. A naturalist's wanderings in the Eastern archipelago; a narrative of travel and exploration from 1878 to 1883. beenthe result of the machinations of mortal man ? If the bodymove forwards to strike the stake, the reply is supposed to bein the affirmative. If the intimation is that death has notbeen natural, the corpse is questioned in order to find thedelinquent through all the Rajah-ships, till the correct one isindicated; then through all the Soas or villages, and throughall the individuals of the selected Soa, till the culprits name isobtained, who is at once seized and condemned to pay a
. A naturalist's wanderings in the Eastern archipelago; a narrative of travel and exploration from 1878 to 1883. beenthe result of the machinations of mortal man ? If the bodymove forwards to strike the stake, the reply is supposed to bein the affirmative. If the intimation is that death has notbeen natural, the corpse is questioned in order to find thedelinquent through all the Rajah-ships, till the correct one isindicated; then through all the Soas or villages, and throughall the individuals of the selected Soa, till the culprits name isobtained, who is at once seized and condemned to pay a deathfine, for the backbone a certain price, for each right and leftrib, for each hand and foot, for the head and the contents ofthe body, each a fixed sum; altogether a large amount inevery species of trade article. The Buruese are firm believers in Swangies, or spirits oftheir fellows endowed with the power to go about disembodied,working evil (generally) to their neighbours. An individualwith this power is greatly dreaded, and derives not a fewpresents, for the purpose of retaining his goodwill, as also. IN BU1W. 405 payment from those who desire some evil to befall an enemywithout suspicion of its originator. The Swangi is supposedto be able to cover with misfortune whom he will withouttheir being aware whence the disaster comes. Their dead are buried in the forest in some secluded spotfar from other graves, and marked often by a merang or gravepole, and over which at certain intervals their relatives placetobacco, cigarettes, and various offerings. When the body isdecomposed, the son or nearest relative disinters the head,wraps a new cloth about it, and places it in the Matakau at theback of his house, or in a little hut erected for it near thegrave. It is the representative of his forefathers whose behestshe holds in the greatest respect. The day after our arrival was spent from break of dav inbotanising, collecting birds, and in examining the lake. Thisis a magnificent s
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
