20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANATOMICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL 



" The characteristic beliefs of the people are animistic, various objects of 

 nature being credited with a personality and generally ready to work evil on any 

 one who may unknowingly cause them offence. So too the spirits of the 

 departed live and frequent their old haunts. The spirits have to be pro- 

 pitiated by sacrifices even of human beings in the old days. Above all the 

 minor spirits there is, however, a Supreme Being, Soketatai. 



" The people havo myths of the original cause of mortality, about h're, darkness, 

 and a great flood. There is a story of a man who was swallowed by a whale, 

 told in most of the islands with varieties of local colouring. 



" The people's most important possession is the pig. In the north boars were 

 given in exchange for wives, and were the basis of the caste system : a man's 

 position depending on the number of tusked pigs he had killed, until ultimately 

 he rose to the position of chief. The women had no place in the caste system. 



" While the pig was the only animal of importance on the islands, the dog and 

 cat, and two species of rat the European brown rat and a native species were 

 also found. Bats, several species of snakes and lizards were also common Birds 

 were not very numerous except in time of storm. These may be mentioned : 

 Pacific terns and small cranes, some wild duck, seven kinds of pigeon, owls, hawks, 

 a small turkey, king fisher, a jay confined to Santo, and a number of paroquets. 

 The natives watch for every bird with bow or gun. Till lately, bow and arrow, 

 some poisoned, and stone or shell axes or adzes were the only instruments used 

 by the people." 



