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

DEATH AND DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD 569
this enclosure men enter, carrying conches ï¬Ålled with water
lengths of perforated bamboo. The couches are set
and covered with leaves oi the bastard cotton. Then
Us the barnboos into the conches and blowing down
into the water, a. mysterious subdued booming is produced
theoretically is believed by the women who hear it to be
of the dead man's ghost, or of ghosts generally} This
is a “ nisit tlal “, that is a “sacred thing â€ù, a secret sound the
triature of which women and small boys may not know.
-" The second ceremony, the aim of which is to hasten the
arture of the ghost, is called user mwulmul. Men sit round
a ring on the floor of the C1Lll]—l)OlXSB, and from one to two
‘hundred oranges are placed in a close circle inside this ring. One
-i-nan sits in the centre, inside the circle of oranges. Then the
‘men begin to sing in a low plaintive tone :—
‘_ “ Sur Iambi, sur Iambi I '
i “ Along to Iamhi, along to lamhi l
~ “ Nitmlah Sasur lambi.â€ù
- " The ghost goes along to lambi.â€ù
‘As they sing the man sitting in the centre, keeps moving the
oranges outwards, one by one, thus ever widening the circle,
until, when the ring is very large, the song ceases. No interpreta-
tion was given of this performance.
' The third ceremony, enacted on this night and also performed
to speed the ghost’s departure, is known as taghtagh lemah, This
is the same as the tzmzs rambu of South~West Bay, but whereas
in this latter district it is used only when divination is necessary
to discover the identity of a murderer, in Lambumbu the taghtugh
temah forms a regular part of the funeral ceremonial. The
performance takes place at midnight. A long bamboo is selected ;
one end of it is pointed and thrust into the front wall of the
club~house above the door. From ten to twenty men, blind-
folded, line up on either side of the bamboo, facing each other,
and hold it with clasped hands above their heads. An old man
then steps ‘forward and addresses the ghost of the deceased
1 The way iI. which Lhiï¬Å Sdtlfld is made :|.’Kl the miuide at the pwple
towards it Ar‘: strongly reminiscent of 3 sound pl'0dICeCl id connection wiui
the iiiiidiai of ii Ina.“ in SE-lliang as described by La arr! (p. zns). On tll1S occasion
the ClXJO—!1.t! were blown in !S!)Xjl.llCliDl1 with the WO0(l¢l1 cylinders, the Lamar
iimnggvz; iii sï¬Åfliflllg these are associated with the Naltlllilm, but are Alkl'1DWfl
in I.arnbuml)u,—C. H, w.
= Iarnbi is the name of the Land at the Dead.