728 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 



some yarns, Sec. in a Ijueket with the body, and also one or 

 two weapons, as a chib, bow, and tomakawk. On Efate it 

 was nsual to see a httle basket hung- over the grave with food 

 in it. Human beings used to be killed at the death of a chief. 

 One was thus killed on Efate about live years ago. On Mai, 

 about six or seven years ago, on the death of a chief, three of 

 his wives (one of them the sister of one whom I have trained 

 to be a teacher, and who is a splendid fellow) were buried 

 alive in the same grave with him. On the death of another 

 chief, three men were killed and their bodies sent round to 

 neighbouring villages to be eaten. On Efate, sometimes a 

 dog was killed instead of a human being, immediately on life 

 becoming extinct. 



The Sjnrit World. 



The spirit world is below, and is called Ahokas. It is 

 down under the surface of the earth and beneath the sea. 

 In Efate the entrance to it is at the western side of the 

 island at a place called Tukituki. At a point on the coast 

 there is a remarkable tree. The departed spirit climbs this 

 tree, which is close to the sandy beach, on which there is 

 always thundering a heavy swell. He calls a spirit, whose 

 name is Tafatokei. Tafatokei ascends from the under-world, 

 and comes out of the sea. At the same time the sea sends a 

 big wave up to the roots of the tree ; this wave receding 

 carries the ghost with it. If he has been buried through the 

 day he has to wait on a certain rock till sunset, when he is 

 admitted to Hades among the other natemate. Hence, to 

 keep the departed spirit from so having to wait, the Efatese 

 do not bury till evening. At the entrance or gate of Hades 

 a tremendous being named Sara, or Sara-tau, has to be 

 passed ; Avith him are four officers. Vans, Maaki, Maseirut, 

 and Maseasi. Vans asks as to the new comer, "Who?" 

 If Maaki answers " I don't know," Maseirut clasps him 

 round and holds him, while Sara cleaves his forehead, and 

 twist his head backside foremost, and Maseasi gouges out his 

 tongue from the root. If Maaki says " He is one of ours," 

 Sara lets him pass untouched. Even here the Nakainaga 

 comes into play ; Sara is said to be of the Nakainaga 

 namkat (a kind of yam), and to allow any of that Nakainaga 

 to pass unharmed. People of other nakainagas put a fillet 

 of namkat leaves round their heads to deceive him ; but he 

 discerns their hypocrisy from the withered aspect of the 

 leaves. Some of the nakainagas pass him unharmed by 



