370 Gunnar Landtman. 



and-by shark he come, catch you." It was night, and nobod\' heard their cries. In the morning 

 another canoe came, and their craft was turned on an e\'en keel and emptied, but the sail and 

 mast were broken, and they bad to be towed ashore. 



In spite of this accident Vasârigi and his friends sailed back the next day to the reef 

 where they speared two turtles. Again their canoe capsized, and the tvvo turtles were lost. The 

 men feil into the water, and none of the other canoës were near. One of the men said, „More 

 better you me (we) swim go catch that high reef there." But they wanted to save the sail first, 

 so Vasârigi dived down and eut it lose with a knife. In the same moment a shark came up, 

 and the man onlj' just saved himself by climbing up on the canoe and drawing up his legs. 

 The men waited a long while until the shark had gone awa}^ and then they swam to the reef, 

 Vasârigi dragging the sail with him in a bündle. Thinking of the shark he said, „Suppose he 

 eut me, no matter — I got no canoe, what's way (how) I go home.'" 



They remained three days on the reef feeding upon fish which they ate raw. At length 

 a canoe arrived, and the people on board asked them, „Where canoe belong you fellow?" „Oh, 

 canoe belong me lose, he float along water, tide he take him go away." The shipwrecked 

 people were taken into the canoe, and on their way home they found a turtle floating 

 dead on the water, it was one of those which they had speared a few days before. (Vasârigi, 

 Mawâta). 



300. One day a man named Adâgi and several other Mawâta people were sailing home 

 from Dåru. When they came to Méreovéra they lost one outrigger, and Adâgi called out, „Down 

 sail!" A man named Kömuhoru who was standing aft in the canoe tried to swim to the out- 

 rigger in order to tie it up with a rope, but the canoe was sailing so quickly that he was left 

 behind in the water. Adâgi threw the steering board towards him, but he did not catch it. They 

 were a long way from shore. „You fool there, you finish now, j'ou go sink there!" Adâgi 

 shouted to Kömuhöru. Then he said to his wife and brother in the canoe, „You look out (after) 

 my pickaninny good." K()muhôru sank under the surface snorting, „Ptruu-ptruu!" and only his 

 hands could be seen. Then Adâgi jumped overboard, held a steering board with his one hand, 

 dived under water and caught K(3muhöru with the other. The canoe was a good way off. 

 Adâgi placed Kömuhrjru across the board and tied him up with his loin-cloth. Holding on to 

 the board with one hand Adâgi swam with the other, and when he was tired he changed hands. 

 Another canoe came sailing along, and Adägi called out, „You come, pick up me, I got one man 

 here!" but the people sailed on, for the sea was so heavy that they could do nothing. One more 

 canoe sailed past them without making any attempt to come to the rescue (ef. no. 307 — 311). 

 Adâgi's canoe reached the shore. Again and again the seas rolled över the two men tossing 

 them about. At last they were thrown on to the shore, Adâgi carried Kömuhöru on dry land, 

 and there they were received by their friends, who Hghted a fire. Kömuhöru was placed 

 close to the fire. His belly had swelled out from all the salt water he had swallowed. 



When the outrigger was repaired the people went back home. Kömuh(Jru who was 

 Adâgi's maternai uncle wanted to pay him, but Adâgi's mother said, „^'ou no pay him, I sister 

 belong you, motiier been born me before you." (.Adagi, Mawdta). 



'rtnii. XI.Vll. 



