Page:The Melanesians Studies in their Anthropology and Folklore.djvu/133

] of the fine feathers from near the eyes of fowls, dyed crimson and woven into a string, and the stone remains as a memorial. A kolekole ngere qoe gives the right to wear a necklace of wetapup, and the herb of the occasion dances in a hat. Another kind gives the right to wear a pig's tail in the hair; I have seen a man at Maewo with five and twenty. If a man had a wonderful or rare thing in his possession, brought from foreign parts perhaps, as a white cockatoo from the Solomon Islands, he might kole this; or more probably he would take advantage of another man's feast, and dance about exhibiting it. Orators mounted on the gamal roof, or on the new-built house, would harangue the crowd, setting forth the virtues of the giver of the feast; others would go about with baskets of his money proclaiming his liberality; the decorated palako logs heavy with mana would be carried in; pigs would be dismissed to distant villages with a smack from the giver; crowds from all parts assembled; dancers and drummers exerted themselves in view of the morrow's payment; women competed with new songs for a prize and honour. It was a great thing for a man to have a large assemblage at his feast, and a great satisfaction to his enemy to prevent it; each would therefore use charms to further his purpose. A man would rub the leaves of a scented ginger-plant, or a strong-smelling erythrina, in his hands overnight and hang them over the fire; he would chop the twigs and leaves, singing over them a charm; he would chew and puff all night to get mana; in the morning he would blow his shell trumpet to spread abroad the influence of his leaves, which would avut, draw a multitude to the feast. A counteracting charm from the adversary would make men feel disinclined to go. Another decoration to be obtained by giving a dance and feast is the urai non Qat of Mota, noran Qat of the Torres Islands, where perhaps it is now most practised, the head anointing of Qat. The head is smeared over with a mixture of a certain dust from a tree with the juice of coleus leaves and native oranges and salt water, which makes a brilliant red colour. There is another preparation of