74 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



these cases the members speak to the Tubuan or Dukduk in 

 a whisper. It is taboo for even members to speak aloud to 

 them in public. 



In more important cases, a large party, headed by the 

 Tubuan, goes at night to the home of the delinquent, or to 

 that of his more wealthy relative, for compensation. It is 

 often a pretty sight to see perhaps a hundred men with 

 torches wending their way up a hill, while all are whooping, 

 and the Tubuan often interjecting " her " name. Their 

 errand is generally known beforehand, and they are met 

 with the " tabu." If it were refused, the man's house, if he 

 himself escaped, would be torn to pieces or burned, in which 

 case the Tubuan only would be said to have done it. 

 Dreadful violence and license are allowed to the Dukduk or 

 to its representative, the Tubuan. " She " may nmrder men 

 or women with little or no excuse, and little or nothing is said 

 about it, lest the secrecy of the institution be violated. Its 

 decisions are the vox iwpidi, and its strength is the " might " 

 which among natives is undoubted " right." Hence the 

 people fear it to such an extent, that they would rather 

 suffer an unjust fine, than venture to incur its wrath. 

 When the "tabu" is brought forth, it is scrambled for by the 

 crowd ; any which the Dukduk owners might get, thej" 

 would claim in the name of the Tubuan ; it is called " tabu 

 na tabaran" (evil spirits' shell-money, i.e., poor man's 

 money). 



The owners get fees for tabooing cocoanut trees or 

 plantations, for obtaining fines on behalf of private parties, 

 and for the Tubuan's presence on great occasions. 

 The Dukduk's taboo is greatly valued, as people fear its 

 wrath too much to run the risk of incurring it by stealing 

 what it has prohibited. A great deal of the society's income 

 is from fines for various reasons, e.g., speaking disrespectfully 

 of the " bird," as by implying tlie truth as to "her" person, 

 by calling its dress "leaves" instead of "feathers," for 

 speaking about it in the presence of women, &;c. No one 

 must hint that things are not what they are called, but of 

 course the supposed secrecy is much greater than the real. 

 Any excuse is availed of to fine non-members, e.g., a lad here 

 was fined three fathoms of shell-money for accidentally 

 breaking a member's pipe, which miglit have been bought 

 for a finger's length. 



The Tubuan occasionally makes excursions in quest of 

 fowls, fisli, and puddings, for feasts on the tareu. 



