A DEER-DRIVE. 57 



and to be surrendered by the spirits to traps and 

 snares that animals which have not so transgressed 

 would detect. 



But to return to our deer. They are warned of 

 the perils of fire and flood that lie to right and left 

 of the only way back to the fold of Nabi Sleman. 

 Across this way lies the long line of nooses, and 

 they are to return if they can. 



When this invocation to the deer is concluded, 

 the strength of the knot and rope is tested by a 

 strong pull, and lastly the sidins are addressed 



"Hail! all hail! 

 Thou long and trembling line ! 

 If two deer pass, hold thou two ; 

 If only one pass, hold thou him ; 

 Be he big or small, hold him ! 

 And I will speak good, not ill, of thee. 

 If thou breakest, I will not mend thee ; 

 If thou art lost, I will not seek thee." 



Ptu ptu ptu. The pawang spits three times on 

 the knot, and rapidly unrolls the rest of the sidin. 

 Every one gives a long breath, for the ceremony, 

 which has lasted two or three minutes, is over. The 

 extremity of the sidin is tied to a convenient tree 

 on the line that has been cut through the forest, 

 and another bundle of nooses is brought up to the 

 pawang, who unrolls it and ties one end of it to 

 the tree where the first sidin stops, and continues 

 his way along the line. Where the second ends 

 the third begins, and in a few minutes the sidins 

 are transformed from a number of circular bundles 

 of rattans into a continuous line of nooses some 



