Appendix. 20 1 



is composed of the master, or masters, of the feast, and 

 assistants bearing the mango saplings. 



Before the holding of the main feast, word is sent 

 round to the various villages, and the natives leave in 

 their canoes for the ceremony, blowing conch-shell 

 trumpets and shouting loudly to announce the event. 



The ceremonial use of shell-trumpets by the Mailu 

 in connection with agricultural and other activities forms 

 a striking parallel to similar practices in Malabar and 

 Siam, described in Chapter II., (p. 37). In Samoa, the 

 Society, and other Pacific Islands, we also find shell- 

 trumpets associated with processions and times of prayer 

 and fasting. From Aztec pictorial manuscripts we learn 

 that identical customs were carried out by the ancient 

 Mexicans, as already noted in previous pages. The 

 blowing of the conch-shell among the Guaymis of the 

 Chiriquian region of Panama to announce the arrival of 

 guests to a feast is another noteworthy example of 

 identical usage (p. 47). 



According to F. W. Christian, 15 the " side-blown " 

 shell-trumpet is also used in the island of Ponape, Caro- 

 line Islands. In describing the musical instruments of 

 Ponapeans he tells us that " the Chaui (Fijian Davui) or 

 shell-trumpet the Pu of the South Polynesians, 16 is used 

 as a signal of war or assembly, like the Atabal of the 

 ancient Mexicans. Close by the pointed end of the shell 

 a circular hole is bored. Some of these are of very large 

 size, and are often picked up amongst the foundations of 

 old houses." Pearl-shell fish-hooks and Ovulum ovum 

 are also used in this island ; the latter as ornament for 

 the prows of canoes. 



Some details of the use of another cowry-like shell 

 Ovulum verrucosum have already been given. I have 

 since found that this shell is employed in New Caledonia 

 as an ornament for witchcraft packets, great value being 

 attached to the shell, especially for its believed powers of 

 rendering persons invisible. 17 



I have been unable to trace the actual use of the 

 7>//0-shell as a trumpet in New Caledonia, but it is 



15 Journ, Anthrop. Inst., Vol. 28, p. 298. 



16 For a good figure of this see Ratzel, op. fit., i., p. 255. 



17 Le Pere Lambert, " Moeurs et Superstitions des Neo-Caledoniens," 

 Noumea, 1900, p. 3 (Fig.). 



