128 Gunnar Landtman. 



Abére set off in her canoe and paddled to Mûre (Murray Island), vvhere she found Moré- 

 vanogére (ef. no. 457) and Sôidonogére (cf. no. 44). They asked her, „What name that?" and 

 she said, „Oh, alligator been catch him Gadiva, you come." Morévanogére and Söidonogére 

 launched a canoe and went to Wdboda, and Abére set off to Daväne to find Kogéa (ef. no. 48). 

 He asked her, „What's the matter you come?" „Oh, alligator been eatch my good boy, I vvant 

 take him out." They went to Wäboda, where Abére left the three men, proceeding herself to 

 feteh IVIeséde. 



Di'biri-Sagâru saw Abére's canoe eoming: „Oh, one v\-oman he come, oh, that's him, 

 Abére." She did not want Meséde to go with Abére, so she rolled him up in a mat, making 

 him quite small and hiding him in a basket. ^"^ Abere landed from her canoe and said, „Dfbiri- 

 Sagäru, where Meséde?" „Oh, long time Meséde been go Pobidiri." „What name (why) you 

 gammon speak?" Abére said, „that time I come along point I been see Meséde outside (on the 

 beach)." Di'biri-Sag;iru answered, „You think I cranky, you think 1 no savj' where Meséde? You 

 come look self." Abére, on entering the house, went straight to the basket and said, „Meséde 

 here! „Uai," the other woman exclaimed to herself in amazement, „I think that (is a) devil-woman 

 he (who) been come, find him." Meséde eame out and went with Abére to the canoe; he ear- 

 ried two bows. „Where gngth-e (bow) belong you?" she asked him, and he answered, „Two 

 fellow here." „No that no good gagarc! where that proper one? I want that, that's why I been 

 come." Meséde and Di'biri-.Sagâru thought, „Oh, he sav}' now." So he took out the bow from 

 the vulva of his wife and put it in the canoe. Abére talked „strong", and Meséde, who was 

 afraid of her, did whatever he was told. 



Abére paddled the canoe, and they arrived at Wäboda. The men then set out to seareh 

 for the boy. Söidqnogére threw a certain shell into the water, and as they watched it sink to 

 the bottom, the water became a little clearer. When Morévanogére threw in a mabiio (arm-shell), 

 they eould see the crocodile down below ; and when Kogéa emptied a large shell of clear sea- 

 water into the creek, the bottom where the crocodile lay became visible. 



Abére took off her skirt and asked Meséde to have connection with her in the canoe, 

 and he did so, collecting the semen in a bàru, basin of bark. Kogéa said, „You leave that hiirn, 

 more better Meséde shoot him alligator first time," and Meséde drew his bow and shot the croco- 

 dile, breaking its neck and killing it. Kogéa speared the beast with a dugong harpoon. The basin 

 was then emptied into the sea by Abére and Meséde, and the water became very dirty from the 

 semen. For this reason the sea near Wciboda has been muddy ever since. Kogéa dived down 

 and tied a rope to the tail of the crocodile, in the same way as when catching a dugong, and 

 the animal was hauled up. Meséde secured his arrow and Kogéa his harpoon-head. Abére said, 

 „You fellow been pick up my boy, more better you koböri (have connection with) me." They 

 did not vvant to, but she insisted, „Oh, pay belong you fellow, more better you come." So Mo- 

 révanogére, Soidonogére, and Kogéa had connection with her in the canoe, causing a high sea 

 from the rocking of the craft, and since then there is always a very heavy sea at Wdboda'. 



Meséde opened the belly of the crocodile and took out the boy's body, which he gave 

 Abére in a large basin. She carried the body on shore and buried it. Meséde threw the croco- 

 dile's intestines into Morévanogére's, Soidonogére's and Kogéa's canoës, and this is the reason 

 why even now the canoës of the „outside people" liave a bad smell of decaying lish. 



ïom. XLVn. 



