[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

94 WITH NATIVES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

by gaily coloured croton bushes, stands the men’s
house—the “gamal.” Strong pillars support its
gabled roof, that reaches down to the ground; the
entrance is flanked by great ,' stone slabs. Oddly
branched dead trees form a hedge around the house,
and on one side, on a sort of shelf, hang hundreds
of boars’ jaws with curved tusks. Inside, there are
a few fireplaces, simple holes in the ground, and a
number of primitive stretchers of parallel bamboos,
couches that the most ascetic of Whites would disdain.
Among the beams of the roof hang all kinds of
curiosities: dancing-masks and sticks, rare fish, pigs’
jaws, bones, old weapons, amulets and so on, every-
thing covered with a thick layer of soot from the
ever-smouldering fires. These “ gamals ” are a kind
of club-house, where the men spend the day and
occasionally the night. In rainy weather they sit
round the fire, smoking, gossiping and working on
some tool,——-—a club or a fine basket. Each clan has
its own gamal, which is strictly taboo for the women,
and to each gamal belongs a dancing-ground like
the one described. On Vao there are five, corre-
sponding to the number of clans.

Near by are the dwelling-houses and family
enclosures. Each family has its square, surrounded
by a wall about I metre high. of loose stones
simply piled up, so that it is unsafe to lean against
it. Behind the walls are high screens of braided
reeds, which preclude the possibility of looking into
the enclosure; even the doors are so protected that
no one can look in; for the men are very jealous,