A SUPERSTITION. 
161 
complete the cutting of his hair. This I did not 
understand, however, and when I had cut one 
lock, I proceeded to roll it in a piece of paper to 
hand to H. The man looked up, and, to my 
surprise, begged it back. I persisted in keeping 
it, when the man broke into piteous tears, while 
the others got quite excited, evidently more 
with fear than anger, and joined him in entreat- 
ing me to return it, which I was finally forced 
to do. It seems the Tenimberese have the same 
superstitious dread which exists in some other 
islands, of any part of the person remaining in 
possession of another; in some places the nail- 
parings are carefully buried. During my dis- 
may at the tumult I had occasioned, the scissors 
again got into their hands, and haircutting in 
earnest commenced. A strong wind then pre- 
vailing blew scraps all over the apartment, and, 
not caring for such in my dining-room (especially 
as there seemed no chance of securing any, since 
the urchins scrambled over each other after everv 
slired), I induced them to go out of doors. We 
followed, and, spreading my skirts, I managed 
to conceal a few pieces which the wind scat- 
tered, and cover them with my foot in the 
soft sand, both of us carefully noting with an 
outward air of unconcern from whom that dark 
L 
