633 



of the communal garden, as far as the cutting down of the- 

 small scrub is concerned, but in the clearing of the heavy- 

 timber tihe work is done collectively, all the clansmen working 

 together and their friends joining them. There is a big feast, 

 given by the owners, in which all the workers participate. 

 On Mailu Island the hard task is the clearing of the strongly- 

 rooted Lalany grass (Tsilowo ), which is done with long sticks 

 (see sec. 1 of this chapter). The friends and relatives of the 

 owner of the garden (which on Mailu Island is not communal, 

 but private, property) join and do the work. In this case 

 there is, of course, also a feast as a kind of payment for the 

 work done. Both at work and at the feast the workers wear 

 festive adornments (Lao J, though not of a very gaudy nature. 

 They insert Pe'pe (pandanus streamers) — which look like long 

 white paper tapes — into their armlets, and cockatoo feathers 

 are stuck in the hair, which is bound up with Pipe so as to 

 form a chignon. No face or body painting is done. The feast, 

 for which no pig is killed, is, as a rule, held at the garden, the- 

 owner (or owners, on the mainland) providing bananas, taro, 

 sago, and fish, if this be available, and making everything 

 succulent with Behoro (Motuan name for coconut cream). 



There was also a, good deal of communal labour done in 

 connection with the building of a house. ^^8) The big piles 

 forming the main framework were brought from the mainland 

 by the owner, assisted by his family. Then, a great number 

 of people — practically all the men available in the village — 

 are summoned to help in the erection of the piles. On this 

 occasion the Lao, or ceremonial dress, is put on. There is, of 

 course, a feast, consisting of fish and vegetables, and the future 

 house is decorated. Several of the subsequent stages are done 

 by the owner himself, assisted, as usual, by one or more of 

 his family and near friends. In this way they bring lawyer 

 cane for lashing, sticks and poles for the thatch frame, and 

 the sago leaves used for the roof. The latter work is done by 

 collective labour. The complete house is decorated and a big 

 feast (Uruma itsifsi, ''house-making feast") takes place, but 

 for this also no pig is killed. 



When one of the big nets (Gemma) was made, all the men 

 of the Di'ihii (subclan), of course, participated, as the Gavma 

 was collective property — i.e., was used in common by all the 

 members of the subclan, though the headman had a normal 

 over-right to it. The men do not make any Lao (adornment). 

 There is a common feast, in which fish is an essential item. 



Se.riied Division of LjCihovr. — It is a well-known fact that 

 among practically all the native races the domain of man's: 



i(J8)Comp. the dp.scviption of the honr-;e and house buildings 

 chap, ii., sec. 4. 



