(oioT, CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE DATE DUE fzt^mMl, ^ -^ vs^ "TT-* ^^^M^^ mn^mmo Cornell University Library GN662 .B87 Melanesians and PolYneslans: their life- 3 1924 029 889 197 olin The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029889197 MELANESIANS AND POLYNESIANS ^^0^^ MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited LONDON BOMBAY CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON CHICAGO ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO ^^^.''::^ .• Fhnlo. Ij/i Mr. H. I'. Bernj. Man and Woman, Euviana, Solomon Islands. MELANESIANS AND POLYNESIANS THEIR LIFE-HISTORIES DESCRIBED AND COMPARED BY GEORGE BROWN, D.D. AUTHOR OF 'GEORGE BROWN, PIONEER MISSIONARY AND EXPLORER: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY' WITH ILLUSTRATIONS MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON 1910 P\^^.^%G^^'^ «ESt- ,o P PREFACE My acquaintance with the natives of the East and West Pacific extends over a term of forty - eight years. During that time I resided in Samoa for fourteen years continuously, from 1860 to 1874, and I have often visited the group in later years. In 1875 I landed in New Britain, now named the Bismarck Archipel. At that time there was no white man living in the group, and practically nothing was known of those islands or of the people living there. I resided there until the end of 1880, with the exception of the time occupied by two visits to Australia, and I have revisited that group on several occasions since that time. My acquaintance with the great Solomon Islands group began in the year 1879, and since then I have visited the group on several occasions. During these many voyages I have visited Tonga, Fiji, New Hebrides, Santa Cruz, New Ireland, New Hanover, New Guinea, the large atolls of the Ontong Java and the Tasman groups, and many others of the smaller islands in the Pacific. I was able to speak the Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, and New Britain languages, and found this know- VI MELANESIANS AND POLYNESIANS ledge very useful in my intercourse with the different races. The information given in the following pages is that which was acquired from the natives only, except where otherwise stated. Whilst I was stationed in New Britain I secured from time to time the services of intelligent natives, and considered with them many of the questions which are given in the work, Anthropological Notes and Queries, issued by the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and wrote down at the time the answers which were given me. The infor- mation given of Samoan customs was acquired during my residence there, and subsequently confirmed and added to by my friend, the late Rev. George Pratt. I always distrust the evidence of memory alone, especially after any lengthened absence from the islands. In this work it must be understood that I am not writing a general account of either Melanesians or Polynesians, but only of those with whom I have had close acquaintance. In describing Melanesians, except when otherwise stated in the text, my descrip- tion will be that of the manners and customs of the people of New Britain (Bismarck Archipel), and more particularly of the Duke of York group. In describ- ing Polynesians my remarks will apply to the Samoans, except when otherwise stated. I have no pet theories of my own, and whilst I may express my own opinions from time to time, I shall certainly not attempt to force or distort facts with the idea of supporting them. There is no man PREFACE vii more dangerous in the consideration of scientific sub- jects than the man with a fad, except perhaps the man who, when facts fail him, or when they are not sufficiently sensational, can always find in his own imagination an unlimited supply for public consump- tion. We have had specimens of both of these in the South Seas, and I certainly do not intend to add to the number. I have only written this work because I have been urged to do so by so many friends in England and Australia whose opinions I value, and because I have been called hard names by them for not placing on record some of the knowledge of the manners, customs, and folklore of the peoples amongst whom I have lived for so many years. GEO. BROWN. CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE The Islands in which the People live . .1 CHAPTER II The Family Homes and Families . .23 CHAPTER III Childhood and Early Life . .50 CHAPTER IV Childhood and Early Life—continued . .96 CHAPTER V Food, Cooking, Cannibalism . .125 CHAPTER VI Wars, Diseases, Medicines . .152 CHAPTER VII • Ebligion . .190 X MELANESIANS AND POLYNESIANS CHAPTER VIII PAGE Magic, Witchcraft, Omens, Soperstitions . 