290 CUSTOMS OF THE KAR NICOBARESE 



When everything is ready, new red loin-cloth and td-choklas 

 are supplied to the guests. Then the cages, with the pigs inside, 

 and with the people upon them, are carried round from house 

 to house in a procession, with singing and dancing, each borne 

 by about forty men or women. Those who are not able to 

 construct a cage, carry, as a substitute, long bamboos, across 

 which the pig, with bound legs, is fastened. As they proceed, 

 betel-nuts and plantains are distributed by those on the cages. 

 In this way they march round the village, and return to the 

 starting-point, via Elpanam, the teams of women as they stagger 

 along with their heavy burden giving rise to much amusement. 



When the procession is over the natives release the pigs in 

 the cars, as well as nearly all the others, detaining only those 

 that are to be slaughtered on that day for the guests. Then 

 after felling the poles of the nd-kopdh by cutting them with 

 an axe, 6 feet above the ground, they scatter the food in the 

 jungle and fence the site. The canoes and other articles are 

 broken to pieces and thrown away, and only the iiierdhta, or 

 iron pike, is preserved, with its decorations, to be made use of 

 later. 



Next comes HengJiazva^ meaning " In return." A dozen or 

 more pigs of ordinary size are distributed by the inviting party to 

 the group of performers. These may kill and eat them on the 

 spot, or take them away to their homes. This present is made 

 in place of giving a feast. The dancing party who receive it 

 would, according to their own numbers, kill a few of the pigs, 

 cut them into pieces, and distribute the flesh among the 

 families of their group. They roast the pieces, eat as much 

 as they like, and take the remaining portions away with them. 

 The pigs that are not killed will also be taken to their village, 

 and will be there reserved for some public occasion. As a rule, 

 the people who receive the present must be ready to give 

 away a similar one in their turn when the same festival occurs 

 in their village. 



The spectacle of these people as they depart, men, women, 

 young and old, each with a load of roasted pork cither fastened 



