e 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.

Their dancing is of an exceedingly active and lively character. The
movements of the feet are lively and jumping, often half a hop and half
a run; and, whilst dancing, their heads are actively moving backwards
and forwards and to both sides. The general progressive movement of
a dancing party is slow, but not a crawl; and the progress along the
village enclosure is usually accomplished by a series of diagonal
advances, by which they zig-zag backwards and forwards across the
enclosure, and in this way gradually travel along it. Very often the
dancers divide themselves into two parties, which in their zig-zag
progress alternately approach and recede from each other. The dancers
are always facing in the direction in which at that moment they are
moving. Men and women never dance together, except at the big feast,
where they do so in the way already described.

This method of dancing is in striking contrast to that of the Mekeo
people, whose movements are generally very gentle and slow, those
of the feet, which are accompanied by a corresponding genuflexion,
downwards and outwards, being a slow slight step, usually barely
more than a shuffle, the feet being hardly lifted off the ground,
and those of the head being confined to a slow and sedate backwards
and forwards nodding. Also the progress of a party of Mekeo dancers
is generally very slow,--a crawl,--so much so as often to be barely
perceptible, perhaps two or three inches being accomplished at each
step, and the line of progress of a dancing party is usually a straight
line down the village enclosure; and more commonly, though not always,
the position of each dancer is sideways to the then actual direction
of progression. And in Mekeo women and men often dance together in
one group.

Another difference between Mafulu and Mekeo dancing is that among the
Mafulu, though the drum-beating and dancing go on simultaneously, the
singing, in which all the dance