MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



517 



hand them down in safety to their 

 childien. They consist of three 

 compositions written on the Lon- 

 tar leaf, describing the origin of 

 the -world, the attributes of the 

 Deity, and the forms of worship 

 to be observed on different occa- 

 sions. Copies were taken on the 

 spot ; and as tlu- language does 

 not essentially differ from the or- 

 dinary Javanese, 1 hope at an 

 early period to place the Society 

 in possession of translations. In 

 the mean time some notices of 

 their customs, and of the cere- 

 monies performed at births, mar- 

 riages, and funerals, may be in- 

 teresting. 



When a woman is delivered of 

 her first child, theDukun takes a 

 leaf of the Alang Alang grass, and 

 •crajJing the skin of the hands of 

 the child and of the mother with it, 

 as well as the ground, pronoimces 

 a sl'.ort benediction. 



Vi'hen a marriage is agreed 

 upon, the bride and bridegroom 

 being brought before the Ddkun 

 within the house, in the fijst 

 place, bow witii respect towards 

 the south — then to the tire- place, 

 — then to the earth, and lastly, 

 on looking up to tlie upper story 

 of the house, "where the imple- 

 ments of husbandry are placed, 

 perform the same ceremony. The 

 parties then submissively bowing 

 to the Dukun, he repeats a prayer 

 commencing with the words, 

 " Hong ! Gendogo Bromo ung'gas 

 siwnng'go nonio siwolio sany yang 

 g'ni siro kang, &c." while the 

 bride washes the feet of the bride- 

 groom. This ceiemony over, the 

 friends and family of the parties 

 make presents to each of creeses, 

 buffaloes, implements of husban- 

 dry, &c. in ralurn for which th« 



bride and bridegi'oom respectfully 

 present them with betel-leaf. 



At the m.a-j'iuge feast which 

 ensues, the Dukun repeats two 

 puja, which will be found in the 

 collection. The marriage is not 

 consimnuated till the fifth day 

 after the above ceremony — which 

 delay is termed by the undang 

 manlu. A similar delay is, in 

 some cases, still obsei-\ed by the 

 Javanese in other parts of the 

 island, under the term undoh 

 mantu. 



On the death of an inhabitant 

 ofTeng'gar, the corpse is lowered 

 into the grave, the head being 

 placed to the south (contrary to 

 the direction observed by the Ma- 

 hometans) and bamboos and 

 planks are placed over, so as to 

 })revcnt the earth from touching 

 it. When the ^ra^e is closed, 

 two posts are planted over the 

 body, one perpendicular fnjm the 

 breast, the other from the lower 

 part of the belly. Between these 

 two a hollowed bcunboo is inserted 

 in the ground, iiito which, during 

 seven successive days, they daily 

 pour a vessel of jmre water, plac- 

 ing beside the bamboo, two dishes 

 also daily replenished with eat- 

 ables. At tlie expiration of the 

 seventh day, the feast of the dead 

 is annoimced, and the relations 

 and friends of the deceased as- 

 semble to be present at the cere- 

 mony and partake of the enter- 

 tainment, which is conducted as 

 follo^vs : 



An image of leaves, ornamented 

 with vnriegated flowers, made to 

 represent the human form, and 

 of about a cubit high, is prepared 

 and placed in a conspicuous plate, 

 and supported round tha body by 

 tb« clothes oftha dcoeastd. Th* 



