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

500 MALEKULA
already been described: ï¬Årst tHe rHytHm of His fatHer's clan
is given, followed by tHe rHytHm of His motHer's clan and tHat
of His Nimzmgki rank}
It will be remembered, furtHer, tHat ea/cH of tHe clan-rHytHms
or nambwir Has its individual name. THus tHe rHytHm of tHe
clan wHose parent village is Uraau is called ndimiinmier. THe
same is true of all otHer gong-rHytHms : eacH Has a name, and
a name, be it noted, wHicH does not necessarily bear any apparent
relation wHatsoever to tHe concept wHicH tHe rHytHm serves to
convey. For instance, tHe rHytHm called iuswus ngileo signiï¬Åes
"WHere is . . .?",’ but tHe meaning of tHe words iuswus
ngileo is not known, tHougH tHey may Have some connection
witH tHe verb in/us, " He asks.â€ù .
A simple example will make tHe metHod of gongsignalling
more clear. Supposing tHat a man of a certain village Has
lost a pig oi nitavu grade. He will go to tHe gongs and beat
out tHe rHytHm called iusu/us ngileo and follow it witH tHat
called Mai tamap, wHicH stands for an animal of nitavu
status, tHus: “
:';r::{=.w|1w1H-~= H-~= Ii»: linll
,;;g;,{=iï¬Åï¬Åï¬Åï¬Å*“Iï¬Åiï¬ÅrIï¬Ågjï¬Åwlï¬Åï¬Åï¬Å I
THese two rHytHms beaten in tHis manner signify, tHerefore :
“ Is my m'tavu pig at your place? “ or “ WHere is my nitavu
pig? " If, now, a man of anotHer village Has come across tHe
pig in question (tHe informant assured Deacon tHat tHe pig would
be recognized witHout any furtHer description), He goes to His
‘ THere is some disagreement in tHe notes as to wHetHer tHe gong~rHytHm
of a. man's Nimrmgki tank is given before or after tHe rHytHms of His fatHer's
and motHers clans. On tHis subject Deacon writes: “ It is possible tHat tHe
Nimangki beat is signalled am only in tHe case of men of HigH rank, on tHe
principle of niling out as many people as possible witH tHe ï¬Årst gong-beat. Ii
it is a HigH rank tHere migHt be only two or tHree men of tHat rank witHin tHe
radius of tHe signalling. . . . Several informants agree tHat tHe gong-beat of
tHe fatHer's descent group and of tHe motHer’s are generally sufï¬Åcient for
identiiying 3. man witHout tHe addition of His NinumgHi beat."
' THe exact signiï¬Åcance of tHe rHytHm iusurus ngilao is uncertain; a more
correct rendering may He " Is it at your place " i—A. LB, D.
‘ Concerning His metHod of recording tHe gong-ryHtHins Deacon writes:
" I ï¬Ånd it ditï¬Åcult to split up tHe rHytHms rm any Sim le time; tHus tHe four
beats of bar two in nani la/mag? are made to occupy (so fir as my ear can judge)
exactly tHe same interval as tHe ï¬Åve beats of bar one."
t
5
1
ii
if
1
‘C