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TERNATE 97 TOPOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL DESCRIPTIONS
Disputes over property, e.g. sago trees, are decided by trial by ordeal and by cock
fights. In the trial by ordeal the parties dive under water (Tobungku, lumeo) and the first
to come up is the loser. When disputes are decided by cock fight (Tobungku, batadi), the
owner of the winning cock receives the trees in question. In very serious cases disputes are
resolved through oath-taking (Tobungku, metunda) in which the following procedure is
followed: a piece of gold and a bullet are placed in a white bowl half filled with water. One
of the elders recites the incantation (Tobungku, bobeto) and then the party in question has
to drink some of the water and smear his body with it, meaning that he will be killed by a
bullet or melted like gold if he lies.
Bosscher and Matthijsen are mistaken in their claim that a dowry is not given these
regions. In fact, the opposite is true: as elsewhere, the girl is bought from the parents upon
payment of linens, earthenware, or other goods. What they report about dead bodies (p. 76)
is also untrue: these are laid to rest in proa-shaped wooden coffins near the house, in high
trees, or in caves. Sometimes they are buried. In earlier times one used to collect the
remaining bones of a whole family and put them in large earthenware casks, which
nowadays are sometimes found in inaccessible places.
It is not known to what extent the Alfuru language differs from that of the
Tobungkunese: for comparison I give here the numerals in both languages or dialects:
[p. 141]
Tobungku language Alfuru language of Tokala
1 asa sambaa
2 orua radua
3 otolu togo
4 opaa opo
5 olima lima
6 ono ono
7 opitu pitu
8 howalu wayu
9 osio sio
10 hopulu sampuyu
Bosscher and Matthijsen give a list of words on p. 73, of which the following words
have to be corrected:
English In B. and M. Correct word
not anhena nahina
big ohosse ofose
small mohibu mohifu
to eat menkah mongka
to drink moinun moinu
sick konaneuh mahaki
face hoi foi
to enter merso opako mesa opako
to go outside mino aroko melo arako
body puto futo
head unoh ulu
to sit tunandah totanda
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