The Folk-Tales of the Kiwai Papuans. 203 



characteristic circumstances connected with a number of places, passing eastvvard, and of this song 

 the following „varse" has référence to Erumia, 



^Oh, Bina siiomaie Erumia siio riroii. — Oh, along mouth belong Bina river string belong 

 Erumfa he hang down." (Nâmai, Mawâta). 



SOREA, THE SNAKE OF DAVARE. 



116. At Davâre there lived a large snake called Soréa. Once a Tabi'o man named Ma- 

 déba went to Davàre to kill pigs. He encountered the snake in the bush and was so terrified 

 that he ran away and summoned his people to come and kill it. When the people arrived the 

 next day, the snake coiled itself up in a ring with its head in the centre, beckoned to them with 

 the head and flickered its tongue. This is the way of snakes when they want to make friends 

 with people. Madéba and his companions said, „Me fellow no kill him — that Soréa," thereby 

 giving the snake that name. The people decided to leave their old place and come and live in 

 Davâre, and the snake was their ororârora. One night the snake cleft a large creek in Davâre. 

 The name of it is Sôréatûri, and it is the track which Soréa left behind when crawling along. 

 (Obira, Lisa). 



THE SAW-FISH OF MADIRI. 



117. At Madiri, on the coast of Ki'wai betvveen lâsa and Kubira, there is a wide open 

 place with no trees, surrounded by dense bush on three sides and the river on the fourth. The 

 hush was cleared away from there in the following manner. 



Long ago an .lâsa woman named Wagia was catching fish there in a swamp by poisoning 

 the water with sâdi (a certain shrub). In the swamp there lived an enormous gdbora, saw-fish. 

 Driven away from the water by the poison the monster came up on dry land and on its way to 

 the sea mowed down the bush with one sweep of its terrifie saw. In the morning the people 

 noticed the tremendous tracks left by the monster when it passed down to the water. 



Once when some lâsa people were again catching fish in the same place by means of 

 stidi, the saw-tish came back from the water and swept its weapon over the place, first to one 

 side and then to the other, kiUing nearly ail the people. This saw-fish is also spöken of as an 

 obisare (mythical being, cf. no. 131 ; Kâku, Ipisi'a). 



A. The origin of the treeless place at Madiri is attributed to the same cause as in the above 

 version. (Some Mawàta men). 



THE „CAT-FISH" OF KUBANI-KIKAVA. 



1 18. On Kûbâni-kikâva reef there lives a wonderful „cat-fish" called Pairio. Nobody 

 dares to approach that reef, for Pairio breaks any canoë by pushing up her back which is pro- 

 vided with spines. Sometimes the people can see one of thèse spines in the water in front of 

 their canoës and then they hâve to change their course quickly; sometimes Pairio swims after 

 N:o 1. 



