627 



it shows tLe great importance of the overland trading route, 

 via Mullins Harbour, that many of the coastal villages east 

 of Bonahona import the Northern Massim produce via Mullins 

 Harbour. Thus in Fife Bay, some fifteen miles east of 

 Bonahona, I was told that stone axes and ebony carvings came 

 from the Boroirai and other Mullins Harbour tribes. In this 

 way the overland trading route feeds both the western and the 

 eastern shores of the southern coast, reckoning from Mullins 

 Inlet. And there takes place a distinct selection, some articles 

 being much more appreciated by the Mailu and some by the 

 Southern Massim. Thus, though the Mailu knew and some- 

 times used, the ornamental axe-handles in their feast cere- 

 monials, they never possessed them in any great number, used 

 them extremely rarely, and did not appreciate them very 

 much. Again, though one finds many of the fine Trobriand 

 ebony carvings in Mailu, there is a very marked difference 

 between the Mailu and the Southern Massim in the apprecia- 

 tion of these objects, the latter using them much more 

 frequently, and parting with them much more reluctantly, in 

 spite of the fact that they are numerous among them. 



The main objects of trade which ultimately arrived at 

 Mailu by this route were, as stated, greenstone axe-blades and 

 arm-shells. As far as I am able to judge, products of the 

 mainland hill jungle, such as feathers, bamboos, etc., also 

 reached Mailu in considerable quantities by that route. 



Again, some products of the Southern Massim (Bona- 

 hona) were acquired by the Mailu on their expeditions to the 

 east; amongst these were the best kind of baskets (Novo), 

 round wooden dishes, and carvings in brown hardwood of a 

 workmanship inferior to those of the Trobriands. From the 

 Mailu the Southern Massim purchased dogs, small pigs 

 (imported from Aroina)^ boars' tusks, shell discs, and clay 

 pots (called by the Massim Gureva). The Mailu imported a 

 number of netted string bags (Motuan name, Kidpa) which 

 they acquired in Aroma. 



To return from this digression to the Mailu trading 

 proper. The trading expedition to Bonahona returned about 

 the beginning of January, after which they set out for their 

 final expedition to Aroma. On this occasion arm-shells — a 

 number of which had been in the meantime manufactured in 

 Mailu and others acquired in the east — were traded for full- 

 grown pigs. These were brought back and were usually at 

 once used for the feast (comp. chap, v., sec. 3). 



Before the expedition started for AroTua a man — usually 

 the chief of the subclan — used to make a charm and pronounce 

 a spell (U'llra), in order that the expedition should be 



