Mamus 1878

[BURTON John]

I've just located a definitive version of mamus (Papuan version of luluai),
extends certainly through Western Province, but more generally throughout
Papua??

"Towards subdown Mamoose returned with a number of men, including the chief
[of Boigu], who also answers to the name of Mamoose; in fact, this name is
now applied to the chief of any island, and has been adopted by the natives,
although previously unknown. It may not be uninteresting to trace the origin
of this novel application of a word foreighn to their language. In 1870 I
visited Darnley island, and having studied with much interest "Jukes' Voyage
of the 'Fly'", I surprisied the natives by recalling the names of people who
were then living but who have long since 'gone over to the majority,' and by
repeating a number of words in their language. The simple natives would have
it that I was Jukes himself, and told me that during the Fly's visit I had
changed names with a man called 'Mamoose' (signifying red hair) and from
that time they never spoke of me by any other name. In the following year I
visited Marbiak [Mabuiag], where the chief, whose name was 'Genai' [Ganaia],
insited on my changing names with him; since which time, even among his own
people, he has always born the name of Mamoose. When the pearlshellers
arrived in the Straits, Marbiak offered a fine field for recruiting labour,
and finding the chief was called Mamoose, they concluded it was the native
word for chief, and from hearing it so often the natives have gradually
adopted the word." 

>From Chester, H.M. 1878 Narrative of expedition to New Guinea in a series of
letters. Brisbane: Government Printer.
See also Jukes, J. Beete 1847. Narrative of the surveying voyage of H.M.S.
Fly, commanded by Captain F.P. Blackwood, R.N. in Torres Strait, New Guinea,
and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago during the Years 1842-1846:
together with an excursion into the interior of the Eastern Part of Java.
Vol. 1. London: T. & W. Boone.

Quoted in Schnukal, A. & R. Mitchell 1998. Eseli's notebook. Brisbane:
University of Queensland, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit
Research Report Series No. 3, p.78

John Burton