INSULAR .\l STRALASIA. 



In New Britain, as among all pure Papuan races" in the same stage of development, 

 descent is always reckoned through the mother. These class-relations are very strictly 

 observed. Every man and woman from date of birth belongs to one of two classes. 

 called respectively Pikalaba and Maramara, and as descent is reckoned through the 

 mother, it necessarily follows that the children of every Pikalaha woman are also all 

 Pikalaba, both male and female. All lands, fruit-bearing trees, fishing-stones, etc., are 

 included in one or other of these divisions. No Pikalaba or Maramara man can marry 

 a woman of the same class as himself : this would be regarded as incest, though there 

 was no actual relationship between them. It follows as one effect of this, that there 

 can be no hereditary chieftainship. The man who has the most muscle, the most money, 

 and consequently can buy the most powerful bewitching spells, comes to the front by 

 the operation of the law of natural selection. To Ling's mother we will suppose to be 

 a J\Iaraiara f his father must therefore be a Pikalaba ; but To Ling, taking his mother's 

 class, is Maramara. Now when his father the chief dies. To Ling may take his place 

 if he is a strong powerful man, or is feared and respected by the people for his money- 

 power ; but it does not necessarily follow, for he inherits nothing from his father. All 

 the land, and most of the money being Pikalaba, belongs to his father's class and not 

 his own. The origin of this custom is no doubt to be found as dating from the time 

 of a much more primitive stage of civilization than that to which they have now 

 attained, low as this may appear to be. No particular ceremonies are observed at birth. 

 To Ling- is not troubled with many clothes. He gets a warm banana leaf for the first 

 day, and pure sunshine and dirt afterwards. He is fed first with the expressed juice of 

 the kernel of the cocoa-nut, or with some sweet potato, and afterwards his mother looks 

 after him. The father has the sole right of giving him his first name, which, however, 

 he will change later on for another as he passes out of boyhood. 



As life goes on, and To Ling is passing from youth to manhood, the custom of 

 these Islands requires that he be initiated into some of the secret societies of his people, 

 and so be prepared to take his full position in the tribe. One of the most important 

 of these strange organizations is the Dnk Duk. Supposing he were near the chief's 

 enclosure, he would hear suddenly, and at uncertain times, the peculiar cry of the Dnk 

 Duk from or near the sacred ground, and at once the chief or some of his men would 

 answer it by the same cry, and by giving some peculiar taps on the wooden drum. 

 The cry is repeated again, and again, as the figure comes nearer and nearer, and the 

 beating of the drum in answer is as often repeated. At length a strange figure dances 

 in, which To Ling, anil all other uninitiated lads, men and women, are supposed to 

 believe to be a spirit from the bush, and of which they must be afraid. This figure 

 has a high conical mask, or head-dress, made of wicker-work, highly painted and decorated 

 with streamers and feathers. Its shape is like a large candle-extinguisher, and it comes 

 down far enough to cover the shoulders. Below this are suspended large thick leaf 

 girdles in separate rings, which rustle much as the figure dances ; and all the accom- 

 paniments are calculated to impress a native with some degree of fear and awe. The 

 Dnk Dnk often carries a human skull in one of its hands, and it has the privilege of 

 beating or stoning anyone who may come near it, or whom it may be able to lay hold 

 of. The ceremonies of initiation are tedious and painful as well as expensive. Prayers 



