508 Gunnar Landtman. 



Awâia Said, „I big fellovv novv, I thinl< I can take motiier, father; you take him small hrother, 

 take all kaikai too." Then they came out again from the birds. 



On the return of their parents Ki said, „I think me can go back along Mawata, place helong 

 you. Me got passage." In the morning the two boys woke up their parents and the little brother 

 and placed the lättar and all the food inside the ki bird. Ovväni said to his wife, „You go inside 

 pigeon awäla, I go stand up along back belong azvätti, show him road." Ki and Avvåia passed 

 into the birds and flew up striking the direction of Mawåta, and Ov\âni standing on the back of 

 the awâia showed the way. On arriving at Kadäwa or Mawåta they landed on the beach and 

 left the birds. Owani brought his wife into his house where he left her with his people while he 

 himself went to the men's house. The next day the Mawåta people went to spear dugong and 

 turtle, for they wanted to celebrate the home-coming of their friends. Awåia himself speared six 

 dugong and some of the other men three and others two. On their return the women cooked 

 the meat. While the feast was in progress Owâni got up, for he wanted to speak to the Mawåta 

 people. „All Mawåta people," he said, „any time you fellovv want go reef, you no go, me one 

 man (alone) go. I kill him dugong, turtle for you fellow." Then the people answered, „Oh yes, 

 you big man belong this place; you been kill him six dugong. You make you (your) name big 

 fellow." For if a man procures many canoës or catches many dugong and turtle he acquires a 

 „big name". (Wåiba, Mawåta). 



JAVAGI WHO SWAM UNDER WATER BETWEEN BURU AND MABUIAG, AND HIS 

 DAUGHTERS WHO WERE FOUND BY A MAN. 



464. On Büru or Mangrove Island between Davàne and Måbuiag lived a man named 

 Javägi with his two daughters Sidåri and Amakådu. His third daughter Påtalai was married in 

 Måbuiag. The Måbuiag people used to catch dugong, and the intestines which they threw away 

 into the water floated över to Büru where they were found by Javågi. He wnshed them and 

 gave them to his daughters who cooked them in a large shell, and they ate them. '^ One day 

 Javågi thought to himself, „I look plenty belly belong dugong he come along water, I think 

 plenty dugong along Måbuiag. More better I go steal." He told his two daughters to sieep all 

 night and not to get up at all. Then he provided himself with a bamboo knife and a shell used 

 for cutting and tied them on to his leg. He plunged into the sea from a rock and swam under 

 water till he reached Måbuiag. The people ihere v\'ere away spearing dugong. Javågi went into 

 one of the houses and stole a large pièce of dugong meat. He sharpened his bamboo knife with 

 the shell, eut up the meat and ate it. Then he hung up some large joints of meat on his body, 

 waded out in the sea and swam under water back to Bùru. There he left the meat close to the 

 place where the girls were sleeping and lay down himself. On vvaking up the girls exclaimed, 

 „Halloo, where he come from all that dugong.?" Javågi pretended to be asleep, but the girls 

 awoke him and said, „Father, where he come from all that dugong?" Javågi got up and lied to 

 the girls, „Oh, brother (sister) belong you, Påtalai, he come night-time, bring that dugong. You 

 sleep that time. Him he go back now, catch Måbuiag now." „Oh, father, what for you no wake 

 me up? Me want look brother belong me two." „No, brother belong you speak, 'No wake him 

 up, let him sleep.'" The girls ate the meat. They were two fine, good-looking girls. 



Tom. XLVll. 



