701 



All these dances have certain common characteristics, 

 ^/hich differentiate them from the Bdra class of dances. The 

 performers all dance to very slow beats of the drums, and 

 usually move within a circle or a closed geometrical figure (a 

 square in the case of the Govi). Again, in all of them animals 

 seem to be imitated, and I was told that this was so in the 

 case of the Kohiai, though my informants could not say what 

 animal was imitated. The Bamorea may be an exception. In 

 all of them, again, as far as I know, there is a band and a few 

 performers, who dance the steps with pantomimic movements. 

 Usually the dancers are specially ornamented and have no 

 drums. 



The Bdra is quite different. It consists of a succession of 

 very quick dances, performed to the accompaniment of a loud 

 beating of drums, without the song, as well as of much slower 

 dances with a song. Some of the latter are distinctly panto- 

 mimic, and represent such actions as felling a tree, building a 

 canoe, making sago, rowing a boat, and the representation of 

 a thunderstorm, etc. Both the motives and the character of 

 the pantomime are rather artificial and theatrical. Some 

 again of the slower figures consist merely of songs, sung to a 

 rhythmic sway of the body and to a slow beat of the drums 

 (see pis. xli., xlii., and xliii., fig. I.C106) 



2. Knowledge. 



Knowledge of Stars and Weather. — The Mailu natives 

 have a good practical knowledge of the sea, of its tides and 

 xjurrents, and of the wind and weather. They are good 

 seamen, as the sailing of their double canoes requires a certain 

 degree of seamanship, and this was especially true in the 

 olden days, when it was often more dangerous to approach the 

 coast and beach the canoe than it was to face rough weather. 

 They have a very good local knowledge of the reefs, and native 

 boys are very useful in the sailing of the v/hite man's craft; 

 some of them even are in charge of small sailing vessels and 

 motor launches. The Mailu are in that respect quite as 

 skilful as the Motu and the Hula a people. 



They do not, however, take any theoretical interest, if I 

 may so put it, in their surroundings. They have, for 



(106) I have had very good opportunities of studing the Bdra, 

 as it was danced practically every evening for weeks before the day 

 of the Macl/iina — which, in fact, was to take place in Mailu a few 

 days after I was obliged to leave. The Bdra I saw danced on the 

 mainland in Kurere and in Gomoreduhu, in the Sinaugholo dis- 

 trict. As I am at present ignorant, however, as to a number 

 of its essential features, and as I hope to be able to see it in its 

 proper home in Hood Bay, I prefer to leave my description for a 

 future publication. 



