Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/197

Rh they turn over and over in the water during the ascent like a "spinner". The turtle is then hauled into the canoe. Except during the pairing season, turtle, I was assured, are almost, if not quite, invariably caught in this manner. The ordinary turtle are too large and heavy to be actually drawn up by the gapu alone, though possibly this may sometimes be done with quite small turtle. If a rough sketch be made of a man fastened on to a turtle in the way I have described, it will readily account for the ending of the story. The conclusion was a natural, almost inevitable one. This, and an incident in the story of Tiai, are the only really indelicate situations in the series of legends which I collected.

(1) Kwoiam, the legendary warrior of Mabuiag, is also credited with having produced a permanent water-hole by means of a spear-thrust. (2) This spotted dog-fish, with a large dark mark behind the gills, is common in Torres Straits.

Yawar was evidently the culture-hero who introduced a new method of gardening. It is interesting to note that he was badly treated by those he had instructed, and was finally transported to Mer. Gelam, we are told, also migrated from Moa to Mer, carrying various edible plants with him. May one understand this as meaning that agriculture was taught to the Eastern by the Western tribe of Torres Straits? I found that both legends, with small variations, were current in Mer; and the inhabitants of the latter island further acknowledged their indebtedness to the Western tribe, for, according to the sacred legend of Malu, the grand initiation ceremonies resulted from the arrival of Malu from the Western islands. I further procured in Mer a large block of granite which was a powerful sorcery-stone or charm (wiwar), and which probably came from Nagir, certainly from one of the Western islands. It is now in the British Museum.

The title I have given to this legend indicates my opinion as to its significance. I have little doubt that this is the reason given for the ceremonies connected with the sara (i.e., platform supported on four posts on which the corpses were laid out).

(1) Coating the body with mud was a sign of mourning. A special costume, called soger, was also worn by the women. This consisted of a long fringe, which hangs down in front and behind, being suspended round the neck, and smaller fringes encircling the arms and legs. Aukwŭm is reported as having worn the bones of her infant son, after having probably rubbed them over with red ochre. The wearing of a