WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 169

are present, to forget an answer is not a serious matter, but
later on the uninitiated are similarly invited to guess and then
correct remembering is essential. After this has gone on for
some time, the singers strike up the tune of a song which they
have already composed for X.* The theme is always of the
land above and the wordless chorus, which is said to be the
same for Mystery dancers all over the coast, is ’a’yaiweia.
The audience listen attentively so that they will be able to
join in. When this has been sufficiently practised, a meal is
served, amid the admonitions of the marshals. After a second
practice of X’s song, all is ready for a circuit of the village, the
fact that it is about two or three o'clock in the morning being
of no consequence.

X leads the party, followed by a considerable number of
kukusiut, among whom must always be his four remembran-
cers. They go to the lowest house of the village, which X
enters, carrying his stick horizontally above his head, and
proceeds with mincing steps to the central position behind the
fire. He turns on himself and thrusts his staff to the floor
where, to the surprise of the uninitiated, it remains upright.
They do not know that the end js pointed with bone and that
he has taken care to drive it down into acrack. The singers
beat out X’s song, in which all the kukusiut join, but he does
not dance. One of the singers next calls upon the people to
beat time furiously with sticks brought for the purpose, and X
becomes excited, shrieking out:

“More! More!”

It is supposed that this clamour soothes his mental anguish.
A herald calls on members of the household to register their
guesses, uninitiated as well as Aukusiut being encouraged to do
so. The remembrancers use their best efforts to bear in mind
the answers which are pouring in. One of the marshals ex.

“The actual tune and some of the words may have been chosen by the singers
during the day, or several of them have composed tunes and now beat them out

in succession until al] have agreed on the best composition. Meanwhile the guests
wait patiently, for time is of no moment in kusiut dances.