MALEKULA, NEW HEBEIDES. 



707 



Wizards. 



These act somewhat after the style of spirituaHsts. They 

 have their controlhng spirits or " temes " (femes from emis, 

 to die=^a dead man, or i-ather his ghost). 



They consult these. Tliey obtain their powers from the 

 temes visiting- them in their sleep and revealing secrets to 

 them. Their powers are used malevolently as a rule, although 

 they often endeavour to cure the sick, and bring rain or 

 fiivourable winds. ^Vomen as well have communication with 

 spirits. 



Death. 



The great cause of death is " embake." Those who speak 

 English call that poison, but they really mean witchcraft or 

 the evil eye. Sometimes women cut each other for mourning, 

 but that is not common. Women are buried in the bush ; a 

 mound is heaped over the grave, and their little mats are 

 hung on branches stuck into it. When children die the father 

 often ties some little possession, a turtle-shell bracelet, &c., 

 round his neck Avhich he wears for years. 



After the death of a man of rank, all the men have their 

 faces blackened for a month. The dead are wrapped up in 

 mats, being first painted and dressed as in life. A cocoanut 

 leaf is plaited into a basket, into which the corpse is put, and 

 a pole thrust througli it lengthwise for carrying. 



A little to the north of us, the bodies of chiefs are exposed 

 on a bier in the bush until the flesh decays, but with us they 

 are buried in a shallow grave, covered with a few cocoanut 

 leaves and a little earth until decay takes jilace, after which 

 the bones and skull are placed in the baina or sacred ground, 

 among a pile of stones. 



As men are buried near the amll, people watch these for 30 

 days, and during the night blow a long bamboo flute at 

 intervals. 



This flute is called vietiorlor, from nietior==:" to weep," i.e., 

 let tears flow. (Autang=is to wail). It has a very waihng 

 sound. After a death, a pig is usually burned at the side of 

 the house, and food is burned at the grave several times after. 

 The widow of a high chief must not leave the village for a 

 year after his death, neither is slie allowed to wash, or cut 

 her hair, which hangs in matted, greasy clots. 



Mijthulogy. 

 They believe in a Supreme Being called Bokor, who they 



