boo down the creek singing, „Wáwui Sasa, oh-äh, Wáwui Sása." Wáwui Sasa, oh-äh, Wáwui Sása." He was washed on to the

beach and sang, „Oh Ídamári Sása, oh, Ídamári Sása.“

Ídamári heard the voice and thought,,,What name (what is) that thing he sing out my name? I think that pigeon (bird) he sing out. I think that pigeon he see me, I no see that pigeon. What bad pigeon he find him this place?" He ran to see where the voice came from and stepped over the bamboo. "Nobody here," he thought, „no wood he float, no wood he lie along beach, that's all that bamboo. I don't know, somebody stop along that bamboo?" Instead of going to swim, as he had intended, he remained by the bamboo. I split him that bamboo," he said, "I think some man he stop inside." 10 Whereupon he broke the bamboo open, and Wáwui came out. „Eh, who you? where you come from?" said Ídamári. „My place there, Noóradámera. Where place belong you?" "My place here, I stop along bush. You been call my name, that's why I come outside." Ídamári asked Wáwui to come to his place, but the latter wanted them to go to his first, and both said, „Place belong you he no good, my place he good." At length Ídamári said, "You me (we) go take kaikai along my place, by-and-by you me go place belong you." And the two fetched food from Ídamári's garden and ate, and then they went to Wáwui's place. They found the country there so beautiful that Ídamári too decided to come and live there.

There is still a bamboo grove in the same place where long ago Wáwui found his bamboo tree in which he floated down the river. (Amúra, Mawáta).

A. Damári (also called Ídamári, Dabári, and Ídabári) who lived at Noóradámera on the Bínatúri travelled in a large bamboo with the tide to Wáwui's place at Ídárowárogábo and sang on the way, Wáwuí sása, Damári sása.“ Wáwui noticed the bamboo and heard the voice but could not make out where it came from. Damári was floated back to his place and sang, „Damári ngóde róroáme sása." On his next journey Damári again saw Wawui and inside the bamboo he bit his fingers not to burst out laughing. Wáwui kicked at the bamboo, it broke, and he found Damári. They made friends and had an argument as to who should visit the other first. They went to Damári's place at Noóradámera, and after visiting Wáwui's home at Dárowárogábo they settled down together in the former place with their wives and remained there. They can sometimes be seen in the shape of snakes. The large bamboo grows there still. (Ábai, Mawáta).

B. ANCIENT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NEW GUINEA AND THE TORRES STRAITS ISLANDS (no. 294--296; cf. Index).

THE CANOE WHICH DRIFTED FROM DARU TO YAM.

294. In olden times no trees grew in Dáru only brushwood, and the two screens (hóriomu) of the taera shrine which the people had erected there could be seen at a great distance. The Híamu or ancient Dáru people prepared to celebrate the taera ceremony, and as an introduction they held a race with small toy canoes. The men were all standing in a line by the water holding their canoes in their hands, and at a signal given with a trumpet-shell they let go. Everybody ran along the beach after the racing canoes, and some pursued them in

real canoes.

Two of the leading men took part in the game, Kenóra the son of Wúitamo, and Ébogúbu the son of Dagúri. Ébogubu ran after his canoe, but it went too fast, and although he even swam after it some distance he could not reach it. For a good while he stood gazing at his canoe which was carried farther and farther away by an easterly breeze past the large reef till it was lost to view. On his return his father asked him, ,,Where canoe?" ,,Oh, father, from my hand he lose him, too much run, I no can catch him." After a time Ébogúbu forgot all about his canoe, and the people began to play the kokádi or pári (a kind of hockey) by way of preparation for the táera ceremony.

The little canoe kept on sailing till it reached Yam island. At that time there was no Túdo island, only a sandbank surrounded by breakers, and the people lived in Yam. A man of that island called Ébogúbu like the Dáru man went one day to swim and saw the canoe. "What name (what is) that? sóko (nipa palm), any kind wood he come float? That shark? I think dabáe (a wader with a long beak) sit down along wood." The thing headed straight for the island against the tide like a living being. A cloud shut it out from sight for a while but soon it came in view again looking like a white bird. "No, no," thought the man, that other thing he come. My god, that makáro (toy canoe) he come now." A wind-rose was spinning round. at the stern of the canoe. Ébogúbu summoned the other people to come and see the thing. They tried to catch it but the canoe evaded them and steered straight for Ébogúbu who picked it up. Holding the canoe in his hand Ébogúbu pointed its bow in different directions, but it always turned towards Dáru from where it had come, and gave Ébogúbu's hand a jerk in that direction. "Oh, more better me go look!" exclaimed the people, he want me go."

