Engines Displace Magic

New Ways of Papuan Coastal Traders

UNTIL recent years the Motu people, who inhabit the large group of vil lages near Port Moresby, set forth each year at the close of the south-east season on trading expeditions to the west.

These were undertaken in clumsy ves sels known as the Lakatoi, consisting of dug-outs lashed together in threes and fours, to form what were little better than rafts. The difficulty of directing such craft, with their crudely-made sails, was generally attributed, not to any imperfection in their design, but to the action of evil spirits incited by some enemy tribe.

To counteract this evil, they invari ably carried magicians on board, whose duty it was to combat spells that raised the violent winds that drew the ungainly craft into danger; and other spells that caused the sails to split, and the stone, that did duty as anchor, to lose its hold, so that they were driven to disaster.

The magicians used more powerful, spells, and ritual that governed every action of the crew—ritual that had for its sole object the placation of hostile spirits, and the retained favour of those who were friendly.

To-day the younger generation of natives are gradually abandoning this primitive method of transport: and many own small powered vessels and sailing craft that trade along the coast. Though they still lash the tail of a king-fish to the mast to insure speed, in the know ledge they have acquired from their white masters about winds, tides and currents, they find little time for spells and ritual, and the old-time magician, for the most part, has lost his job.

M.L.