140 



Gunnar Landtman. 



a single dugong because of the violence just at the same time used against his wife. On his return 

 she told him what had happened, and he asked her not to speak of it to anybody. Then he bade the 

 people go with him to Büdji, and at Todji he speared a dugong which remained floating on the 

 surface, After that all went back, and nothing further happened. (ef. no. 154 A; Gibuma, Mawàta). 



MERAVE (et Index) OF THE FAMOUS DRUM, AND DAPE. 



56. Some distance up the Dibiri-öromo there lived a man named Mérave (or Mirave), 

 who had a famous drum which he was always beating. Dape, a man who lived lower down 

 the river, heard him, and wishing to obtain the drum paddled up-stream in a small canoe to 

 Méraves place. On seeing him Mérave hid his drum in the vulva of his wife. ^* When Däpe 

 came and asked him, „Mérave, where good fellow drum, 1 want take him?" the latter deceived 



him, saying, „I no got good drum, 

 I got one drum he stop here." Däpe 

 tried the drum, and it was no good, 

 so he threw it angrily aside, but 

 Mérave insisted that it was the same 

 drum. While Däpe was outside for 

 a while, a man who knew of the 

 two drums said to hiin, „You go 

 back place belong you, Däpe. Drum 

 belong Mérave he no stop outside, 

 he stop insida de (vulva) belong 

 woman. N'ou go back, sing out 

 woman belong you he come, you 

 give him Mérave woman belong 

 you." 



Däpe returned to his place, and 

 while sitting in his house late at 

 night heard the sound of the drum which Mérave was beating. Then he told his wife, „To- 

 morrow you me go place belong Mérave." In the morning the woman dressed up carefully, and 

 with the rising tide they paddled up the river, laking their boy Komio with them. Mérave seeing 

 them Coming Ihought to himself, „Oh, Däpe come back, he come now, take woman, he good 

 woman." Däpe tied the canoe to a pole stuck in the bottom, and they went on shore. They 

 were received by Mérave who spread out a mat on which they sat down. In the night Däpe 

 said to Mérave, „You go along my wife," and Mérave went. The next morning Mérave's wife 

 taking off her grass skirt called Däpe to come and take out the drum, which he did. Mérave 

 warned Däpe to be careful with it, „You look out (after) drum good," he said, „make him fast 

 along canoe. You go straight along you (your) place, no take something along road."^i 



Mérave beat the drum, which emitted a wonderful sound, and gave it to Däpe, and they 

 tied it securely to the canoe. Ddpe, his wife, and Komio took their leave and went away. While 



Tom. XLVU. 



Man beating a drum. 