The people made a log-canoe ready, which consisted of a solid trunk of a tree and was provided with two outriggers, a little platform, and mat-sails. As they were sailing along a man standing on the trunk held the toy canoe in his hand, and it indicated the direction in which they should go. They saw the breakers at Túdo, and taking them to be some ebihare (mythical beings in the sea, cf. no. 131) kept away from them and headed straight for Dáru. They sailed for a long time until they perceived the two horiomu screens in Dáru. ,,What name (what is) that he float along water?" they thought, and the little canoe directed their course straight towards the place. Oh, what name that two thing (the screens) he stand up?" they wondered, „,people he there full up." The women and children on the beach suddenly shouted, "Ah! father, who belong canoe he come? Wúitamo, Dagúri, you come!" and the people all came running to look. The Yam islanders landed, and Ébogúbu held the toy canoe in his hand. Oh, that canoe I been make him for Ébogúbu," thought Dagúri, and Ébogúbu said, "Oh, that canoe he lose from my hand." Who you?" the new-comers were asked by the Dáru people, and the Yam island Ébogúbu replied,,,Me Ébogúbu, I come from Yam island." „Me Ébogúbu, I been lose him that canoe," said the Dáru man. „Me Ébogúbu, I been find him along my island." The visitors were received by the Dáru people, and Ébogúbu of Yam was entertained by his namesake

of Dáru.

The new-comers were brought to the táera shrine, the screens of which were decorated with small model canoes. "Oh, what name (what is) that thing?" they exclaimed, look, all small makáro (toy canoes) alongside horiomu! My God, what name (what) them fellow make him two thing stand up? Look, he got another room inside, another room outside!" The Yam

islanders were asked to sit down outside the screens, as the ceremony was new to them. They were given food, and after a while the dancing of the masked spirits began. „My god, all face they stow away along bushes (they cover themselves with leaves and branches)! My god, plenty nice thing (ornaments) he got! By-and-by you me (we) make all same.“

When the dance was over Dagúri asked the visitors, „You fellow go away to-day? What time you go, you make me fellow know what time you ready." "No, what thing you make him, me want see good," they replied,,,me want watch that good dance you make him." So the Yam islanders stayed on and watched the whole táera ceremony very carefully in order to be able to reproduce it at home. The Dáru people provided them with two dug-out canoes, and said, "That's no proper canoe you got, I give you good canoe." In the mornings they worked at the canoes, and in the afternoons the táera ceremony was resumed, and thus the time passed. At length the two canoes were ready, the ceremony concluded, and the Yam islanders sailed away in their crafts.

The women in Yam were waiting for the return of their husbands and brothers and looked out for them from the mountains of the island. On the same day as the canoes left Dáru they could be seen from Yam. „Oh, two canoe there he come up all same man (living beings)," the people said, „,all same two pigeon (birds) he fly he come. Another canoe what canoe they been go (the one canoe is the same in which the people left). Another canoe somebody been give him; two pigeon he fly." On looking at the canoes closer the islanders thought, "Oh, two canoe he all same (are alike), I think that wood (the log-canoe) they been go (in which they went), they leave him there, two proper thing he come. The women and children waded out in the water up to their chests, and when the canoes came sailing in, they caught hold of the outriggers. But they soon were obliged to let go their hold, for the canoes raced at a great speed. "My God, what good thing they bring him he come!" they exclaimed. The delighted women threw themselves over their husbands and kissed their faces and noses. Looking at the canoes they said, "Oh, what name (how) they make him that hole (excavation) along canoe?" That proper canoe," answered the men.

All the things were brought on shore, and then the new-comers said to those men who had remained at home, „Another good thing me find him. What people he die, you me (we) go make him dance." Whereupon they prepared a hóriomu shrine with two screens, and held the táera ceremony, keeping it secret from the women. From Dáru the practice came to Yam, and thence it spread to Nágiri, Móa, Bádu, and Mábuiag. This story is told to the young men at their initiation into the táera ceremony. (Námai,

Mawáta).

A. Some Dáru boys once left their toy canoes on the beach, and from there they were carried away by the rising tide, and one of them drifted over to Yam island. It was found by the people there who determined to go and see where it came from. After constructing a log-canoe two men named Kenóva and Ébogúbu with some friends sailed over to Dáru. They attached a wind-rose of coconut leaves to the little toy canoe and pointed the bow of the latter in various directions. As long as they held the right course the wind-rose kept on whirling round, and thus they were directed over to Dáru. There they saw the hóriomu screens and were received by a man named Dagúri, and the toy canoe belonged to his son. The Dáru people used dug-out canoes, and the men from Yam wanted'

one of them.

While they were staying in Dáru it happened that two men from Óbiri in Dúdi went in a dug-out canoe to catch pigs at a place close to Old Mawáta opposite Dáru. On landing there they did not fasten their canoe properly, so it floated away and drifted over to Dáru. Ébogúbu seized the canoe, and as it had only one outrigger he provided it with another. He and his companions returned to Yam in the canoe. There he procured a number of arm-shells and said to the people, ,,That thing belong buy him canoe, mabúo (arm-shell), big thing. I come, I take him go now what place that canoe he come from."

He and his friends sailed over to Dáru, and there he took Dagúri on board and went on to Kátatai in search of the owner of the canoe. He asked the Kátatai people, "That canoe he been float, where he belong?" They could not tell, so he proceeded to Súi, and thence passing by Kiwai which was uninhabited at that time, to Wáboda. There the voyagers found the maker of the canoe and gave him an arm-shell in payment for it. Then follows the episode telling how the Wáboda man thought that the arm-shell had been stolen back and killed one of the visitors, (cf. no. 295). (Sále and Sáibu, Mawáta).

