Research Items

Abstract

A Fijian Game in Assam.—In Man for September, Mr. J. H. Hutton refers to what has been called the ‘national game’ of Fiji, a sport called Veitingga, played with a reed, on specially prepared throwing grounds, where the reed is thrown so as to strike the ground and then spring upwards towards the mark. He records the occurrence in Assam of a similar game, now noted for the first time in further Asia. The game is played by the Dzunokehena group of the Angami. Here also it is played on a prepared ground. The reed is propelled under-arm, running, and distance in a straight line is the test of skill. A variant is played with a stick, instead of a reed, thrown over-arm so as to strike hard on the ground. This form is played on the Parapit River in South America. It is to be noted that a game played with fiat round beans also appears both in Assam and the Pacific, the Assamese name for the bean being alau, and the Fijian Walai. In Samoa, discs of coconut shell are used. Its occurrence in the Philippine Islands affords a link between its distribution in the Pacific and the continent of Asia, where it prevails throughout Burma and the Assam hills south of the Brahmaputra.