232 CHAPTEE IX Morals, Grimes, Covenants . .251 CHAPTER X QOVBRKMENT, LaWS, TaBU . .270 CHAPTER XI Arithmetic, Money, Measures, Trade . 292 CHAPTER XII Propbrtt, Ornaments, Industry, etc. 309 CHAPTER XIII Fishing, Hontins, Agriculture, Games, etc. 320 CHAPTEE XIV History, Mythology . .352 CHAPTER XV Language, Communications, etc. .... 368 CHAPTER XVI Sickness, Death, and Burial .... 354 CONTENTS CHAPTEE XVII PAGE Miscellaneous 407 CHAPTEE XVIII 426 Conclusion . APPENDIX 439 INDEX 445 ILLUSTRATIONS xiv MELANESIANS AND POLYNESIANS Sacred Canoe (pidik), Duke of York Island, New Britain Face page 92 Samoan Woman .......•„ 96 Samoan Young Woman, showing characteristic manner of sitting .......... 96 Girls, Duke of York Island, New Britain . ,,104 Young Men of Guadalcanar, Solomon Islands . ,,104 Two Girls of Dobu, S.E. New Guinea . „ 118 Women cooking Food at Kiriwina, S.E. New Guinea . j, 140 Dance at Yam Harvest Festival, Kiriwina, S.E. New Guinea „ 140 New Guinea Stone Clubs ....... 142 Wooden Carved Clubs, Kiriwina, S.E. New Guinea . ,,142 Two Skulls showing Trephining, New Britain . ,,152 Gumi, a Chief of Ruviana, Solomon Islands, decked with very valuable Ornaments . ,,152 Man dressed for Dance at Yam Harvest Festival at Kiriwina, S.E. New Guinea „ 154 Kiriwina Native with Shield and Spear . ,,154 Women, with Presents, meeting the Fleet of AVar-Canoes returning from a Raid, Ruviana, Solomon Islands . ,,160 Shields : (1) Port Moresby, New Guinea. (2) Ruviana, Islands. Solomon (3) Kiriwina, S.E. New Guinea . „ 162 Samoan Warriors . Two . ,,165 Fijian Mek^, . a War- or Action-Dance . ,,168 Carved Figure, inlaid with Pearl Shell to protect Burial- Grounds at Ruviana, . Solomon Islands . 234 Carved Wooden Figure. Two figures carved in Chalk. Two Masks from New Ireland, and Stone used by Iniat Society for purposes of Sorcery . 234 Carved Masks and Figures from New Guinea . 238 Masks from New Ireland, and Skulls and Masks from New Britain ••••... 238 Wooden Bowl inlaid with Shells, Guadalcanar, Solomon Islands ....-._ 248 Wooden Image and Model of War-Canoe (tomako), Solomon Islands .... 248 ILLUSTRATIONS CHAPTER I THE ISLANDS IN WHICH THE PEOPLE LIVE Before placing on record some facts connected with the life -histories of the Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, amongst whom I have lived for many years, I think it well to give a very brief description of the groups in which the people live. Samoa, in which I resided for nearly fifteen years, is one of the eastern groups in the South Pacific. It lies between the parallels of 13° 30' and 14° 30' S. lat., and consists of the Manua group, Tutuila, Upolu, Manono, Apolima, and Savaii. The group is principally of volcanic formation, the most recent crater, up to the time of this present eruption, being one called Tutumau, a few miles inland of Safune, on the N.W. side of the large island of Savaii. I visited this in 1862. No white man had ever ascended it before. It was at that time a high mountain of volcanic ashes, with a very deep, well-defined crater. The sides of the crater were almost perpendicular, and there was little or no vegetation on the mountain, and we saw no signs of heat or steam. I B 2 MELANESIANS AND POLYNESIANS ch. The islands are all mountainous, intersected with deep valleys showing marks of denudation from heavy rainfalls and the action of mountain torrents. This is more especially noticeable in the island of Upolu. The coast-line is principally composed of volcanic cliffs, " steep to," and with very few places on which landing may be safely effected from boats. The principal exceptions to this are on Upolu, from a point a few miles to the eastward of Apia, on the N. coast to Falelatai, on the S.W. coast, a dis- tance of about 50 miles, and from Salelologa, on the N.E. coast of Savaii, to Amoa, on the N.W. coast. Then there is a stretch of volcanic cliffs for about 20 miles to Lealatele, where the fringing reef again begins, and continues to Sasina, on the same coast, for about 12 miles. These fringe or shore reefs vary from a few yards to 1^ mile in distance from the shore. The country inland from these reef-protected areas is much more level and less broken than it is inland of the iron-bound coast. In an address which I gave at the meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science at Hobart, as president of the Geographical Section, I said in reference to this group -^1 think it not at all unlikely that the islands were at one time surrounded by reefs, which have been in many places filled up by lava, and that those places where the fringing reefs still remain were out of the line of the lava streams, and so escaped.