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

308 MALEKULA
the others had done, so these three seniors also dance round the
gongs, but they do not lay the objects down again. Niielndelmas
is beaten ; the dance comes to an end, and the old man carrying
the conch breaks it against the forehead of a pig which has been
brought into the dancing ground by the candidate's friends.
The old man carrying the spear then kills the animal with it,
and the carcase is divided up into the head, four legs, and two
sides.
The candidate now goes up to one of the lemes. The old man
who played the part of the nambal hawk joins him and calls
out: " Nehm nimweil, Muluumn I “ striking him on the back
as he pronounces the last word. In this way the new member
is given his new title and the ceremony is ended!
N imwzil
Such then are the rites which mark a man's rise from the
status of Mweil to that of Muluwun Nevelvel Mbon. For entrance
into Nimweil the same preparations and succession of rites take
place. The stone circle is set up with the malandr bush in the
centre; the nai/an mlmtia is planted before it and against the
foot of this the coco-nut frond, symbolizing the latch of the door,
is placed.’ Payment is made for the "opening of the door ",
the mmggob, the Mai/an mbalfa, and the malandr bush in the way
already described. The only distinctions made between these
preparations for Nimweél and those for Nzvelvel are in the position
of the mmggnb and the variety of mulamir bush which is planted
inside it. For Nimweil the stone circle is set up to the right
of the men's clubhouse, almost in a. line with its front wall,
instead of behind it and a little to the left. This is in
harmony with the general principle that the less sacred or high
1 It hos izlrisflliy been pointed nut unii there is rcnncn for believing mic
Nnvslwl was the highest of the grades indigenous to Seniarig. A rather cllriullfl
pi.-iii.nicnc, which, however, there seems no reason to distrust, ii to the eï¬Åoct
um it 8. man who is = member hi this Nimnngki and also ci fl. Nalnwan griiric
sic.-i, then other men wishing to become members of I/AI/all/$1 may ask Gnu in
the sons of the deceased to act HS their inn-cancer, Ii this note be accepted as
reliable and as having the meaning which it nppehi-_=, to have, than we have here
an interesting link between these two rriwcircicns,_c. 1-1. w.
I According to Layard ip. 168) n cycns and malimdr bush are planted inside
the stone circle, and the coco-nut lest, ~ representing z. housc,“len1.i against the
cycas Or against the " iront stone " of the circle. This is probably incorrect,
icr he mentions later the flan/an bulie, which word he translates as ~ digging
iricii HS in object sin which payment is made, but says nothing of its Iunetion.
Clearly, however, it is the Sam! as the nmmol mbatia pr Deal:0n.—C. I-L w.
11,:
A pi
T
i ".1.