in Mábuiag. One day when the wind was blowing from the Gimini side he thought of his old home and wept. He sailed over there with his two wives and children. When he met his brother he gave him his one wife and her child, for Móiso had no wife before. At that time Gímini was a wooded island, not a mere sandbank as nowadays. (İku, Mawáta).

HOW GIMINI ISLAND WAS DESTROYED.

112. Gímini island, which formerly was a wooded island belonging to Gúbo and Móiso, was destroyed in the following way. One day some Mawáta boys and girls borrowed a canoe from a man named Sása and went over to fish at the island. They did not fasten their canoe properly, so it drifted away and eventually stranded at Wónaróma on the mainland, and was badly damaged through being knocked on to the mangrove roots. Sása was very angry and shot an arrow at the people saying, "What name (why) you no been look out proper?" He thought that the existence of the island was the cause of the trouble. For if there had been no land there, the people when fishing on the reefs would have been compelled to sleep in their canoes, and if this had been the case his craft would not have gone lost. Therefore he determined to destroy Gímini. He provided himself with the spear of a sting-ray, and the leg and snout of a pig (with which the animal roots up the ground) and used the bone of a dead person for making these objects warm". During his preparatory necromancies he danced in the men's house decked with leaves. Then he buried the leg and snout of the pig among the grass on Gímini just above the water-line, and the spear of the sting-ray as well as the bone of the dead man were buried in the centre of the island. Finally he carried the snout and leg of the pig round all of Gímini. He asked the different things to destroy the island, and this was done exactly as when a pig roots up the ground, or a sting-ray digs a hole in the sand. The high tide washed over the island and felled the trees, and the next time the people came there nothing remained but a sandbank. The people got to know that it was Sása who had brought it all about and killed him by means of sorcery.

"

During Old Gaméa's time (cf. no. 19) Gímini had been discovered by two of his companions named Kiwía and Sagúba, and at the present time the reef is considered to belong to six Mawáta men who are his descendants. (Námai, Mawáta).

THE GUARDIANS OF MARUKARA ISLAND.

113. On Márukára island between Mawáta and Mábudaváne there used to live a mamagárena (mythical being, cf. Introduction to no. 102). At that time the place was noted for its turtle eggs. It belonged to a Mawáta man named Ódai, and when he came to Márukára he used to pour out some freshwater on the sand, saying, „Oh, mamagárena, more better you make plenty turtle egg belong me." After this observance he always found plenty of eggs. When Ódai was dead the people used to appeal to him too when asking for turtle eggs, because he had been the owner of the island. They poured out water and put down a little food saying, "Oh, Údai, more better you and mamagárena put plenty egg for me."

Once a man named Gabía killed the mamagárena, and since then it is very rarely that the people find any turtle eggs on the island. Gabía slept there alone one night and had no fire. In

the night he saw the mamagarena moving about in its human form, and being afraid he shot an arrow at the being. The next morning he found the same arrow sticking through the body of a snake, and that was the mamagárena. (Gaméa, Mawáta).

A. The mythical being inhabiting Márukára is an étengena (mythical being, cf. Introduction to no. 102) named Ásái. He cannot be seen in the day but speaks to certain people in dreams, although even then they do not see him. (Sále, Mawáta).

THE MONSTROUS CRAB NEAR AIBINIO.

114. Near Aibinío there used to be another island called Mérewóiwo. Long ago the Wiórubi people once went there to catch crabs. A man called Dorúbi, who was wading in the mud, found the tracks of an enormous crab which he followed to a lagoon. On seeing the beast he called the other people. One of the men tried to catch the crab, which remained motionless, and as it was too heavy for him, the others went to help him. Suddenly the crab opened one of its nippers, clutched the hands of the people, and dragged them all into the lagoon. The monster then caused the water to swirl round and round, washing away the island, while at the same time a heavy sea came and swept right over it, so that only a whirlpool indicated the place where the island had been.

The Wiórubi people, who saw that the island had disappeared, went to the place, but did not dare to go close up to it. Ever since at high water there is a strong eddy in the sea at the same spot, which is caused by the crab. (Gaméa, Mawáta).

A. The crab lived on Aibinío island. The Wiórubi people came to catch the monster but were killed by it. The crab then went into the water where it still remains, causing a strong whirlpool in the sea like that of the obísare (mythical beings, cf. no 131). It is not a real crab but an ororárora (mysterious being; Támetáme, Mawáta).

