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

500 MALEKULA
already been described: ï¬Årst the rhythm of his father's clan
is given, followed by the rhythm of his mother's clan and that
of his Nimzmgki rank}
It will be remembered, further, that ea/ch of the clan-rhythms
or nambwir has its individual name. Thus the rhythm of the
clan whose parent village is Uraau is called ndimiinmier. The
same is true of all other gong-rhythms : each has a name, and
a name, be it noted, which does not necessarily bear any apparent
relation whatsoever to the concept which the rhythm serves to
convey. For instance, the rhythm called iuswus ngileo signiï¬Åes
"Where is . . .?",’ but the meaning of the words iuswus
ngileo is not known, though they may have some connection
with the verb in/us, " he asks.â€ù .
A simple example will make the method of gongsignalling
more clear. Supposing that a man of a certain village has
lost a pig oi nitavu grade. He will go to the gongs and beat
out the rhythm called iusu/us ngileo and follow it with that
called Mai tamap, which stands for an animal of nitavu
status, thus: “
:';r::{=.w|1w1H-~= H-~= Ii»: linll
,;;g;,{=iï¬Åï¬Åï¬Åï¬Å*“Iï¬Åiï¬ÅrIï¬Ågjï¬Åwlï¬Åï¬Åï¬Å I
These two rhythms beaten in this manner signify, therefore :
“ Is my m'tavu pig at your place? “ or “ Where is my nitavu
pig? " If, now, a man of another village has come across the
pig in question (the informant assured Deacon that the pig would
be recognized without any further description), he goes to his
‘ There is some disagreement in the notes as to whether the gong~rhythm
of a. man's Nimrmgki tank is given before or after the rhythms of his father's
and mothers clans. On this subject Deacon writes: “ It is possible that the
Nimangki beat is signalled am only in the case of men of high rank, on the
principle of niling out as many people as possible with the ï¬Årst gong-beat. Ii
it is a high rank there might be only two or three men of that rank within the
radius of the signalling. . . . Several informants agree that the gong-beat of
the father's descent group and of the mother’s are generally sufï¬Åcient for
identiiying 3. man without the addition of his Ninumghi beat."
' The exact signiï¬Åcance of the rhythm iusurus ngilao is uncertain; a more
correct rendering may he " Is it at your place " i—A. LB, D.
‘ Concerning his method of recording the gong-ryhthins Deacon writes:
" I ï¬Ånd it ditï¬Åcult to split up the rhythms rm any Sim le time; thus the four
beats of bar two in nani la/mag? are made to occupy (so fir as my ear can judge)
exactly the same interval as the ï¬Åve beats of bar one."
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