Ethnography of Mii^onesia. »rt 



docs not preclude the idea of ornament. J. S. Kubaryi thinks 

 that the carved figures represent two swallows. He says : " Die- 

 Bugverzierung ist von der auf Taf. IX Fig. G abgebildeten Form 

 und stellt zwei Seeschwalben vor. Die Eingeborenen achten auf 

 das Vorhandensein dieses Stückes am Buge sehr und ward solches- 

 vor dem jedesmaligen Herablassen des Kanoes ins Wasser befestigt." 

 Thus, the carved ornaments act as charm against shipwreck, etc. 

 A custom similar to the one above described is also found in 

 British New Guinea. Among the natives of Murua in the south- 

 eastern part of British Now Guinea, carved ornaments fixed to 

 canoes are, according to C. G. Seligmann,"-^ of the figure of a reef 

 heron, cockatoo, cock, fish or shell. In connection with the super- 

 stition of the natives about the figures, he mentions the following 

 interesting story : " Captain Barton told me that, when at Misima 

 in the Luisiade Archipelago, he met wdth three or four Murua 

 canoes bearing munkiiris carvings. He tried to buy one of these 

 and offered a largo price for it, but the crew of the canoe, al- 

 though obviously anxious to sell the carving, said that they could 

 not do this as there was none who could carve another that might 

 serve as substitute, and without the munkuris (canoe ornament) they 

 might experience all sorts of difficulties during their return voyage 

 to Murua." With regard to the object of these ornaments, the 

 same writer states : "In conclusion, I may point out that although 

 the reef heron and the cockatoo are both totem birds, there is no 



evidence that makarahea (tern) is a totem, and It would 



appear, therefore, that at the present day the magical efficacy of 

 these carvings is not attributed directly to the influence as totems 



1 J. S. Kubary, "Ethnographische Beiträge zur Kenntnis de» Karolinen Archipels," Leiden. 

 1889-1895, p. 53. 



2 C. G. Seligmann, " A Type of Canoe Ornament with M.agical Significance from Sonth-^ 

 eitötern British New Guinea," Man, EC, 1909, 16 and PI. C. 



