14 
MEMOIRS OF TEE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 
MALEKULA EFFIGY. 
AS ILLUSTRATED BY A SPECIMEN IN THE QUEENSLAND 
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. 
By R. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Sc., Etc. (Director). 
(Plates VII. and VIII.) 
AYe have in onr collection an effigy from Malekula^ New Hebrides, 
and although specimens of this kind have been previously referred to, their 
growing scarcity warrants a few descriptive remarks to the accompanying plates. 
The south end of Malekula is inhabited by people materially different from 
other inhabitants of the island in a great many particadars, and who stand 
out as a peculiar race from any of the other natives of the New Hebrides group. 
Some of their remarkable characteristics are particularly noticeable in their 
dealing with their friends after death. Air. Douglas Kaunie, who spent some 
years in the islands, has been good enough to supply me with the following 
information: — “After death the cranium and as many of the bones as can 
conveniently be gathered are collected and put together in the form of an effigy 
resembling the human form. The body is composed of a framework made from 
])ones, sticks, grass, and fi])re all inlaid with clay, which is ornamented and 
painted with various coloui'ed pigments, the whole being surmounted by the 
skull of the deceased, on whicli is replaced the original scalp whieh has ])reviously 
been removed for tlic purpose. These effigies are then placed in upright positions 
around the walls of the council chamber known as the ' Amil ' house. Arrows 
are shot into the eye-sockets, presumably to deprive the dead from all knowledge 
of the doijigs or actions of postei*ity. In many instances the most prized i“»osses- 
sious of the deceased during life are placed within grasp of the effigy. Now, 
although these remarks may hold good in the main, our Queensland Aruseum 
specimen is, I think, not prepared quite in the same way, since I cannot discover 
the presence of human bones in the frameAvork, with the exception of the 
typically elongate head, but is ap])arently simply put together Avith sticks, grass, 
and fibre, and matted together Avith clay. Individual specimens slioAV consider- 
able minor differences. Sonu' have feet ; ours has the appi^aiaince of walking on 
stilts, being minus feet; in addition, each knee is decorated with a small head. 
The Aleloourne Aluseum specimens carry nothing in their hands — in fact, they 
do not possess them, they only appt'ar to have slumps coming to a point; and 
AA'hereas the latter possess most elaborate shouldei's draAvn to a great height over 
the head or mask AA’ith Iavo faces on each shoidder one alioAm the other, our 
specimen contains only one face on ('ach shoulder and is not undnlA’' prolonged. 
