144 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



been cooked, but into the two largo shaved banrboo vessels (garong) 

 that still stond empty. Ido filled those garong with the taroanan, 

 or sacred food, and carefully drew together and gathered njt the 

 last scraps clinging to the broad leaves on which the food had been 

 spread. Then he (dosed the vessels with their tight stoppers, and 

 passed then up to ho placed on the shelf beside the garong of wine. 

 There they remained during the music, the dances, the chanting 

 and the feast, and were not taken down until after the <>ld men's 

 statement of exploits. 



As soon as the taroanan was elevated to the shelf, Inok hung 

 up. below the balekat, the cocoanut shells that he had tied together 

 at the time the omok was mixed. At that moment, the profound 

 stillness that had Lasted for an hour and a half broke to the sound 

 of the big drum, beat with dull monotonous taps, and accompanied 

 by resounding strokes on the agongs. This was the signal announ- 

 cing the dose of the altar ceremonial. All the men who had been 

 drinking balabba at once discharged an animated flow of talk, hut 

 the utter silence prevailing throughout the rest of the company 

 remained unbroken. 



Before this point in the ceremonies, a supplementary awas had 

 taken place over a number of extremely small leaf-dishes which were 

 said tn number two hundred — a rite conducted hy the old women. 

 Miyanda and Singan. This sacred office was going on at the same 

 time as the altar ceremony, and hence was not observed by me, hut 

 was reported to have occurred after the taroanan food was spread 

 on the altar, and before Oleng said the prayers over it. I failed to 

 ascertain what was afterward done with the leaf-dishes, hut, if their 

 disposition followed that of the other leaf-dishes at the three preceding 

 awas. the\ would have been taken out and laid down by the wayside. 



It was not until after drum-l>eat that the chanting of Gindaya 

 began, hut from this time on, ceremonial chants were given at 



intervals throughout the entire night. The sods and nephews id' 

 Oleng carried much of the burden of the gindaya; they sang in 

 the customary antiphoiis. one against one, or two against two. with 

 recitatives intervening in the usual manner. 



After the opening performance of gindaya, the music of the agongs 

 called the dancers to the floor. The first dance was done hy three 

 warriors alone who were dressed in embroidered trousers, fine beaded 

 jackets and tankulu of a very dark chocolate color, the tint showing 

 that they were brave (magani) men. whose human victims were 



