128 G. Holm. 



indifference to it. When his opponent is about to strike him, he 

 shuts his eyes and advances his head to receive the blow. 



They may go on the whole night in this way, taking turns to 

 beat the drum and sing, but otherwise not budging from their 

 place. In the intervals between' the songs, and before and after the 

 match, the opponents do not show the very slightest sign of their 

 hostility, but appear to be quite good friends. 



The singing is followed with the greatest interest by the whole 

 audience, who often join in, especially at the refrains. They give vent 

 to their feelings in loud shrieks, and try to egg on one party to hit 

 the other. When a drum-match is held in the open air, all the 

 lookers-on appear in festive attire. As the singing may be protracted 

 far into the night, the lookers-on often get tired and lie down to 

 sleep; if the night is cold, they take skins with them and cover 

 themselves and their children with them, but do not leave the place 

 where the drum-match is held. 



A man has often several drum-matches going on at one time. 

 When one party dies, the other plumes himself on it and boasts 

 over it to others. Thus, for instance, Ilinguaki related with a certain 

 amount of pride that three out of the four opponents he had had 

 were dead. Women as well as men may settle their differences in 

 this way. 



The natives sometime have drumming and singing matches with 

 each other for the mere pleasure of it. Although they only do it 

 for amusement, they often carry on the singing-match with such 

 violence that one of the parties not unfrcquently gets a black eye. 



Women too have singing-matches with each other for pleasure; 

 but besides this, they have a song during which a woman goes 

 round to the men who are present and calls upon them to seize her 

 pudenda; of course she wears the indoor-costume, the little drawers 

 called natit. This song is performed with universal merriment; we 

 have seen both young and old women, even a great grandmother, 

 play this game to great amusement both of themselves and the 

 others. 



The drum-matches may be regarded as the chief pleasure of 

 the natives. Occasions which give rise to them and the songs them- 

 selves can be seen in the tales (part V, 48 and 49). 



Games. — Another favourite amusement is a sort of 'playing catch'. 

 Someone runs round with a whip, lashing about him so violently 

 that the skin breaks where the whip touches, or with a knife on 

 the point of which there is sometimes something burning, the man 

 trying to stab or burn those who approach him. This game is 



