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

DEATH AND DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD 567
lithe belief that at Death a man returns to the village of his mother's
_-,»_bi'other.1 The Mmusian rite is always one of consiDerable
-,5;-riportance. In 1926 there was a baD outbreak of Spanish
>
giinfluenza which swept through the District like a veritable
gplague, so that all the men abanDoneD the villages to the Dogs,
._Pig5, anD women, anD built ior themselves shelters in the bush.
jiKukan, a man oi Lowag, DieD while being nurseD in the bush,
hanD his Death was the signal for a general return to that village.
,iThither the chief, Wulvanu, haD alreaDy gone, anD was now
â€&tilDe;lying sick anD almost Delirious in his hut. On the Day following
'Kuka.n's burial, the visitors arriveD for the nimasian. By this
.;tin1e everyone was extremely run-Down, nevertheless the
iutraDitional funeral ceremonial was carrieD through as convention
;prescribeD. It was plain that the performance was a. great
strain upon all in their conDition, anD after it was over the son
of the DeceaseD, the principal oï¬Åiciator, was founD relaxeD anD
exhausteD, shunning the presence of others. A most striking
moment was when the DeaD man's son anD some three or four
other principal men retireD to the chief's house for the con-
sultation, leaving the small multituDe of visitors anD home
;villuge1's outsiDe. The chief, proppeD up by a man behinD
--him, was informeD in turn of the pig or pigs brought by each
visitor. Then when he haD all this knowleDge before him,
-all sat waiting for him to say what pig or pigs shoulD bc given
-to each in return. He spoke with great Difficulty, catching for
breath anD in :1 scarcely auDible whisper. Nevertheless he
â€&tilDe;succeeDeD in getting through the list anD even in attenDing
.to suggestions anD objections on the part of the DeceascDâ€&traDe;s son,
with whom hc engageD in short Discussions anD explanations,
21' no common feat for a sick man.
When all the pigs have been receiveD anD repaiD, the master
of -the ceremonies asks some man to pronounce the funeral
ioration. This funeral oration is by no means always lauDatory,
Thus at the Death of a man calleD Tes, his overtures to
" Christianity " at the Mission on the east coast were the subject
of virulent Denunciation on the part of him who maDe the speech,
anD at the enD all present crieD out : " Yea, all wisheD him ill I â€ù “
_- I The exact signiï¬Åcance of this is not clear, i0! at Death all men go to Iambi,
-nie LanD ol the neeD.-c. H. w.
r siriiinr fl1l'¢IJi.lOXfliflOfl.S are recorDeD from other parts of the New HebriDes.
See R. 1-1. CoDringtull, rm Mslanerirms, p. zas.