[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
column. Here, still dancing, he faces to the left of the ground, and all the men form into a line behind hi.m - ï¬Årst those of the front rank then those of the middle, and ï¬Ånally those of the third rank the last man in the ï¬Åle being he who was the last man of the ï¬Åfth oolumn. Followed by this tail the nerumbas dances off round all the positions again, moving this time from the right to the left of the dancing ground, the men at each joining on to the end of the procession. When all the dancers have been gathered up in this way, the nemmbas turns round, throws up his a.rrns as though scattering them, and the whole throng disperses in all directions. The nelmg is ï¬Ånished. What tlle meaning of this perfonnance may be, we do not know. As mentioned above, the natives do not regard it as a piece of ritual comparable to the ritual of the Nimangki, but rather as zl spectacular performance. The exclusion of the women from the audience is not SUPPOSED to be due to their oondition of igah, but on account of the breach of sexual morality which might result were they to behold the dancers. Judging from such words in the songs as are intelligible, and the names of the performers in their various positions, the Nalmg appears to be a sort of " play " in which birds and ghosts are the principal actors. The word‘ nelmg itself, according to one note, means “ wind ", but why thc main body of dancers is called the “ mouth of the wind" is not explained. Two features of special interest are the dancer called alter the nambal hawk, and the " man who shoots the mlmg ", who, in his song, seems to make a reference to the shooting of ghosts (lmn'm' nilemss). Both these suggest that there may be some connection between the Neleng and the Nalawan, for a nambnl feather is one of the badges of member- ship of the latter, and shooting at the Nalawan structure is an important rite at entrance to the higher grades of this society. The natives themselves, however, threw no light upon this problem.‘
Tile N1'mbe'n' There is yet another society found in Seniang which is said to resemble the Nevinbur closely, but which is of very much less I This iuggestion as to the association oi the Nzlmg and Nalawan was made by Deacon. re must be pointed out, however, um the ‘Mamba! feather is equally n badge oi the Nimangln and that shooting lt objects rm-ins a pm of the iicinil in, I0! instance, the lnllision ceremonies oi Lambumbu, and almost certainly of Sanilng, as well BS in those of the liiglisr Nzlawrm gra.des.—C. H. w. .1.
