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

472 MALEKULA
again, but standing farther apart, are the neteskew, also facing
towards the amzl and just in front of the main body of dancers.
Some distance behind and to the right of these stands
the mzmbal, facing diagonally across the ground; the
nerumbas takes up his position rather nearer and to the
left of the amel. The enclosure in which the women
are gathered is to the left of the dancing ground and
beyond it, visad-1/is to the nambal, stands the nimoroi kevini
nelmg.
The performance is begun by the two manyaosir. They
dance forward slowly, holding their arms out stiffly, parallel to
each other, and moving them backwards and forwards with a
leisurely swinging motion. They accompany this movement
with a delightful chant, repeating over and over again the words :
“ Munyzosir nitemes, manymsir m't2mes—ei-—i—z' I " Singing and
dancing in this manner, they come up the ground, pass to the
right of the two neleskew, between the fourth and ï¬Åfth columns
of the nimbangon neleng, round the nevumbas, back to the nim-
bongrm nelmg, threading their way through the fourth, second, and
third columns, and ï¬Ånally they return to their original position,
passing once more to the right of the neleskew, and continue to
dance in the one place. The next to perfon-n are the nimorvt
(or) tile. Each man carries a single arrow, and as he advances
he makes a peculiar movement of plunging forward with this
arrow. They, too, sing as they dance, but the informant could
not remember the words of the chant. Continuing to progress
in this manner, they approach the screen behind which all the
women are gathered. From a small opening in it their wives
step forth. They are bent in a crouching position, and each
one, holding her hands between her thighs, rubs a strongly
scented leaf called lisiuu between her palms. These two women
take up their place behind their husbands, and follow them, still
in the same posture, with quick, short steps. The two men thus
accompanied pass to the left of the meleskm/, between the ï¬Årst
and second columns of the nimbangon nelrmg, round the mzrumbas
and, threading their way through the remaining columns of the
main body as the manyeusir had done, back to their original
position. In the same way the nmww, their bow-strings stretched
taut, pass between the mteskew, through the nimbangm mleng,
round the mrumbas, and back through the nimbongm mzleng to