384 Gunnar Landtman. 



was very large and fat it could not dive but remained floating on the surface, and there it was 

 speared. The crocodile's body was opened and burnt in tiie fire, and the remains of ihe woman 

 were buried. (Dagiiri, Mawäta). 



326. Once an Ipisia woman Nåva while occupied with catching crabs was taken a by 

 crocodile and dragged under water. Her husband, Kåige, happened to come at the same time and 

 attacked the crocodile from his canoe until the beast gave iip its prey. Kåige put his wife in his 

 canoe and managed to kill the crocodile. The people carried the woman and crocodile home and 

 there the latter was eut up and cooked, and the people ate the flesh. The unconscious woman 

 was bled and returned to life for a short time, and her husband held her in his arms. The next 

 morning at dawn she died. The people wailed, dressed her in a new petticoat, and buried her. 

 A mourning feast was held. and two days afterwards the widower took another \\ife. (Gabiro, 

 Ipisia). 



D. HARPOONING ADVENTURES ON THE REEFS (no. 327-331; ef. Index, Hunting). 



327. Five Mawåta canoës once sailed out to a reef and built there three platforms for 

 spearing dugong. At sundown the platforms were mounted by three of the men, Adagi, Åbai, 

 and Säima, and only two, Köpa and Bägi, rernained in the canoe. „No much crew along canoe," 

 Adågi remarked, „thats all two man;" but Köpa said, „Two man he enough." Standing on the 

 platform Adagi soon heard the pufïmg and snorting of a dugong, „Tah! äh!" and when the 

 animal was sufficiently near he speared it throwing himself into the water. The dugong rushed 

 off with the harpoon-line, and Adâgi's leg nearly got caught in it, but he managed to free him- 

 self. At that time it was not the custom among the people to tie up the end of the harpoon- 

 line to the platform, and Adagi was towed away on to the deep sea. Köpa and Bågi could not 

 come .quickly enough to the rescue. Then Abai and Säima swam from their platforms to the 

 canoe and helped the two to paddle. Adàgi called out from a distance, „Me lose altogether now, 

 you fellow no can find me no more. You look out (after) my boy. You teil my people suppose 

 you go back home." Köpa began to cry, but Àbai said. „You no cry! Suppose you me (we) 

 no find him, that's all right, time enough for cry." It was quite dark. The paddlers exerted 

 all their strength and called out to Adagi all the while to encourage him. At length they got 

 tired and said, „More better you me put him sail," and they hoisted a sail and followed the 

 course of the tide. Adâgis's strength failed more and more. The canoe had taken a wrong 

 direction. Adagi heard the voices from far away but thought that they were the cry of some 

 birds. Again the men called out, and then he answered, ,.0h, good man, good man, save my 

 life!" „You listen!" cried Åbai to the others, „him he there sing out." „No, that pigeon (bird)," 

 said Köpa. Adàgi shouted again, and then they heard him: „Him he there!" and they turned 

 the canoe in that direction. „Good, good!" they shouted paddling as fast as they could. After 

 a härd struggle they came near and caught hold of the end of the harpoon-line, and Adagi was 

 helped on board. The waves had washed över him all the time, and „belly he close up burst, 

 full salt water." He lay down on his face exhausted, and the water ran out from his mouth. 



Tom. .KLVU. 



