[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
NEVINBUR, NELENG, AND NIMBE’El 467 a deep red colour like blood. This is put in charge of an old man who sits inside the enclosure just behind Mansip, Lieur, and Lisivu. Now begins the last act of the drama. An old man carrying a spear comes out of the dancing ground, up to where Mansip is sitting, and begins to quarrel with him. A short dialogue ensues in which Mansip is made to speak by a man from near the gongs who calls down the hollow bamboo which has been buried for this purpose. Mansip says: “U14â€ù mum ngan hate ? " (" Thou standest there for what P "). The old man replies: “Sagha, harm, nim! oghoi teâ€ù (“No, grandfather, I stand and do nothing). Mansip retorts : “ Sagha, mzaimbrllngk, nilllshlar mboi mwzzghal “ (" No, grandson, I perceive [completely] that it is war â€ù), and the old man says: “ Harm, ulflshur mboi ngi wamp lis ambs?â€ù (" Grandfather, thou perceivest [com- pletely], but whither canst thou run P "). The language of this conversation is not that of Seniang, but oi some dialect akin to that of Wilemp, which was used (and perhaps still is used) in a district somewhere to the south-east of South»West Bay. As the old man pronounces the last words he stabs, ï¬Årst Mansip and then Lieur and Lisivu with his spear. At this instant the man behind the screen pours out the red inlusion of the ningginggia lcai, so that there appears to be blood running from the wounds, and the men by the gongs cry out down the bamboos. Thus with lugubrious wailing and flow of blood Mansip and his two wives are killed. After this the men set ï¬Åre to the fence; the three cfï¬Ågies are cast into the flames and consumed.‘ It is said that this killing and burning of Mansip is " the same as â€ù the litamate performance in the Nalau/an, when the TOMES are exhorted to be at peace and depart. Throughout the whole ritual, the voioc of Nev-inbun'lbaa.u is heard continuously from the bull-roarers which are swung within the enclosure, and at one poin’t—the coining oi davlm or the appearance of the morning star——they all "sing out â€ù together‘ The extreme sanctity oi all parts of this Nevinbur ritual is undoubted. It is said that during all the proceedings it is a nzwut ilau, that is a very sacred time,“ when certain deï¬Ånite 1 This is the only ceremony at which the lance screening the dancing ground ig0n;LL]1)e mt of the village is burnt. No explanation for this vms given.— - um“: = "time" or "place"; mm in the same HS 41¢», sacred, but " more strong ".—A, B. D.
