two exorcists began to chant with shrill voices and rapid 

 utterance the following adjuration in ancient Sanscrit : 



Atakan, patakan, bawan, bichawa, 

 Khombadi khaw, dir khaw. 

 Han mat ghode, tayam tuyam, 

 Sut, luk, but, luk. 



To which their leader replied in a deep bass that echoed 

 throughout the subterranean vault: 



Ha hoo, ta too! 



Pooska, bramina, padala stoo! 



During this recitative, and others that folio wed, the con- 

 jurers threw on to the live coals in the brasier certain secret 

 chemical powders which flashed with green and again with 

 red flames ; they touched the strings of the musical instru- 

 ments eliciting a sort of accompaniment to their chants ; and 

 they made many flexions of the body and gestures with the 

 arms, swaying themselves sideways with an ever increasing 

 rapidity that was terrifying to behold. 



At a sign from the chief, magician, his assistants took 

 from the covered basket a live, black cat with no white hairs, 

 and held it towards him ; grasping one of the curved knives, 

 he dextrously plunged it into the animal's quivering body, 

 which he held over the silver basin until it was partly filled 

 with the life blood of the sacrifice; the carcass was dropped 

 into an ashpit at the foot of the brasier, and the bowl of 

 warm blood was placed on the central table. 



Again the cavern resounded with the peculiar chant : 



Up, ilp, ilmeden, 

 Selug, silug, silmeden ; 

 Yel khos, kepene ; 

 Kepen ichini bazar, 

 Ichinde ayoo gezer, 

 Ayoo beni khookhoode, 

 Khoolakheme, sarghade! 

 Alaghena akh dedi, 

 Chalaghena chekh dedi. 



179 



