703 



:above, the south-eastern direction is called Bodea aura — the 

 side of the trade wind; the north-western direction, Avdra 

 aura — the side of the monsoon. Again, the north-eastern 

 direction, from which comes the land breeze, Tseha, is called 

 hj the same name; the southern is called after Gahina, a light 

 southerly wind which blows in spells between the monsoons. 



There are also weather experts in the village, particularly 

 an old man, called Papdri, who I very often found foretold 

 the weather quite correctly. 



Knowledge of Disease and Doctrine. — My information on 

 this subject is very imperfect. The natives seemed particu- 

 larly reluctant to discuss such matters, perhaps because I was 

 known as a Dogeta (doctor), in whom they suspected a ten- 

 dency to interfere with their own practices, or perhaps on 

 account of some other form of jalousie de metier. 



The general term for illness is Mard'i, but there are 

 besides some other names for minor ailments. Thus, Vara 

 idia is the name for headache ; Inigogu id raitsera designates 

 an aching above the eyes, which is believed to be a very bad 

 complaint. Tsere raitsera is an ailment in which the whole 

 body is sore — the legs are sore, and the sufferer is not able to 

 walk in a straight line. This is, however, by no means a native 

 classification of ailment, which I was very anxious to obtain ; 

 but it is a difficult subject, and I was not successful. 



The name for a doctor is UWira, which is also the name 

 for a magical incantation. A cure is called Aurdro, and there 

 seems to be only one cure for all ailments. The doctor chews 

 the bark of the native cinnamon tree (Gohii ), some betelnut, 

 and wild ginger root; an incantation is uttered, and the 

 mixture is spat out. Massage fPdpapdpaJ is always practised 

 upon the sick person, its ultimate aim being the extraction of 

 foreign bodies, which, as a rule, are considered to be the cause 

 of all illness. V/hen the "doctor" feels that the foreign body 

 has been brought near enough to the surface by his treatment 

 he sucks the affected part, and then, with a retching sound, he 

 expectorates the object which he is supposed to have sucked 

 out of the patient's body. Stones, pieces of bark, small bones, 

 etc., are thus extracted from the affected part of the patient, 

 who in consequence is cured. The doctors are usually recruited 

 from the male section of the population, and I only heard of 

 one female doctor of repute. The price paid for a cure is 

 considerable. In olden days it was one large arm-shell — a 

 piece of native jewellery extremely valued by the natives. 

 Nowadays the natives will pay as much as ten pounds (English 

 money) for a good arm-shell, and the average price is one 

 or two pounds. 



