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down like that? What name (what) pickaninny belong you he kaikai? What for you no go along bushman find kaikai from them fellow?" Then Dídi got up and decided to go and find some food. The people constructed a raft and ferried themselves over to the other side of the river; they intended to go and steal in the bushmen's gardens. Some went to the gardens of the Tógo people and others to those of the Búturáigo and Áriki peoples. Didi determined to go and try the Djibáru gardens, and he was joined by his son and another man named Gádudu as well as the son of the latter named Gáige.

Dídi and his party were seen by some Másingára men who said to the Djibáru people, ,,Me fellow see people he come from outside, I think he come steal garden." Then the Djibáru and Másingára men went and lay in ambush in the gardens. Dídi intended to go to a garden. belonging to a certain Djibáru friend of his named Ídu, but in the darkness he missed the right way and came to a garden belonging to another clan. If he had not made that mistake he would have escaped the disaster which awaited him, said the narrator. When the Mawáta men were about to go back, Gáige said to Gádudu, „Father, my rope belong basket he no proper fast yet," and Gádudu stopped and tied it up. Dídi and his son went on meanwhile and passed over the Dúedji creek. It was there that the bushmen lay in wait, and on seeing the man and boy they let fly their arrows. "Oh, father, me die now!" the boy called out and fell down dead. Dídi went down also. On hearing the noise Gádudu and Gáige dropped their baskets and hid in the creek up to their necks in water, and keeping thus out of sight they slowly made their way in the same direction as the current. After cutting off the two heads the bushmen went back towards their village singing their war song and shouting with joy, „U-u-u! Ŏu-ou-ou! They found Gádudu's and Gáge's baskets but knew that the rest of the thieves would be far away after hearing all the noise. Gádudu and Gáige listened to the voices and thought, ,,Oh, he finish now, he go back." So they came out of the water and went on towards the coast.

On their way they found a glowing firestick which Dídi had left close to the path in readiness, and they started to wail at the thought of their dead friends. After a while the spirits of the two dead men put in an appearance, harassing the two wanderers from behind and in front. Now they would disappear for a moment and now try to frighten the men with their hands lifted up as if ready to catch them. Gádudu said to the spirits, "I no small boy, I no fright. You no man, you no come kill me, that's all you gammon come." At last the two spirits went away for good.

When it grew light Gádudu and Gáige recognized Dídi's footprints of the day before and resumed their wail, „Oh, track belong him no more come back. He lose altogether. Pickaninny too no more come," and they smeared their faces with mud.

Gádudu's brother Táe was waiting at Mábudaváne and perceived Gádudu and Gáige alone on the opposite bank of the river. The two signalled to him to fetch them over and showed by gestures that their two companions had been shot dead. There was great lamentation when the news came, and many of the people who were sitting on the ground rocked their bodies to and fro in their sorrow or even rolled themselves about on the ground.

Ígu, Dídi's friend at Djibáru, guessed who had come to steal food, and on seeing the body he recognized Dídi at once. "Oh, my friend," he wailed, what for you no come straight along me? That fault belong you, you been go other garden steal." He broke off the shafts of

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the arrows which stuck in the dead body, tied them up in a bundle, and hid them inside a cover of bark. One day he and his clansmen went to Mábudaváne to see the Mawáta people. He had the bundle of arrow-shafts with him. How much man he come back?" he asked the Mawáta

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people. Two man, Gádudu and Gáige." „Fault belong him" said Ígu, „he been lose road belong me, that's why he find him bad. I been bring that arrow." He handed Táe the bundle of arrow-shafts hiding them from the sight of his companions so that they should not know. Ígu said, "I sorry my good friend, I take body belong him, go dig him ground," and he went back to Djibáru.

One day a great Sáibai man named Káiási came to Mábudaváve, and Táe gave him the bundle of arrow-shafts and said, „Káiási, when you go, you kill him Djibáru man, people belong Ímu," for ĺmu was the head of the Djibáru clan who had killed Dídi and his son. Ígu had asked the Mawáta people not to take revenge themselves, for in that case he would be suspected as a traitor by his fellow-villagers.

Káiási and his men went up the river in their canoe and landed at Kúraére, and from there they proceeded to Djibáru. He met Ímu and heard of the murder of the two men. „He (that is) good, you fellow shoot him good," he said approvingly, „fault belong them fellow come steal garden. Every time Mawáta man he come, you shoot them fellow, me fellow glad too." "That proper stow-away-talk," interpolated the narrator. Káiási's companions were beside themselves with rage and thought, „All right, next time Ímu he no stop, no people belong him," but they took care not to say that aloud.

Once long before that in a fight, a certain Sáibai man had carried away a little girl named Káwa from Djibáru and brought her to Sáibai where she grew up. Later on she had been given in marriage to Ímu in payment for a friend of his who had been killed by a Sáibai man.

When Káiási and his party were leaving Djibáru, the former said to Ímu, „Me fellow take Káwa go along Sáibai. Me find him dugong and turtle, by-and-by come back. You fellow take him dugong and turtle, wife belong you too." And Káwa went with the Sáibai people.

