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

THE AMBAT, KABAT, AND HAMBAT 619
was emitting a great light like fire, S0 Ambat sent Awirara to
see what it was, but he was frightened and came back. Then
Ambat sent Awinggntnggot, but he too was frightened and
returned. Then Awisantwuhlu and Awikintuas were sent
successively, but they too were afraid and came back. Finally
Ambat went himself. He took with him a stick, wound a oord
about it, and thrust it into the mouth of the giant clam, and so
killed it. As soon as it was dead it turned into an island lying
just below the surface of the sea. Having killed the giant clam,
Ambat went home and he sent his brothers, one after another,
to look at the new island. When Awirara went he saw the
ground just appearing; then Awinggotnggot saw it wholly out
of the water ; Awisantwuhlu found it dry, and when Awikintuas
arrived, trees were already beginning to grow. Ambat then took
a coco-nut and went to the now island, which was called Om,‘
and left it there. Again Awirara, Awinggotnggot, and Awisant-
wuhlu went to the island, this time to see how the coco~nut fared.
The ï¬Årst found it grown a little, the second a little hit more, the
last found it grown largo. Then Awinggotnggot went again’
and found the tree in fruit. He attempted to get some of the
nuts, but the tree seized and tried to devour him. He managed
to escape, however, and to return to Batnbriingk. Then Ambat
went and took with him his bow and arrow and with them he
shot down u Coco-nut, which he drank, Then all ï¬Åve brothers
left Batnbriingk, and went to live on Tomman Island, saying
that it was a small place and therefore more suited to them
than the large district on the mainland.
~ A close parallel to this story will be found in Appendix B,
with the native text and its translation, but here the parts played
by the five brothers who went to look at the clam are taken by
various birds, and it is the owl who, with a stake given to it by
Ambat, ï¬Ånally succeeds in killing the clam. The episode
concerning the planting and growth of the coco-nut and its attack
on Awirara is entirely omitted,
1 Tu» note nnw 1 " Arnbat then mm red Ambul ml.» Mbaland coco-nut."
No translation ms been found tor Ambnl Natm Mbal nor any other reference
Ea such a person or thing. mm: = " the earth "; ow is Tulnman Island.-—
. 1-1. w.
I re seems strange that Awinggotnggot should go 1 second time and
Awikintuas not at all, but the 1101135 are clear in stating om it was the fourth
brother who had the adventure with the tree.—»C. H, w.
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