Shcll-'rinmf'cts ,i)id their Pislrihtdioii. 41 



Tliere is a 7"/7A>//-tiuuipet in the British Museuni frcjin 

 the mouth of the Fly River, British New Guinea, which, 

 according to Chahncrs, is usetl for calh'ntj^ to arms and for 

 frighteniuL;" away tlic evil spirits of sickness from the 

 village. " 



\V. \\. R. Rivers, in his work on " The 1 listory of 

 Melancsian Societ}- " ■''■ tells us that the conch-shell is one 

 of the objects used in Banks Islands, in the ritual of 

 initiation into the Snkwc. On the initiation of a candi- 

 date into Kivatagiav, the conch-shell is blown five times, 

 three long continuous blasts and two interrupted blasts. 

 It is also used at initiation into the Tamate liivoa. In 

 Torres Islands the conch is blown at ceremonies of kava 

 <lrinking.'^ 



From the same authoril)' we learn that " the conch- 

 shell exists in two forms in Melanesia, one blown by means 

 of a circular hole in the side, and the other blown at 

 the ^\-\<\. The former is that used at the Sukive and 

 in most parts of Melanesia, and this form is also in 

 general use in Polynesia. Its occurre\]ce in Polynesia 

 points to its ascription eith^v to the kava-people or 

 to the i^eople who Vnterred their dead in the sitting 

 position, and th-^j-e is reason to suppose that it was of 

 especial imp^;rtance in connection with the chiefs. It may 

 also be iVo'ted that, in Malikolo, it is used at the funerals 

 of chie,]-^ This connection with chiefs both in Polynesia 

 ^"^ ^/)uthern :\Ielanesia, suggests that it was the kava- 

 P^ofifle who brought with them the use of the conch, a 

 *^°"r:lusion in harmony with its prominence; in the ritual 

 ^'M.he Sukwe. 



/ "In the Solomons, however, the conch is of es|)ccial 

 portance in connection with head-hunting. It is use<l 



Iladdon, op. < it., y. 2S3. 



2 vols., Cambrid!:;e, iQM- 



Rivers, op. at., i.. pp. 64, 98, 1S6. 



