156 Pi'ovccdi lUfx of tlic Roijal Socirffj of V/ctot'ia. 



As soon as the decision has been made the sinf,'ing stops, and 

 the men arrange themselves in a line in front of the brake while 

 the three Okilia sit opposite to them at the end of the path 

 looking especially gi-ave as if the business now to be performed 

 were of the deepest importance. 



Each one of the three now gets up in turn and leads forwards 

 one of the appointed othcials, who all make a show of reluctance, 

 and places him in front of the row of men who are seated in a 

 line beside the Apulia so that now there are two rows of men 

 facing one another. The old Miira man sits in the middle of his 

 row and opposite to him is the oldest of the Okilia. The latter 

 with his hand smooths the surface of the ground between the 

 two lines and then, pi(;kiiig up a speai'-th rower by the end to 

 which the point is attached, he thrusts his beard into his mouth, 

 as does also the Miira man, and both glare fiercely at each other. 

 Then without taking his eyes off the Mura man he scoops up, 

 with the chisel end of the spear-thrower, a little soil, and gliding 

 along on his knees empties it into the hands of the former. 

 Then he embraces him, rubs their bodies together and finally 

 rubs his forehead against the stomach of the Mvira man. After 

 this he repeats the whole perfoi-mance with the two other 

 officials, and when this is over the three old men are embraced 

 in the same way by the other Okilia, who however do not 

 present them with dirt. 



The meaning of the latter ceremony is to imply that the youth 

 is intrusted to them for the purpose of being initiated, with as 

 little hesitation as the dirt is placed in their hands. 



This little ceremony is called " Okoara " and is conducted with 

 much solemnity. When it is over the men join the others and 

 once more the Lartna song is sung with much fierceness. 

 Singing is kept up all night with short intervals ; the AVurtja 

 is brought from his brake early in the evening and sits the 

 night long amongst the n)en listening to, but taking no part in, 

 the singing. 



The morning of the eighth day is spent in jJi'eparing for a 

 ceren)ony concerned with the " Illuta " (a rat) totem. The 

 particular rat-man or man-rat, for, as already said, the identity 

 of the human individual is sunk in that of the object with he 

 is associated and from which he is supposed to have originated, 