ERUMIA OF MAWATA (cf. Index).

115. Erumía is an enormous, wonderful jelly-fish which lives on the reef called Téremúba-mádja, off the Gésovamúba point near Mawáta. She is the mother of all the ordinary jellyfish (édeede), which are abundant on that reef. Many men have seen Erumía, and several have been stung by her („all same hot water he burn"). She can even sting a man to death. If a man sees some long slimy strings stretching towards him in the water as if trying to entangle him, he knows that they belong to Erumía and flees for his life. Erumía is the patron of all the fish. The people do not swim at the Téremúba reef for fear of her. She appears to certain men in dreams and gives them some lucky thing" which helps them to catch plenty of fish. The Mawáta people are associated by their neighbours with Erumía, which is regarded as their ororárora (local mythical being, cf. Introduction to no. 102). When, for instance, they visit some other place, they are sometimes received with the words, „Erumía people he come." A serial song describing a journey from Adíri, the country of the dead (cf. no. 62), gives some

characteristic circumstances connected with a number of places, passing eastward, and of this song the following „verse" has reference to Erumía,

"Oh, Bína suomóie Erumia suo rirou. Oh, along mouth belong Bína river string belong Erumía he hang down." (Námai, Mawáta).

SOREA, THE SNAKE OF DAVARE.

116. At Daváre there lived a large snake called Soréa. Once a Tabío man named Madéba went to Daváre to kill pigs. He encountered the snake in the bush and was so terrified that he ran away and summoned his people to come and kill it. When the people arrived the next day, the snake coiled itself up in a ring with its head in the centre, beckoned to them with the head and flickered its tongue. This is the way of snakes when they want to make friends with people. Madéba and his companions said, „Me fellow no kill him that Soréa," thereby giving the snake that name. The people decided to leave their old place and come and live in Daváre, and the snake was their ororárora. One night the snake cleft a large creek in Daváre. The name of it is Sóréatúri, and it is the track which Soréa left behind when crawling along. (Obíra, Iása).

THE SAW-FISH OF MADIRI.

117. At Madíri, on the coast of Kíwai between Iása and Kubíra, there is a wide open place with no trees, surrounded by dense bush on three sides and the river on the fourth. The bush was cleared away from there in the following manner.

Long ago an Iása woman named Wagia was catching fish there in a swamp by poisoning the water with sádí (a certain shrub). In the swamp there lived an enormous gabora, saw-fish. Driven away from the water by the poison the monster came up on dry land and on its way to the sea mowed down the bush with one sweep of its terrific saw. In the morning the people noticed the tremendous tracks left by the monster when it passed down to the water.

Once when some Iása people were again catching fish in the same place by means of sadi, the saw-fish came back from the water and swept its weapon over the place, first to one side and then to the other, killing nearly all the people. This saw-fish is also spoken of as an obísare (mythical being, cf. no. 131; Káku, Ipisía).

.A.

The origin of the treeless place at Madiri is attributed to the same cause as in the above version. (Some Mawáta men),

THE „CAT-FISH" OF KUBANI-KIKAVA.

118. On Kúbání-kikáva reef there lives a wonderful „cat-fish" called Pairío. Nobody dares to approach that reef, for Pairío breaks any canoe by pushing up her back which is provided with spines. Sometimes the people can see one of these spines in the water in front of their canoes and then they have to change their course quickly; sometimes Pairío swims after

the canoe with one of the spines pointing after the vessel, and the crew are forced to paddle for their lives.

Pairío was at first a malignant female being akin to the hiwai-abére (cf. no. 148), which are called dogai-órobo by the outside island people". She lived on Márukára island. One day she was pursued by a cloud of butterflies which could not be chased away but settled on her till she was entirely covered by them. In order to get rid of them, the woman went into the water, where she became a „cat-fish", and many of the butterflies who followed her scent, got into the water too. They were soaked through and their wings became hard, spines appeared on their backs, and they were transformed into „stone-fish“ and „cat-fish", as gay-coloured as the butterflies had been. (Námai, Mawáta).

THE HAUNTED PLACE WHERE A MAN HAD BEEN DROWNED.

119. Once when some Géretáva people sailed over to a small island called Áumamóko to plant sago, a man named Matáre was left behind at home. He came running out on the beach, carrying the sago-shoots ready for planting, and shouted after the others, „You fellow come back, I want go too. What name (why) you no wait me fellow?" But they would not listen to him. Matáre began to swim after the canoes carrying the young sago plants with him. He swam and swam, but at last became tired and sank. When the canoes returned from Aumamóko, the crew were asked by those who had remained in the village, Where Matáre?" „Oh he been go down along water."

