. -
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