NATISMAL MUSF UM MElHGURNE 
ETHNOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF TORRES 
STRAIT. 
Illustrated by Specimens in the Queensland Museum Collections. 
By R. Hamlyn-H arris, D.Sc., Etc. (Director). 
(Plate II and one text-figure.) 
/ 
THE LEGEND OF PATRAETER. 
The Ethnological Collection from Torres Strait has recently been enriched 
by the addition, through purchase, of a very fine specimen of a Darnley Island 
god made of lava, bearing the name of Patraeter, and fashioned in a truly 
realistic manner into a figure representing a man in a squatting position with 
its hands brought up to its chin in a prayerful attitude. 
There can be no doubt that the contours of the original piece of lava 
were particularly adapted for this sculpturing, but the figure, nevertheless, 
displays considerable ability on the part of the unknown artist. A great 
resemblance in workmanship exists between this image and those of a similar 
nature described by Professor ITaddon in his ci Myths and Folktales.”* 
Tradition, dating back to proto-historic times, has it that this very god was 
found by the natives of Darnley Island (Erub), having been previously deposited 
there by the famous Soiida (or Sida), a mythical super-man credited with 
creative faculties of no mean order. f The accounts of Soiida \s doings vary in a 
remarkable way with the different islands, and this may be best explained by the 
view that the legends have been handed down from generation to generation by 
word of mouth, giving ample scope for the imagination of the natives to run riot. 
SOIIDA AT MER. 
According to Mr. P. G. H. Guilletmot, from whom the specimen was 
obtained, and who has very kindly furnished me with the particulars here 
published and which were verified by several of the oldest men in the island, 
Soiido (pronounced Soydo) originally came from New Guinea and made his 
first halt on the island of Murray (“ Mer ”) for the purpose of making the 
hitherto barren island fruitful. After a very brief stay he was instrumental 
in causing the abundant growth of bananas, cocoanuts, yams, etc. 
FISH-TRAPS ON MER. 
Fish-traps were also built by him round the island of Mer ( see text 
figure). A. E. Hunt! refers to a “ big fish enclosure” (Sai), evidently the 
* A. G. Haddon, Anthropological Expedition to Torres Strait, Cambridge, 1908, vol, vi. 
t The Story of Sidor, by E. Beardmore, Joum. Anth. Inst., vol. 19, 1890, p. 465. 
Also, Anthropological Expedition to Torres Strait, vol. v., 1904, pp. 28, 31, 35. 
Also, Rev. A. E. Hunt in Ethnographical Notes on the Murray Islands, Torres Straits, 
Journ. Anth. Inst.., vol. 28 (new series 1), 1899, p. 5. 
{ A. E. Hunt, Ethnographical Notes, etc., Joum. Anth. Inst., vol. 28, p. 17. 
