it.  For example, not long ago a chief was taken by the authorities to Port Moresby, and died there; and songs about this were sung all through his district.  Anyone will compose a topical song; in fact, a man will begin singing one in the emone, making it up as he goes on, and the others will join.  The men have a very pretty custom of singing together very softly when at the end of the day they have retired to their emone, and have lain down to sleep, the singing being very gentle, and producing what I can only describe as a sort of crooning sound, like a lullaby or cradle song.  I once heard one of these songs sung by my carriers the last thing at night as they lay beneath the floor of the building in which I was sleeping; and the effect was absolutely charming.

As an example of Mafulu music I give the following, which, though not, I fear, quite accurate, is I think a substantially correct version of the music of a war song sung by the Mambule and Sivu communities in connection with joint hostilities by them against another community, and I have so far as possible added the song itself.

    1st Verse:  E! e! e!  Si-vu Mambule juju la em u jeka le
    2nd Verse:  E! e! e!  Noul e nul em u ieka la bulu iuju le

It will be observed that the first line is whistling only.  I was informed that it is a common practice to whistle the air before singing the first verse; though I did not gather that it was always done.  It will also be noticed that simple harmonies occur in the fourth and fifth bars.  I cannot say whether the two parts in the music are sustained or taken up by the voices upon any defined scheme, and, if so, what that scheme is.  Nor can I say whether the voices which take the lower notes in the music are silent after the word la, or repeat that word in the sixth bar, with or without the upper voices, in order to bring the tune to a full close.  I have only given two verses; and, as regards the song in question, I doubt if there were any more.  Unfortunately I am unable to translate the words, and can only give the meanings of the following:—­

E! e! e! are merely meaningless exclamatory sounds, such as we have in civilised songs. Sivu is the name of a Fuyuge community close to the Mission Station, being, in fact, the one referred to by me in my chapter on communities. Mambule is the name of another of these communities, further away from the station, being, as stated in my introductory chapter, the name of the community from which the name Mafulu arises.  I cannot give verbal explanations of any of the other words; but I may say that a rough translation of the second verse is “My village, your village is alike (or equal.)”

Dancing.

The Mafulu people, like other New Guinea natives, are fond of dancing, and indulge in it extensively, especially in connection with feasts and ceremonies.