ASSASSINS’ BATONS OF MALAITA.—MANNIF. 
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south-west that of Subey/' Composed of hard, heavy wood, they are beautifully 
inlaid with a small fretwork of tastefully carved pieces of mother-of-pearl shell, 
artistically arranged and fixed in mosaic fashion to indelibly adhere to the stem 
of the baton with a j)igment made from the fruit of the Parinarhun lanrimim, 
which hardens as firm as cement and takes a polish equal to the finest lacquer. 
The knob at the end is incased in a ncitwork plaited with fine strands from the 
outer skin of rattan cane. This cane network is frequently liiied with pulverised 
iron pyrites to give the baton additional weight. Although formidable articles 
in appeai'ance and quite serviceable for use should occasion arise, I have never 
heard of their being used as weapons of offence; they are simply worn as badges 
of distinction by the bravoes or hired assassins of Southern Malaita. And these 
murderous braggarts delight to swagger about in a crowd at one or other of 
their numerous festivals or dances each with his ‘‘hau’^ or subey” suspended 
from his neck by a chain or necklace composed of native currency, to which are 
added the teeth and sometimes the jaws of their victims. 
I was informed by the chief of Supina, Southern Malaita, that a young man 
is sometimes chosen who has never previously taken human life ; he is directed 
to set forth and kill some particular individual; a ''subey’' is handed to him 
as a death warrant, and he goes forth to perform his mission Avell knowing that 
he dare not return to his own village to restore the ^^subey” or emblem of death 
to his chief without sufficient evidence of the accomplishment of his murderous 
errand, under the penalty of death to himself. 
SpecAnwn No.: Q.M. E 13/290. {Plate IX, Fig. 2.) 
— Xn length measures 392 nun. The lower half of the staff is studded 
with about 150 small fretwork pieces of mother-of-pearl shell inlaid and fixed 
with a strong prextaration made from the nut of the ParinaHwai lauriniiTu, 
A. Gray. In a similar manner a pearl-shell disc of the circumference of a 
shilling is let into the base. The upper part of the staff is polished hardwood, 
surmounted at the apex with a globular knob encased in woven grass work. In 
this instance the knob is not part and ptircel of the baton, but is attached to the 
staff by the woven grass work, which passes through two holes perforated in 
the hardwood, and additionally strengthened by two rings of plaited cane, dyed 
red, bound round the juncture of the globular end with the staff. 
Specimen No.: Q.M. E 13/300. {Plate IX, Fig. 3.) 
No. 2. — Measures 426 mm., and somewhat resembles No. 1, but its base is 
shaped like a fishtail; and it is more elaborately inlaid Avith the fine mother-of- 
pearl fretAvork. These small pieces of pearl-shell on this baton number about 
360. At the termination of the shell ornamentation the staff is circled by a ring 
of the small discs of shell which compose the native currency, numbering 21. 
B 
