N.G. Initiation Ceremonies.

District Officer’s Vivid Report.

THE Assistant District Officer in the Middle Sepik District, New Guinea, recently witnessed the initiation ceremonies at Angerman village. These had never before been seen by a white man and his interesting account forms the body of a report which was submitted to the Administrator, Brigadier-General Griffiths, who forwarded it to the Minister in Charge of Territories, Major the Hon. C. W. C. Marr.

MR. ROBINSON said that recently the elders of Angerman village, Middle Sepik, invited him to an initiation ceremony. This was a great compli ment, and also an undoubted sign of good faith. Accompanied by Mr.

Walsh, medical assistant, Mr. Robin son went to Angerman, and the natives told him the dance would commence in the evening. They were escorted by a number of elders to the club house, which was surrounded by a high fence made of coconut fronds. Passing this, they were led to the other side to a small platform, which had been built especially for them to sit upon, and they were instructed to remain and await events.

“Shortly after our arrival the music began inside the fence,” said Mr. Rob inson. “No musicians could be seen, but one could tell by the sounds that instruments were being employed.

Then the door in the fence, which had been shaped to resemble the jaws of a crocodile, slowly opened. Through this came the dancers in files of two —eight men with hand drums in the lead, then two men carrying a carved stick, which they beat with a smaller stick, making a kind of gong—then more men with hand drums, and so on, to the end of the line, which numbered from 80 to 100 men. When all were outside they were joined by the women, and the door was slowly closed.

Elaborate Dressing.

“The men were painted in various colours from head to foot, all wearing beautiful headdresses made from the feathers of various birds, not the least being the Bird of Paradise, the white heron (osprey), and the Goura pigeon.

The women were covered with shells and various kinds of native currency.

Then commenced a slow forward dance from one end of the village to the other. This would continue for about 20 minutes, then the women would fall out one by one, and the men would march towaids the door in the fence, which would slowly open, re maining so until the whole line of men had been absorbed. Then it would slowly close. The dance was very im pressive, and must have been particu larly so to the intended victims of the ceremony, who were watching, but were hot allowed beyond the fence.

“About 5.20 a.m., we were taken in side the fence and put into a safe position, and told that the real part was about begin. We saw the parents and relations leading by the hand their charges, who were to be initiated. Four of these were young ‘monkeys’ from about 10 to 12 years of age, whilst the other was a man of about 22, who had been away to work before he had been through the cere mony.

“Then we noticed that all the men inside the fence had armed themselves with light sticks. Soon the door opened, and all the relatives with their charges rushed inside, and were imme diately soundly thrashed in the struggle which ensued. During the fight, not one of the initiates was molested, but the relatives were un doubtedly soundly thrashed, as large weals were noticed on their skins after it was over. The fight lasted for about 20 minutes, after which everybody quietened down and rested, all being in very good humour, with no signs of enmity shown on either side.

Marking Of The Skin.

“Then the real preparation for the marking of the skin of the initiates began. Five small canoes were brought inside, turned upside down, and placed at intervals of about six yards apart. Alongside each of these a wooden basin of water was placed, in which was a green snail shell, being an advance payment by the father or guardian of the initiate to the man who was to do the marking. Then the initiates were brought along and each placed on a canoe on his back, and the marking began. The marking was done in some cases with safety razor blades, and in others with sharpened bamboo.

Three circles were made on the chest.

Then the upper arms were done. Then the back of the body was marked from the shoulder down to the back of the

knee, the cuts being each a quarter to a half inch long, and just slitting the skin. The marking was a painful process, as in every case the initiate cried incessantly, some initiates struggling so violently that the operators tied them to the canoe.

“The process of marking occupied from two to three hours, and at the end of the ceremony, both operator and initiates were covered with the blood from the incisions. The victims were now allowed to rest for a few moments.

Then their relatives took them down to the river and washed them. The initiates were next brought back in side the clubhouse and laid down on a mat whilst their wounds were gently treated with ‘tuat’ (guak) oil, which was applied with a feather.

“These lads will now remain in the clubhouse for three months, only being allowed the society of initiated men.

Food will be brought to them by these men for this period. Then they will hold a less important dance, and after this is over, they will go to their homes and proudly show their mark ings to the womenfolk.

“The crocodile is the background of the whole ceremony. The markings on the bodies are supposed to be scars made by the teeth of the crocodile.

The door leading inside the fence around the clubhouse represents the jaws of the crocodile. The cause of the fight is as follows: —The crocodile is calling for his victim. This is repre sented by the two water-drums. The relations are supposedly trying to save their protegees from the crocodile and so the fight represents the last struggle, which eventually the crocodile wins, and so the victim finishes up fully scarred after his experience. Every male must go through this ceremony before he may enter the clubhouse.’

The small yacht “Viking”, from Los Angeles, with a party of young Ameri cans aboard, arrived in Papeete on the 18th of May.