ioo Fiki.d Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. XII. 



Other action on his part would be considered by the spirits as an ad- 

 mission that he does not care for the child, and they would cause the 

 umbilical cord to decay so that the child would die. The mother is 

 delivered in the regular dwelling, where she is attended by two or more 

 midwives or mabalian. 1 She is placed with her back against an inclined 

 board, while in her hands she holds a rope which is attached to the 

 roof. With the initial pains, one of the midwives massages the abdomen, 

 while another prepares a drink made from leaves, roots, and bark, 

 and gives it to the expectant woman. The preparation of this con- 

 coction was taught by friendly spirits, and it is supposed to insure an 

 easy delivery. Still another mabalian spreads a mat in the middle of 

 the room, and on it places valuable cloths, weapons, and gongs, which 

 she offers to the spirits, praying that they will make the birth easy and 

 give good health to the infant. The articles offered at this time can 

 be used by their former owners but as they are now the property of the 

 spirits they must not be sold or traded. The writer was very anxious 

 to secure an excellent weapon which had been thus offered. The user 

 finally agreed to part with it but first he placed it beside another of 

 equal value, and taking a piece of betel nut he rubbed each weapon 

 with it a number of times, then dipping his fingers in the water he 

 touched both the old and the new blades, all the time asking the spirit 

 to accept and enter the new weapon. The child is removed by the 

 mabalian who, in cutting the umbilical cord, makes use of the kind of 

 knife used by the members of the child's sex, otherwise the wound 

 would never heal. The child is placed on a piece of soft betel bark, 

 "for its bones are soft and our hands are hard and are apt to break the 

 soft bones," then water is poured over it and its body is rubbed with 

 pogdndk. 2 The afterbirth is placed in a bamboo tube, is covered with 

 ashes and a leaf, and the whole is hung against the side of the dwelling 

 where it remains until it falls of its own accord or the house is destroyed. 

 In Cibolan the midwife applies a mixture of clay and herbs called 

 karamir to the eyes of all who have witnessed the birth "so that they 

 will not become blind." Having done this she gives the child its name, 

 usually that of a relative, and her duties are over. As payment she will 

 receive a large and a small knife, a plate, some cloth, and a needle. 3 



In Malilla the naming does not take place until three days after the 

 birth, and the eyes are not always anointed, although the old people 

 agree that it is an ancient custom and "a good thing to do." At that 



1 In Cibolan the midwife is called taratEk-Ekn, and need not be a mahafian. 



2 A medicine made of bark and rattan. 



3 The payment given at the birth of a boy is somewhat greater than that 

 for a girl. 



