[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
ii T l ll i i E111 1 1‘ ; —' eiieeieeieja-——-~“»r" — 35¢ MALEKULA the two lads performed this little rite. Concerning it, Deacon wrote :— “ It is important, I think, to note this delegation of function irom father to son. The boys were about eleven or twelve years old. It is in this way that they are trained and accustomed to the ceremonial of the Nlimang/ai. It is a. rigorous training. Before all audience of some hundred and forty people, they have to go through it. They were evidently very nervous and wished heartily to be out of it. At one point I sympathized acutely with one lad; misunderstanding his iather, he presented a large bundle oi torches (representing many tusked boars) intended for the principal seller. to one of the subsidiary ones. The titters oi the audience at this mistake, made him realize what he had done. He winced ; had to ask the man for the torches back again, gathered them clumsily and handed them shamefacedly to the rightful recipient." THE RITUAL or A Nimangki AND Nelemnv When a man wishes to celebrate a nekmew or a nimangki, he must ï¬Årst arrange with some one who has the right to sell him the nisit tlel whose purchase is to provide the occasion for the festivities. Once he has found such a man his behaviour towards him is marked by the greatest respect and deference. This is expressed by the elaborate circumlocution which the buyer employs when putting his request to the seller. He doesinot tell him outright that he wishes to purchase a " sacred thing " from him, or to make a nelemew, but only mentions that he would like to give him a few pigs‘ His real intentions are, llow- ever, soon made clear, by the request on the part of the buyer for the loan of a pig.‘ The seller then asks tactfully whether the other signiï¬Åes by this that he desires to buy a nisil tlel. This the buyer now acknowledges, and in this manner the nelemew is deï¬Ånitely engaged on. After this the buyer speaks oi his pigs as though they belonged really to the seller, which they will do when the mlemew is celebrated. He then infom1s the seller indirectly, by setting up coco-nuts on a pole in the garden, of the number of pigs with which he intends to present him. This is necessary that the man may be able to tell his wife what sacred objects she must make for the occasion." 1 At out point uib note becomes partly illegible so um we d0 DOC know the purpose ml whith this pig is Sllppbiotl to be borrowed. It is possible um the animal is equivalent to the pig which in seniililg lhb ililiballm gives to 'i'.hB C8I1didflC5.— 0. H. w. * There is some C0liSiD1‘l here seemingly, lb; the note runs: H -nib buyer must be il1iOXl‘n&.l . . . bl ill: number 01 pigs he ls gning to be paid." n would appear that the word ~ buyer '- W15 Written inadvertently lei " seller since it is the wile Of the new who )‘nlll$ the nisil ml.-c. H. w. r- ’ -V; '1 < 1; ‘1 ~ 1‘, W t x M ï¬Åe 1, lg‘ -~ ;