Táe and Káiási arranged to lie in ambush for Ímu and his people at a place called Gído on the coast. After six days the Sáibai men came back and landed at Augaromúba from where they walked along the coast to Gído. But in order that Káwa should not become suspicious when seeing so many canoes and people, Káiási went in advance with her and on their landing he provided her with some dugong and turtle meat and sent her alone to Djibáru with the message to Ímu and his people to come and meet the Sáibai men at Gído in order to receive

more meat.

Táe with the Mawáta people were encamped near Gído, but his companions were kept ignorant of his designs towards the Djibáru people, for some of them had friends at Djibáru and would most likely have warned them. The Mawáta people did not even know that the Sáibai men were in their close neighbourhood waiting for the Djibáru people to come.

Káwa brought ĺmu the dugong and turtle meat and gave him Káiási's message, „Tomorrow you me (we) go along Gído, get him plenty meat." The next day Káiási sent two boys to hurry ĺmu and his people up, saying, „Ímu and people belong you, come quick now! Wind he good, time now, Káiási want go quick. High water he start he come." „All right, you me go,“

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answered Ímu. He and his people started on the way to Gído taking with them a great quantity of garden produce. The two messengers returned first and said to Káiási, „All he come now," and the greater number of the Sáibai people hid in the bush waiting for them.

When Ímu and his people arrived, Káiási and some Sáibai men went to meet them and the Mawáta people were there too. Káiási asked the new-comers to put their weapons down at the camp of the Máwáta people, which they did, and then they all went to Káiási's canoe. In the meantime the Sáibai warriors came out from the bush and seized the weapons of the Djibáru men. Their unexpected appearance caused such a terror among the Mawáta people that the latter involuntarily relieved themselves and rushed away thinking that they would be killed. The Sáibai men tried in vain to stop them calling after them in a whisper, „Sh! sh! you no run away, me no want kill you!" Káiási turned round and seeing the crowd thought, "Oh, all he run away, Djibáru man he make out now!" He told a man named Báira to catch hold of İmu, and two other bushmen were captured in the same way. When the rest of the Djibáru people saw the enemy, they threw down the food they were carrying and in a terror equal to that of the Mawáta people relieved themselves also unawares. There were no means of escape, and men, women. and children were killed.

Táe ran up to Ímu and said, "You been kill my brother. You man, me man too, I do all same along you." İmu answered, „Masingára man been learn (teach) me fellow go kill you (your) brother." Táe struck him down, and his head was given to Báira who had captured him. Káwa wanted to run away, but Káiási said, "You no go, no more belong Djibáru. Man belong you he dead, you me (we) go back Sáibai now." But another man who had not captured any head killed Káwa, although Káiási tried to stop him, and her head was cut off too. Someone removed her grass petticoat, and on seeing her naked body a number of men, one after another had connection with it, but they took care that the semen should not pass into her and decay with her body, for that would cause some disaster to befall them, and therefore they emptied the semen on the ground. Some of the people were angry with the man who had killed Kawa, for she was a beautiful woman. (Námai, Mawáta).

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338. (Continued from the preceding tale). The Mawáta people fled from Gído on their way home. One man named Nánu was in advance of the others and came to Bamío where three men, Hamána, Kémésu and Kéri as well as Hamána's wife Máiai were encamped. Nánu spent the night with them, and waking up in the darkness Máiai saw a strange light radiating from his body. He seemed to be covered with blood which shone like fire, and the same light emanated from his mouth and anus. This phenomenon forebodes the death of its bearer. It is explained as the blood from his death-wound which appears as a light beforehand or, according to a parallel explanation, it is his soul which before his actual death passed out of his body in a sort of presentiment and shines in the dark.

During the night some Mawáta people passed Bamío on their way home from Gído, and on seeing their torches Nánu joined them. Not before morning did Máiai tell her husband of the apparition she had seen, but then Nánu had gone, and Hamána scolded his wife for not having warned him.

Shortly afterwards a Mawáta party went on foot to Dírimo under the leadership of Sávokári and Áuo Óta. The Gówo and Kuníni people saw them passing by and determined to kill them on their way back. A certain Dírimo man named Mípa heard of this plan, and without speaking straight out advised the Mawáta people to return by another way, but they did not listen to him. All of a sudden the Gówo and Kuníni men who lay in ambush shot at them, and Meséde who was leading the way fell after having been hit by several arrows. The next one who fell was Nánu, and after him Áuo Óta. Sávokári was wounded but escaped into the bush, and Inávi would have been killed had not a friend of his among the Kuníni men saved him. The Kuníni fellow streched out his bow in front of his companions to prevent them from shooting and stopped them by calling out, „Ka-ka-ka!“

Ever since that incident the old people have warned their children not to go and seek food from distant places even in times of famine; „You stop, little bit kaikai you plant him, byand-by he grow," they say.

