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

THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE 5
particularly in connection with the three secret societies and the
grades into which they are divided.
Tun DISTRKCTS or MALEKULA
Although the island of Malekula is by no means large, it is
divided up into a number of districts, which regard themselves
as distinct political units, and which are characterized by
differences in dialect, in social structure, material culture, and
economic and ritual life. In the south-west lie Seniang, Wilemp,
Wien, Nahate, and Hurtes, between which there was in former
days considerable intercourse. T0~day no single village remains
in any of these save in Seniang, whither the few surviving
members of the other districts have gone to die. Wien comprises
roughly the densely-wooded watershed of the Matanui River,
and stretches more or less indeï¬Ånitely east of this. Hurtes,
which means literally “ By the Sea â€ù, lies along the coast from
the mouth of the Matanui to Caroline Bay on the west coast,
and includes the now uninhabited Tomman Island. Seniang is
the coastal region from Caroline Bay to the lagoon of South~
West Bay, its most northerly village, Lamangkau, being situated
on the north side of the entrance to this lagoon. Wilemp lies
inland from South-West Bay to the east as tar as the Matanui
River, and Nahate is between Wilemp and Hurtes.
Culturally and linguistically Seniang, Wilemp, and Nahate
are linked together, and as regards their culture Wien and Hurtes
may be added to this group, although the language of the latter
districts marks them off as distinct from the others of the
southewest.
Owing partly to the mountainous and densely»wooded nature
of the country there is very little contact between these coastal
areas and the interior, with the result that the coastal people
know scarcely anything about their inland neighbours. To the
north of Seniang from South-West Bay to Hook Point is the
district of Mewun which stretches into the interior for a considerable
distance.‘ The language and culture of the people of Mewun are
'_According_ to one set of notes. the coastal region alone is called Mewun,
no iéllgitlfll‘ beiéigralil/lindu.d Yllhether llflewun and Mindu are really distinct is
rl cu u an in I l h ' ‘
idenï¬ÅCaL_C. H1 W'y gins ica y t ey are very closely allied if not