ection of these "idols" that they leave their jewellery and
other possessions unguarded beside them, in the full belief that nobody
would dare to steal anything from spots protected by such mighty beings.
See H. Kuehn, "Mein Aufenthalt in Neu-Guinea," _Festschrift des
25jaehrigen Bestehens des Vereins fuer Erdkunde zu Dresden_ (Dresden,
1888), pp. 143 _sq._]

[Footnote 511: A. F. R. Wollaston, _Pygmies and Papuans_ (London, 1912),
pp. 132 _sq._, 136-140.]

[Footnote 512: J. L. D. van der Roest, "Uit the leven der bevolking van
Windessi," _Tijdschrift voor Indische Taal- Landen Volkenkunde_, xl.
(1898) pp. 159 _sq._]

[Footnote 513: J. L. D. van der Roest, _op. cit._ pp. 161 _sq._]

[Footnote 514: J. L. D. van der Roest, _op. cit._ p. 162.]

[Footnote 515: J. L. D. van der Roest, _op. cit._ pp. 164-166.]

[Footnote 516: J. L. D. van der Roest, _op. cit._ pp. 157 _sq._]

LECTURE XV

THE BELIEF IN IMMORTALITY AMONG THE NATIVES OF SOUTHERN MELANESIA (NEW
CALEDONIA)

[Sidenote: Melanesia and the Melanesians.]

In the last lecture I concluded our survey of the beliefs and practices
concerning death and the dead which are reported to prevail among the
natives of New Guinea. We now pass to the natives of Melanesia, the
great archipelago or rather chain of archipelagoes, which stretches
round the north-eastern and eastern ends of New Guinea and southward,
parallel to the coast of Queensland, till it almost touches the tropic
of Capricorn. Thus the islands lie wholly within the tropics and are for
the most part characterised by tropical heat and tropical luxuriance of
vegetation. Only New Caledonia, the most southerly of the larger
islands, differs somewhat from the rest in its comparatively cool
climate and scanty flora.[517] The natives of the islands belong to the
Melanesian race. They are dark-skinned and woolly-haired and speak a
language which is akin to the Polynesian language. In material culture
they stand roughly on the same level as the natives of New Guinea, a
considerable part of whom in the south-eastern part of the island, as I
pointed out before, are either pure Melanesians or at all events exhibit
a strong infusion of Melanesian blood. They cultivate the ground, live
in settled villages, build substantial houses, construct
outrigger-canoes, display some aptitude for art, possess strong
commercial instincts, and even employ various mediums of exchange, of
which shell-money is the most notable.[