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

266 MALEKULA l ‘if
ï¬Ångers shift, disappear, and reappear mysteriously. And ‘all the
while there is the steady, glowing wall of mushroom-decked_
wild canes. The novices are brought into the ghamal, forced
to penetrate the darkness and go up to this wall, while all about
them are the glowing hands of ghosts and the eerie clicking of
nails.
There is one display which does not seem to be important
as a means of terrifying the boys, and is perhaps not connected
with ghosts, but which rather serves to shock and mystify them.
Two men don women’s mat-skirts, hang beads around their
necks, and fasten two coco-nuts across their chests to represent
a woman's breasts. Thus disguised they are led into the ghamal
by two other men who are supposed to be their husbands The
novices are amazed and cannot understand what is happening
that two women should be entering the house which is sacred
to men.
The tricks which are played upon the boys during the day-
time are tests not so much of courage as of patience and stoicism
under trying conditions. This is illustrated by the two which
have been recorded. In one, the guardians enter the ghamal,
where the boys are hungrily waiting, carrying on their shoulders
stones carefully wrapped in the leaves of the umbrella palm,
as though they bore food for their charges. One of these stones
is set down beside each boy, who is told not to open and eat it
until the men have gone. When each boy has been supplied the
dubut depart. Now in eager anticipation the hungry boys open
the leaves and ï¬Ånd to their bitter disappointment no food but
only a stone. A more unpleasant experience is when a small
pudding is prepared on the top of which roasted mushrooms are
placed. These resemble exactly the big sores‘ which the natives
not infrequently develop. The pudding is carried into the
ghamal and the boys are told that it is indeed as it appears,
made of sores. They loath the sight of it and feel sick, but
nevertheless their mouths are forced open, pieces of the pudding
are put inside, and they are made to swallow them. In addition
to the misery of having to eat the supposedly disgusting dish,
the boys suffer also misery and terror lest as a result of this meal
they will develop GREAT sores in their bellies.
So their life passes in fear and discomfort for thirty days.
On the thirtieth day after the beginning of the seclusion, the
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