86 NANKAURI 



a life-sized statue, painted black, with a white face, and although 

 he was offered in exchange a dress-suit and a white sun-helmet, 

 which he much coveted, he would not part with his double : its 

 price was far above rupees. I was, however, permitted to 

 photograph both pictures and figure ; although, while the latter 

 was being moved from the house to the beach, he was in an 

 agony of apprehension, for he believes that if any accident should 

 happen to it, illness on his part would follow, while, had we 

 broken it or taken it away, he himself would certainly die. The 

 object of these figures is to keep devils from working harm to 

 their owners. Some people have none, while others sometimes 

 possess two or more. 



" February y. — The people are far too occupied with their 

 feasting to take much notice of our presence : on shore I found 

 them so busy and excited that the photographs I had hoped 

 for could not be obtained. Every day four large canoes go 

 across to the other side of the harbour for coconuts, of which 

 very few grow about the village : all the vessels are gaily 

 decorated, and the paddlers are in holiday attire — collars of 

 split banana leaf {fn?}i), beads, new cottons, and red paint on 

 their noses. 



" Tanamara came on board to tell us that the dance, at which 

 by arrangement we are to be spectators, will be ready to-morrow 

 morning ; but that, to give a proper dance, the performers 

 require to be jolly, and to be jolly needs a bottle of rum, which 

 under the circumstances it was our duty to supply. He only 

 stopped to beg for a glass of spirits, and then returned to the 

 amusements on shore. Laughter, cheers, and singing have been 

 going on in the village all the evening." 



" February 8. — About nine o'clock this morning, taking with 

 us a supply of liquid — half water, half rum — we landed at 

 the village, and were received with a cordiality which doubtless 

 owed its warmth partly to the presence of the bottles. In the 

 banqueting-house we found dancing still in progress, that, 

 judging from the noise made, had lasted throughout the night. 

 All the cottons had been taken down, but the stand of spoons 



