557 



its leaves. The whole of this season is also called sometimes 

 by the name of Aurdri. This would cover our months of July 

 (second half), August, and September. 



The spring is nam.ed after the Lioro tree, which is flower- 

 ing and fruiting at this time (October till December). This 

 season is divided into L. gogotsa, the beginning of the Lioro ^ 

 and L. ogckla, the full, or big Lioro. This is perhaps the most 

 pleasant season, there being no rain or squalls, while the 

 weather is cool, owing to the continuance of the south-east 

 wind. It is the best time for sailing, as the prevail- 

 ing wind will easily carry westward, and the return 

 journey may be made with the land breeze, or with one of 

 the first blows of the monsoon. It is the time for dancing 

 and preparing for the big annual feast, and consequently it is 

 also the time for love-making. Very often the big feast is 

 held during the Lioro, as well as all the preparatory sailing 

 and trading. The natives consider the Lioro as the pleasantest 

 and most important time of the year, and the word for year 

 is LAoro. The last part of the Lioro is named Ohu, after 

 the fruit of the Lioro tree, and it is just at the time when this 

 fruit begins to turn brown and ripe that the A vara (north- 

 west monsoon) begins to blow. 



Normal Life i7i the Village. — As mentioned above, the 

 villagers are busiest in the morning and late afternoon. The 

 mid-day hours are spent in a siesta, unless work is pressing ; 

 then, as a rule, the village looks dead and deserted. Some 

 exceptionally industrious women — and usually you see the 

 same over and over again — will sit the whole day long on the 

 sand under the house making pots. Or some men will finish 

 making arm -shells, so as to have something to trade with. 

 Again during the Lioro and A vara seasons, when there is 

 much sailing done, the whole male population, at times, leaves 

 Mailu village, and such villages as Kurere and Loupom, 

 where there are many canoes. The women and children follow 

 the men in great numbers, so that the village is practically 

 deserted. This is undoubtedly an innovation since, before 

 the white man's influence, it would not have been safe to 

 leave the village defenceless but for the presence of a few- 

 weak people. But even in olden days the intensity of village 

 life must have varied greatly with the season. 



Early in the morning the village is very busy. People eat 

 their frugal morning meals and prepare for their day's work. 

 The time at which they start for their gardens or other work 

 varies with the distance. On Mailu Island the gardens are 

 close at hand ; in the mainland villages thy are often fairly 

 remote. The day is usually spent out of the village in one 

 or other of the economic occupations (gardening, fishing. 



