456 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



selves strive against and jostle eacli other, it may but seem natural 

 that the spirits also should so strive. 



The thief, for instance, has his charm for his purposes in the 

 Turagan, and for the detection of theft is the palpahim. Now 

 Turagait means a certain evil spirit. It also means the bones used 

 by a thief and which he placed on the chests of the inmates of a 

 house when asleep, and they are supposed to keep them asleep whil© 

 the thief takes possession of the household goods. A cheap and an 

 easy method of carrying on burglaiy. It is also interesting to note 

 thar Tabaran also means an evil spirit and a despised poor person, so 

 that it would seem that the savages of New Britain Iiave the same 

 idea about poverty as Tennyson's Northern Farmer, when he said to 

 his son : — 



" Proputty, proputty's ivrything 'ere, an", Sammy, I'm blest 

 If it isn't the same oop yonder, for them as 'as it's the best. 

 "Tis'n them as 'as munny as breaks into 'ouses and steals, 

 Them as 'as coats to their backs an' takes their regailar meals. 

 Noa, but it's them as never knows wheer a meal's to be 'ad. 

 Take my word for it, Sammy, the poor in a loomp is bad." 



The spirit of a thief, then, guards the thief by the charm called 

 turagan. 



The detection of theft is an elaborate affair, and costs money. 

 Again, the detective is a dealer in spii'its, and is called To Palpalum, 

 from the name of the charm. It is sometimes a tedious business. All 

 the suspected persons may be got together, and, after an incantation 

 has been muttered by To PaliJiduiti, they are each in turn made to 

 suddenly strike out with the fist or suddenly straighten out the arm, 

 and he whose elbow joint gives out a cracking sound is the thief. 

 No protest can save him from the consequences or clear his character. 

 Another process is to have all the town or village gathered on an open 

 space. To Pal'palum then passes in front of them all, his finger tips 

 to his lips, and his elbow at right angles to his body, and pointing 

 to the people. Passing along the line, he mumbles his incantation, 

 and suddenly his arm involuntarily (so it is said) straightens out in 

 front of some one, and that is the thief. Again, all believe the in- 

 fallible sign, and tlie sooner lie makes peiace the better for himself. 

 But should To Palpalum pass all and no indication ensue, there is 

 yet another plan, which is to enter the house from which the goods 

 were stolen. Standing in front of the place where the goods 

 were usually kept, finger tips to mouth, elbow at right angles to 

 body, muttering incantations, suddenly the arm straightens, and the 

 direction in which the arm straightened is the direction in which the 

 thief went. On To Palpalum goes still muttering to his finger tips. 

 Wlien he comes to a branch of the path he stops, and awaits direction, 

 and only when given does he proceed. So he passes on under the 

 direction of spirit giiidance until he arrives at some house or person, 

 and that person or the persons of the house are adjudged guilty. There 

 is no evading the charge, the process is infallible ! 



The Kuhak is a belief and a custom which illustrates a savage's 

 view of the solidarity of the race, and the oneness of human life. It 

 also indicates their belief in the power of personality. All this of course 

 is n )t jiut into words by the savage, but there is some reason given, 



