BURIAL 303 



basket of pork, and other things, and hide all under different 

 bushes at some distance from the cleared spot. 



To it, with a number of followers, they lead the mafai in 

 procession, and a dance with singing is held. 



While the party in general is dancing, the tamiluanas take 

 the mafai apart to one of the bushes and point out to him 

 one of the concealed articles, telling him that it is a gift miracu- 

 lously sent him by a deceased relative. All then return and 

 join the dancing party. This action is repeated until all the 

 articles are pointed out to the mafai. 



The red cloth is then torn into strips and distributed to the 

 men for loin cloths, and all the other objects are taken to the 

 mafai's house, while afterwards the people renew the singing 

 and dancing for the whole night. 



The site in Mai the people consider to be something like 

 Hades, and they believe that the spirits of the dead, immedi- 

 ately after life is ended, take up their abode in it. Consequently 

 they never approach it on ordinary occasions, nor do they gather 

 coconuts from the place, though the palms grow there thickly. 



When a person becomes ill, or when it is desired to expel 

 the devil from anyone, the tamiluanas first resort there to 

 consult with their household spirits, or familiars, and to obtain 

 " devil-expelling " leaves. 



In the event of their attempts failing, they go to another 

 spot in distant jungle called Passa (a former settlement of the 

 Mus people), where they suppose the souls of their ancestors 

 sojourn. 



The burial ceremony is peculiar, and the whole motif of it 

 seems to be that if the corpse return to the village the ghost 

 will be able to accompany it and haunt the place. 



If a death should occur in the village proper, the natives, 

 after conveying the corpse to the " deadhouse " in Elpanam, for 

 fear of the spirit, barricade themselves for a time in their 

 houses, and keep fires burning before the doors. 



When a Kar Nicobarese becomes moribund he is taken to 

 the " deadhouse," or " house of pollution," and there left to die, 



