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318 MALEKULA
sounded, and the next morning the guests arrive to sing and
dance tour. They then go to the matanhal and there crown the
nai/an mbulia with a. coco-nut. This done they form into a
procession ; in the middle walks one oi the seniors carrying
over his left shoulder a stick of melu (kava) bush which appears
to be bent into a hoop or bow ; two other men carry conches on
which they blow alternate notes, this being called immdm mbal
m, while others again man the gongs and beat mm‘ rm mflflitlï¬Ål
The procession moves from the matanhal, walks round the gongs,
back round the temzs in the mahmhal, round the gongs once
more, and again round the tomes. This circumambulation being
over, the melu stick is taken from the senior and placed on the
tzmes.‘ The candidate then kills a pig in the matanhul and pays
others to his introducer for the nawm mbatia, the naai ndvï¬Åh,
and for some third object called nai/an meta, which may possibly
be the coco-nut which was set on top of the mwan mbalia. This
ï¬Ånally ends the preparations and the guests return yet again
to their villages. Two days pass uneventfully but on the evening
of the third day aisumpmlew is sounded once more and the
iollowing morning the people arrive ti: take part in tho. most
important of the entrance rites. These proceed in much the
same way as has been described for other grades. Teuris danced ;
the introrlucer presents his pig to the candidate, and the pig's
tusk bracelet is given and paid for,‘ On this occasion it and the
nwimm newt are enclosed in a sisal leaf, and the candidate
places his wrist against the tomes, which was sot up under the
mbuug up in the dancing ground. The candidate now plants
a number of sisal sprays around the foot of this tomes. When
this is done one of the seniors calls out " Litamate ", and adds,
addressing the candidate, " Nehm Ahmgk ".’ As he utters this
last word the candidate makes a loud report by "exploding"
1 This is not quite clear, hilt it seems that the hoop OI’ bow is hung OVCX the
Imus mblzl min the mIlanhnI.—C. H. W,
= Apparently the Hull hiihm ii not given to the candidate at BDTXMICD to
Mbnt R11.-—C. 1-l. w.
' Here the hem BIB not very clear, but presumably this iize mieiiihles the
calling hl uimih and the blowing of the COl1Cl'l0S which have been described in
this 6E|('.l'8l1Cu Ceremflniel to Nimangln‘ Nsrlisli/zl, iilthmlgll eh this occasion the
nth take! place iippaiehtly just before the nightly dancing hi my and not after
the midi dance (to which D0 1‘eI€.'€nc€ is made here). It is, however, very curious
that the candidate should be given his title ï¬Åt the close of the Inimaii rite, ih
al1tiCipl!!l0n HS it were Oi the mhaihdei of the entrance ceremonies. 3! well 8!
it their close. It is possible that the iniflnnlflt intended CO imply that the man
who called Iiiamala was the one who ï¬Ånally conferred the title, hut that he C011-
Ierred it at this point in the c¢l'6I.I10I1iES.—C- I-I. w.
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