e of this. They also
have warlike songs; and, when a special event occurs, songs are often
composed with reference to it. For example, not long ago a chief was
taken by the authorities to Port Moresby, and died there; and songs
about this were sung all through his district. Anyone will compose a
topical song; in fact, a man will begin singing one in the _emone,_
making it up as he goes on, and the others will join. The men have a
very pretty custom of singing together very softly when at the end
of the day they have retired to their _emone,_ and have lain down
to sleep, the singing being very gentle, and producing what I can
only describe as a sort of crooning sound, like a lullaby or cradle
song. I once heard one of these songs sung by my carriers the last
thing at night as they lay beneath the floor of the building in which
I was sleeping; and the effect was absolutely charming.

As an example of Mafulu music I give the following, which, though not,
I fear, quite accurate, is I think a substantially correct version of
the music of a war song sung by the Mambule and Sivu communities in
connection with joint hostilities by them against another community,
and I have so far as possible added the song itself.

1st Verse: E! e! e! Si-vu Mambule juju la em u jeka le
2nd Verse: E! e! e! Noul e nul em u ieka la bulu iuju le

It will be observed that the first line is whistling only. I was
informed that it is a common practice to whistle the air before singing
the first verse; though I did not gather that it was always done. It
will also be noticed that simple harmonies occur in the fourth and
fifth bars. I cannot say whether the two parts in the music are
sustained or taken up by the voices upon any defined scheme, and,
if so, what that scheme is. Nor can I say whether the voices which
take the lower notes in the music are silent after the word _la,_ or
repeat that word in the sixth bar, with or without the upper voices,
in order to bring the tune to a full close. I have only given two
verses; and, as regards the song in question, I doubt if there were
any more. Unfortunately I am unable to translate the words, and can
only give the meanings of the following:--

_E! e! e!_ are merely meaningless exclamatory sounds, such as we have
in civilised songs. _Sivu_ is the name of a Fuyuge community close
to the Mission Station, being, in fact, the one referred to by me in
my chapter on communities. _Mambule_ is the nam