The Folk-Tales of tlie Kiwai Papuans. 45 



The cassowary returned with the Ki'wai men, and on seeing that the people had not waited for 

 him it kicked the whole gdera tree into the water. A fight ensued, and the difïerent animais and 

 birds went to live by themselves in the bush. 



XI. COMMUNICATION AND TRAVEL (-91-311). 



A. LEGENDARY METHODS OF TRAVELLING. 



291. The Kubira people had mounted a large tree which had stranded -on the beach and 

 were accidentally carried avvay when the tide rose. They drifted to Daväre and met the people 

 there who lived inside a large bamboo. The tvvo groups of people made friends, and after a time 

 the Kubfra people returned home. 



292. A man travelled down the Fl\- river on the Ooating trunk of a tree when he wanted 

 to go and fish on the reefs, and in the same way he was carried back. In the end he was 

 killed by a shark and sting-ray. 



293. Wåwui used to travel down the Binatüri river inside a large bamboo and met 

 Idamâri who li\'ed at the mouth of the river. 



B ANCIENT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NEW GUINEA AND THE TORRES 



STRAITS ISLANDS. 



294. The Canoc ivhicli drifted from Dam to Yat)i. .'\s an introduction to the läera cere- 

 mony the Däru people held a race with toy canoës, and one nf these drifted to Yam where it 

 was found by the people. They wanted to see where it came from and sailed över to D;iru 

 in a iog-çanoe. There they were taught the tdera ceremony and obtained dug-out canoës in 

 which they returned home. They introduced the tåera in the Torres straits Islands. — After that 

 a regulär communication began between New Guinea and the Islands. 



295. The Episode of the Arm-Shcll in Waboda. The Yam and Dtiru islanders bought a 

 canoe in Waboda, giving an arm-.shell in exchange for it. While digging a ditch in bis garden 

 the seller accic^entaliy happened to bury the arm-shell under the earth cast up from the ditch. The 

 man thought that one of the Däru visitors had stolen the arm-shell and killed him. Shortly after- 

 wards his mistake was found out, and much wailing took place. The Däru and Yam islanders 

 sailed home singing a mourning song. 



296. The Hiamu People emigratc from Dam to Torres Straits. The Hiamu of Däru 

 lost many people in the fights with their enemies and determined to leave their Island and go and 

 live elsewhere. Thev sailed över to the Islands in Torres straits. 



C SAILING AND TRAVELLING ADVENTURES. 



297—306. Various in.stances of shipwrecks and other ad\-entures on the sea, and also 

 incidents on journeys överland. 

 N:o 1. 