Matáre became an ororárora (mythical being, cf. Introduction to no. 102) in the water. Whenever a canoe approaches the place where he was drowned, all singing on board ceases, and the crew make a wide circuit so as to avoid the spot. (Dábu, Mawáta).

B. INCIDENTS WITH MYTHICAL BEINGS (no. 120—184).

THE ORIOMU RIVER BEING AND THE GOOD AND BAD BROTHER.

120. In the Óriómu river lives a being like a man in appearance, his name is Pamóa, or Pamoáburo, and he is akin to the water-beings called óboúbi (cf. no. 132).

A man Ivógu and his younger brother used to live near the mouth of the river. Once when Ivógu was paddling upstream in his canoe to look for birds, carpet-snakes, and iguanas in the overhanging branches, Pamóa came out of the water and wanted to climb into his canoe and go with him. Ivógu let him get in the canoe, and they set off together. The Péwoda people asked them, „Where you two fellow go? He got one hiwai-abére (malignant female being, cf. no. 148) inside (inland), you two look out." The hiwai-abere lived in the bush, where she had a house and garden, and alongside the creek there was a coconut-tree belonging to her. In another place, too, where all the grown up people had gone to the bush, Ivógu and Pamóa were warned by the children who remained in the village: „Where you go?" they asked, "He got devil-woman

there alongside creek, nobody go there, he (she) wild one, kaikai man raw." The children little thought that one of the men in the canoe was just such another wonderful being.

When the tide turned, the two men paddled back. On reaching the place where Pamóa had come up, Ivógu said, „Father, what thing (of the game they had killed) you want him, you take self.“ „Oh,“ Pamóa answered, little bit meat I take him, enough me, no good I take plenty." He took a small piece of meat and went down into the river, and Ivógu returned home and shared his spoil with his younger brother.

"

The next day the younger man wanted to make the same journey, and Ivógu warned him, "You no go, he got devil-woman there he stop, by and by he kaikai you." But the boy said, "No matter, what strong (strength) you got, I got. No matter that devil-woman I kill him." Taking with him his bow and arrows he paddled up the river in his canoe, the tide carrying him along. He caught fish with a line and shot some kangaroo and birds. Pamóa, floating on the water, heard the canoe coming and wanted to climb into it, but the man resisted him, "What name (why) you come," he said, "no canoe belong you!" He hammered on Pamóa's hands with his paddle, but the latter pushed his way in, and the other man could not stop him. They went on together and shot some fish, birds, and kangaroo on their way. When they came back with the ebbing tide, the man did not allow Pamóa any share in the game, and his companion had to go empty-handed into the water. On arriving home he did not give his brother anything either.

Another time the elder brother, Ivógu, again set out on the same trip. He shot some birds and caught fish with a line, and on encountering Pamóa, who was floating on the water in wait for him, he took him up into the canoe. They went on together and came to the wonderful coconut-tree of which the people thought so much. Ivógu tied a string round his ankles, and climbing the tree knocked down some nuts which fell into the water. The hiwai-abere who owned the tree had gone away, instructing the tree to call out to her in case anybody came to take nuts, and the tree sang in a wailing voice,

Màu mo sepate datke datike màu! Mother, he pull my ear now!" by "ear" meaning

bunch of nuts".

The hiwai-abere, who was working in her garden, suddenly hurt her foot on her digging stick and thought, „My God, I no all same before; somebody humbug my pickaninny, that's why I stick him along leg!" Throwing away her digging stick she picked up her wooden spear and came running. Ivógu was up in the tree which bent over the river. Pamóa had made a tally of the bones of the fish and game which Ivógu had given him by tying them to a rope which he lengthened for each bone. In order to save his friend he threw him the rope, the end of which caught in the top of the tree. He shouted to Ivógu, „You come, ladder belong you here, you no go along tree, you come along that line." Ivógu climbed down, and Pamóa shook the end of the rope free. They picked up the coconuts out of the water and paddled off. The hiwaiabére threw her spear after them but missed them, and they escaped. On parting from his friend Ivógu said, "Father, what thing you want him, him he there, you pick him up," but Pamóa answered, "What name (why should) I take him? I no proper man two, three piece, that's enough. Belong you keep him, you got pickaninny; I no got proper place, what's way (how)