( 539 ) 



As linwoA'or llioso |)ciii;ili ami oiikmis ]ia\(^ fisoii, iii(lo|)(Mi<l«'iit of 

 lli(> \v\\o r(M|iiir(Mii('iils of llic cxi^lciicc ol" lli('>(' li'iltcs, llicv \\:\\v 

 (•(>iislaiill\' a (lisliirhiiiL!,- iiilliiciicc. 'I'o uixc an {'.xaiuplc : the Italians, 

 AN hen ui'ow iiiii' i"ic(', do not rcLiiilaU^ their work accordiiiii' to dvy or 

 wet woullicr, or to the coiiditioii of" tlicir lidds, Itiil all llic families ol 

 a trilte lia\'e to coidoriii lo what the chiet'laiii does, and heseesllial 

 lli(> iiecessai'\ religious rites before the special siiccessixc a.Liricid- 

 liiral ])i-(R-eediii'i's are duly pei-fornied. When the |>reliiiniiar_\ rite> 

 for the sowiiiu' have coinineiiced. no one is anv lonu'ci' allowed Id 

 hnrii dead wood on his Held; if the chief is w ('edin,!»". e\ crv one nnist 

 ('(\iso his sowing-, etc. 



In the same wav they he-iin all imporlaid enlei-j)risos, such as 

 Iravellin.U', the huildin^- of a house, elc. nol according- lo the demands 

 of tlie moment, hut accor(lin<>- lo Avholhci- a hii'd flies up to the ri.ulit 

 or to the left, and whethei- a doe is heard oi- nol. 



Of course, slrou^^er i-;ices do not so nu'ekly submit to the ualiiuij; 

 i-oslraints of these pemali aiul omens, as nu)i-e limid ualni-es. 1 had an 

 opportunity of ol)servin<i- this as a characlerislic difference between 

 Uahaus and Kenjas. It is true that both ha\e the sanu> ndiuion and 

 that their pemali and omens are essentially the same, but the pemali 

 ai-e more (kneloped amonji' the Baliaus and Jio more into details, than 

 among' the Kenjas. Among the former all the adults in a tribe are obliged 

 to observe the j)emali closely: among the Kenjas th(^ priests are specially 

 cliarged w'iÜï this, so that the mass of the people have moreliberly. 



Among the Bahans e.g. nobody eats the flesh of llie stag ; amonu- 

 the Kenjas the |u-iests only do not take it. 



The Kenjas have not inti-odnced the ab()\e-menlioned very injui'ious 

 pi-ecepls for the growth of rice with the same restrictions. It is true 

 that also among them the chief causes the neeessary ceremonies to be 

 performed, but still, every one is free afterwards to do in his field, 

 what will prove neeessary, and this is of the greatest inipoi-lance foi- 

 the sueeess of the luu'vest. 



The Bahans cling much more scrupulously to the existing pemali 

 and omens than the Kenjas. In spile of my having lived for yeais 

 among the I)ahaus, 1 was forced, to obserxe their |>recepls as sciii[»u- 

 lously as they themselves did. Only in case ofiu-gent necessity I dared set 

 out on a journey or receive a palieJil dnrinu the time prohibited by ilieir 

 laws, and 1 was therefoi-e as much shut out from the outer work! 

 a8 tiiev wer(\ ( )nce they made the iidiabitanis (if ilieii' own \illage 

 on llieii' return fr(nn an eiuhl months" expedition remain in the f"orest, 

 starving, rathei' than violate the lali ol" llieii- \illage by admitting 

 tiiem (tr brinuing them provisions. 