Sávokári, with an arrow in his body, straggled homewards right through the bush, for he was afraid of the Túritúri people too, but Inávi came out on the beach. He was seen by a Túritúri man named Sáe who hailed his friends, and they started to pursue Inávi who ran before them. A certain Mawáta woman named Báina who was married in Túritúri saw the chase and called to two great Túritúri men, Abári and Báenámo, „You get up, one man there like Inávi he come, close up people he kill him!" The two got up and seized their arms, and just as Sáe was about to spear Inávi Báenámo struck him with his stone club between the shoulders and broke his spear. „Sáe, look here me!" he cried, "you know me big man along this country, Túritúri. You cranky altogether? You want me one man (alone) go kill you, all family belong you to.day? Good job I stop here! Suppose I stop along bush, that time you kill him, all lot belong you I kill behind (afterwards). Good job I stop, I give you life!" And to Inávi he said, "You no fright! You me (we) go along my house; you no fright, nobody go alongside no more. That dog and pig belong me (they are my dogs and pigs), all them fellow." Thus Inávi was saved.

The wounded Sávokári met a Túritúri friend of his who was working in the bush. „You , stop here," said the Túritúri man, you got arrow; I go cook him food for you, fetch water." But he meant to kill Sávokári, so he asked some friends to bring their weapons, and he shot Sávokári first, and his friend followed his example. This incident is still well remembered at Mawáta, and even at the present day, said the narrator, if some Mawáta man referring to this old feud would call upon the others to go and fight Túritúri, the people would go.

man.

After Inávi had been saved, Báenámo and Abári brought him to the bank of the Bínatúri, and from there they were ferried over to Mawáta. Báenámo related Inávi's adventure in the following words, „High water belong Kuníni, belong Gówo, belong Túritúri been cut off Mawáta All people he down along water, that's all this man we been bail him out." The Mawáta people all wailed when they heard that Inávi alone came back from Dírimo. After a time the famine began to cease at Mawáta, and the people recovered their strength. They planted more gardens, collected plenty of food, and began to gain flesh. But they still thought of revenge. One night Báenámo came to Mawáta and entered the men's house terrifying the people who thought that the enemy were upon them. You fellow ready now for something?" he asked

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them. Cut him new rope belong bow. You fellow been forget?" "No me no been forget, me wild yet." It was then arranged that Báenámo should bring the Túritúri people to a certain place in the bush where they should be attacked by the Mawáta men.

The next day Báenámo called upon the Túritúri, Gówo, and Kuníni people to go and fight the Mawáta people, and the latter lay in ambush for them at the appointed place. Báenámo marched first, and at the root of a certain neere tree he saw the mark which had been put there by the Mawáta people to let him know that they were ready. On seeing the mark he drew a little aside. Two Mawáta men named Kémádu and Kérai let fly their arrows first, and the former hit a Túritúri man behind the ear. The Túritúri people and Báenámo with them fled but many of them were killed, and their heads were cut off. The Mawáta men showed the heads from a distance to the Túritúri people and called out to them, „Bush and outside (the bushmen and Túritúri people), what name (what) you been do before, I clear him now. How much you been kill, I got more now." Another night Báenámo came to Mawáta and received payment for

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his services.

The feud was continued, and the Mawáta people who had regained their strength killed the Túritúri people one after another. The latter who had originally lived together with the Mawáta people shifted their village further and further away from Mawáta. The war lasted up to the time of the present generation. There was very little prospect of a settlement, for many men did not content themselves with merely avenging the death of their friends but said, "No matter I been kill one man already, I went kill other one, go same place again, kill him." When the missionaries arrived, they tried in vain to stop the fighting, said the narrator, but the government had a stronger influence in that respect. (Námai, Mawáta).

THE FIGHT BETWEEN MAWATA AND TURITURI.

339. (Continued from no. 334). Mogúbi had been killed by the Túritúri people, and his kinsfolk at Mawáta were anxious to take revenge. Some Mawáta people headed by Yanga, who belonged to Mogúbi's family, were once collecting coconuts when they encountered a Túritúri party. Yánga sent some women and boys to get help from Mawáta, and the people in the village sounded their trumpet-shells and called out, „Túritúri man make fight now, you me (we) go!" Gáribu was the first to run and help his kinsman Yánga. The two pursued a certain Túritúri man named İrigi, trying to kill him. İrigi's brother Wáiru, who was hiding in the bush, saw his brother's danger and drawing his bow shot Gáribu in the temple and brought him down. As Yánga turned towards the fallen man, Wáiru let fly another arrow and hit him in the side, and Yanga too fell. Dáuba, Gáribu's brother, came to the rescue but Wáiru shot him from the After that Wáiru and frigi ran away.

bush hitting his foot.

The three wounded men were carried home to Mawáta, and the people scolded them for starting the fight prematurely, before the bulk of the warriors had arrived. A bone-headed arrow had penetrated Gáribu's skull, and as the point had broken, it could not be drawn out, and he died, but Yánga and Dáuba survived.

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