182 Gunnar Landtman. 



to the bush, some men fetched coconuts and some bananas and other fruit, bringing their loads 

 to Bi'dja's grave. They cleared the ground, ornamented the grave with gogobe-nngs, put down 

 food, and poured out coconut-milk. In doing so they said, „Bîdja, corne, you me (we) go along 

 kiira (the shrine where the turtle ceremonj' is performed), he all right novv, you give me plenty 

 turtle." They also carried out the other rites of the turtle ceremony and distributed food among 

 the rest of the people, saying, „You fellow right. Devil belong Bi'dja been speak, that's vvhy me 

 fellow bring kaikai." 



The next morning the people again sailed out to catch turtle, and this tinie Bidja's men 

 succeeded in spearing a great number of the animais. They said, „Proper good thing me find 

 him now, oh, true Bi'dja he been speak. Me foUovv ghost belong him. Voice belong him me 

 been hear; true, body belong him me no can find him vvhat place he stop." On returning home 

 they eut up the turtles and divided the méat among the people. They taught the young men 

 what they had learnt from the spirit, saying, „You fellow no forget burying ground 'fast turtle 

 time' (during the copulating season of the turtles). Bi'dja, what talk he speak, everybody follow." 

 At the present time the people hâve abandoned the old rite, „that's vvhy people no more find him 

 plenty turtle." (Nâmai, Mawâta). 



A. Very like the previous taie with the différence that it is Bidja himself who neglected the 

 grave of his dead father, placing there only some bad bananas. During the night at one of the reefs 

 Bidja heard the whistling by which a spirit announces its arrivai, and the dead man reprimanded him 

 to the same effect as in the first version. (Amùra, Mawâta). 



SPIRITS OF THE DEAD WHO PASS INTO LIVING PEOPLE. 



87. The Kiwai peeple once came to fight the Dâru people. At Dâru there was a cer- 

 tain Mawâta man named Âgiwai, who had married a woman of that island. He was warned by 

 his son-in-law, a Kiwai man named Éga, who said to him, „More better you go away, Ki'wai 

 man come fight." Âgiwai got up in the middle of the night and ran out into the bush alone, and 

 shortly afterwards the Ki'wai party feil upon the Dâru people killing nearly ail of them, Àgiwai's 

 wife and children included. After the fight the Kiwai warriors returned home. 



Âgiwai found a small canoë and began to paddle over to Mawâta. The spirits of his 

 slain friends followed him, swimming alongside his canoë. They had a head like a dugong but 

 the body was that of a man, and Âgiwai paddled in the midst of them. He passed the Âberemûba 

 point, but when he came near Méreovéra, the canoë capsized. Âgiw^ai „died" (became insensible) 

 in the water, and several of the spirits went into him, causing his stomach to swell out. The 

 water carried him ashore with his canoë and ail his things. „Sleep there, sleep, sleep — he dead, 

 proper he dead." While he was in that State the spirits gave him a rather large stone which on 

 harpooning expeditions would enable him to summon dugong redundant from all the Islands. 

 They also taught him other things in connection with the spearing of dugong. 



Afterwards the ghosts left Âgiwai, and he came to himself. On arriving home he told 

 his people of what he had learnt. He was too old to go out to the reefs himself, but the people 

 followed his directions and speared many dugong. When they eut up the méat they save him 



Tom. XLVII. 



