RELIGION. 



3" 



On the SA of July 1903 this dance was perforraed on the platform of Tobâdi by a crowd of about 

 50 — 60 persons, consisting of a number of men, behind which was a group of boys and again behind thèse a 

 group of girls, ail standing on a corner of the platform. One of the oldest men now started the song, after 

 which ail fell in and began marking time in the tempo of the song, some only stamping with one leg. At 

 a given moment the whole crowd began to move, marching in step towards the next corner, and hère, 

 again continuously singing, marked time, and then again to the next corner, and thus always moving 

 along the sides of the square platform, in a direction against the sun. The youngest and smartest men 



sometimes went ahead, 

 in a trot, always in the 

 correct time. Two of 

 them beat a fairly large 

 drum, held under the left 

 arm. After having gone 

 round the platform 

 several times, they stood 

 still at the spot where 

 they finished. Some ran 

 away to beg some tobacco 

 from the members of 

 the expédition, who were 

 looking on. In a few 

 minutes another start was 

 made from this place of 

 rest. As the fence, made 

 in front of the temple, 

 does not continue to the 

 edge of the platform (see 

 fig. 200, where some 

 novices are looking round 

 the corner) the boys and girls avoided that part of the platform and therefore made their circuit in a smaller 

 radius than the men. It was said that later on in the evening, when the boys and girls would be gone, 

 the novices of the temple would also participate in the dancing. 



Another dance was called "Sereine jondigë' ', to which this song is sung: 



Sari maia, pinsa raria., wè we wa wa wa. 

 The seventh dance "Chris", "Chrisate" is executed by men and women with drum accompa- 

 niment and blowing of Triton shells ; the first verse runs : 



Nasi agà, di nasè. 



An inner circle is formed by the men, an outer circle by the women (see also Koning [1903, 271]), 

 as with dances which Erdweg [1902, 303] describes of Tumleo; ■ — arrangements in several rows, 

 couples or solodancers, as mentioned by Schellong [i889 a , 87] of Astrolabe Bay, by Pôch [1906, 605] 

 of British N. G., are unknown in Humboldt Bay. 



We were informed by the people of Mapar, that with their numerous dances, which 

 take place inside the house, men, women and children are placed in separate rows, but 

 dance ail at the same time. The hands of each dancer in the row are joined to his neigh- 

 bours as in the prayer of the Christians. Thèse dances, also performed on the occasion 



Fig. 200. Visitor from Sëkâ in festive dress; Tobâdi. 



