670 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 



felt, because when there is douht, two moons are put under 

 one name. I know neither the meaning of Kaiyalinidal nor 

 Kumne.ru. Daring- Kahjahnuli'dihe plantationsareneg'lected, 

 the ground is dry and dusty. Compare mauliilid, " dust." 

 But the natives told Mr. Watt that, during Kamnera, the 

 yams were all planted and the food was scarce, which would 

 indicate a position for it between one and four. Kaiyah- 

 niilid, I find, may mean "gathering up little sticks," and may 

 have reference to the practice of gathering up the reeds of 

 which the yam trellis are made. See Fijian dictionary under 

 Vula. 



Some general remarks. — 1. The natives have various ways 

 of reckoning the seasons and year. A common one was to 

 speak of the old and new days. The " new days," niyan ivi, 

 are reckoned to begin about December and end in June. 

 There is, howevei*, no certain date. Natives are guided in 

 speaking of these seasons by the state of vegetation. When 

 trees and plants begin to grow anew, they say the " new 

 days" have come. Again, they speak of the "long" and 

 " short " days. The " long days," ntyan rurus, are from the 

 end of Octol)er to the middle of February. The natives 

 during this period can take two spells of work in their plan- 

 tations — one in the forenoon, rest in the heat of day, and 

 work again in the afternoon. About March 21 and Septem- 

 20 the day is exactly 12 hours long, the sun rising and 

 setting at six o'clock. About December 22 the day is 13h. 

 12m. long; about June 21 the day is lib, 48m. long. The 

 years are counted by the number of yam crops. Practically 

 the year begins with Maukimei, the end of July. That is 

 the time when the natives begin their new plantations. 



(2.) It will be noticed that in the names of the moons, maidi 

 or mauuk (mauung ^= " moon," Weasisi dial., but 7nohi'a, in 

 Kw. dial.) is prefixed from one to five. This corresponds to 

 what the natives call the old days, niyan nowas. But the k 

 may belong to the verb = kimei, etc. Then translate, for 

 the field, for training, etc. 



(3.) A moon is named according to the state of vegetation. 

 Hence, a moon may be shifted back or forward or drop out 

 of count. In 1889 Mauklulu and Maukhislus were put 

 together. Indeed it may be Maukluhi in one district, and 

 Maukluslus in another. See also under 11. 



(4.) It is only the older })eople who know the names of the 

 moons, or which is which. And indeed there is often much 

 difference of opinion among these as to which is which moon. 



