452 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



the race. In this belief lies the power of the medicine man, the- 

 mesmerist, and the strong personality of savage leaders. Behind, 

 and in them all is believed to dwell the dread power of the spirit 

 world, and the life of the savage is ordered and hedged about by 

 ]iis conception of the attitude of that world to himself, in wdiich he 

 literally believes he lives and moves and has his being. This is ani 

 f'Spect of savage life which is too frequently thrust aside by some as 

 .'1 little value, while, in point of fact, it really gives direction and 

 colour to eveiy custom and every phase of savage life. Their 

 ignorance of anything beyond their immediate surroundings leaves 

 them to speculate as to what is beyond, and some of their speculations. 

 are grotesque indeed. 



The horizon has its mysteries, and all is a blank beyond it. The 

 word for it in the Duke of York language is Kahin a biial — i.e., " the- 

 beginning of places," and the puzzling question as to what became 

 of ships when they reached this edge of the world was formerly often 

 asked. Our own word horizon must have originally contained the 

 same idea, being derived from a word denoting a circle, or a limit. 

 On New Britain the word meaning horizon is TuruHiru Bakut — i.e., 

 "the resting place or foundation of the clouds." ^Much of the little 

 world within this circle was not known to them, there were many 

 strange places within it they dared not visit, and so even this limited 

 area was to them full of mystery and full of things and people to be 

 iveaded and shunned. If that which is within the range of their own 

 '\dsion is so much the subject of superstitious speculation, we cannot 

 wonder that the mystery of themselves, their life, the circumstances, 

 and forces that influence them are all of the first importance to them. 



Earthquakes are very frequent in New Britain ; they terrify the 

 people, and must be accounted for. Now on the island of Duke of 

 York, the name for scorpion and earthquake is identical — viz., gurea, 

 and the connection is this : — In the long ages ago a man was bitten 

 bj a scoipion, and in his rage he stamped upon it and killed it, and 

 immediately the first earthquake resulted. Hence tlie people of those 

 parts will not kill scoi-pions willingly. 



All things were made by two mythological personages. One, 

 whose name is To Kahinana, in both Ncav Britain and on the island of 

 Duke of York, made eveaything good and useful; he was also the 

 founder of every art and trade. The rich soil, fruitful trees, and all 

 useful animals were made by him, and he is the personification of 

 ;visdom and cleverness. To be named after this being, not in youth, 

 but by reason of wasdom or cleverness, is to be paid the highest com- 

 pliment. He is the patte;m of a good worker in any direction, and 

 to work neatly, strongly, and serviceably, is to be a To Kahiuana. 

 On the other hand. To Pulgo, in Duke of York, and on New Britain 

 To Kovuvuru, is credited with having formed all the useless ban-en 

 and stony land, all high hills, and everything evil, hurtful, ugly, 

 clumsy, or ill-fonned, and to call a man To Kovuvuru is to greatly 

 shame him. How these personages themselves came to be, there is no 

 tradition to say. They seem to be, in the minds of the people, the 

 <':ause of all things. 



The banyan tree is an object of special reverence and fear, and 

 ill this tree worship the New Britain savage is linked on to the savages 



