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

654 MALEKULA I
Ndilmiel. One man, who has the title of Baghalapwe} and who
must have attended a nagho at Melpmes before, comes dancing
up towards the amel. He carries a how and arrow (the arrow
being of cane not wood) and pretends to shoot at an imaginary
pigeon on the roof of the amel. He must only pretend to shoot,
however, for were he really to release the arrow it would cause
all men to die. Inside the amel are two images. one of Butwana-
baghap, the other of a woman, presumably Nimanin, his wife.
They are about three feet high, carved out of Wood, and unlike
the temes of the N imungke they have the male and female sexual
organs completely represented. On the morning alter the second
night of dancing these two images are brought out oi the amel,
and the men dance holding them. Then all the men form into
two lines, headed by those carrying the tomes. They race along
the beach to Tufnell Bluff, and there plant the images in the
ground.“
Here the account of the Nagha Tilabwz ends. Nothing is
said about the signiï¬Åcance of the nitukuno dance nor of the race
with the temes, nor are we told what happens to them after they
have been set up on Tufnell Bluff—~whether they are left there
to rot, or are brought back later to the amel and used again at
the next celebration of this nagho.
Though it is stated that the Nogho Tilabwe is essentially
associated with Melpmes, yet it is recorded that the village
of Lokhtemisrnokh also has a nogho nemughut, that is a “ nogho
of man â€ù. There is indeed a list given in which Iumoran, Melpmes,
and Lokhtemismokh are bracketed together and against them
written “ three noglw for making manâ€ù. This would imply
that the Lokhtemismokh ceremony was like that of Melpmes.
Nevertheless, there is no indication that this village is divided
into "houses " as is Melprnes, nor that it has any particular
association with the Kabat. Indeed, it is stressed that in these
two respects Melpmes is unique in the district. In Seniang it
was seen that one clan might have several villages, these being
‘ This is the name oi the eldest of the ï¬Åve Kabul brothers. Its use as a
title tor a man in the nitukuna dance is important since it is the only link recorded
between the ï¬Åve Kabul and any Mewun ceremony.—C. H. W.
Y A rough note in one oi the ï¬Åeld-books runs : " Then all men make two
lines, long fellow, man carrying models of Mm Ngnai.â€ù I cannot ï¬Ånd any trans-
lation of this word, though evidently it refers to the images of the Kabat. It is
curious that it is the same as the name of the clan to which the village of Benaur
belongs, and that in the dialect of Seniang it appears to be the word for the
flying i0x.—C. H. W. .
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