[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
I88 MALEKULA - is as yet unforrned; navuru mm nam' is a small nut in which there is not yet any milk; nendaam mm mni is a small nut containing water ; nani ms indicates a nut which has hardened slightly, was meaning primarily "new â€ù or " young “; mmi merang is a dry coco-nut; nani mbut is a nut which has fallen down ; mmi tï¬Åvtï¬Åp is a nut which has begun to sprout.‘ The meat of the coco-nut is called nogo mm mmi, the milk thereof is nas nani, while to take the meat out of a coco-nut is termed ngmggdp. Of the restrictions concerning the gathering of coco- nuts and the uses to which the nuts are put, more will be said when giving an account of that important mythological being Harnbat and of the annual ceremony of the Making of Man. It is interesting to notice here, however, that a special form of tabu mark called noghorghor is set up to guard coco-nut trees. Not everyone can set this up ; to do so is a privilege purchased from a chief at the celebration of a nalemew festival. It consists seemingly of a pole of mtor wood to which is fastened some two-thirds of the way up, a cycas leaf and four lengths of wild cane. These last appear to serve the purpose of stays to hold the pole erect and they seemed to be attached in some way to the ground (see Fig. 7). Another object called nimbulughliu-gh, which looks (if we may judge from a rather rough sketch) like a nut or fruit, is also fastened to the pole at the same spot, and round the base of the pole are laid what appear‘ to he three white stones. It is unfortunate that we have no clue to guide us to an interpretation of this structure : its component parts—the nator pole, the Wild cane, and the cycas—a.re common to many ritual objects. Nothing has been said in the preceding pages of the ritual connected with the cultivation of the land or to ensure a plentiful supply of vegetable food. Apart from the annual fertility rites which are performed for the crops by certain clans in the south- west and in some of the north-west districts, and which will be described later, little has been recorded of_ garden magic, either public or private. But We know that there are certain spells which are used to encourage yams to grow ; that certain sweet~ smelling fruits are burnt on the garden for the same purpose 1 There are two more terms referring to some stage in the growth of a nut which are unfortunately not translated ; one of these is nani uis ngenggdp, which is inserted between nemiaam nan mmi and nmri 1/12.: ; the other is mam‘ tenw, coming between M-(mi we and nu//Vi mmmg.—C. H. W. .