B. Long ago no trees grew in Dáru, and the people fetched their firewood from another place. Once a small toy canoe which belonged to a certain man named Dagúri and carried a wind-rose made of a coconut leaf drifted over to Yam. A Yam islander named Kenóra found it and built a log-canoe in order to go and see where it came from. The wind-rose directed his course as in the previous versions. The first white men who came to the country, said the narrator, also used a wind-rose to show them the right way. Kenora and his companions saw the horiomu screens in Dáru and were received by Dagúri. A canoe floated over from the mainland to Dáru as in the previous version and Kenóra took it, provided it with a wash-strake and two outriggers and sailed back in it to Yam. After that a regular communication began between the New Guinea people and the islanders in the Torres straits, the former selling canoes and garden produce to the latter and receiving arm-shells, stone-axes, harpoon handles, and dugong and turtle meat in payment. (Amúra, Mawáta).

C. While Nága was living in Tudu (cf. no. 53) a canoe once floated away from Súi in Dúdi, and drifted to Túdo. Nága was delighted in finding a dug-out canoe and with twelve companions decided to go and see where it came from. He was the first man to use a sail made of plaited mat. In Dáru he met Ébogúbu and asked him where the canoe had come from. The latter did not know, and then Nága went on and met Máiru at Kátatai, and subsequently Hamána at Geávi, and Maráva at Dóridóri, asking them the same question and receiving the same answer. At length he came to Sínai in Súi who was the owner of the canoe. Nága gave him six arm-shells in payment for the canoe. He bought twelve canoes in Súi, and the people there summoned the east wind to carry him and his companions home. (Gaméa, Mawáta).

D. In Rep. Cambr. Anthrop. Exped., vol. v. 48 sqq. Naga, the Instructor of the Death-Dances. Naga and Waiat performed a death-dance in Daru. They floated a small toy canoe in the sea, and it sailed over to Tutu all by itself. It was found by two men named Kebra and Waier who determined to go and see where it came from. They made fast two logs of wood side by side and paddled away, at length arriving in Daru. There they returned the toy canoe to Naga, and he gave them a large proper canoe with mat sails. The two visitors saw the death-dance and then returned to Tutu. After that Naga went to Stephen island and showed the people there how to perform the death-dance.

THE EPISODE OF THE ARM-SHELL IN WABODA.

295. (Continued from no. 294 A). The Wáboda man who had sold a canoe to Ébogúbu and Dagúri for an arm-shell went to the bush with a Dáru man named Geréa. While occupied with digging a ditch in his garden the Wáboda man stripped off the arm-shell and passed it on to a small banana shoot close by. Without his noticing it the arm-shell and banana shoot became buried under the earth cast up from the ditch. After a while he went to swim and on his return he searched in vain for the arm-shell. I think you been take him back that arm-shell," he said to Geréa. „He was a great fool not to seek for it properly," interpolated the narrator. Geréa said, "No, I no been take him, what's way (how should) I take him back?" But the Wáboda man was enraged and killed Geréa with his digging stick after which he cut off his head; (,,he fool, kill that man for nothing"). He also cut off one finger of the dead man, for he wanted to induce the Wáboda people to kill all the visitors. For this purpose he went to the place where the people were sitting together and pushed his friends stealthily with the cut off finger whispering to them, I been kill my friend, you kill him altogether them people." "No, we no go kill friend. belong me fellow", they answered,

Arm-shells.

,,we no go catch yarn belong you fellow (no take up your cause). You go look good." They all set out to look for the arm-shell, and in the meantime the rain had washed away the earth, and there the shell was found in the same place where it had been put. "Oh, my friend!" moaned the Wáboda man, no good I kill my friend for nothing, my fault!" and he smeared his face with mud in his sorrow. Geréa's head was placed back on his shoulders, and the body was buried. Dagúri and Ébogúbu prepared to go home and were presented with food. They were full of sorrow but did not want to fight, and the Wáboda man gave them payment for Geréa. On their way home Dagúri and Ébogúbu called in Kíwai. By way of proving which of the Kíwai canoes were heavy and which not, they lifted them up, and as their own canoes were the heaviest they exchanged them for those of the Kíwais and gave the people some presents.

On continuing their journey they sang the following mourning song which is nowadays sung in connection with the táera ceremony:

1. "Oh, Waboda páwa, oh, Gibu páwa, oh, Turáma páwa, oh, Kiása páwa, oh Gebárubi ngila nágo djápunila póidána virintpa, eh, tánamúlu páwa jéreke mámuríma káke lúmána ngái bisilumána bisinta kéida útidja. I leave him Wáboda, Gíbu, Turáma, Iása, Gebárubi, I find him. bad thing. Oh, I been leave him my friend along burying ground. Island he go down (sinks below the horizon). I been find him bad fashion."