354 Gunnar Landtman. 



After they had rested the men' vvent to spear dugong and the vvomen to look for fish 

 and crabs. The former caught plenty of dugong, and the latter had not gone far from home 

 before their baskets were full. Everybody said, „Oh, good thing all boy find him, good thing 

 that dance you me (\ve) keep him." (Nâmai, Mawäta). 



A. Very like the previous version. The old woman who became possessed by Waimee sang, 

 „Ngdina Wakimehe ngâina Wakimehe. — Thal's me Waimee (Wakimehe)." This is said to be 



Säibai language. 



In Däru there was a stone which really was Waimee, and the ceremony of the adults was held 

 at that stone. In the meantime the boys invented their ceremony. They decked themselves completely 

 with leaves so that the giris could not recognize them, and made the latter believe that they were 

 spirits of the dead. After the rite was över the boys and girls caught plenty of fish and crabs whereas 

 their parents failed to catch any. The children's dance was found out by the man who adopted it and 

 thenceforth were successful in catching dugong and fish. (Amüra, Mawåta). 



B. Another very similar version. The people who formerly inhabited Däru were called Hfamu. 

 The dance of the adults was held at the stone which was Waimee. When dancing the boys did not 

 beat real drums but kept time by hitting two shells together. They were found out by the older 

 people who copied their dance. (Gibuma, Mawåta). 



• 



C. Waimeére was a mythical being and also a stone which had the shape of a man. The 

 adults of the Hiamu (or Däru people) used to decorate the stone for their ceremony which was known 

 by the adults as told in the other versions. (Gaméa, Mawåta). 



D. There are two more versions very like one or other of the previous ones. (Iku; Sale 

 and Sàibu, Mawåta). 



THE MAN WHO WAS THOUGHT TO BE DEAD AMD WHO RETURNED AFTER THE 

 TAERA CEREMONY HAD BEEN HELD ÖVER HIM. 



288. Tiido or Tütu (Warrior Island) lacked a good vvaterhole, so the people there had 

 to fetch water irom Yam Island. Once when they were returning from Yam with water they 

 saw a turtle floating on the sea. „You go fore," they said to a man named Gamiga, „turtle 

 there." Gamiga had no time to seize his harpoon, for the turtle was quite near, so he jumped 

 overboard and caught the animal in his arm. The turtle Struck out with its flippers and dived 

 down into deep water with the man holding on to its back. Gamiga found that he could not 

 let go his hold, for his arms had fastened to the turtle, yet he was not drowned. At the bottom 

 of the sea there was a hole, and „all people belong turtle" lived there. This was no ordinary 

 turtle, for one of the ôboûhi (mythical beings of the sea, ef. no. 132) had passed into it. 



Gamiga's companions waited in their canoe but to no purpose. They tied a large stone 

 to the end of a harpoon-line and threw it overboard by way of anchor. Everybody thought that 

 a shark must have taken Gamiga, for none could imagine that he was still alive at the bottom 

 of the sea. Finally they weighed anchor and returned to Tüdo bringing the news, „Gamiga he 



Tom. \LVII. 



