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

THE NIMANGKI TLEL SOCIETY 453
clearing and sweeping tho open space just outside the laghar
where the big dance, which closes the ceremonies, will be held.
(This place is called the amel miang.) Since the novices must
not be seen by women. the tï¬Åmbui go ahead and drive them out
of the way by throwing stones at them. After this bathing there
is another ï¬Åve days’ interval. On the sixth day the novices make
the ceremonial objects known as rwrensahl This they do by
themselves without the help of the initiated members. On the
following day the latter (but not apparently the ndvuli) begin to
fast and continue to do so throughout this day and until the
evening of the next. During this day, too, some of the guests
begin to arrive from the neighbouring villages, while others turn
up early the next morning. This, the eighth since the men in
the loghor last went to bathe, is the great day which marks the
climax oi the rites.
Inside the loghor the tï¬Åmbat adjust their naai nï¬Åh in the manner
already described, and cover them with leaves that they may be
screened from the yublic gaze. When all the men have got them
ï¬Åxed into position, they come out from the lughor to the amel
miang. Here a veranrlalr oi coco-nut Ironds has been erected to
protect the performers from the heat of the sun. Under this the
men carrying the mai Mk take up their stand. When everyone
has assembled, the naai m)'h are uncovered and the dance begins.
The men with the screens dance on the one spot; the others
fomr into a line and dance up and doum the clearing. A number
eifjiosts whose upper ends are forked, have been set up in a row
arid? across these are laid bamboos on which the visitors, members
of the Nimangki Tlzl from other islaccs, beat out a rhythm as an
accompaniment. This being over, the naai nlfh are unstrapped
from the shoulders of those bearing them, and are carried back
to the loghor. The next episode takes place at about four o’clock
in the afternoon. The wmbat appear once more, carrying this
time the Mai ndh of the novices.‘ Two tall posts decorated with
objects called " birds’ wings " are brought into the amel ndnng,
borne by some of the tï¬Åmbzzti’ The novices cluster round these
and dance ï¬Årst about one and then about the other.
_* The meaning of the notes at this juncture is very confused. and there is
no indication us to the nature er the objects called n:r.msnh.—C. H. W.
1 The meaning ei the note is questionable, but this appears to be the most
probable interpretation.—C. u. w.
* These are perhaps the objects called flzlep, about which we are told that
they rue made about the same time as the day on which the women M15 chased,