[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
248 MALEKULA - the animal if it should start or struggle. Opposite ‘these two stand the candidate’s maternal uncle, he who actually performed the incision, and a brother of his. All being ready sorne old man of high social position is called upon to stand beside the. candidate and pronounce the pig-giving formula: “ Nimbuas lawam isepsejz mbamm 1 " (“ Pig his sister's son he se_1§seg5—— "). As soon as these words have been spoken, all the people come in turn, touch the rope which the lad and his brother are holding, and return to their places. Then the maternal uncle’s brother takes the rope and hands it to the maternal uncle (vide Fig. I3). This pig he receives in payment for having incised his nephew. The number of pigs which each candidate presents thus to his mother's brother is not ï¬Åxed, but generally not fewer than three and not more than six are given. Whether each pig is handed over separately with a distinct ceremony for each, or all are bestowed at the same time, is not mentioned. The pig~giving being ï¬Ånished all the men and boys go with those who have just been incised into the bush. Here the novices plaster their chests with white ashes from a ï¬Åre and stick croton leaves in their belts at the back. Thus arrayed they arrange themselves in pairs; each pair picks up a mat and, holding it like a stretcher, they form into procession one behind the other. If a novice has a younger brother who has not been incised, this boy will take the rear end of his mat instead of one of his fellow novices. The procession now starts for the village. Those who are not novices carry croton branches from which, as they go along, they tear the leaves, strewing them all about. As they pass by the fence in front of the amel, a boy standing ready in hiding behind it throws a. pudding into the air and over the top. This is caught by one pair of novices on the mat which they are carrying. Now all those who have been incised ‘ï¬Åle into the enclosure behind the fence and line up beside it. On the other side opposite each boy is a pile of yams which he had heaped up on the day before, and a spear, pointed at both ends, is thrust into the ground beside it. There now follows a second pig-giving rite. On this occasion it is the mother's brother who presents a pig to his sister's son. The donor leads his animal on to the dancing ground, and an old man, probably the same who spoke the pig- giving formula earlier in the day, is asked to pronounce the 'W
