7^ SUMATRA. 119 



carrying snatched from liim and Ijroken before his face. The 

 accused pleaded, an excuse which he thought sufficient, tliat 

 his neighbour had no right to an umbrella of that colotir, 



as he Avas a man of no pangkat. Even in their houses, till 

 recent times, only chiefs had the right to sleep on a mattress, 

 or haye it protected by curtains, every one else being obliged 

 to sleep on a mat laid on the floor. 



The performers called on by the Master of the Ceremonies 

 come forward and seating themselves in the open space, perform 

 towards the chiefs and the assembled company with graceful 

 respect the semhah, a form of obeisance made by placing the 

 hands together and bringing tliem to the forehead at the mo- 

 ment of inclining the head. Each maiden has a fan in both 

 hands, which she holds by fixing them before and behind alter- 

 nate fingers, and the performance, which consists in posturing 

 the arms and hands, and but little in the movement of the 

 feet which really scarcely stir out of the spot, can liardly be 

 denominated dancing. The various attitudes assumed are few 

 and not very elegant, and, after being repeated to all sides, 

 they are ended by the danseuse gradually sinking down to flui 

 sitting position, semhahing to the company, and resuming her 

 seat among her fellows, ulienher place is taken by any two 

 youths whom the Ceremony-Master may call on, who go through 

 much the same performance in a less elegant manner. Inter- 

 vals in the dancing are filled up by the singing of love songs 

 by the young men, which are responded to by the maidens, 

 often in extempore yerses, which are gimerally scratched 



with needles on pieces of bamboo, and passed to their sweet- 

 hearts through the hands of the blaster of the Ceremonies to 

 be preserved by them as valualde keepsakes. Such fe:>tivals 

 mostly last through a whole night; but on great occasions 

 often for several days and nights together. 



When the festival lasts several days the forenoons are given 

 up to feasting, the early afternoons to sleep and talk, and 

 during the latter part the youth engage in the middle of the 

 village square In a game of ball called " simpak," m which 

 they vie with each other before the maidens, as well as the 

 general public — who congregate in tho shade of the eaves of 

 the surrounding houses as spectators and admirers — in the 

 display of the proficiency and elegance of their movements. 



