J.V TIMOR. 445 



me by the guide who was accompanying me, and who liimself 

 in a late war had been an actor in the scene, of the selecting 

 Heaven of tliose who were to sustain the honour of 

 their country in the field. On the eve of a war, ho told 

 me, me-ssengers are sent to every corner of the kingdom 

 and country to summon from wherever he is, and from 

 whatever he is employed, every man who owes alle- 

 giance to their Rajah. From the Uma-Luli near which we 

 stood, the hill sloped up in a vast shallow, natural amphi- 

 theatre, bounded on all sides by precipitous and inaccessible 

 valleys. " Here," he said, " every man of the kingdom assem- 

 bled, each with a fowl in his hand on wliich to read his fate, 

 until the whole of this hill was full, sitting close together in 

 silence, each man dressed in his war attire, with his gun on his 

 shoulder, his sword by his side and his spear in his hand ; they 



row 



(f 



there, round and round." As he spoke his eyes flashed up, 

 and I could picture to myself the Avild and expectant mien of 

 the half-savage crowd. *' The Dato-LuU,'' he continued, *' then 

 appeared at the door of the great XwZ* house in all the awesome 

 vestments of his office, Avith the sacred spear and the gun and 

 the shield beside him, and before them all he sacrificed a buffalo. 

 After placing a piece of its flesh, along with siri aud pinang on 

 the Vatu-luU, or altar-stone, he invoked the spirits of our dead 

 forefathers, then on 3Iaromak of the heavens (in other districts 

 the deity is known by the name Uruhatu and Laraida, signifyin 

 sun and moon) and on Him of the earth. Then in turn he called 

 out every man present singly, who, advancing to the high 

 priest each with his fowl in his hand, gave it to the Dato-LuU, 

 who slayed it in presence of the assembled company. According 

 as the animal dies with its right foot or its left foot elevated, 

 and according as the colour of the siri juice which the Dafo 

 expectorates on the brow and breast of the man before him is 

 bright scarlet or dark, does the Maromak indicate whether the 

 man is chosen to fight for his kingdom or destined to stay at 

 home and jruard the women. If the fowl die with its right leg 



elevated, and the siri spittle be bright scarlet, the omens 

 in favour of the consultor, who then, turning from the Dato- 

 Lull, draws his sword, and, brandishing it wildly m the air, 

 exclaims—' I'm a Man : I'm a Brave,' and takes his place on 



30 



