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This paper is dealing with Uvean dirges composed between 1956 and 1973. In this contemporary production many literary themes such as floral symbolism, respect formulas, death conception, take their origin in the older rules of composition. The musical study has not been effected here : three musical transcriptions give nevertheless the minimal outlook to the musical type of production. For each text, topographical, ethnographical and literary notations are gathered in reference to the circumstances of the event " described " by each dirge. By comparing twelve Uvean dirges with the most ancient Futunan songs collected by Father Servant (1807-1860), it is possible to introduce a study to textual invariants in Uvean-Futunan songs, and more consequently the meaning of them.

Many ancient and little known Polynesian artifacts are kept in French museums. The collections studied in this article are those of the Cherbourg Museum of Natural History. The major part was collected by Commandant Jouan, who made two stays in the Marquesas Islands between 1850 and 1856 and created the Cherbourg Museum. The Marquesan collections brought back by Commandant Jouan include : two chief's staffs, one stone pig-head which is probably a unique piece, one club, tapas, carved bamboos, one conch shell, stilt steps, two small stone tiki, miscellaneous ornaments, two head decorated pounders, one complete fly fan, one big feather diadem, two rare artifacts, and a mnemonic device used in learning genealogies.

Based on a life story recorded by Jimmy Stevens himself, this article discusses Nagriamel leadership. Famous in the Pacific area as a personage, J.T.P.S. Moses led Nagriamel's destiny until 1964 from land struggle to politics and secessionism. Using a psychological and sociological approach, the author presents Moses as a creature of the New Hebrides Condominium, as a syncretic leader looking for cultural identity (being a half cast) : then he analyses Moses' leadership as traditional big-man behaviour, with the main emphasis on prestige investment and followers or clientele. From a theoretical point of view, it appears that Moses is an example of personal success inside a cultural context which permits his success. He seems to be the bearer of a cultural message from the "men bush"; but used in the New Hebrides colonial context in a way which is mainly concerned with personal interest. Having no message himself, Moses is more an example of leadership in a modern Melanesian social movement than a charismatic leader.