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

I c_ A?‘
512 MALEKULA '
been made from the tree growing on land belonging to this
village. His eldest son was by his side, carrying in one hand a
coco~nut, in the other a knife. The man turned to face the gong,
and looking up at it he called out the following invocation, the
whole dancing ground becoming hushed the while :—
â€ùNim1'i amt nilemes itakh Lasfllemb ;
" Nimit mm niiemes itokh Alamiigu ;
" Nimit mm nitemes itokh Vzmlm ;
“Nimit ana nitemes itokh Loklmis ,'
"Nimit am: nitemes itokh Wolkumou.â€ù
Nimit amt nitemes itok means “ the coco-nut of the ghost
who abides at " ; Lasiilemb, Lokhnis, Alamogu, andWolkumou are
the names of villages belonging to the clan whose parent village
is Veniou. The words are, therefore, addressed to all past members
of that clan on whose land the tree formerly stood. There now
followed a second invocation, uttered by the same man in the
Same way:
“ Nimit an/1 nimugut liit itvkh Wolkumrm;
“ Nimit ana Soumweilun itokh Iomzdala ,'
“ N1}mit zma Narï¬Åse ;
“ Nimit arm Ba’au I _
“ Nimit ana Roulel ,'
“Nimit aria Ba’au."
These names are those of all the remembered men of the
Veniou clan who in their lifetime were owners of the ground
on which the tree for this gong grew. As each name was called,
the young man standing beside his father gave a hack at the
coco-nut which he was holding, ï¬Ånally hacking it through as
the last name was spoken. The man of Veniou then retired,
while his son climbed up the liana rope, which was still fastened
through the eyes of the gong, and put the split coco-nut on top
of the gong, so that the ghosts who had been addressed might
eat it. This done he climbed down, cut away the liana and cleared
up all the soil and rubbish which had accumulated during the
day's proceedings, leaving everything smooth and clean. Then
he stepped forward and struck the gong for the ï¬Årst time in its
erect position, giving out the special rhythm which “belongs
*°"a"@Ws'°"g= 111 1 W 1 117 1 7 1 117 1 1 1
Following him, his father, his younger brothers, and all the other
men of Veniou who were present, beat the gong with the same
rhythm. 3