"In the beginning four beings, MElu and Fiuweigh-males, and Dwata and
Saweigh (or sEwE or sEweigh)-females, lived on a small earth or island
as large as a hat and called _salnaon_. There were no trees or grass on
this island, but they had one bird called Baswit. They sent this bird
across the waters to secure some earth, the fruit of the rattan and of
trees. When it returned MElu took the earth and beat it the same as a
woman beats pots until he had made the land, then he planted the seeds
in it and they grew. When he had watched it for a time he said: 'Of what
use is land without people'; so the others said, 'Let us make wax into
people.' They did so, but when they put the wax near to the fire it
melted, so they saw they could not make man that way. Next it was
decided that they should use dirt, and MElu and Fiuweigh began to make
man. All. went well until they were ready to make the nose. Fiuweigh who
was making this part put the nose on upside down and when MElu told him
that the people would drown if he left it that way he became very angry
and refused to change it. When he turned his back, MElu seized the nose
quickly and turned it as it now is, and you can see where, in his haste,
he pressed his fingers (at the root).

"The people they made were Adnato and Andawi, male and female. These two
had children, Tapi (or Mastafi) and Lakarol. (Informants disagreed here,
part insisting that MEsa, Lakbang, and Mangarang were part of the first
people made.) Their descendants were Sinudal (female), Moay (male),
Limbay (female), Madinda (female), Sinnamoway (male), Kamansa (male),
Gilay (female), Gomayau (male), Salau (male), Slayen (female), BaEn
(female), Kanfal (female), Latara (male)."

[Transcriber's note: These identifications of male and female (in
parentheses above and below) are all signaled in the text using